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THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986
CLOSE COORDINATION OF CIVIC EDUCATION NEEDED
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THE HON RITA FAN TODAY (THURSDAY) EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR EFFICIENT COORDINATION AND A SYSTEMATIC STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION.
+ IT MUST BE APPRECIATED THAT CIVIC EDUCATION IS NOT JUST A TOPICAL SUBJECT, BUT RATHER A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT WHICH SHOULD BE PROPERLY COORDINATED, REVIEWED, IMPROVED AND PERSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTED, SHE SAID.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE, MRS FAN NOTED THAT MUCH HAD HAPPENED SINCE SHE CALLED FOR A REALISTIC AND PRAGMATIO APPROACH TO PROMOTE CIVIC EDUCATION IN OCTOBER 1984, AND THE TIME HAD COME TO TAKE STOCK OF THE SITUATION, CONSOLIDATE THE IDEAS AND WORK OUT A WELL-PLANNED STRATEGY FOR ITS FUTURE PROMOTION.
MRS FAN SAID SHE WELCOMED THE ALLOCATION OF SOME $2.8 MILLION TO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FOR PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION, BUT STRESSED THE NEED FOR CLOSE COORDINATION TO MAXIMISE EFFECTIVENESS WITHOUT DUPLICATION OF EFFORT AND WASTAGE OF RESOURCES.
MRS FAN SUPPORTED CALLS BY THE HON PETER C. WONG AND THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN YESTERDAY FOR CHARGING APPROPRIATE FEES AT BORDER POINTS, A SUGGESTION SHE HAD MADE AT LAST YEAR'S BUDGET DEBATE.
+1 SEE NO REASON WHY PASSENGERS LEAVING HONG KONG THROUGH MAN KAM TO, SHA TAU KOK AND LO WU SHOULD ENJOY SPECIAL PRIVILEGES, + SHE SAID, NOTING THAT PASSENGERS USING THE AIRPORT AND MACAU FERRY TERMINAL HAD TO PAY $120 AND $15 RESPECTIVELY,
SHE NOTED THAT 207 NEW POSTS WERE BEING ESTABLISHED FOR IMMIGRATION CONTROL ACTIVITIES COSTING $33.7 MILLION AND SOME OF THESE POSTS WERE FOR MANNING THE NEW LO WU TERMINAL TO BE COMPLETED EARLY NEXT YEAR, THE SHA TAU KOK CONTROL POINT AND THE MAN KAM TO EXTENSION TERMINAL.
+THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTABLISHED POLICY HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO RECOVER PART OR ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF PROVIDING SIMILAR SERVICES, SUCH AS ISSUING PASSPORTS, SHE SAID.
MRS FAN SAID SHE WELCOMED THE PROPOSED REVIEW OF IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT CHARGES DURING THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR, BUT STRESSED THAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE CHARGES AT THE BORDER CONTROL POINTS.
SHE ALSO URGED THAT THE CHARGES BE PUT AT A REALISTIC LEVCL TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND RELATED EXPENSES INVOLVED.
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