FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1993
BE
THE KAP SHUI MUN BRIDGE WITH A MAIN SPAN OF 430 METRES WILL THE WORLD'S LONGEST CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE FOR BOTH ROAD AND RAIL TRAFFIC.
THE 820-METRE-LONG BRIDGE WILL HAVE TWO DECKS, ONE WITH ENCLOSED TRACKS FOR THE HIGH-SPEED AIRPORT RAILWAY AND SHELTERED ROAD FOR USE IN THE MOST SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
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FINANCIAL SECRETARY STARTS CONSULTATION ON BUDGET 94/95
THE FINANCIAL
SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, TODAY (FRIDAY) BEGAN HIS CONSULTATION WITH LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET BY BRIEFING THEM ON THE MAIN FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
THE BRIEFING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS IN GROUPS OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS ON PRIORITIES FOR SPENDING IN TERMS OF BROAD POLICY AREAS.
"CONSULTATION WITH LEGCO MEMBERS LAST YEAR CONTRIBUTED I BELIEVE, ΤΟ THE SUCCESS OF THE 1993 BUDGET AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR MEMBERS' SUPPORT IN THE BUDGET DEBATE," MR MACLEOD SAID.
"TODAY'S BRIEFING WILL HELP US DECIDE ON THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES. IN ADDITION, BRANCH SECRETARIES WILL CONTINUE ΤΟ HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO DEPLOY RESOURCES WITHIN AND BETWEEN THEIR POLICY AREAS, HE ADDED.
WITHIN
POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT REMAINED COMMITTED то THE MAIN BUDGETARY GUIDELINE THAT EXPENDITURE GROWTH MUST BE KEPT THE TREND GROWTH RATE OF GDP, WHICH IS PROVISIONALLY FORECAST FIVE PER CENT.
TO BE
"THIS MEANS THAT RECURRENT EXPENDITURE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY ROUGHLY $4.5 BILLION IN REAL TERMS, HE SAID.
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HOWEVER, HR NOTED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THIS SUM HAD ALREADY BEEN KARMARKED TO MEET IMPROVEMENTS COMING ON STREAM NEXT YEAR, AS WELL AS FURTHER SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS IN 1994/96 TOWARDS MEETING THE 1997 TARGETS ANNOUNCED IN THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS IN 1992 IN VARIOUS POLICY AREAS.
"FOR EXAMPLE, MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN EARMARKED FOR MORE CARE AND ATTENTION HOME PLACES FOR THE ELDERLY, EXTRA CHILD CARE PLACES, AND EXPANSION IN FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED.
"EXTRA FUNDS HAVE ALSO BEEN SET ASIDE TO IMPROVE THE TEACHER- CLASS RATIO AND TO PROVIDE MORE HOSPITAL BEDS," HE SAID.
NEW
HE SAID ON TOP OF THESE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, FURTHER SERVICES COULD BE FUNDED BY THE BALANCE OF THE NEW MONEY AND REDEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES.
/HE HOPED