THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1982
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SOCIAL SECURITY AS AN INVESTMENT
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A REASONABLE AND WELL-DEVISED SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME SUITABLE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS IS THE BEST INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE, THE HON ANDREW SO SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR SO SAID THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE AND SECURITY PROVISIONS AT PRESENT DO NOT PROVIDE REASONABLE COVERAGE IN THE CASE OF ILLNESS, UNEMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT.
FURTHERMORE, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WHEN CONSIDERING THESE ISSUES, FREQUENTLY PUT TOO MUCH STRESS ON WHETHER THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES CAN AFFORD THEM AND WHETHER THEY HAVE WIDER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE.
CITING AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR SCRAPPED A PROPOSED CENTRALLY-ADMINISTERED SICKNESS AND INJURIES INSURANCE SCHEME TO EMPLOYEES, WHICH HAD BEEN UNDER STUDY FOR QUITE SOME YEARS.
THE DECISION WAS TAKEN MAINLY ON THE GROUND OF FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION AND ON THE RESULTS OF A LIMITED OPINION SURVEY.
+1 VIEW THIS AS A BIG RETROGRADE STEP IN PROMOTING A WELL-DEVISED SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, HE SAID.
+ I DO BELIEVE THAT SOCIAL WELFARE HAS AN ECONOMIC FUNCTION, AND ITS EXTENSIVE PROMOTION IS CONDUCIVE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
+ THE SOCIETY AND ITS ECONOMY ARE CLOSELY RELATED AND MUTUALLY DEPENDENT LIKE LIPS AND TEETH IT IS TRUE THAT WITHOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL WELFARE CANNOT BE EXPANDED, BUT IF THE WORKFORCE
IS DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY THEIR WORKING SPIRIT WILL BE AFFECTED AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL THUS BE RESTRAINED.+
MR SO SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY CONSIDER HONG KONG HAS PROMULGATED TOO MUCH LABOUR LEGISLATION IN RECENT YEARS AND, COUPLED WITH THE RECENT WEAKENING OF OUR ECONOMY, IT WOULD BE INADVISABLE TO INCREASE SOCIAL SECURITY AND OTHER WELFARE BENEFITS FOR OUR WORKERS.
BUT HE SAIDs + FEEL THAT THE EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE SHOULD NOT BE FORMULATED MERELY ON THE BASIS OF OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, BUT SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OUR LONG TERM ECONOMIC POTENTIAL.
+HONG KONG'S ECONOMY IS HIGHLY RESILIENT AND IS CONSTANTLY GROWING.
+ IT CAN AFFORD TO PROVIDE A BETTER SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM,+ HE STATED,
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