THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1.
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TURNING TO OUR MANPOWER SITUATION, DR. HUANG THOUGHT THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY TAKEN WELCOME MEASURES TO
IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF WORKERS, THE TIME IS NOW RIPE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY, FLEXIBILITY AND UTILISATION OF OUR LABOUR FORCE.
+THERE APPEARS TO BE NO OVERALL MANPOWER POLICY AIMED AT BALANCING THE DEMAND FOR AND THE SUPPLY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF LABOUR AT A GIVEN TIME.
+BETTER UTILISATION OF MANPOWER CAN OFTEN BE ACHIEVED BY TRAINING IN ADVANCE THOSE WORKERS LIKELY TO BE IN GREAT DEMAND, HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF HOUSING, DR. HUANG WAS WORRIED THAT WITH RENTS CONTINUING TO ROCKET AND HOUSING PASSING MORE AND MORE INTO THE HANDS OF SPECULATORS, IT HAS BECOME A PROBLEM OF FEARSOME DIMENSIONS.
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK TO RESOLVE THIS BY IMMEDIATE AS WELL AS LONG-TERM MEASURES, HE SAID. ONE POSSIBLE IMMEDIATE MEASURE HE SUGGESTED IS THE CONTROL OF RENTS.
HE EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY EXTENDED THE PRESENT RENT INCREASES CONTROL LEGISLATION FOR A FURTHER THREE YEARS, NO HOUSING COMPLETED AFTER DECEMBER 15, 1973,
IS SUBJECT TO CONTROL.
HE URGED THAT CONSIDERATION BE NOW GIVEN TO EXTENDING THE COVERAGE OF PROTECTION STEP BY STEP. SPECIFICALLY, THE PRESENT REGULATION COULD BE EXTENDED AS FROM JANUARY 1980 TO ALL HOUSING COMPLETED BETWEEN DECEMBER 1973 AND DECEMBER 1974, AND AS FROM JANUARY 1981 TO ALL HOUSING COMPLETED BETWEEN DECEMBER 1974 AND DECEMBER 1975, AND SO ON.
+THIS WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TENANTS UNDER PROTECTION AND AT THE SAME TIME FULFIL THE GOVERNMENT'S PROMISE THAT ALL NEW HOUSING WOULD HAVE FIVE YEARS OF FREEDOM FROM ANY RENT CONTROLS.
+THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE PRESENT RENT CONTROLS TO FRESH-LETTING MIGHT ALSO BE EXPLORED.
+HOWEVER, RENT CONTROL CAN ONLY BE A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO COMBAT THE PROBLEMS AT HAND FOR THE LONG-TERM THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION TO AN INCREASED PRODUCTION OF HOUSING AND TO THIS THE GOVERNMENT MUST WITHOUT DELAY ADDRESS ITSELF, HE SAID.
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