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"There are equally likely to be differences over how far and how fast we can afford to respond to the community's demands for improved services and for improvement in infrastructure.
I
'Although the Government's overall budget strategy has been remarkably consistent over the years, the balance to be struck between its various elements inevitably alters from one year to the next, as our circumstances change," he said.
End/Wednesday, March 1, 1995
Comprehensive social security assistance being examined
The Financial Secretary, the Hon Sir Hamish Macleod, explained his decision in not dealing with the issue of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) scheme in the Budget.
He said: "I am well aware of the view that we should, as soon as possible, make very significant increases in CSSA payments for the elderly."
Delivering the 1995/96 Budget in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday), he said a detailed examination of the CSSA scheme was being undertaken in a separate exercise.
"Figures like $2,300 or $2,500 have been mentioned.
"I would urge that we do not rush headlong into such a major decision. It is not just that it would involve a large and continuing recurrent expenditure commitment, though clearly that weighs on my mind too.
"The fact is that this Budget is not the place to deal with what is a large and complex issue."
Explaining further, Sir Hamish said the Government needed to know where the question of retirement schemes was headed.
He said: "Clearly, the implications of introducing a scheme providing pensions for all, as in our Old Age Pension Scheme proposal, are quite different from a more limited scheme providing protection only for the employed, as in the Mandatory Provident Fund proposal, which now seems to be emerging as the preferred choice.