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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980
PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME PROCEDURES TO BE REVISED
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THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IS CONSIDERING A REVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME PROCEDURES WITH A VIEW TO LINKING THE TIMING OF UPGRADINGS TO CATEGORY A TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS, WITHOUT AT THE SAME TIME INHIBITING THE PLANNING PROCESS.
THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID THE NEW PROCEDURES WILL BE AIMED AT REDUCING THE CATEGORY A COMMITMENTS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TO A MANAGEABLE LEVEL MORE IN LINE WITH THE PERMISSIBLE GROWTH RATE OF PUBLIC WORKS NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE.
AT THE SAME TIME, THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT, ONCE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AUTHORISED THE INCLUSION OF A PROJECT IN CATEGORY A, IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME.
+BUT UNTIL THE VERY LARGE BACKLOG OF COMMITMENTS IS CLEARED, CONSIDERABLE RESTRAINT WILL BE NECESSARY, SIR PHILIP SAID. +THE NUMBER OF NEW PROJECTS THAT CAN BE PROPOSED FOR INCLUSION IN CATEGORY A MUST BE LIMITED STRICTLY TO THOSE WHICH, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, CANNOT BE DEFERRED,+
SINCE 1976-77, HE POINTED OUT, THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR STARTING NEW PROJECTS HAVE AVERAGED JUST OVER EIGHT PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE UNDER THE PUBLIC WORKS NON-RECURRENT HEADS,
HE EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST FOUR YEARS TO REDUCE THE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT OF $15 200 MILLION TO A MANAGEABLE SIZE. THIS MEANS THAT EACH CATEGORY A PROJECT NOT YET STARTED WILL HAVE TO BE EXAMINED VERY CAREFULLY TO ENSURE THAT ITS PRIORITY IN RELATION TO OTHER ITEMS IN THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN CORRECTLY ASSESSED.
SIR PHILIP NOTED THAT IN RECENT YEARS, THE TOTAL VALUE OF ALL PROJECTS IN CATEGORY A OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME HAD GROWN FAR FASTER THAN THE ACCEPTABLE, AND PERMITTED, GROWTH RATE OF PUBLIC WORKS NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE.
UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, HE EXPLAINED, THE AUTHORITY GIVEN TO INCLUDE A PROJECT IN CATEGORY A WOULD IMPLY AN INTENTION TO IMPLEMENT THAT PROJECT WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME AND, UNTIL ABOUT 1977, THIS INTENTION WAS USUALLY FULFILLED.
+SINCE THEN, HOWEVER, A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO CATEGORY A, REFLECTING NOT ONLY THE INCREASING SIZE OF THE PROGRAMME, BUT ALSO THE IMPROVED PLANNING CAPABILITY OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.
THE SHEER NUMBER, AND PARTICULARLY THE PRESENCE OF VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, MEANS THAT ALL PROJECTS CAN NO LONGER BE UNDERTAKEN WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME AFTER BEING INCLUDED IN CATEGORY A, HE SAID.
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