WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987
16
GROUNDS LAID FOR COLOURFUL DEBATE
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THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND BY 21 MEMBERS WOULD GIVE A FULL SPECTRUM OF CONFLICTING VIEWS ON THIS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.
LEADING THE DEBATE AS CONVENOR OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE ISSUE, MR CHAN SAID THE GROUP HAD SPENT MONTHS OF INTERVIEWING THE PUBLIC, GATHERING PUBLIC OPINION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND HOLDING NUMEROUS JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE OMELCO STANDING PANEL ON MANPOWER TO PREPARE FOR THE DEBATE.
HE SAID MEMBERS FINALLY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT OVER TWO POINTS WHICH WERE ENDORSED BY THE FULL LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING.
HE SAID MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM OF AGEING POPULATION NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED PROPERLY AS IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE INCREASE IN NUMBER WOULD IMPOSE A HEAVY BURDEN ON EXISTING SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE YEARS TO COME.
HOWEVER, MEMBERS ALSO RECOGNISED THAT THE SETTING UP OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND WAS ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM AND THAT IN IDENTIFYING A PRACTICABLE SOLUTION, DUE CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT NO ADVERSE EFFECT WOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
OUTLINING HIS PERSONAL VIEWS ON THE ISSUE. MR CHAN SAID THE BONE OF CONTENTION SEEMED TO BE THE WISH BY SOME WORKERS THAT THEY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE FIVE PER CENT AND THE EMPLOYER TO CONTRIBUTE FIVE PER CENT OR MORE,
HE SAID EMPLOYERS VIEWED THE EXTRA FIVE PER CENT AS A HIDDEN REQUEST FOR INCREASE IN PAY WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THEIR 60ODS AND MIGHT RESULT IN LESS PROFITS AND JOBS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THIS BONE OF CONTENTION SHOULD BE REMOVED AND NO FURTHER CONTRIBUTION SHOULD BE REQUIRED FROM EMPLOYERS.
HE ALSO OFFERED HIS OWN CALCULATIONS FOR A SCHEME WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS A FUND OF THE PUBLIC, BY THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE PUBLIC+.
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