************************************************************
The Government has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved a grant of $1.29 million from the Disaster Relief Fund to The Amity Foundation for relief projects for snowstorm victims in the Mainland areas of Guangxi and Yunnan.
The grant is additional to a disbursement of $237.43 million made earlier for three provincial/municipal governments and six organisations to provide emergency relief to snowstorm victims in eight provinces/municipalities. It takes the total value of grants for snowstorm victims on the Mainland to $238.72 million.
Announcing the grant today (April 1), a government spokesman said the committee hoped the grant to The Amity Foundation would help provide relief to snowstorm victims in Guangxi and Yunnan, two of the hardest-hit provinces.
"To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the relief agencies have been asked to submit evaluation report and audited account on the use of the grant after the relief project has been completed," the spokesman said.
The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Government on the policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funding for disaster relief from the Disaster Relief Fund, which was established in December, 1993, for emergency disaster relief in places outside Hong Kong, as well as advising on specific amounts to specific recipients, and monitoring the use of grants.
The committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Members include Mr Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, Mr Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, Mrs Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, Dr Kwok Ka-ki, Mr Michael Lai Kam-cheung, Mr Irving Koo Yee-yin, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare.
Ends/Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:17
NNNN