WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1986
HE SAID THE PROPOSAL AS CONTAINED IN THE BILL INVOLVED A SMALL INCREASE IN THE RATES IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA,
+UNDER THE SAME PROPOSAL, THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE ALL THE REVENUE ARISING FROM THIS INCREASED RATES PERCENTAGE,+ HE SAID.
FURTHERMORE, HE ADDED, GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO MEET THE COUNCIL'S EXPENDITURE FOR CAPITAL WORKS FOR THE TWO YEARS 1986-87 AND 1987-88 WITHIN THE AVERAGE LEVEL OF SPENDING IN THIS AREA DURING RECENT YEARS IN RESPECT OF ITEMS RECOMMENDED BY THE REGIONAL COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITHIN THIS PERIOD.
MR CHEUNG NOTED THAT THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS THAT IT WOULD ENABLE THE REGIONAL COUNCIL TO MEET ALL ITS RECURRENT EXPENDITURE WITH A SMALL INCREASE IN THE RATES.
+ IT IS ACCEPTABLE AS AN INTERIM MEASURE.
+THE ARRANGEMENT FOR 1988-89 AND THEREAFTER WOULD CLEARLY HAVE TO BE MADE DIFFERENTLY IF LARGE INCREASES IN THE INCIDENTS OF REGIONAL COUNCIL RATES ARE TO BE AVOIDED, HE SAID.
POINTING OUT THAT THE NEW TOWNS IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA WERE MUCH MORE RAPID GROWTH AREAS THAN THE REST OF THE TERRITORY, MR CHEUNG SAID THE PRESSURE ON THE REGIONAL COUNCIL TO PROVIDE MORE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES WOULD MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL DEMAND ON THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO IT.
+1, THEREFORE, THINK THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE PRUDENT FOR GOVERNMENT TO GIVE ADVANCE CONSIDERATION TO THIS MATTER AND TO COMMENCE WITH A REVIEW OF THE INTERIM ARRANGEMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF 1987 AT THE LATEST, HE SAID.
FIRST GROUP OF DENTAL GRADUATES FULLY EMPLOYED
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ALL OF THE FIRST GROUP OF 59 DENTAL GRADUATES, WHO FINISHED THEIR STUDIES EARLY IN 1985, HAD FOUND EMPLOYMENT EITHER IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, GOVERNMENT SERVICE, OR THE UNIVERSITY DENTAL FACULTY, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE APPOINTMENTS SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE ANNUAL INTAKE INTO THE DENTAL SCHOOL WAS REDUCED FROM 76 TO 60 IN 1984, LARGELY BECAUSE THE WASTAGE RATE PROVED TO BE LOWER THAN EXPECTED.
+NO FURTHER ADJUSTMENT IS PROPOSED FOR THE PRESENT BUT THE SITUATION WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED, AND CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO REDUCING THE INTAKE IF THIS APPEARS TO BE APPROPRIATE, + HE SAID.
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