9
ON
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1976
THE SECRETARY SAID THE FARES REVISION WOULD IMPROVE THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL POSITION BY SOME $3 MILLION IN A FULL YEAR, CONVERTING ITS CURRENT ANNUAL LOSS OF AROUND $2 MILLION ON THESE SERVICES INTO A PROFIT OF ABOUT $1 MILLION.
+THIS WOULD, HOWEVER, STILL REPRESENT A RETURN OF ONLY ABOUT THREE PER CENT ON THE ASSETS EMPLOYED ON THESE SERVICES,+ HE SAID.
+FOR THE FUTURE,+ HE CONTINUED, THE POSITION WILL_CONTINUE TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED AND IF, AS NOW SEEMS LIKELY, A THIRD ROUND OF MEASURES PROVES TO BE NECESSARY, FURTHER PROPOSALS WILL BE PUT TO THIS COUNCIL IN THE COURSE OF 1977.+
DURING DEBATE ON THE MOTION, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, SAID HE WOULD NOT OPPOSE THE FARE INCREASES IN VIEW OF THE REVIEW FINDINGS REFERRED TO BY MR. JONES BUT HE WOULD ABSTAIN FROM VOTING IN ORDER TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERN AT ANY CONTEMPLATED INCREASES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
+ANY MOTION FOR FURTHER INCREASES SHOULD NOT BE PUT BEFORE THIS COUNCIL UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED BY ADEQUATE AND COMPETENT PERSONNEL, BOTH FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF FINANCIAL VIABILITY AS WELL AS MÁXIMUM ECONOMIES OF EXPENDITURE AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, HE SAID.
HE THOUGHT IT WAS MOST NECESSARY FOR GOVERNMENT TO MONITOR DURING THE COMING YEAR WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OR A PROFIT AND BY HOW MUCH, AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE MATCHED UP WITH THE FORECAST FIGURES PROVIDED BY MR. JONES, AND THE REASONS THEREFOR.
HE ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT HAD ENOUGH QUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE AND TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD BRING ABOUT +MAXIMUM ECONOMIES IN EXPENDITURE, ELIMINATE ANY WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY, AND MAINTAIN THE EXISTING SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC AT MINIMUM POSSIBLE OR EVEN NO FURTHER INCREASES IN FARES DURING 1977. +
+
MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID REPRESENTATIVES OF EIGHT RURAL COMMITTEES HAD PROPOSED, BESIDES THE SETTING UP OF A COMMITTEE BY GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE INTO THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE FERRY COMPANY TO SEE IF THERE WERE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS FOR FARE INCREASES, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE ON SEA TRANSPORT BỶ THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTED BY RURAL COMMITTEES OF THE OUTLYING ISLANDS.
THEY ALSO WANTED TO BE ASSURED THAT ANY INCREASE IN DE-LUXE FARES WOULD NOT DISCOURAGE URBAN RESIDENTS FROM VISITING THE OUTLYING ISLANDS ON WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
MR. JONES IN HIS REPLY VERY MUCH REGRETTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE RURAL COMMITTEES WERE CONSULTED IN A GENERAL WAY ABOUT FARE INCREASES AND IN PARTICULAR ABOUT CERTAIN FARE INCREASES THEY HAD NOT BEEN CONSULTED IN DETAIL ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THE PACKAGE CONTAINED IN THE MOTION.
/HE GAVE
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