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THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1989
MR LAU SAID IN ORDER TO GUARD AGAINST UNFORESEEABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, A LOAN FUND UP TO CERTAIN PRE-DETERMINED LIMITS SHOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
"WHEN
CONSIDERING SUBSIDISED FEES AND CHARGES, WE SHOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE DISPROPORTIONATE LACK OF MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR THE MIDDLE- CLASS IN OUR COMMUNITY," HE SAID.
MR LAU SAID BECAUSE OF THE WEAKNESSES OF PRESENT SYSTEM, THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO USE PRIVATE CLINIC AND HOSPITAL SERVICES AND WERE USUALLY BURDENED WITH THE NEED TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR OLD AGE PARENTS.
TO
"SPECIAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES SHOULD THEREFORE BE PROVIDED FREE THE ELDERLY WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENORMOUS GROWTH OF OUR ECONOMY IN THE PAST BUT WITHOUT THE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND TO LOOK AFTER THEIR RETIREMENT LIFE," MR LAU SAID.
HE SAID THIS WAS IMPORTANT IN THE LIGHT OF OUR AGEING POPULATION.
MR LAU SAID INFLATION WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS TODAY AROUND THE WORLD AND ALL GOVERNMENTS WERE TRYING THEIR BEST TO PUT IT UNDER CONTROL.
HE SAID OUR INFLATION RATE WAS EVEN MORE SERIOUS THAN OTHER ECONOMIES AS WE WERE BOTH IMPORTING AND SELF-GENERATING IT.
"I FULLY AGREE WITH THE BUDGETTING STRATEGY OF THE HONOURABLE FINANCIAL SECRETARY. IN THE INTEREST OF OUR ECONOMY, HE STRIKES A REASONABLE BALANCE BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF TAX CONCESSIONS AND THE INCREASE OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE," HE SAID.
"BY SETTING ASIDE PART OF THE SURPLUS IN RESERVE, THIS STRATEGY, I BELIEVE, WILL GO SOME WAY TOWARDS CHECKING THE GROWTH OF OUR INFLATION RATE," HE ADDED.
MR LAU POINTED OUT THAT AFTER A PERIOD OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HUGE BUDGET SURPLUSES, THERE MUST BE MANY CALLS FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS OF OUR SOCIETY FOR INCREASED SPENDINGS.
BUT THESE SURPLUSES SHOULD BEST BE INVESTED IN OUR MAJOR PROGRAMME OF INFRASTRUCTURAL WORKS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, HE NOTED.
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT FORGET OTHER INVESTMENTS ΤΟ IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE TO MAKE HONG KONG A BETTER HOME FOR ALL, HE ADDED,
MR LAU SAID THIS WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE WANTED ΤΟ ATTRACT THE MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE TO STAY ON AND TO CONTRIBUTE IN THE 1990S AND BEYOND.
/AS FOR