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dispose of the HK$314 million annual subvention derived
from the TDC, Ordinance. Together the two organisations
But
3 will use up almost half a billion Hong Kong dollars this
year, so quite rightly both should be scrutinised. against what targets are their respective performances measured, or are indeed measurable? [The size of this total expenditure should also be seen in the context
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of the other large miscellaneous subventions to bodies
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which are equally charged with the promotion of the
10 quality of the Hong Kong product, such as the Productivity
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11. Council which receives HK$ million or the Performing 12 Arts (receiving HK$83.1 million, including the Academy 13 for Performing Arts).
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To speak of the arts, more and more the cultural offerings of a place also become an attraction to visitors, Apart 17 from being obviously important for the development of
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the human resources and the self-esteem of a community. We are still groping for the best policies for the arts and who should be involved where, how, and with how much. In good Hong Kong fashion, the public more readily believes in progress when they see it expressed in physical facilities rather than in the less visible and much slower 24 nurturing of the large reservoir of artistic talent both
performing and visual that clearly exists in Hong Kong. I believe that as a community we should be well able to
a afford at least the philharmonic Orchestra, a chamber music ensemble, and one or more professional dance companies which have a firm basis of public subvention to avoid letting them skirt the edge of bankruptcy year
after year.
Very rarely can, and do, private donations support the maintenance of larger groups of full-time professional artistes, and without an ambition to.
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international standards, we might as well save the current
amount of public money being expended now.
lc.