|
Appendix 31
|
||||
|
School Assets and Settlement of Claims
|
||||
| (A) | PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSMENT AND SETTLEMENT
OF CLAIMS FOR DAMAGE OR DESTRUCTION OF STANDARD ITEMS CAUSED BY FIRE, NATURAL
DISASTER OR PERILS |
|||
| 1. | When there is a fire or natural disaster
or an occurrence of the perils as described in Section 41(a) in an aided
school, the Supervisor/Principal of the school, apart from reporting the
incident immediately to the relevant government departments such as the
Royal Hong Kong Policy Force and the Fire Services Department, must also
report the matter immediately to the Senior Inspector (Special Schools Administration)
who will arrange a joint inspection with the Senior Supplies Officer of
this Department and officers of other relevant government departments such
as the Architectural Services Department, Water Supplies Department etc.
to conduct a preliminary investigation at the earliest opportunity. The
purpose of the visit is to identify the extent of damage caused. In the
case of fire, a report from the Fire Services Department on the incident
will also be necessary. |
|||
| 2. | Based on the report of the school and the
result of investigation by the officers concerned, the estimated cost of
replacement of furniture and equipment and repairs to the school premises
will be assessed, which will form the basis for determining the amount of
subsidy to be paid to the school by the Government. |
|||
| 3. | The full cost of damage or loss caused by
fire or natural disaster or resulting from the described perils in Section
41(a) will be paid to schools on the basis of the approved tendered cost
or the actual cost, whichever is lower. |
|||
| 4. | Once the amount of subsidy is determined
and approved, the school authority will be advised to proceed with the purchase
of furniture and equipment for replacement in accordance with the standard
tendering procedures stipulated at Appendix 17. As regards the damage to
school buildings, all repairs will be treated as emergency repairs and the
standard procedures as stipulated at Appendix 18 should be followed. |
|||
| (B) | PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSMENT AND SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS FOR
LOSSES OF STANDARD FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT CAUSED BY THEFT AND BURGLARY |
|||
| 5. | When there is a loss of standard items in
an aided school, the Supervisor/Principal of the school must report the
loss immediately to the nearest police station of the Royal Hong Kong Police
Force and make a preliminary report to the Senior Inspector (Special Schools
Administration) who will arrange a joint inspection with the Senior supplies
Officer of this Department to conduct a preliminary investigation at the
earliest opportunity. The purpose of the visit is to identify any security
problems. An investigation report from the Royal Hong Kong Police Force
on the incident will also be necessary. |
|||
| 6. | The Supervisor/Principal of the aided school
will then proceed to investigate the loss fully and as soon as practicable,
forward his detailed report with the following information, together with
copies of other relevant documents, e.g. police reports, to the Senior Inspector
(Special Schools Administration) : |
|||
| (a) | details of the occurrence, including
date, time, detailed description and cost (original/replacement) of furniture/
equipment found lost; |
|||
| (b) | progress of internal investigation;
and |
|||
| (c) | recommendations for clearing
the loss and any action considered necessary to prevent a similar occurrence. |
|||
| 7. | The Supervisor/Principal of an aided school
is required to certify in each case that no fraud, suspected fraud, negligence
or violation of an important point of principle is involved. |
|||
| 8. | Based on the reports of the school and the
result of investigation by the Police and officers concerned, the estimated
cost of replacement of furniture and equipment lost will be assessed, with
the recommendation by the relevant subject inspector, which will form the
basis for determining the amount of subsidy to be paid to the school by
the Government. |
|||
| 9. | The full cost of loss will be paid to schools
on the basis of the approved tendered cost or the actual cost, whichever
is lower. |
|||
| 10. | However, once the amount of subsidy is determined
and approved, the school authority will be advised to proceed with the purchase
of furniture and equipment for replacement in accordance with the standard
tendering procedures stipulated at Appendix 17. |
|||
| Security Measures |
||||
| 11. | Supervisors of aided schools should take
necessary security measures to protect the schools' assets against all perils
mentioned above. Special attention should be paid to security measures against
theft, burglary or robbery, particularly for movable assets such as cash
and equipment. |
|||
| 12. | Supervisors are reminded that petty cash
(Government portion and school portion, if any) kept in schools should not
exceed the limits prescribed in the relevant circulars currently in force.
In case there is a claim of loss in petty cash caused by the aforesaid perils,
the amount of claim should be the actual amount lost or the prescribed limit,
whichever is lower. It is also advisable that collections and payments should
be made through bank accounts as far as possible to minimize the risk of
cash losses. Cash collections, if any, should be banked as soon as practicable
to reduce the risk of keeping or transporting cash in large sums. |
|||
| 13. | When it is necessary to transport cash, the
following security measures are suggested : |
|||
| (a) | If the amount exceeds $5,000 but
is less than $10,000, two persons are required to escort the cash. |
|||
| (b) | If the amount exceeds $10,000, commercial security guards should be hired. | |||