THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1979
HE RECALLED THAT THE FINANCIL SECRETARY, ON NOVEMBER 16, 1978, IN THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS SAID THAT +SURVEYS OF .... INDUSTRIES (ENGAGED IN INVISIBLE TRADE) ARE NOW IN HAND.+
THEN ON DECEMBER 20, 1978, THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS (SURVEY OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF SERVICES FOR 1978) ORDER 1978 WAS TABLED
IN THE COUNCIL.
THE SURVEY IS NOW IN PROGRESS, AND ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS SENT OUT NEARLY 3,000 QUESTIONNAIRES, CONSISTING OF 10 DIFFERENT DESIGNS TO SUIT THE DIFFERING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH THE SERVICE INDUSTRIES ARE ENGAGED.
THE COMMISSIONER HOPES THAT, WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, SAID MR. JEAFFRESON.
HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE
REFERRING TO WHAT THE HON. S.L. CHEN HAD TERMED +SHOE-STRING BUDGET FOR THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL. MR. JEAFFRESON SAID THE SUBVENTION OF $7.7 MILLION PROPOSED FOR THE COUNCIL AND CENTRE IN 1979-80 REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF NEARLY $1.5 MILLION OVER THAT APPROVED FOR 1978-79.
AND THE AMOUNT IS WHAT THE COUNCIL AND CENTRE HAD INDICATED THEY WOULD REQUIRE WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS PREPARING ITS OWN FIVE- YEAR FORECAST OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR.
+ RECOGNISE THAT THE AMOUNT OF $7.7 MILLION FALLS SOMEWHAT SHORT OF THE SUM WHICH THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL SUBSEQUENTLY SOUGHT TO MEET THE PROGRAMME WHICH IT FINALLY SET INSELF FOR 1979-80.
+BUT THE COUNCIL IS SUBVENTED ON A DISCRETIONARY BASIS, AND IN ARRIVING AT THE AMOUNT OF SUBVENTION, THE GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE REGARD NOT ONLY TO THE COUNCIL'S PROGRAMME IN RESPECT OF THOSE ACTIVITIES THE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO ASSIST, BUT TO OVERALL BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS. THE LATTER DICTATE THAT THIS YEAR THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL SHOULD SEEK TO GENERATE MORE OF ITS OWN REVENUE FROM ITS ACTIVITIES,+ SAID MR. JEAFFRESON.
CONSUMER COUNCIL
MR. JEAFFRESON SAID SIMILAR BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS APPLY IN THE CASE OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL.
BUT WHILE IT IS TRUE TO SAY THAT, AS THE HON. ALLEN LEE POINTED OUT, $770,000 HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE COUNCIL'S SUBVENTION FOR 1979-80 AS PAYMENT OF STAFF TERMINAL GRATUITIES, THE PICTURE FOR THE COUNCIL IS NOT QUITE AS BLACK AS MR. LEE HÅD PAINTED.
IN ARRIVING AT THE COUNCIL'S SUBVENTION FOR OTHER RECURRENT ITEMS OF EXPENDITURES. ABOUT A 10 PER CENT INCREASE HAS BEEN ALLOWED FOR STAFF SALARIES OTHER THAN TERMINAL GRATUITIES, AND ABOUT A 21 PER CENT INCREASE HAS BEEN ALLOWED UNDER OTHER CHARGES TO CATER FOR AN EXPANSION OF THE COUNCIL'S ACTIVITIES, SAID MR. JEAFFRESON.
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