I
THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1989
CALLED
ON THE
MR CHEONG ALSO VIGOROUSLY IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
GOVERNMENT TO INVEST MORE
"ALREADY WE ARE AT LEAST 10 YEARS BEHIND THE EFFORTS OF OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. WE SHOULD NOT AND CANNOT AFFORD ΤΟ DELAY ANY LONGER EFFORTS IN CATCHING UP," HE SAID.
ON THE CONCEPT OF DELEGATING MORE AUTHORITY TO DIFFERENT HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR OWN RESOURCES BETTER, MR CHEONG SAID THE PRINCIPLE WAS PERFECTLY RIGHT BUT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CARRYING THAT OUT IN PRACTICE.
FOR ONE THING, HE SAID, THE BULK OF THE ALLOCATION FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WAS FOR STAFF PROVISION. THIS ELEMENT, PARTICULARLY SALARY LEVELS AND THE RIGHT TO HIRE AND FIRE, WAS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CONTROLLING OFFICER DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DISMISS 10 CLERKS EVEN IF THEY WERE FOUND ΤΟ BE REDUNDANT OR TO ADJUST THE SALARY LEVELS IN LINE WITH MARKET TRENDS.
BESIDES, TOO MUCH AUTONOMY GIVEN AWAY IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WOULD RESULT IN CASUAL SPENDING RATHER THAN SAVINGS, HE CAUTIONED.
ON THE QUESTION OF SALES TAX, MR CHEONG EMPHASISED THE NEED KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE ISSUE,
то
ON THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE, MR CHEONG SAID THE GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED FOR HAVING DONE A NEAR PERFECT BALANCING ACT.
THE CALL TO SPEND MORE SEEMED IRRESISTABLE IN VIEW OF THE SIZE OF THE SURPLUS. YET IN BUDGETTING FOR LONGER-TERM NEEDS, THE BUDGET SHOULD NOT BE UNDULY INFLUENCED BY SHORT-TERM PEAKS AND TROUGHS, MR CHEONG SAID.
PROF C K POON CALLS FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PROFESSOR THE HON POON CHUNG-KWONG TODAY (THURSDAY} CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS RELUCTANCE TO MAKE VIGOROUS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE IN THE IMPORTANT AREA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,
THE
SPEAKING DURING THE SECOND DAY DEBATE ON THE 1989 BUDGET IN
ALSO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, PROFESSOR POON
HIT OUT AT THE INSUFFICIENT INCENTIVES TO INDUSTRY TO MEET THE PRESSING NEED ΤΟ GO HIGH-TECH AND THE INSUFFICIENT FUNDING ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
/PROFESSOR POON,