FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1994
THOSE PROPOSALS ARE, I BELIEVE, THE BEST THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD. A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND ISN'T THE ANSWER. IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE PENSION WE ARE PROPOSING. IT WOULDN'T MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUSLY DISADVANTAGED; FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE A FAMILY TO LOOK AFTER THEM AND DON'T HAVE ANY FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THEIR OWN AND IT WOULDN'T MEET TODAY'S NEEDS BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T COME INTO OPERATION FOR GETTING ON FOR A GENERATION. SO, A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, WE CONCLUDED, SIMPLY WASN'T THE WAY FORWARD. WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD ARE PRUDENT, ARE PRACTICAL AND ARE COMPASSIONATE AND THEY ARE WELL WITHIN OUR ABILITY AS A COMMUNITY TO FINANCE. THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING ITS BIT BY COMMITTING FUNDS WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WE ARE BEARING ABOUT 35 PERCENT OF THE COST OF THE SCHEME.
WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, I UNDERSTAND, PROPOSALS TO HELP THE ELDERLY TO PROVIDE A PENSION FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS IN HONG KONG. I THINK IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS; OTHERWISE, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THESE MATTERS OR THE COMMUNITY WILL BE DISCUSSING THEM FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS. AND THEY WON'T BE ANY EASIER TO SOLVE IF WE PUT OFF, IF WE POSTPONE THE TIME WE COME TO SOME DECISIONS. SO, 1 HOPE THAT THE CONSULTATION PERIOD WILL GO FORWARD VIGOROUSLY OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS. I HOPE THAT IF ANYBODY'S GOT BETTER IDEAS THAN WE'VE PUT FORWARD, THEY WILL THEMSELVES PUT THEM FORWARD AND NOT JUST CRITICISE AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COMMUNITY WILL DECIDE THAT WE MUST TAKE A DECISION AND GET ON WITH THE JOB OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT, A PROPER FINANCIAL SAFETY NET FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED THE COMMUNITY, BUILT THE COMMUNITY AS THESE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO I'VE BEEN MEETING TODAY WITH US.
QUESTION: MANY PARTIES HAVE CRITICISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FIGURES ABOUT THE PENSION SCHEME. SO, WILL THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER TO GIVE FURTHER INFORMATION TO THE FIGURES.
· · ·
GOVERNOR: WE GAVE FURTHER INFORMATION YESTERDAY AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WITH ALL THE FIGURES AND ALL THE TABLES AND ALL THE CHARTS WHICH THEY WANT AND REQUIRE. A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAS GONE INTO OUR PROPOSALS. THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK DONE BY THE CONSULTANTS AND WE ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD SEE THAT.
QUESTION: BUT THE BASIC INFORMATION SUCH AS HOW MUCH DOES THE GOVERNMENT EXPECT TO COLLECT FROM THE. ?
+ + +
GOVERNOR: NO. WITH GREAT RESPECT, WE WILL PROVIDE ALL THE THAT ANYBODY ASKS FOR.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, ARE YOU EXPECTING MR GOODLAD WILL MEETING WITH YOU AND MR LU PING TO DISCUSS THE HONG KONG HIS VISIT TO BEIJING?
INFORMATION
ARRANGE A
AFFAIRS IN
/GOVERNOR: