10
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1991
THE FIRST IS THE "MARK SIX LOTTERY TICKET" ISSUE,
"IF WE DID NOT LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF DISTRICT BOARDS, YOU WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO BUY MARK SIX TICKETS NEIGHBOURHOOD CONVENIENCE STORES, HE SAID.
TI
IN
PERHAPS YOUR
THE SECOND ONE CONCERNS THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY.
LAST NOVEMBER MR TSAO PERSONALLY CHAIRED A SEMINAR ON PADS WHICH WERE ALSO ATTENDED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND FOUR OTHER POLICY SECRETARIES.
"ALL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WERE INVITED TO THE SEMINAR, AND WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO RAISE QUESTIONS AND EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE PROJECT.
"INDEED, A COMMITMENT HAS BEEN MADE THAT DISTRICT BOARDS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE PADS WILL BR BRIEFED AND CONSULTED AND RELEVANT INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PROJECTS WILL BE PROVIDED ΤΟ THE DBS CONCERNED. SUBJECT OFFICERS FROM CONCERNED BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS WILL ALSO ATTEND BRIEFINGS TO EXPLAIN THE PROPOSALS TO DB MEMBERS, HE SAID.
HE SAID CRITICS COULD ALWAYS CITE ONE OR TWO ISOLATED CASES WITH WHICH THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF DISTRICT - BOARDS.
HOWEVER, ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES, THE GOVERNMENT HAD ΤΟ WRIGH THE DIFFERENT VIEWS EXPRESSED TO CHOOSE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION AND HENCE IT WAS PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOMETIMES THE ADVICE OF DISTRICT BOARDS COULD NOT BE ADHERED TO.
PERSPECTIVE AND
"ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN WE LOOK FROM A WIDER LOOK AT OTHER MORE LOCALISED ISSUES SUCH AS THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, THE ADVICE OF DISTRICT BOARDS ARE OFTEN ADHERED TO BY THE GOVERNMENT,
HE SAID.
ON THE REDUCTION OF DISTRICT BOARD FUNDS, MR TSAO STRESSBD ONCE AGAIN THAT THIS MEASURE HAD BEEN PROMPTED SOLELY BY THE NEED TO CONTROL GOVERNMENT'S RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AND THAT THE AUSTERITY PROGRAMME APPLIED NOT JUST ΤΟ THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION BUT ALSO TO A NUMBER OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
HE REVEALED THAT DISCUSSIONS WERE TAKING PLACE WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS WITH A VIEW TO DEVISING A NEW PROGRAMME WHICH WOULD LESSEN ANY ADVERSE IMPACT OF DIMINISHED ALLOCATION IN FUNDS.
"OUR AIM IS TO RESTORE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND AT LBAST IN PART, THE ALLOCATIONS FOR MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. DETAILS WILL BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC LATER,' HE SAID.
tr
MR TSAO SAW THE OPERATION OF DISTRICT BOARDS, TERMS OF HARD WORK, AS BEING MORE MATURE AND THEIR ROLE RECOGNISED BY THE PUBLIC THAN EVER BEFORE.
AFTER THREE MORE WIDELY
/HE DISCLOSED