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21
THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1985
RECOGNISING IT WAS SELDOM ONE GOT TAX LEGISLATION RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, MR POON SAID HE WAS GLAD THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD REITERATED GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING WILLINGNESS TO PAY HEED TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS AND WOULD GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION TO REPRESENTATIONS THAT HAD MERITS,
ON THE REVENUE PROPOSALS, MR POON SAID THE ONLY CONTROVERSIAL ITEM MIGHT BE THE NEW DUTY ON NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
+ THE NEW DUTY MAY BE REGARDED BY SOME AS THE FIRST INRO AD TO A CONSUMER'S TAX AND UNDERSTANDINGLY OBJECTIONS ARE BOUND TO COME FROM THE BUSINESSES AFFECTED THAT THE LEVY IS UNFAIR TO THEM BEING PURELY SELECTIVE,+ HE SAID.
LASTLY, MR POON SAID THAT WE HAD NOT SUFFERED THE HUMAN MI SERIES OF POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT, COMMON IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, WAS ITSELF A TRIBUTE TO THE RESILIENCE OF OUR ECONOMY AND THE VITALITY OF OUR PEOPLE,
HE AGREED WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THAT WE HAD
A REASONABLY GOOD PROSPECT OF BALANCING OUR BUDGET IN 1986/87.
+I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, DESPITE VARIOUS DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS INCREASED TRADE RESTRICTIONS OF OUR TRADING PARTNERS, WILL STRIVE HARD TO ACHIEVE THIS END, HE SAID.
GOVT TOLD TO CONSIDER CIVIL SERVICE PROBLEMS
*****
THE GOVERNMENT WAS URGED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, WHOSE GROWTH WAS AGAIN SEVERELY LIMITED.
SPEAKING ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN SAID ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID ESPECIALLY TO THE PROBLEMS OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER LEVELS, INCLUDING PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE INCREASE OF WORK PRESSURE AND DECLINING MORALE.
HE ADMITTED THE GOVERNMENT WAS ABOVE BLAME IN AIMING AT THE GOAL OF +LESS MONEY FOR HIGHER EFFICIENCY+, BUT SAID THIS GOAL SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO SERVE ONLY THE PURPOSE OF CUTTING EXPENDITURE AND REDUCING DEFICIT.
+ INSTEAD, IT SHOULD WORK IN THE LONG TERM BY PLANNING ON INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS AND AVOIDING UNDUE WASTE OF GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, HE SAID.
/MR YEUNG