15
Wednesday, March 15, 1972
HON. SZETO WAT CRITICISES UNDER EXPENDITURE
Progress Of Social, Community Services Retarded
The Hon. Szeto Wai today voiced strong criticisms of Government's
budgetary policies when he spoke at the resumed Budget Debate in the Legislative
Council.
He said he could not but "appal the continued deliberate under-estimating
of revenue which has been allowed to inhibit expenditure and thereby retard
the progress of our social and community services."
"It is all the more difficult to justify, in the face of this year's
whacking surplus, the increase of water charges, the meagre provision of public
assistance and the stubborn resistance towards improving our technical education,"
he added.
It was regrettable, Mr. Szeto Wai said, that on occasions of Budget
Debate it was invariably the Financial Secretary's prerogative to have the last
say and Unofficial Members' vindication inevitably came a year late!
He recalled the many years during which the former Financial Secretary,
Sir John Cowperthwaite, had produced large surpluses and described this as "an
amazing feat," He said either Sir John's control over spending was excessive
or his crystal ball for revenue estimation needed polishing or a more realistic
interpretation by its master.
"In any event, such extraordinary inaccuracies have now become the rule
rather than the exception and one can no longer dismiss them as just incorrect
estimation," Mr. Szeto Wai said.
/He said ......