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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1979
HE CALLED UPON THE GOVERNMENT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THIS POSSIBILITY SO AS TO TURN THE ELDERLY VOLUNTEERS INTO PROVIDERS OF SERVICE AND PROMOTE THEIR INDEPENDENCE. AS THE CHINESE SAYING GOES TO BE AGED, AND YET TO BE USEFUL. +
DR. HO ALSO COMMENTED ON THE SHORTAGE OF TRAINED MANPOWER FOR CARRYING OUT SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES AND URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND ITS REVIEW OF THE WELFARE CLASS IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.
HE POINTED OUT THAT BEFORE ANY MANPOWER MEASURE CAN BEGIN TO TAKE EFFECT IN TURNING OUT MORE TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO RETAIN ALL EXISTING QUALIFIED PERSONNEL IN THE SERVICE.
THE REVIEW, INVOLVING A RESTRUCTURING OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND CERTAIN POSTS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A TWO-YEAR CADETSHIP TRAINING SCHEME AIMED AT IMPROVING THE CAREER STRUCTURE OF HOLDERS OF THE SOCIAL WORK DIPLOMA IN THE DEPARTMENT, COULD HAVE DISTURBING EFFECTS ON THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR WHICH CURRENTLY ENGAGES ALMOST 60 PER CENT OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE WORKFORCE, HE SAID.
HOLDERS OF THE DIPLOMA WILL INEVITABLY BE ATTRACTED TO JOIN THE PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE ADVANTAGES OT THE SCHEME, AND BECAUSE OF SALARY DISPARITIES THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECRUIT OR RETAIN THEM. THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO SWITCH OVER WILL BE UNHAPPY ABOUT THE PAY DIFFERENCES AND WILL SUFFER IN MORALE AND EFFICIENCY,
+ULTIMATELY, THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A DISPROPORTIONATE DISTRIBUTION OF TRAINED MANPOWER BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTORS, JEOPARDISING THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF THE LATTER AS A PARTNER IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES,+ HE EXPLAINED.
CALL FOR OIL REFINERY REVIVED
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NEWLY APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE HON. WONG PO-YAN TODAY (THURSDAY) REVIVED THE SUGGESTION OF BUILDING A PETROLEUM REFINERY IN HONG KONG.
IN HIS MAIDEN SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. WONG SAID IT APPEARED RIDICULOUS TO HIM THAT HONG KONG, WITH ITS POPULATION AND SCALE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, SHOULD NOT HAVE A SINGLE REFINERY.
WITHOUT A REFINERY HERE TO PROCESS CRUDE OIL PURCHASED IN ADVANCE AT A FIXED PRICE, WE ARE UNABLE TO ENJOY RELATIVELY STABLE PRICES. AS OIL PRODUCT PRICES ARE RAISED AS MANY AS FIVE TO SIX TIMES A YEAR AND ELECTRICITY CHARGES ARE CHANGED EVERY MONTH, THERE IS NO WAY IN WHICH PRODUCTION COSTS CAN BE PREDICTED OR FIXED, EVEN WITHIN A REASONABLY SHORT PERIOD, HE SAID.
/HE POINTED