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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1988
"THE SCHEME WAS LATER RXTENDED TO OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS HE SAID.
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It
MR WONG BAID HAD THE POLICY BEEN TO REQUIRE AND ALLOW PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS TO BALANCE THEIR BOOKS BY ABSORBING THE LOSS IN REVENUE THROUGH INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN GENERAL FARK LEVELS, THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUBLIC CRITICISM THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS MIBUSING PUBLIC FUNDS, THAT THE SUBSIDIES FROM PUBLIC FUNDS WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH, OR THAT THE SUBSIDY SHOULD ONLY GO TO THE
NEEDY.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ALL TRIPS WERE EDUCATIONAL IN ONE SENSE OR ANOTHER FOR THOSE WHO WERE STILL IN THEIR LEARNING, AND FORMATIVE YEARS, THAT EDUCATION WAS SUBSIDISED AND HEAVILY 90 EVEN IN THE VOLUNTARY STAGE OF EDUCATION, THAT IS FROM FORM FOUR THROUGH то UNIVERSITY, THAT THERE WAS CROSS-SUBSIDISATION BY OTHER PASSENGERS TO THOSE BELOW THE AGE WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN OBJECTED TO IN PRINCIPLE.
"WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THIS ALTERNATIVE POLICY WHICH INVOLVES NO PUBLIC EXPENDITURES WHICH SAVE ALL OF THE $265 MILLION INSTEAD OF $106 MILLION AND WHICH INCIDENTALLY, ALSO REDUCES THE SIZE OF THE
BUREAUCRACY?" HE ASKED.
"HOW DO WE COMPARE THE EXISTING AND THE THIS ALTERNATIVE POLICY, WHICH IN A WAY IS AKIN BUT FOR AN EAR-MARKED PURPOSE AND NOT INVOLVING AND ADMINISTRATION COST?
REVISED POLICY WITH ΤΟ AN INDIRECT TAX ANY TAX COLLECTION
AND HOW DO WE COMPARE THIS ALTERNATIVE WITH THE CONTEMPLATED INTRODUCTION OF A GENERAL SALES TAX?
"I SUGGEST WE HAVE NOT BEEN IMAGINATIVE ENOUGH IN OUR POLICY-MAKING.'
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MR WONG SAID HE REALISED THERE WERE CONSTRAINTS AND, AMONG THEM, POLITICAL CONSTRAINTS LOOMED LARGE.
"HOWEVER, LET US NOT FORGET WHAT POLICIES ARE FOR
FOR THE SOLUTION OF PUBLIC PROBLEMS.
THEY ARE
"POLITICALLY FEASIBLE POLICIES ARE NOT NECESSARILY PROPER SOLUTIONS, AND PROPER SOLUTIONS ARE NOT NECESSARILY INFEASIBLE POLITICALLY.
"LET US NOT FORGET THAT THE CART SHOULD NEVER BE PUT BEFORE THE HORSE, HE ADDED.
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