THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1990
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GOVT COMMITTED TO REDUCING INFLATION
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO REDUCING INFLATION IN HONG KONG AND TO MAINTAINING A VERY TIGHT CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE TSEUNG KWAN 0 TUNNEL, SIR DAVID SAID THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HIGH LEVEL OF WAGES CURRENTLY IN THE MARKET.
"THAT IS HAVING AN IMPACT UPON INFLATION, IT'S ALSO HAVING AN IMPACT UPON HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVENESS.
"NOW WE IN THE GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO COMMITTED ΤΟ REDUCING INFLATION IN HONG KONG. AND WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING A VERY TIGHT CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE," HE SAID.
"SO AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND, I WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT ΤΟ SEE NEXT YEAR A VERY MODEST PAY INCREASE INDEED.
"AND BY MODEST, I MEAN A FIGURE WHICH IS VERY CLOSE ΤΟ COST OF LIVING INDEX FOR NEXT YEAR, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID.
THE
REPLYING TO A QUESTION ON THE PAY CLAIM BY POSTAL WORKERS, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE STANDING COMMISSION AND THEY WOULD BE REPORTING TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
"I THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE FOR ANYONE ΤΟ SET ANY DEADLINE ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THAT CONSIDERATION," HE SAID.
IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN NORMAL TERM, SIR DAVID STRESSED.
"WE DON'T LIKE TO BE THREATENED BY HAVING DEADLINES IMPOSED UPON US," SIR DAVID SAID.
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"I THINK THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TAKEN A FIRM LINE WITH THE POSTMEN. AND I THINK THAT'S ENTIRELY A REASONABLE POSITION FOR US ΤΟ TAKE, HE ADDED.
ASKED ABOUT TRADE UNIONS WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE, SIR DAVID SAID: "IT PROVIDES A VERY GOOD CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION FOR US. WE HAVE COUNCILS IN WHICH THEY CAN MADE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT VERY USEFUL FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE AS A WHOLE.
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BELIEVED THEY WERE
I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WISH TO DO ANYTHING TO DISCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF TRADE UNIONS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. WE HAVE A VERY GOOD TRADITION THERE," SIR DAVID SAID.
KWAN
ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN MTR EXTENSION TO TSEUNG O, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION WITH THE TRANSPORT BRANCH.
/"IT DEPENDS