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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1977
+AS GOVERNMENT PROVIDES LITTLE BY WAY OF SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE AGED, HE ADDED, THE DEPENDENT PARENTS SCHEME IS IN LINE WITH THE BEST IN CHINESE TRADITION AND CUSTOM AND SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AND PRESERVED BY THE GOVERNMENT.+
REFERRING TO THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR. CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY STILL USED 40 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET AS A GUIDELINE FOR PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS AND ALLOWANCES.
*PERHAPS THIS PERCENTAGE FIGURE COULD BE LOWERED IN TIME AS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS BECOME MORE MECHANISED AND LARGER SUMS OF MONEY ARE SPENT ON COMPUTERISATION, HE SAID.
ON THE POLICE FORCE, HE FELT THAT SINCE IT WAS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT FULL ESTABLISHMENT THIS YEAR, IT WAS NECESSARY TO +PROGRESSIVELY RAISE THE EDUCATIONAL STANDARD OF NEW RECRUITS AND TO ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS IN REDUCING THE CRIME RATE THROUGH MORE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION+,
AS TO THE +DEADWOOD+ IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, HE NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS WHO WERE +VOLUNTARILY OR COMPULSOR ILY RETIRED ON GROUNDS OF INEFFICIENCY FROM 1971 TO APRIL 1976 WAS 29, OR AN AVERAGE OF SIX A YEAR.
+QUITE OFTEN, IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS A YEAR TO HAVE A CIVIL SERVANT RETIRED ON GROUNDS OF INEFFICIENCY.
+THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN EFFICIENCY IS POSSIBLE UNDER THE EXISTING COMPLEX SYSTEM OF +VOLUNTARY+ OR COMPULSORY RETIREMENT,+ MR. CHEONG-LEEN OBSERVED.
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