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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1985
+THUS, IN THIS UNUSUAL AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT
THE HONG KONG TECHNIQUE OF MANAGEMENT, THE HONG KONG PHILOSOPHY, DEVELOPED IT WAS TO PROVIDE THE ENVIRONMENT, THE FREEDOM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALLOW THE HUMAN SPIRIT, HUMAN JUDGEMENT AND ABILITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE.
+AND ALL THIS HAD TO BE DONE WITHOUT POLITICAL DOGMA, WITHOUT POLITICAL PARTIES. FROM THIS UNPROMISING SOIL HAS GROWN THE STABLE AND PROSPEROUS HONG KONG OF TODAY, THIS TINY PLACE WITH A WORLD-WIDE REPUTATION, HE ADDED.
SIR DAVID SAID THAT HONG KONG'S LEVEL OF TAX ON CORPORATE PROF ITS AT 18.5 PER CENT NEVER FAILED TO ASTONISH OUTSIDE OBSERVERS.
IT ATTRACTED INVESTMENT AND ENCOURAGED ENTERPRISE, HE ADDED.
PROF ITS WERE MADE, BUT THEY WERE PLOUGHED BACK INTO FURTHER GROWTH.
+THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT OF AN ECONOMY IN WHICH MARKET FORCES AND COMMERCIAL JUDGEMENTS ARE DECIDING FACTORS.
+A SAFETY NET IS NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT EDUCATION, HEALTH, WELFARE, HOMES AND WORK ARE PROPERLY AND SUFFICIENTLY PROVIDED BY SOME OF THE SURPLUS WEALTH FLOWING FROM ECONOMIC GROWTH, HE SAID.
+THUS, IN HONG KONG, THERE IS FREE EDUCATION TO SECONDARY LEVEL FOR EVERY CHILD, INFANT MORTALITY IS AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD, LIFE EXPECTANCY IS AMONG THE LONGEST, AND A PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME ENSURES THAT ON ANY DAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, HOMES FOR NEARLY A MILLION PEOPLE ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION,+
ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID THAT ONLY A YEAR AGO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA WAS INITIALLED WHICH JOINTLY DECLARED THAT HONG KONG, AS IT WAS, SHOULD CONTINUE +THAT THE SYSTEM OF LAW, ADMINISTRATION AND' THE ECONOMY, THE LIFE-STYLE AND THE FREEDOMS WOULD REMAIN FOR A FURTHER 50 YEARS, WITHOUT CHANGE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT CENTURY.+
THE CHIEF SECRETARY THEN TOLD HIS AUDIENCE THAT ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO, A NEWLY-COMPOSED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MET WITH 24 OF ITS MEMBERS ELECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, PARTLY BY POPULIST VOTES AND PARTLY BY THE MAIN SOCIAL, ÉCONOMIC AND PROFESSIONAL GROUPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
+THIS CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED LEGISLATURE CONTINUES THE HONG KONG STYLE OF EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.
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