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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1978
PRE-EMPTIVE STATEMENT IN GREEN PAPER
MEMBERS OF THE 10 HOC GROUP QUESTIONED THE WISDOM OF THE PRE-EMPTIVE STATEMENT IN THE GREEN PAPER WHERE IT WAS SAID THAT ARRANGEMENT'S WERE BEING MADE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSEI FOR APRIL 1978 ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WOULD COMMAND SUFFICIENT PUBLIC SUPPORT.
FATHER MCGOVERN POINTED OUT THAT THE PURPOSE OF A GREEN PAPER IS TO SEEK PUBL IC COMMENT ON GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. SUCH A STATEMENT COULD BE A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.
WORDINGS IN GREEN PAFER
THE MEMBERS ALSO SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS IN SOME WORDINGS IN THE GREEN PAPER. THEY SUGGESTED THAT +SOCIAL WAGE+, A PROFESSIONAL TERM, COULD BE AMEDNED TO + INDIRECT FINANCIAL
AID+ IN ORDINARY LANGUAGE. THE TERM +WELFARE ALLOWANCE+ IN THE GREEN PAPER ON SOCIAL SECURITY WAS CONFUSING AND COULD BE CHANGED TO +SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE+,
IF IN FUTURE THE SCHEME SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO NEEDS OTHER THAN OLD AGE AND CHRONIC SICKNESS, THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO CHANGE THE GENERAL TITLE.
THERE WAS ALSO A NEED TO DETERMINE WHEN EXACTLY
A PERSON IS OLD. A CIVIL SERVANT RETIRED AT 55, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE HE IS OLD, WHILE FOR THE OLD AGE SUPPLÉMENT, ONE
IS OLD AT 60 AND FOR THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, AT 75. THE PROPOSAL NOW IS THAT PROGRESSIVELY ONE WILL BE OLD AT 70.
THE MEMBERS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT IN FUTURE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS, A GLOSSARY OF TERMS COULD BE USEFULLY ADDED.
APPROACH TO SOCIAL SECURITY IN HONG KONG
MR. JAMES WU PARTICULARLY APPRECIATED THE CONCEPTS ADVANCED IN THE GREEN PAPER IN RESPECT OF THE SICKNESS, INJURY AND DEATH BENEFIT SCHEME.
HE SAID ITS CONTRIBUTORY FEATURE WOULD TEST WHETHER EMPLOYEES IN HONG KONG WERE PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED SENEFITS FOR THEMSELVES, WHILE THOSE BENEFITTED WOULD HAVE A STAKE IN THE IR FUTURE AND THAT OF HONG KONG.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN POINTED OUT THAT IN DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE, A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT FACTORS MUST BE EMPHASISED:
* THE NATIVE CAPACITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE FOR HARD WORK
AND INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE HAS TO BE FOSTERED,
* THE CHINESE TRADITION OF FAMILY LIFE, RESPECT AND CARE FOR
THE ELDERLY SHOULD BE PRESERVED,
/* THE SYSTE