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TEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978
TURNING TO IMMIGRATION, SIR MURRAY EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE HIGH INFLOW OF IMMIGRANTS TO HONG KONG. DURING THE LAST SIX MONTHS, HE SAID, THE HIGH LEVEL OF IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG HAS BEEN WORRYING, AND AT THE PRESENT RATE THE NUMBER MAY REACH 95,000 THIS YEAR.
THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO WATCHING WITH APPREHENSION THE GROWING NUMBER OF ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM. AT PRESENT, 3,670 ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM ARE AWAITING RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.
REFERRING TO POLICE STRUCTURE GENERALLY, THE GOVERNOR SAID MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN STRENGTHENING AND REORGANISING THE HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE AND SIMILAR PROGRESS WAS MADE IN IMPROVING IN-SERVICE TRAINING, STAFF RELATIONS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE, AND IN OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENT AND EFFICIENCY.
ON MATTERS CONCERNING POLICE WELFARE, SIR MURRAY SAID THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT THE BROAD PUBLIC INTEREST REQUIRES THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATIONS IN COURT FOR POLICEMEN SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
HE SAID THAT COMPLAINTS WERE A MUCH HIGHER OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD FOR POLICE THAN FOR OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE DUTY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE GROUND, AND COUNTER-CHARGES OR COMPLAINTS WERE SOMETIMES THE ONLY DEFENCE GUILTY MEN COULD MAKE.
SIR MURRAY NOTED THAT THE COUNCIL'S NEW SESSION OPENED IN A PERIOD OF CONTINUING UNCERTAINTY AND DISAPPOINTING GROWTH LEVELS IN THE ECONOMIES OF THE GREAT OVERSEAS COUNTRIES ON WHOSE MARKETS HONG KONG DEPENDS, AND WHEN OUR EXPORTERS ARE HAVING TO CONTEND WITH THE NEW RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON OUR EXPORTS LAST YEAR.
+NEVERTHELESS, WITH HONG KONG'S EXTRAORDINARY ENTERPRISE AND ADAPTABILITY WE HAVE MAINTAINED A REASONABLE LEVEL OF EXPORTS AND AN UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH GROWTH RATE, A COMPARATIVELY LOW RATE OF INFLATION, VIRTUALLY NIL UNEMPLOYMENT, AND RAPIDLY RISING REAL INCOMES, + HE SAID.
HE EXPECTED HONG KONG'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FOR 1978 TO GROW BY ABOUT 10 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS, AND HONG KONG'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS GENERATED BY EXPORTS TO RISE IN 1979 AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS LAST YEAR.
AS TO GOVERNMENT REVENUE, SIR MURRAY SAID IT WAS NOW EXPECTED TO EXCEED THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE BY PERHAPS AS MUCH AS $1 BILLION, DUE LARGELY TO BUOYANT LAND SALES. ALTHOUGH IT WAS TOO EARLY TO INDICATE WITH ANY PRECISION THE LIKELY BUDGET OUTTURN, HE SAID, THERE COULD BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT THERE WOULD AGAIN EE A SURPLUS THIS YEAR.
SIR MURRAY SAID SOME BASIC REORGANISATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS PLANNED TO ENSURE THAT ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES ARE CO-ORDINATED REGIONALLY AND INTEGRATED WITH THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS, SO THAT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CAN BE MORE DIRECTLY RESPONSIVE TO LOCAL NEEDS.
THE REORGANISATION,