FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1993
WHEN ASKED ABOUT
THE
SUGGESTIONS MADE BY LEGCO MEMBERS, INCLUDING THAT OF AN INTEREST-FREE LOAN, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO LOOK AT THE SUGGESTIONS MADE VERY CAREFULLY AND HE WAS NOT ARRIVING AT CONCLUSIONS.
"BUT I AM CERTAINLY SIGNALLING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK WITH OPEN MINDS AT IDEAS IDEAS IN LEGCO AND IDEAS OUTSIDE LEGCO, HE ADDED.
—
+
BY
ON THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE, MR MACLEOD SAID HE WAS ENCOURAGED THE POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE BUDGET BOTH IN LEGCO DURING THE LAST TWO DAYS AND BY THE WIDER PUBLIC.
HE SAID HE SHARED SOME OF THE CONCERNS MENTIONED AND THAT INFLATION WAS A PROBLEM.
ACCEPTED
||
"I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WE DO NOT PRETEND PROBLEM TO SOLVE. EVERYONE ACCEPTS THAT IT IS NOT EASY MUST KEEP TRYING. THAT WAS VERY MUCH THE MESSAGE I TRIED TO OVER IN THE BUDGET, HE SAID.
יז 1
IS
AN
EASY
BUT WE GET
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN VERY GOOD RECOGNITION OF THE WAY IN WHICH HE TRIED TO BALANCE ON THE ONE HAND MEASURES WHICH IMPROVE SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE LIVELIHOOD OF ORDINARY PEOPLE AND ON THE OTHER HAND THE INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH PRODUCES FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
ON THE QUESTION OF DEFICIT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID IT HAD BECOME GENERALLY FAIRLY WELL-ACCEPTED THAT A DEFICIT WAS
A SIMPLY MEANS OF DRAWING ON THE RESERVES WHICH HAD BECOME RATHER LARGER THAN THE GOVERNMENT HAD EXPECTED.
IT
"IT IS JUST A SIMPLE ACCOUNTING MATTER, HE SAID,
RESPONDING TO A QUESTION ON MORTGAGE CEILING, HE SAID:
"AT THE MOMENT, WE THINK 70 PER CENT IS A PERFECTLY
++
RULE.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD KEEP UNDER REVIEW.
SENSIBLE
THE FIGURE
"WE GET FIGURES ON FLAT PRICES AND THE NUMBER OF EVERY MONTH AND WE LOOK AT THESE AND WE ARE QUITE HAPPY THESE RESULTS FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE REAL ESTATE
ASSOCIATION.
TRANSACTIONS ΤΟ DISCUSS DEVELOPERS
"50
BUT
AT
WE ARE NOT SAYING IT IS CAST IN CONCRETE FOREVER. THE MOMENT, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FIGURE WHICH WOULD PERSUADE ME THAT THE TIME HAD COME TO MOVE ON THAT," HE SAID.
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