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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1983
+ERRORS OF JUDGEMENT+ REPORTED
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THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE WAS DESCRIBED BY THE HON S.L. CHEN TODAY AS A DOCUMENT WHICH NEEDS TO BE READ THOROUGHLY TO BE UNDERSTOOD FULLY+.
HIS REPORT DID NOT SUPPORT ANY GLIB ACCUSATIONS OF NEGLIGENCE, MIS-MANAGEMENT OR WASTAGE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, MR CHEN, WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, SAID, BUT THERE HAD BEEN ERRORS OF JUDGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT, HE ADDED.
SPEAKING AT THE TABLING OF THE COMMITTEE'S FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THE COMMITTEE RECOGNISED THE PROBLEMS IN AN ORGANISATION AS COMPLEX AS THE GOVERNMENT, IN ENSURING THAT ALL MATTERS RECEIVED THEIR DUE ATTENTION.
+BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE PRIME RESPONSIBILITIES OF MANAGEMENT, HE STRESSED.
+ IN PARTICULAR THERE IS, I THINK, STILL A NEED TO INCULCATE A GREATER SENSE OF COST-BENEFIT AWARENESS IN MANAGERS IN THE GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE A CONSCIOUS DESIRE TO SEE THAT HUMAN, FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES ARE USED TO THE BEST POSSIBLE EFFECT.
+ IF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE IS HELPING TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE, WHICH I BELIEVE WE ARE, THEN OUR WORK WILL BE WELL JUSTIFIED.+
PUBLIC FINANCE BILL APPROVED
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THE PUBLIC FINANCE BILL 1982 WILL LEAD TO MORE EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE PUBLIC FINANCES, THE HON W.C.L. BROWN SAID DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL WHICH WAS PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
WHILE RETAINING THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE THAT NO EXPENDITURE CAN BE CHARGED ON THE GENERAL REVENUE WITHOUT STATUTORY AUTHORITY, THE BILL PERMITS A SENSIBLE DEGREE OF DELEGATION UNDER PROPER CONTROL AND REPORTAGE+, MR BROWN SAID.
HE ADDED THAT IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THOSE EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN FAILURE TO MAKE URGENT PAYMENTS WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORITY WOULD CAUSE THE PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE OR GENERALLY BE AGAINST ITS INTEREST.
THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL, MR BROWN SAID, PROVIDE A STATUTORY BASIS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PUBLIC FINANCES MORE SUITED TO THE PRESENT THAN THE OLD COLONIAL REGULATIONS IT SUPERSEDES.
THE HON PETER C. WONG DESCRIBED THE BILL AS WELL DRAFTED, PROVIDING A SATISFACTORY LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FINANCES.
/THE ONLY