WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1982
5
SHE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A MUCH BETTER AND MORE ECONOMICAL METHOD THAN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.
THE GOVERNMENT HAD SPENT $3.84 MILLION IN 1981-82, AND A SIMILAR SUM HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR 1982-83, ON THIS JSEA METHOD OF FILLING THE FORM IV PLACES, SHE NOTED.
YET STATISTICS SHOWED THAT THERE WERE 435 VACANT SEATS IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS IN FORM IV/MIDDLE IV IN SEPTEMBER 1981.
+THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO INSIST THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE AIDED SCHOOLS FILL ALL THEIR SEATS.+
MISS BENNETT NOTED THAT EXPENDITURE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES HAD BEEN LIMITED BY THE SHORTAGE OF TRAINED AND QUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO RUN ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
HOWEVER, WITH THE EXPANSION OF OUR UNIVERSITIES, MORE GRADUATES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN QUR SOCIAL SERVICES,
+IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT THAT THE SIZE OF OUR PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE SHOULD NOT BE INCAPABLE OF ADJUSTMENT TO CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES, SHE SAID.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS QUESTIONED
*****
THE HON S.L. CHEN, TODAY TOOK THE GOVERNMENT TO TASK OVER THE +SEEMINGLY UNRESTRAINED GROWTH+ IN BOTH THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.
CITING STATISTICS, HE SAID PUBLIC EXPENDITURE IN PERSONAL EMOLUMENT HAD GROWN BY ALMOST SIX TIMES FROM $1 058 MILLION IN 1972/73 TO $6 000 MILLION IN 1981/82.
IN THE SAME PERIOD, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN THE CIVIL SERVICE INCREASED FROM 98 459 TO 151 809 AND A FURTHER
INCREASE OF 16 500 NEW POSTS WAS ENVISAGED FOR 1982/83.
+ONE CAN THEREFORE HARDLY BE BLAMED FOR QUESTIONING WHETHER THE CIVIL SERVICE IS COST-EFFECTIVE OR THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING VALUE FOR MONEY, AND WHETHER CIVIL SERVICE STAFF RESOURCES ARE PROPERLY DEPLOYED OR USED IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER, HE SAID.
IN A CRITICAL LOOK AT THESE QUESTIONS, MR CHEN SAID HE HAD RESEARCHED INTO THE WORKINGS OF SOME OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS SINCE PUBLIC WORKS +SHARE THE BIGGEST SLICE OF THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE+.
ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF AN EXPENDITURE ANALYSIS IN RESPECT OF THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE, THE EXPENDITURE IN PERSONAL EMOLUMENT IN 1977/78, FOR EXAMPLE, AMOUNTED TO 16.2 PER CENT OF THE EXPENDITURE ON WORK DONĖ, INCLUDING THOSE DONE BY CONSULTANTS, DURING THE YEAR.
THE PERCENTAGE