SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 1985
INN
2
1985 IS YEAR OF ACTION, AKERS-JONES SAYS
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THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE GOVERNING HONG KONG WITHIN THE NEXT 12 YEARS MUST BE TO REVIEW EACH STEP TAKEN, HAVING REGARD TO THE PREVAILING CIRCUMSTANCES AT THAT TIME, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.
IN DRAWING UP ANY PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, HE SAID, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT UNLESS WE CONTINUE WITH SOUND POLICIES TO SUSTAIN AND MAINTAIN THE ECONOMY WE SHALL UNDERMINE THE PROSPERITY WHICH LIES AT THE BASE OF ANY SYSTEM WE DEVISE.
MR AKERS-JONES WAS SPEAKING AT THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF MEETING POINT.
+ IF 1984 WAS A YEAR OF DEBATE, THEN 1985 IS A YEAR OF ACTION,+ HE SAID.
IN 1985, MANY CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE TO A LONG ESTABLISHED STRUCTURE, HE SAID.
+GIVEN THE IR COMPLICATED NATURE, WE MUST SET THE RIGHT PACE SO AS TO MINIMISE RISK AND MAXIMISE PROGRESS,+ HE SAID.
THE CHANGES WERE COMPLICATED, HE SAID, BECAUSE THE LIFE AND LIVELIHOOD OF MANY PEOPLE DEPENDED UPON THEM AND BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EXACT MODEL OR PATTERN TO FOLLOW.
+OUR APPROACH THEREFORE MUST BE BOTH GRADUAL, BUT POSITIVE AND PROGRESSIVE.+
MR AKERS-JONES SAID HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ITS OWN IDEAS WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WAS REALISTIC AND REASONABLE, AND LEARN FROM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY COPY THE FORM AND THE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENTS ELSEWHERE.
HE NOTED THAT LAST YEAR THERE HAD BEEN WIDE-RANGING, CRITICAL AND POSITIVE DISCUSSION AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY ON GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE AT THE DISTRICT, REGIONAL AND CENTRAL LEVELS.
AS A RESULT, WE WERE SURE WHEN WE INTRODUCED CHANGES THAT THEY COMMANDED GENERAL SUPPORT. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAD LEARNED OF THE CRITICISMS OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN STRUCTURE AND, IN THE PROCESS, ACQUIRED NEW INSIGHT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE EMERGENCE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS OF A NUMBER OF GROUPS LIKE MEETING POINT WAS A VERY HEALTHY AND WELCOME DEVELOPMENT.
DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN OPEN FORUMS AS A RESULT OF THE FORMATION OF THESE GROUPS HAD DEVELOPED AS A PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC OF THE HONG KONG POLITICAL SCENE. HE SAID.
/+IT HAS ...............