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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1986
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REFERRING TO THE COMMENT +GOVERNMENT OF THE RICH, FOR THE RICH, AND BY THE RICH+, MRS CHOW SAID THAT TO DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS AT THIS TIME WAS TO STRIKE AT THE VERY HEART OF HONG KONG.
+SUCH POLITICAL RHETORIC IS TO SAY THE LEAST IRRESPONSIBLE, UNFAIR, ILLOGICAL AND DIVISIVE AND RUNS THE RISK OF INCITING CLASS WAR,+ SHE SAID.
+WHATEVER OUR POLITICAL PERSUASIONS REGARDING THE FORM OF ELECTION, WE OWE IT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO PRESENT JUR VIEWS HONESTLY AND FEARLESSLY, SO THAT OUR PEOPLE CAN BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TO CHOOSE THE OPTION THEY PREFER RATIONALLY, INTELLIGENTLY AND WISELY, SHE SAID.
TURNING TO HOUSING, MRS CHOW WELCOMED THE NEWS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS REVIEWING ITS PRODUCTION PROGRAMMES AND WOULD FORMULATE LONG-TERM STRATEGIES FOR THE 1990'S AND BEYOND.
SHE REMINDED THE GOVERNMENT THAT A WAITING LIST OF 170 000 WAS UNACCEPTABLY HEAVY AND THAT TO BUILD AT A RATE TO MEET ALL OUTSTANDING DEMAND FOR RENTAL HOUSING BY THE MID-1990'S WAS FAR TOO SLOW.
+ IT APPEARS THAT BOTH THE RATIO AND AMOUNT OF FLATS SET ASIDE FOR WAITING LIST APPLICANTS SHOULD BE RESTRUCTURED INTO A FAIRER DEAL FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PATIENTLY WAITED IN THE QUEUE,+ SHE SAID.
SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME REQUIRED CLOSE SCRUTINY IN THE REVIEW, SAYING THAT THIS WAS AN AREA WHERE THE LINE NEEDED TO BE CAREFULLY DRAWN TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMPLEMENTING AND NOT COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
+ THE RIGHT FORMULA OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR COULD MEAN QUICKER RELIEF TO THE PRESSURE ON THE HOUSING PROBLEM AS A WHOLE, SHE SAID.
TO FURTHER REDUCE THE LONG WAITING LIST, MRS CHOW SUGGESTED THAT HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS SHOULD BE USED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF OFFERING A HIGHER QUALITY OF ACCOMMODATION TO THOSE PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS WHO WERE LOOKING FOR SUCH UPGRADING.
SHE ADDED THAT PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEMES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND FELT THAT IT MIGHT BE WORTH CONSIDERING TERMINATING THE TENANCY OF ALL THOSE TENANTS WITH THE MEANS TO BUY A HOME.
MRS CHOW ALSO SAID THAT TAX INCENTIVES SHOULD BE GIVEN TO FIRST-TIMF HOME PURCHASERS BELOW A CERTAIN INCOME LEVEL.
/THIS WOULD