Financial Secretary John Tsang said more funding will be provided to the arts, culture and sports sectors, including a $20 million special fund to help Hong Kong athletes prepare for December's East Asian Games.

In his 2009-10 Budget today Mr Tsang said $50 million in the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation will be set aside to finance new facilities and equipment for district and national sports associations in the next three to four years.

He said Home Affairs Bureau and the Arts Development Council will provide local artists and art bodies with direct funding of $330 million next year.

The Legislative Council recently approved funding of $150 million for the Arts & Sport Development Fund.

The recurrent subvention for the Academy for Performing Arts will rise to more than $193 million to strengthen training programmes.

On the development of Cantonese opera, $186 million in funds have been approved for the conversion of the Yau Ma Tei Theatre and the Red Brick Building into the Xiqu Activity Centre. Twenty-million dollars has also been injected into the Cantonese Opera Development Fund and $33 million will be invested in 2009-10 to further support the research and promotion of the art.

To provide more opportunity for people to use library facilities and to encourage more reading, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department will standardise the opening days of 33 major and district libraries to seven days a week from April 1, with opening hours increased by 10 hours to 71 hours a week.