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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1983
IN 1982-83 THE YIELD EVEN IN MONEY TERMS FROM THE GENERAL RATE WILL BE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE 1977-78 LEVEL. THE PROPOSED INCREASES IN THE GENERAL RATE PERCENTAGES FOR 1983-84 WILL RAISE THE YIELD ONLY MARGINALLY ABOVE THE 1981-82 LEVEL, BUT IT WILL STILL BE BELOW IN REAL TERMS.
+WE ARE DOING NO MORE THAN STAND STILL, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.
ON THE PROPOSED DEPENDENT PARENTS ALLOWANCE INCREASE BY $2 000, HE SAID IT WAS TO MAKE SPECIAL PROVISION FOR THOSE WHO ACCOMMODATE THE IR PARENTS IN THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLDS, AND SHOULD NOT APPLY TO PARENTS LIVING ELSEWHERE.
DISCUSSING DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG'S COMPLAINT ABOUT THE INCREASED COST OF DRIVING LICENCES, MR BREMRIDGE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS COST RELATED · THE LAST REVISION BEING AS LONG AGO AS 1973.
ON THE QUESTION OF CIVIL SERVANTS' PAY INCREASE, HE SAID HE FELT THE FINAL DECISION WAS BOTH FAIR IN ITSELF AND JUST ACCEPTABLE IN BUGDETARY TERMS+.
MR BREMRIDGE SAID MUCH OF WHAT DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI SAID ABOUT SUPERVISION OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE WAS +VERY HELPFUL+.
+IN PARTICULAR HE WAS PERCEPTIVE IN STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF AN 'ON-GOING MECHANISM WHEREBY DEPARTMENTS ARE CONSTANTLY REVIEWING THEIR EXPENDITURE' + MR BREMRIDGE SAID.
THE NEED TO BE EVER MINDFUL OF COST EFFECTIVENESS WAS NOT NEW, AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE ROLE OF THE FINANCE BRANCH, HE ADDED.
MR BREMRIDGE SAID THAT HE SHARED THE HON ALLEN LEE'S +SOUND VIEWS ON THE NEED CONSTANTLY TO FIGHT INFLATION+.
BUT HE WAS SORRY THAT MR LEE DID NOT COMMENT THAT THERE WAS A REDUCTION OF 33 PER CENT LAST YEAR AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A FURTHER 10 PER CENT DROP IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR DESPITE THE MILD INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF HIS TAX PACKAGES.
MR BREMRIDGE SAID HE HAD NO DOUBT MR LEE WOULD AGREE THAT INFLATION WOULD NOT BE BEATEN BY PLEAS FOR SUBSIDY FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES OR FOR VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, AS THIS WOULD MERELY COME THROUGH IN EXCESSIVE PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE.
+BUT WE MUST CONTINUE TO SEEK HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY AND GREATER
EFFICIENCY IN OUR EFFORT TO CONTAIN RISING COSTS,+ HE SAID.
REFERRING TO THE PROPOSAL BY THE HON ANDREW SO FOR A DEPOSIT INSURANCE SCHEME. MR BREMRIDGE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WOULD NOT CHANGE FROM THE FULL ANSWER WHICH HE GAVE THE COUNCIL AS RECENTLY AS MARCH 9, WHEN MR SO RAISED THE SAME ISSUE.
/+HE AND