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OCTOBER 24, 1984
HE CONSIDERED THE OPENING TO THE PUBLIC OF HEARINGS IN THE EXAMINATION OF THE 1983-84 DRAFT ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE AS +A FIRST STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION+,
THE DECISION OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD ITS HEARING OF EVIDENCE IN PUBLIC WAS ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, HE SAID.
AS A FURTHER STEP ALONG THE PATH TOWARDS MORE OPEN GOVERNMENT, MR CHEONG SUGGESTED THAT GOVERNMENT COULD AGREE TO A PROCEDURE BY WHICH THOSE UMELCO PANEL MEETINGS WHICH WERE HELD TO EXAMINE GOVERNMENT POLICY PROPOSALS OF MAJOR PUBLIC INTEREST MIGHT, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN, BE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.
HE NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC WERE ADMITTED TO HEARINGS OF CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CERTAIN PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
DISCUSSING TEXTILE QUOTAS, MR CHEONG SAID THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAD BEEN THE RESULT OF A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONSCIENTIOUS DELIBERATIONS EVER SINCE HONG KONG HAD BEEN FORCED TO RESTRAIN TEXTILE EXPORTS.
IT
WHILE THE SYSTEM COULD NOT BE CLAIMED TO BE PERFECT, HAD BEEN WIDELY RECOGNISED BY THOSE WHO UNDERSTOOD THE TRADE AS A WELL-DESIGNED SYSTEM THAT COULD ACHIEVE THE PURPOSE MAINTAINING STABILITY AND CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRADE, HE SAID.
THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY MR WONG, HE SAID, WAS UNDERSTANDABLE, AS THE WORKINGS OF THE SYSTEM WERE COMPLEX AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO PEOPLE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TRADE.
MR CHEONG, HOWEVER, SAID THAT HE WELCOMED ANOTHER REVIEK OF THE QUOTA SYSTÉM, IF GOVERNMENT SO DECIDED, NOT BECAUSE HE HAD THE SAME RESERVATIONS AS MR WONG, BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A NEED +TO CONSTANTLY SATISFY OURSELVES THAT THE SYSTEM DEVISED WOULD BE THE RIGHT SYSTEM ON PRACTICAL AND ECONOMIC GROUNDS.+
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