CZC
IS &
MAB 040/1
34рей
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1992
FS SEEKS LEGCO VIEWS ON EXPENDITURE PRIORITIES
(WEDNESDAY}
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, TODAY CONTINUED HIS CONSULTATION WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND BRIEFED THEM ON THE MAIN FACTORS THAT NEED 3E TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
FOLLOWING THIS BRIEFING, WHICH FOCUSED ON RECURRENT EXPENDITURE FOR 1993-94, MR MACLEOD WILL MEET MEMBERS IN GROUPS NEXT WEEK TO THEIR VIEWS ON PRIORITIES FOR SPENDING IN TERMS OF BROAD POLICY AREAS.
HEAR
"THIS WILL HELP US SET BLOCK ALLOCATIONS FOR BRANCH SECRETARIES HO WILL, UNDER THE REVISED ARRANGEMENTS, BE GIVEN GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO DEPLOY RESOURCES WITHIN AND BETWEEN THEIR PROGRAMME AREAS, MR MACLEOD SAID.
"
THE MAIN BUDGETARY GUIDELINE THAT EXPENDITURE GROWTH MUST BE KEPT WITHIN THE TREND GROWTH RATE OF GDP WOULD MEAN THAT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE (RECURRENT AND CAPITAL) WOULD BE ALLOWED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT $5 BILLION IN REAL TERMS OVER THE 1992-93 ESTIMATES.
"FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR, OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED TO OFFSET INFLATION, ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE REGION OF $4 BILLION," HE SAID.
POINTED OUT THAT PART OF THIS EXTRA SUM HAS BEEN TO MEET IMPROVEMENTS COMING ON STREAM NEXT YEAR IN VARIOUS AREAS, SUCH AS EDUCATION, HEALTH, SOCIAL WELFARE, LAW AND ENVIRONMENT.
EARMARKED PROGRAMME ORDER AND
"TRANSLATED INTO SERVICE TERMS, THESE WOULD MEAN SIGNIFICANT · EXPANSION IN TERTIARY EDUCATION, STAFFING OF NEW SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, MORE CHILD-CARE PLACES, AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS," HE SAID.
MR MACLEOD SAID ON TOP OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, FURTHER NEW SERVICES COULD BE FUNDED FROM THE BALANCE OF THE EXTRA MONEY AND REDEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES.
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