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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993
"IT MBANS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MEET PUBLIC ASPIRATIONS TO CREATE A SOCIETY WITH A HIGH AND IMPROVING LEVEL AND QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES," HE SAID.
ON HONG KONG'S STAND IN THE ECONOMY, SIR DAVID SAID: "WE REMAIN ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO FREE TRADE AND FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES THAT SUSTAIN OUR SUCCESS; WE ARE WEDDED TO POLICIES OF LOW TAXATION; OF TYING GROWTH IN PUBLIC EXPEDITURE TO THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY; AND ABOVE ALL WE BELIEVE IN LEAVING BUSINESS DECISIONS TO BUSINESSMEN,
"WE STICK WITH THESE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE THE RIGHT ONES, BUT BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT FUTURE AS ENSHRINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, HE SAID.
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SIR DAVID NOTED THAT SEVERAL MEMBERS SEEMED GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE IN THE ECONOMY, TO INTERVENE DECISION-MAKING AND INTERVENE IN THE MARKET PLACE.
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"WE ARE NOT FRANKLY ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA OF DETAILED MANAGEMENT OF OUR ECONOMY COMPRISING A STRATEGY AND CONCRETE MEASURES.
"CERTAINLY WE WILL NOT BE LURED INTO TRYING ΤΟ PLAN ECONOMY, A PATH WHICH HAS LED TO THE DOWNFALL OF OTHER SO-CALLED WESTERN SOCIETIES, HE SAID.
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TURNING TO WELFARE, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT HONG KONG IS NOT A WELFARE STATE, BUT IT IS A SOCIETY WHICH WORKS HARD ΤΟ ENSURE THE WELFARE OF ITS CITIZENS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG HAD A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT IS VERY CHEAP AT THE POINT OF USE, A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY NET AND A PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME TO HOUSE OVER 46 PER CENT OF ITS PEOPLE.
HONG KONG WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND SOCIAL SERVICES BECAUSE IT CREATED GROWTH IN THE ECONOMY, IN THE WEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY, IN THE FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PUBLIC AND VOLUNTARY SECTORS, HE SAID.
"AND
BECAUSE OF THIS GROWTH WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PLOUGH BACK THE WEALTH CREATED BY COMMUNITY INTO SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
"WE ARE COMMITTED TO GROWTH. THAT IS ANOTHER WINNING FORMULA WE DO NOT INTEND TO CHANGE," HE SAID.
ON SOCIAL SERVICES, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S GOAL IN THE PAST WAS SIMPLY TO MEET THE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR SERVICES BUT THE CHALLENGE WAS TWOFOLD TODAY.
"FIRST, TO ENSURE THAT ALL OUR SERVICES MEET MODERN STANDARDS. QUALITY AS WELL AS QUANTITY MUST BE OUR OBJECTIVE.
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SERVICE. LUXURIES.
SECOND, TO ENSURE THAT SPECIAL GROUPS GET A TARGETED SPECIAL NEEDS OF SOME OF OUR SICK AND ELDERLY ARE NOT THEY ARE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A TOLERABLE LIFE. WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THEM AND WE WILL NOT FORGET THEM, HE SAID.
SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNOR HAD ANNOUNCED NO LESS THAN 27 INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF THE FAMILY,
ELDERLY THE SICK.
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