34
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1992
"THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL UP TO NOW IN CAPTURING THE GANGS WHO CARRIED OUT THE PREVIOUS RAIDS, HE ADDED.
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"THEY HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BY ANY STANDARDS."
·
COMMENTING ON WAYS TO TACKLE THE CRIME, SIR DAVID SAID : "THE COMMISSIONER IS THERE AT THE MOMENT IN CHINA, DISCUSSING METHODS OF IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CUT OFF THE FLOW OF PEOPLE AND ARMS WHICH ARE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER.
"THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM.
NOTING THAT THERE HAD BEEN GREAT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE CHINESE AUTHORITY HAD STEPPED UP THEIR EFFORTS ON THEIR SIDE OF THE BORDER AGAINST CRIMINAL ELEMENTS.
THEY HAD ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION TO HONG KONG POLICE AND ENABLED HONG KONG DETECTIVES TO GO ACROSS THE BORDER AND FOLLOW UP LEADS, BE ADDED,
ASKED ABOUT POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT TO POLICE WEAPONS, SIR DAVID SAID THE POLICE FORCE HAD MAXIMUM SUPPORT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.
"THERE WILL BE NO LACK OF WILLINGNESS ON OUR PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE THE POLICE TOTAL SUPPORT, HE SAID.
יו
IF THEY NEED NEW WEAPONS, WE SHALL PROVIDE THE MONEY FOR THEM. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT AT ALL.
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STATEMENT BY FS ON BUDGET DEVELOPMENTS
I
IN A STATEMENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, EARLIER TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY MR HAMISH MACLEOD, ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS NOW BECOME CLEAR THAT THE BUDGETARY SURPLUS FOR 1991-92 WILL BE ABOUT $22 BILLION, THIS IS OVER $6 BILLJON MORE THAN EXPECTED WHEN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY PRESENTED HIS BUDGET ΤΟ THE LEGCO ON APRIL 1. THE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED SURPLUS [S THE CONSEQUENCE OF UNDERSPENDING ON CAPITAL PROJECTS AND HIGHER THAN EXPECTED TAX
REVENUES.
MR MACLEOD SAID:
"WE CLEARLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE OUR FORECASTING ARRANGEMENTS AND THIS WORK IS NOW IN HAND. NONETHELESS, THE ADDITIONAL $6 BILLION SURPLUS IS A WELCOME ONE-OFF WINDFALL AND [S ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO THE AMOUNT 1 HAD INTENDED TO RAISE BY INCREASING THE RATES BY A HALF OF ONE PERCENTAGE POINT. I HAVE THEREFORE BERN ABLE TO ANNOUNCE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT, UNDER THESE CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT NEED TO PROCEED WITH THE PROPOSED RATES INCREASE."
/THE ADDITIONAL