14
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986
PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME REASSESSED
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THE ADMINISTRATION HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED AN INTERNAL REASSESSMENT OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND AND WILL SHORTLY SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD, THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OTHER BODIES CONCERNED, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+HONG KONG'S HARD-WORKING, RESILIENT LABOUR FORCE CONTINUES TO BE THE BACK-BONE OF OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS. IN RECENT YEARS ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO POSSIBLE WAYS IN WHICH WORKERS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE, DURING THEIR WORKING LIFE, TO PROVISION FOR A STABLE INCOME IN THEIR RETIREMENT, HE SAID.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF INTRODUCING A SCHEME WERE FAR-REACHING. +DECISIONS ON SUCH MATTERS WILL AFFECT NOT ONLY THE WELFARE OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO, AS EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE SHOWS, THE GENERAL STATE OF OUR ECONOMY, HE SAID.
+DECISIONS CANNOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF AFFORDING PROTECTION TO EMPLOYEES MUST ALSO BE EXAMINED. THE VIEWS OF MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WILL, OF COURSE, BE SOUGHT BEFORE ANY DECISION IS REACHED.+
ON THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME WHICH WAS INTRODUCED EIGHT MONTHS AGO, SIR EDWARD SAID IT HAD BEEN GENERALLY WELCOMED AS A WAY OF RECOGNISING LONG AND LOYAL SERVICE TO ONE EMPLOYER.
+CERTAIN PROVISIONS HAVE, HOWEVER, BEEN CRITICISED: NAMELY THE EXCLUSION FROM COVERAGE OF WORKERS WHOSE EMPLOYMENT IS TERMINATED BECAUSE OF ILL HEALTH AND THE LIMITING OF FULL BENEF ITS TO OLDER EMPLOYEES, HE SAID,
→THE GOVERNMENT WILL COMPLETE A REVIEW OF THE SCHEME EARLY NEXT YEAR. IT REMAINS THE INTENTION THAT THE SCHEME SHOULD BE AS EQUITABLE AS POSSIBLE TO EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS ALIKE.+
DRAFT NOISE CONTROL BILL TO BE PUBLISHED SOON
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A DRAFT NOISE CONTROL BILL, WHOSE POWERS WILL ENCOMPASS NOISE FROM DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PREMISES AS WELL AS PUBLIC PLACES AND CONSTRUCTION SITES, WILL BE PUBLISHED SOON, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE BILL'S PROVISIONS MUST BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT MEASUREMENT OF THE IMPACT OF SOME TYPES OF NOISE NUISANCE WAS SUBJECTIVE.
/+THE LEGISLATION