10.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1977
THE PROGRAMME ALSO INCLUDED A LARGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS, TAKEN LARGELY FOR GRANTED, BUT WHICH WERE VITAL FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE COMMUNITY.
+TAKEN SEPARATELY, EACH ITEM IN THE PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTES TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MANY ASPIRATION: TAKEN AS A WHOLE, THE PROGRAMME FORMS THE BASIS FOR THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ON WHICH OUR FUTURE PROSPERITY AND THE EQUALITY OF OUR LIVES DEPEND,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.
+ IT IS A TREMENDOUS UNDERTAKING IN TERMS OF MONEY, RESOURCES AND EFFORT. AND IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO SURPRISING IF PROGRESS SOMETIMES FALLS SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS.+
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HE RECALLED THAT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD UNDERSPENT ON PUBLIC WORKS.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SPENDING PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT THE UNUSUALLY DRY WEATHER HAD BEEN IN OUR FAVOUR AS IT ENABLED WORKS TO PROCEED WITH FEWER THAN NORMAL INTERRUPTIONS DUE TO RAIN.
+WE HAVE HAD SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN STAFF OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE STILL MORE THAN 11 PER CENT BELOW APPROVED ESTABLISHMENT THE EFFECT OF THE STAFF INCREASES IS NOW BEGINNING TO SHOW,+ HE SAID.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, THE INCREASING LOAD BEING PLACED ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, NOT ONLY BY THE GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO BY THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IS GIVING RISE TO A NOTICEABLE SHORTAGE OF WORKERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AND THIS IS RESULTING IN INCREASED WAGES, INCREASED COST AND IN MANY CASES DELAYS IN PROGRESS OF PROJECTS.+
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT AT THIS STAGE IN THE YEAR IT WAS STILL NOT EASY TO FORECAST WITH PRECISION WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ACTUALLY SPEND ON PUBLIC WORKS IN 1977/78.
+SOME SHORTFALL IN PLANNED EXPENDITURE IS EXPECTED BUT PRODUCTIVITY HAS INCREASED AND PERFORMANCE FIGURES WILL BE VERY MUCH BETTER THAN IN RECENT YEARS, HE ADDED.
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