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1. Buildings to be checked for mosquitoes

2. Regal hopes for $5b from housing project to help reduce debt

1. Buildings to be checked for mosquitoes
CHAN SIU-SIN, SCMP 13 June 2003

The preparation of Hong Kong's defences against dengue fever moves indoors next week, when a pilot study is launched to measure mosquito prevalence inside 75 residential buildings.

The study, which is part of the government's campaign to combat mosquito breeding, will indicate the prevalence of Aedes albopictus, a mosquito that can transmit dengue fever.

Starting next Thursday, department officers will place two traps in each of the 864 randomly selected flats, in the ground, middle and top floors of the 75 residential buildings. Both public and private estates are involved.

The traps, consisting of a black plastic container, water and a brownish paddle, will be collected and checked weekly in laboratories.

The two-month study will provide early warning on whether Aedes aegypti, the most significant transmitter of dengue fever worldwide, is present in Hong Kong. The mosquito, which prefers to breed in indoor containers and is common in Southeast Asian countries, has not yet been found here, said Ho Yuk-yin, the department consultant and chairman of the Inter-departmental Working Group on Pest Prevention and Control.

"Although there is no evidence of Aedes aegypti in Hong Kong, it is prevalent in our neighbouring countries. Given Hong Kong's environment, there is still a chance for it to grow here," said Dr Ho. He urged the public to scrub vases and pot plant saucers and dispose of empty containers to avoid stagnant water at home.

The latest index of mosquito prevalence - which is measured by ovitraps - was the lowest in four years, according to the figures from the department.

2. Regal hopes for $5b from housing project to help reduce debt
KENNETH KO, SCMP 13 June 2003

Regal Hotels International expects to generate $5 billion from the sale of its luxury residential project Regalia Bay in Stanley.

Chairman and managing director Lo Yuk-sui said it was waiting for pre-sale consent for the first 84 houses of the 139-house project.

A soft launch would be held soon, after a large-scale marketing campaign aimed at local and overseas buyers, he said.

Mr Lo would not predict the average selling price but expected the project to realise $5 billion.

He said there was strong interest in detached houses in Island South due to rising health awareness, adding that some buyers had expressed intent to purchase a batch of more than 10 houses.

The project carried a debt of about $3.3 billion. Regal Hotels holds a 70 per cent stake with the remainder owned by China Overseas Land and Investment. They bought the site for $5.5 billion at a government auction in 1997.

Mr Lo said Regal Hotels had total debt of more than $4 billion and would try to cut the debt level.

The group had recently appointed agents to dispose of Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon City and Regal Riverside Hotel in Sha Tin.

He said several local and overseas potential buyers were in talks for the 400-room Regal Oriental Hotel. Progress was slower for the 830-room Regal Riverside because of its bigger size.

Commenting on the group's $10.08 million share placement last week, Mr Lo said: "It was a test of market response which proved to be very good." He did not rule out further fund-raising exercises.

Mr Lo said Sars had affected the occupancy of its five hotels which fell to just above 10 per cent during the peak of the outbreak. Occupancy has recovered to more than 20 per cent.

He said its hotel operations lost several million dollars last month. Mr Lo was cautiously optimistic about its prospects, saying overseas tourists had yet to come in force but room bookings were gradually increasing.

Meanwhile, Regal Hotels parent Paliburg Holdings is looking at investment opportunities in residential projects in Shenzhen.

Mr Lo, also chairman of Paliburg, said Shenzhen residential prices were rising and getting closer to Hong Kong's.