XN000022-1975-02-26 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1975.

9

PUBLIC SPENDING BILL CONTINUES TO GROW

25 25 25 25 25 #

GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR ON SOCIAL, COMMUNITY AND OTHER SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IS ESTIMATED AT $6,615.3 MILLION.

THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $431 MILLION OR SEVEN PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR THE 1974/75 YEAR, EXCLUDING EXPENDITURE NE-INDURSEMENTS FROM THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

TAKING ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE FROM GENERAL REVENUE TOGETHER WITH THAT FROM THE DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND, THE LOTTERIES FUND, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE COMES TO $7,318.7 MILLION.

THIS MONEY WILL MAINLY BE SPREAD OUT OVER FIVE MAIN GROUPS OF SERVICES. (SEE APPENDIX VIII IN THE SUPPORTING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND STATISTICAL APPENDICES)

TOPPING THE LIST AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS IS THE SOCIAL SERVICES GROUP WHICH COMPRISES EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND HEALTH, HOUSING, SOCIAL WELFARE AND LABOUR.

A RECORD SUM OF $3,057.0 MILLION -- REPRESENTING 41.8 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE WILL BE CHANNELLED INTO THESE AREAS, MOST OF IT TOWARDS EDUCATION. COMPARED TO THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1974/75, THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $337.4 MILLION,

THIS WILL BE ALLOCATED AS FOLLOWS (THE FIGURES IN BRACKETS REFER TO THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1974/75).

$1,325.5 MILLION ($1,209.3 M) $793.9 MILLION ($ 660.5 M) $583.2 MILLION

EDUCATION

HOUSING

MEDICAL AND HEALTH

SOCIAL WELFARE

$326.7

LABOUR

$ 17.2

563.8 M).

MILLION

270.1 M)

MILLION (3

15.9 M

THE NEXT BIGGEST GROUP IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURE, IS COMMUNITY SERVICES ON WHICH $1,896.3 MILLION OR 25.9 PER CENT WILL BE SPENT. THIS WILL BE DIVIDED AS FOLLOWS:

TRANSPORT, ROADS AND CIVIL ENGINEERING

WATER SUPPLY

AMENITIES AND RELATED SERVICES (INCLUDING THOSE TO BE PROVIDED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL)

$813.9 MILLION ($813.1 M)

$602.3 MILLION ($642.8 M)

• $309.7 MILLION (8313.7 M)

/FIRE SERVICES