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THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1963
REFERRING TO THE WORK DONE BY UNOFFICIALS IN EXAMINING THE DRAFT ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE, MR LOBO SAID THEY FORMED FOUR GROUPS TO LOOK INTO DIFFERENT AREAS - LAW AND ORDER, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL SERVICES.
AFTER A SERIES OF MEETINGS AT WHICH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE 71 HEADS OF EXPENDITURE WAS CRITICALLY EXAMINED, MEMBERS FORMALLY RAISED A TOTAL OF SOME 366 POINTS OF QUERY.
HE SAID THESE POINTS WERE EITHER ANSWERED IN WRITING OR CLARIFIED BY THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS CONCERNED AT THE FOUR SPECIAL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHICH WERE CONVENED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
AND A TOTAL OF 25 CONTROLLING OFFICERS APPEARED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND WERE QUESTIONED CLOSELY BY MEMBERS,
HE SAID THAT WHILE THE PROMPT AND FULL REPLIES PROVIDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION WERE FULLY APPRECIATED, THERE INEVITABLY WERE +A NUMBER OF POINTS WHERE MEMBERS REMAINED UNEASY.+
+MANY OF THESE HAVE BEEN COVERED IN THE OBSERVATIONS OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BUDGET AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE WATCH OVER EXPENDITURE TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT GETS FULL VALUE FOR EVERY DOLLAR OF PUBLIC MONEY IT SPENDS, + HE SAID.
MANPOWER TRAINING POLICY SUPPORTED
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IT WAS VITAL THAT EDUCATION AND MANPOWER TRAINING ACTIVITIES WERE EFFECTIVELY CO-ORDINATED AND INTEGRATED TO ACHIEVE INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON WONG PO-YAN SAID TODAY.
+ IN THIS WAY, WE CAN IMPROVE ON IMPORTED TECHNOLOGY WHILE MAKING OPTIMUM USE OF OUR OWN RESOURCES,+ HE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
MR WONG COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR HAVING UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE MANPOWER TRAINING BY PROVIDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, VOCATIONAL, TECHNICAL AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO RESEARCH FUNDS AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND TRAINING SCHEMES.
HE NOTED THAT $5.7 BILLION HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN 1983-84 FOR EDUCATION, INCLUDING $1.3 BILLION ON THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, THE BAPTIST COLLEGE AND THE POLYTECHNIC.
+THUS, ON THE ONE HAND, THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, ESTABLISHED IN FEBRUARY 1982, AIMS TO DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES BY THE END OF THE DECADE AND TO DEVISE A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE .
-CHE