NESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985
29
R WING WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT PLAN TO INTRODUCE A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN FOR THE REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES CAUSED BY MALADMINISTRATION, AND THE INTENTION TO PRODUCE THE FIRST PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLIS IN 1986-87 AND TO PRODUCE AN AUTHENTIC CHINESE VERSION OF THE STATUTE LAW IN DUE COURSE.
ME SAID BOTH WERE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION WAS LONG OVERDUE.
HEALTHY ECONOMY SHOULD BE GIVEN HIGHEST PRIORITY
* * * *
IN ITS PLANNING STRATEGY GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACCORD THE HIGHEST PR 1ORITY TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A HEALTHY ECONOMY, THE HON S.L. CHEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE, HE SAID WHILE APPRECIATING THE DESIRABILITY OF HAVING A MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE HONG KONG'S OWN AFFAIRS, EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SOUND AND HEALTHY ECONOMY ON WHICH TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN OUR FUTURE.
HE SAID HE FAILED TO DETECT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY SPEECH THAT GOVERNMENT HAD A CONSCIOUS POLICY THAT WOULD SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY WHICH WAS VITAL TC HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.
CONCEDING THAT THE ECONOMY WAS STILL PERFORMING BETTER THAN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, HE SAID THE FACT REMAINED THAT DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO OUR TRADITIONAL MARKETS HAD DECLINED AND THIS SHOULD GIVE US LITTLE COMFORT ESPECIALLY WHEN VIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF INCREASING PROTECTIONISM OF OUR MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS, IN PARTICULAR THE UNITED STATES.
+ALTHOUGH DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO CHINA CONTINUE TO RECORD SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH, THUS PROVIDING A USEFUL BUFFER FOR HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE AT A TIME WHEN THE GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO OUR TRADITIONAL MARKETS IS LOW, HONG KONG'S LONG TERM ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE CANNOT AND MUST NOT DEPEND ON IT,+ HE SAID.
MR CHEN SAID THAT HE FELT THAT IF WE WERE HONEST, WE HAD TO ADMIT THE PROSPECTS FOR HONG KONG IN THE COMING YEAR ID NOT APPEAR ENCOURAGING.
HE REFERRED TO THE RECENT FORECAST BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THAT THE GDP GROWTH THIS YEAR WOULD BE NO MORE THAN 4.5 PER CENT AND THAT DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE NOT GOING TCRO BY A REAL ONE PER CENT AS PREVIOUSLY FORECAST.
►BEARING IN
Page 30Page 31