WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1984
3
NEED FOR REHABILITATION COMMISSIONER' STRESSED
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A CALL FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION, WAS MADE BY DR THE HON HARRY FANG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
CONGRATULATING THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ON +A VERY SENSIBLE
AND CONSIDERATE BUDGET+, DR FANG SAID THAT HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT $831 MILL JON WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR REHABILITATION SERVICES NEXT YEAR 12.6 PER CENT OVER THE CURRENT YEAR'S REVISED ESTIMATES.
+GIVEN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BUDGETING PRINCIPLE OF REFLECTING PRIORITY BY PATTERNS OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF REHABILITATION IN OUR PUBLIC SERVICES HAS BEEN FULLY RECOGNISED, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT WHILE REHABILITATION HAD EXPANDED TREMENDOUSLY SINCE THE 1977 WHITE PAPER AND THE FORMATION OF THE REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE (RDCC), IT HAD NO REAL CENTRAL IDENTITY WITHIN GOVERNMENT.
+GOVERNMENT'S REHABILITATION DIVISION IS HEADED BY AN OFFICER WHOSE TITLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REHABILITATION.
+THERE IS NO VISIBLE LEADERSHIP, NO ONE WITH WHOM OUR MANY LOCAL AGENCIES, MEDIA, AND VISITORS CAN PROPERLY IDENTIFY NO ONE TO WHOM THE DISABLED THEMSELVES CAN TURN IF THEY FEEL THEY ARE GETTING A RAW DEAL NO ONE TO CENTRALLY ACCOUNT FOR THE VAST SUMS OF REHABILITATION ALLOCATION, TO ENSURE THAT IT IS ALLOTTED ACCORDING TO AGREED PRIORITIES,+ DR FANG OBSERVED.
HE ADDED THAT A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF NEW LEGISLATION, NEW SERVICES AND NEW CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR THE DISABLED WERE BEING FORMULATED, AND THE IR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION DEPENDED ON THE CO-OPERATION OF AND CO-ORDINATION AMONG THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS.
+FROM MY PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT WITH THE RDCC, I FIND THAT THE RANKING OF THE EXISTING OFFICER IN THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH IS NOT COMMENSURATE WITH THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY ARISING FROM THE EFFICIENT EXECUTIVE CO-ORDINATION CONSTANTLY DEMANDED FROM HIM, + HE SAID,
HE STRESSED THAT TIME HAD NOW COME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER APPOINTING A COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION, A PROPOSAL WHICH HE FIRST MADE IN 1977.
+I DO FEEL MOST STRONGLY THAT THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE OVERCOME IF WE HAD A COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION. BUT I MUST STRESS THAT THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD NOT BE THE DEPUTY BRANCH SECRETARY. HIS BRIEF SHOULD BE SOLELY REHABILITATION, + DR FANG SAID.
HE BELIEVED THAT THE FUNCTION, RANK AND TITLE OF +COMMISSIONER+ SHOULD BE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THAT OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR MARCOTICS WHOSE STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS HAD DISTINCT SIMILARITIES, THOUGH THE COST OF REHABILITATION PROGRAMME AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE BEING SERVED WERE ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MUCH.
/DR FANG