MEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1983
+MOREOVER, THE RECENT OFFER FROM BANKS FOR SPECIAL LOAN AND REDIT FACILITIES TO SMALL MANUFACTURERS, WHICH CONSTITUTE THE BACKBONE OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY, IS ALSO A TANGIBLE EXPRESSION OF CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY, HE ADDED.
REFERRING TO THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR CHEN CALLED FOR AN INCREASE IN ITS EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY INSTEAD OF FURTHER GROWTH IN ESTABLISHMENT.
HE CITED STATISTICS TO SHOW THAT PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS FOR 1983-84, AT $8 200 MILLION, ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 37 PER CENT OF TOTAL RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE OF 38 PER CENT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
+BUT IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT BECAUSE OF A LARGE GROWING BASE FIGURE, WE ARE ACHIEVING THE DESIRED ECONOMY IN THE UTILISATION OF MANPOWER RESOURCES, FOR DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXTRAVAGANCE.
+THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY IS VERY OBVIOUS FROM THE FACT THAT A ONE PER CENT SAVING IN MANPOWER RESOURCES BUDGETED FOR 1983-84 WOULD MEAN A SAVING OF $82 MILLION FOR THE COMING YEAR. +
ALTHOUGH HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE CIVIL SERVICE GROWTH TO BELOW FIVE PER CENT,
AE WONDERED WHETHER THIS WAS ENOUGH.
ON THE SUBJECT OF CONTROL AND UTILISATION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES, MR CHEN EXPRESSED MISGIVINGS THAT IN THE PAST VAST SUMS OF MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC PURSE HAD BEEN MIS-SPENT AS A RESULT OF BAD MANAGEMENT, INADEQUATE CONTROL, LACK OF SUPERVISION, OR SHEER CARELESSNESS ON THE PART OF THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON TO HEAR CRITICISMS THAT WHEN GOVERNMENT DID A JOB, IT WAS ALMOST ALWAYS MORE COSTLY AND TOOK LONGER TO COMPLETE.
+1 AM AFRAID THAT THE CRITICISMS ARE NOT WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION BECAUSE THERE INDEED HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS WORKS UNDERTAKEN BY GOVERNMENT WHICH SUFFERED FROM DELAYS OR OVER-SPENDING OR BOTH.+
HE SAID MANAGERS IN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE URGED TO HAVE A GREATER SENSE OF THE NEED FOR THRIFT AND BE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES UNDER THEIR CONTROL ARE USED TO THE BEST EFFECT PARTICULARLY IN FINANCIALLY LEAN TIMES+,