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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980
+BY CONTRAST, IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS CONSCIOUSLY, ALBEIT PRAGMATICALLY, DEFINED THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND SOUGHT TO CONTAIN OUR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THEM, WE HAVE NOT HESITATED TO ASSOCIATE PRIVATE INITIATIVE AND EFFORT WITH THE PROVISION AND OPERATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND, IN 1980-81, $2 214 MILLION WILL BE DISBURSED TO SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS IN THE EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE FIELDS, REPRESENTING NEARLY 50 PER CENT OF ESTIMATED TOTAL EXPENDITURE FROM PUBLIC FUNDS IN THESE FIELDS.+
SIR PHILIP SAID IT MUST BE ACCEPTED THAT THE ROLE OF SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS IN OUR NETWORK OF EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES WAS, FOR HISTORICAL REASONS, AN EVOLVING ONE.
+1 AM SURE THESE ORGANISATIONS VALUE, AND WOULD NOT LIGHTLY ACCEPT AN EROSION OF, THEIR INDEPENDENCE, HE SAID.
IT FOLLOWED, HE SAID, AS A COROLLARY, THAT THERE WAS NO NECESSARY OBLIGATION ON THE GENERAL TAXPAYER TO FINANCE THE IR INSTITUTIONS IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, AND TO THE SAME EXTENT, AS GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THIS APPLIED EVEN TO THOSE INSTITUTIONS SUBVENTED ON A DEFICIENCY GRANT BASIS.
+THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE TAKE AN INFLEXIBLE VIEW AS TO THE RELEVANCE OF OUR PRESENT RULES OF SUBVENTION FOR, CLEARLY, AS THE ACTIVITIES OF SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS ARE PROGRESSIVELY RELATED TO THE TARGETS SET BY OUR PROGRAMME PLANS THERE MUST BE CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS FOR THOSE RULES IF THE ORGANISATIONS ARE PROPERLY TO PLAY THEIR ASSIGNED ROLE, SIR PHILIP ADDED.
TIEN'S EXHIBITION CENTRE PROPOSAL TO BE STUDIED
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A PROPOSAL BY THE HON FRANCIS TIEN FOR A VIABLE EXHIBITION CENTRE WILL BE STUDIED BY DEPARTMENTS EXAMINING THE REPORT OF THE CONSULTANTS APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE VIABILITY OF AN EXHIBITION CENTRE.
THEIR TASK, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON- CAVE TOLD THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE, WAS TO PUT FORWARD A VIEW ON WHAT TO DO, WHY, HOW AND WHEN AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD SEEK THE ADVICE OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
+ IF ALL THIS TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN MR TIEN WOULD LIKE, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT WE ARE TALKING IN TERMS OF THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN A SITUATION WHERE THE LIKELIHOOD OF VIABILITY IS NOT SELF-EVIDENT AND, IF IT WAS, I AM SURE THAT PRIVATE ENTERPRISE -IN ASSOCIATION PERHAPS WITH THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WHICH FREQUENTLY ASSERTS 'CASE PROVEN' WOULD HAVE PRODUCED AN
EXHIBITION CENTRE LONG AGO, SIR PHILIP SAID.
MR TIEN'S PROPOSAL FOR A VIABLE EXHIBITION CENTRE ENVISAGES A PUBLIC CORPORATION, MTRC-STYLE, TO CONSTRUCT AND MANAGE THE CENTRE.
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