XN000022-1977-03-30 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1977

ESTABLISHMENT OF A PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE URGED

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THE GOVERNMENT WAS TODAY URGED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE AND POSITIVE ACTION IN SETTING UP A PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE TO ACHIEVE

IMPROVED AND MORE CONSISTENT ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

THE HON. LI FOOK-WO, MAKING THE APPEAL IN THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SAID HE WAS FRUSTRATED TO LEARN THAT NO DEFINITE PLANS HAD BEEN FORMULATED FOR SUCH A COMMITTEE WHEN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY REPLIED TO HIS QUESTION

IN THE COUNCIL IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

HE SAID HE BELIEVED IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM, AND ADOPTED IN MANY DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT TERRITORIES, FOR SUCH A COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP BY PARLIAMENT.

THE OBJECT OF THIS COMMITTEE, HE WENT ON, WAS TO SCRUTINISE THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT'S ANNUAL REPORTS, QUESTION HIM AND THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS DRAWING THEIR OWN CONCLUSION FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION.

+COULD NOT A SIMILAR PROCEDURE BE FOLLOWED IN HONG KONG HE ASKED.

MR. LI NOTED THAT UNDER THE PROCEDURE, THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT'S REPORT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNOR IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL INSTEAD OF BEING SENT TO THE GOVERNOR DIRECT.

THE REPORT COULD THEN BE PASSED TO A PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE MADE UP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WITH THE OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE.

THE COMMITTEE'S TASK, MR. LI ELABORATED, WOULD BE THE EXAMINATION OF GOVERNMENT. ACCOUNTS AND THOSE OF SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS, AS WELL AS LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT SPECIFIC POINTS RAISED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT,

HE ADDED THAT THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT COULD THEN BE SENT WITH THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT'S REPORT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE WHO WOULD ENSURE THAT THE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS WERE ACTED ON.

+ WOULD ENVISAGE THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD IN TIME BUILD UP A BODY OF FISCAL CASE PRECEDENTS WHICH SHOULD HELP TO BRING ABOUT IMPROVED AND MORE CONSISTENT ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS, + MR. LI SAID.

ON THE DISAPPOINTING UNDERSPENDING IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMMES DURING THE CURRENT AND LAST FINANCIAL YEARS, MR. LI COMMENTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT, HAVING MISCALCULATED FOR TWO YEARS THE ABILITY OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO SPEND ON PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS, HAD NOW PRODUCED MORE MODEST FIGURES FOR THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.

/-UNLESS IT