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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1985
IN SOME AREAS OF SOCIAL SERVICES WHICH REQUIRED PERSONAL ATTENTION, HE SAID, FLEXIBILITY WAS NEEDED TO ENFORCE THE POLICY OF STABILISING THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN ORDER THAT EFFECTIVE WORK COULD BE MAINTAINED TO COPE WITH INCREASED ACTIVITIES.
HE SUGGESTED THAT FOR SOCIAL WORK PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SUBVENTED VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, INCREASES SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN MANPOWER WHERE THEY WERE JUSTIFIED AND WHERE IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION OF FACILITIES HAD ALREADY BEEN PLANNED FOR.
+THERE ARE BOUND TO BE SITUATIONS WHERE PRODUCTIVITY CANNOT BE FURTHER STRETCHED AND THE CURRENT TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT CEILING NEEDS TO BE EXCEEDED, HE SAID.
IN SUCH CASES, HE HOPED THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS CONCERNED WOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE FLEXIBILITY AND DISCRETION IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY.
AVOID DEVIATION FROM LONGSTANDING PRINCIPLES
*****
WE MUST AVOID ADOPTING ANY MEASURES CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE HAVE FOLLOWED ALL ALONG AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE IN BAD NEED OF INCREASING OUR REVENUE, THE HON WONG PO-YAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR WONG SAID IF WE HAD ANY DOUBTS ABOUT THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BILLS WHICH HAD BEEN PASSED, WE MUST REMAIN +CALM AND STEADY+ AND TRIED OUR BEST TO AVOID ADOPTING ANY MEASURES WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO LONG-TERM LOSSES THAT HAD SO FAR NOT YET SHOWN FOR THE TIME BEING.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, IF, IN THE MATTER OF BASIC PRINCIPLES OR ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES, WE NEED TO DEVIATE FROM OUR LONGSTANDING PRINCIPLES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF CERTAIN LEGISLATION, WE SHOULD CONSIDER AND ANALYSE IT MORE CAREFULLY AND SERIOUSLY AND IN GREAT DETAIL AND HASTY DECISIONS ARE TO BE AVOIDED, HE SAID.
MR WONG BELIEVED THAT IN RAISING REVENUE, WE SHOULD STICK TO THE LONGSTANDING +SOURCE RULE+ IN THE IMPOSITION OF TAX AND ONLY LEVY TAXES ON PROFITS GENERATED WITHIN THE TERRITORY.
HE WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO CERTAIN VIEWS CONCERNING THE ENACTMENT OF THE 1984 AMENDMENT ORDINANCE RELATING TO INTEREST.
/+THE STATUS