2
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. 1981
+WITHOUT SUCH AN EFFORT OUR EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC SERVICE WHICH THE BUDGET PROPOSES WILL NOT BRING ABOUT PROGRESS IN REAL TERMS.+
AS WE DIRECT OUR ATTENTION TOWARDS THE FACTS AND FIGURES, HE TOLD COUNCIL, WE MUST ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VITAL FACTOR OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR A BALANCED, STABLE AND BETTER TOMORROW.
MR LOBO NOTED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FEEL THEMSELVES TO BE SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE AFFLUENT AND THE LOWER-INCOME GROUPS.
+THE IR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ARE EASILY OVERLOOKED BUT VERY REAL.
+THEY WISH TO BE HEARD AND HEEDED WHERE THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE GOOD REASON TO COMPLAIN. +
HE GAVE AS AN EXAMPLE THE QUESTION OF COMMERCIAL RENTS AND THE SMALL BUSINESSMAN.
WHILE AGREEING THAT CONTROL OF COMMERCIAL RENTS WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS NOT WORTH BREAKING A VITAL PRINCIPLE FOR A DOUBTFUL ADVANTAGE, MR LOBO RECOGNISED THAT THESE CONSIDERATIONS WERE NO COMFORT AT ALL IN CASES WHERE A FAMILY BUSINESS MAY BE WIPED OUT OR WHERE A NEIGHBOURHOOD PATTERN MAY BE PERMANENTLY DISRUPTED.
TOO OFTEN, HE SAID, THE ARGUMENTS WHICH SEEM COMPELLING IN STATISTICAL TERMS, SUCH AS SO MANY SQUARE METRES OF NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE IN SOME OTHER LOCATION, ARE IRREVELANT IN HUMAN TERMS.
+WE ARE A SOCIETY WHICH HAS TREMENDOUS RESOURCES AND POTENTIAL.
+OUR CAPACITY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF HOUSING, HEALTH, EDUCATION AND POVERTY IS LIMITED ONLY BY THE DECISIONS WE CHOOSE TO MAKE ABOUT PRIORITIES.
+BUT IF WE LOOK BACK OVER THESE LAST FEW YEARS OF GROWTH AND PROSPERITY, I THINK FAR TOO WIDE A GAP IS DEVELOPING BETWEEN WHAT IS STATISTICALLY SATISFACTORY AND WHAT IS PERSONALLY SATISFYING= BETWEEN WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY TAKEN AS A WHOLE BUT MAY BE DISASTROUS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, + HE SAID.
MR LOBO OBSERVED THAT THE VERY SCALE OF OUR PROGRESS MAKES IT ALL THE MORE LIKELY THAT VAST AND BENEFICIAL PUBLIC PROJECTS WILL BRING ABOUT SERIOUS PERSONAL DISRUPTION AND DISTRESS.
PUBLIC POLICIES, INCLUDING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL POLICIES, SHOULD BE EXPRESSED IN TERMS WHICH ARE UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTANDABLE AND THE IR IMPACT ON PEOPLE AS INDIVIDUALS MUST BE SEEN TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
+WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE MORE WE SPEND ON THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG THE LESS WE CAN NEGLECT THOSE INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS WITHOUT WHICH LIFE WILL NEVER BE ENTIRELY SATISFYING OR OUR SOCIETY STABLE,+ HE ADDED.
+
SPURNING TO