Hong Kong will support at least 103 reconstruction projects in its second stage work to support the reconstruction in Sichuan Province's earthquake stricken area, according to a bulletin released on Friday by the Hong Kong Information Services Department.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Sichuan province on Friday signed the Letter of Intent on Hong Kong's Second Stage Work in Support of Restoration and Reconstruction in the Sichuan Earthquake Stricken Areas in Chengdu.

The 103 reconstruction support projects initially identified for implementation in the second stage cover 52 education, 21 medical and rehabilitation, seven social welfare and 23 Wolong Nature Reserve related projects. Hong Kong's maximum total commitment for the second stage projects is about 3.8 billion HK dollars (US$490.8 million).

The HKSAR government has reserved 150 million HK dollars from the Legislative Council's approved additional commitment of 4 billion HK dollars for the Trust Fund in Support of Reconstruction in the Sichuan Earthquake Stricken Areas.

Hong Kong non-governmental organizations can apply for grants from the fund to take forward their proposed reconstruction projects. The next round of application assessment is expected to start mid-May.

The signing was attested by HKSAR's Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam and Sichuan's Executive Vice governor Wei Hong. Both side also exchanged copies of Project Co-operation Arrangements for 13 of the first stage projects.

Wei also updated Lam on the progress of reconstruction work in the earthquake-stricken areas, and the project management and auditing work relating to the reconstruction projects.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2009)