WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1984
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HE COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR SETTING UP THE STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT DECISIVE ACTION+ WOULD BE TAKEN ON THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY'S PROPOSAL TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH WORK.
I THINK IT IS MORE +UNDER THE PRESENT FINANCIAL CLIMATE APPROPRIATE TO LEVY FUNDS FROM THE EXPORTS OF THE INDUSTRY TO FINANCE SUCH WORK, HE SAID.
MR WONG ALSO EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION WOULD KEEP PACE WITH INDUSTRIAL GROWTH.
HE ALSO SAID AS THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF HONG KONG HAD STARTED TO TAKE ON A NEW FORM, CIVIC EDUCATION MUST BE INTRODUCED AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVELS TO ENABLE STUDENTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CIVIC OBLIGATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SO THAT THEY MIGHT PLAY THEIR PART IN ELECTIONS AND POLITICS IN FUTURE.
+ IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, I THINK A SPECIAL PROGRAMME SHOULD BE OFFERED AT UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE SCHOOL LEVEL TO MAKE A SYSTEMATIC ACADEMIC STUDY ON THE PRACTICE AND POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS OF LOCAL POLITICS, ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES SO AS TO PROVIDE A THEORETICAL BASIS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
HE SAID HIGH PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY.
ON PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, MR WONG SAID HE BELIEVED THAT HONG KO WOULD STILL NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
+AS REVENUE FROM LAND SALES WILL BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED, A RE-ASSESSMENT OF THE PRIORITY ON EXPENDITURE MAY BE CALLED FOR.
+I SUGGEST THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER RESTRICTING EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC HOUSING AND THAT INVESTMENT IN THIS SECTOR BE PARTIALLY TAKEN UP BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, HE SAIL.
THE +PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME+ SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPANDED, HE SAID.
MR WONG ALSO SAID THE COMPARATIVELY LOW TAXATION RATE MUST E MAINTAINED AND THIS FACTOR SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DECIDING THE PRIORITIES OF GOVERNMENT FINANCE.
HE SAID IT WAS UNDESIRABLE TO HAVE BUDGET DEFICITS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE DEFICIT WAS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
HE ALSO COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS EFFORTS IN RESTRAINING THE GROWTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE IN THE PAST ONE OR TWO YEARS AND IN STABILISING THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN 1985-86.
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