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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1993
BEST DEAL FOR ELDERLY ASSURED: GOVERNOR
THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (TUESDAY) SAID WHAT HE WANTED TO SEE WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE DEAL FOR THE ELDERLY OF HONG KONG AT THE MOST REASONABLE PRICE AND THAT WAS WHAT EVERYBODY WANT TO SEE.
RESPONDING TO PRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
PROPOSED RETIREMENT SCHEME AFTER LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE LINGNAN COLLEGE'S NEW CAMPUS IN TUEN MUN, MR PATTEN SAID:
**THE DECISIONS WE ARE TAKING ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ONES FOR THE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
ASKED ABOUT THE COUNTER PROPOSAL FOR THE RETIREMENT SCHEME BY THE THREE POLITICAL PARTIES, THE GOVERNOR SAID EVERY PROPOSAL FOR HELPING THE RETIRED WOULD NEED VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.
"I THINK THAT THOSE WHO PUT THE PROPOSAL FORWARD WILL WANT TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER AND IN DUE COURSE WITH THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY.
PUT
**IT
SEEMS TO ME A LITTLE CURIOUS TO CRITICISE THE PROPOSAL WE FORWARD AS REPRESENTING AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORST SORT OF WELFARE STATISM AND THEN TO PROPOSE ONESELF ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL INVOLVE A HUGE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE TAXPAYERS WITHOUT ANY CAP ON IT.
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THE GOVERNOR REITERATED THAT THE MAIN ARGUMENTS WHICH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY HAD BETTER RECOGNISED AGAINST A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND WERE THAT THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE WOULD BE HIGHER AND THE BENEFITS LOWER, NOT A VERY GOOD BARGAIN FOR THE COMMUNITY,
"THIS IS WHY I SUSPECT THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAS A GOOD LOOK AT THE FIGURES, IT WILL REJECT IT," HE ADDED.
ELABORATING ON THE MEASURES TO HELP THE RETIRED COVERING HOUSING, HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICES, MR PATTEN SAID A WORKING PARTY HAD BEEN SET UP TO TRY TO POOL TOGETHER ALL THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF POLICY ON THE ELDERLY.
"BUT WE NEED A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SET OF ARRANGEMENTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING.
"WE HAVE STARTED ON THE BUSINESS OF GIVING THE ELDERLY OF HONG KONG THE SERVICES WHICH THEY NEED, MORE SHELTERED ACCOMMODATION, BETTER HEALTH CARE PARTICULARLY AS PEOPLE LIVE FOR LONGER, BETTER WELFARE FACILITIES.
"ALL THOSE THINGS MATTER. ALL OF THEM ARE COSTLY BUT ALL OF THEM ARE DESERVED BY THE OLD PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
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