EDUCATION AND IMPROVEMENT RATES (ABOLITION) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

5.02 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr Low Por Tuck): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the Bill seeks to repeal Part III of the Education Ordinance, 1957, and section 16 of the Planning Ordinance, 1959, which provide respectively for the levy of an Education Rate and an Improvement Rate on the annual values of properties by the local authorities.

In view of the integration of the City Council with the Government, the Education and Improvement Rates have been incorporated in the Property Tax levied under the Property Tax Ordinance, 1960. It is the intention of the Government to abolish the Education and Improvement Rates once the Property Tax Ordinance, 1960, is fully operative. The Property Tax Ordinance, 1960, came into force on 1st January, 1961, and it is now necessary to repeal the relevant sections of the Education Ordinance, 1957, and the Planning Ordinance, 1959, under which the local rates are levied.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.- [Mr Low Por Tuck].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.