XN000022-1979-03-22 — Page 6

TRATA deg 1712

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HE SAID THE FOUR REGIONAL OFFICERS, WHO ARE OF DIRECTORATE LEVEL, WERE APPOINTED AND POSTED LATE LAST YEAR TO LAY THE GROUND-WORK FOR THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORGANISATIONAL OVERHAUL.

ON THE DISTRICT LEVEL, HE SAID, 11 DISTRICT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS HAVE JUST BEEN APPOINTED AND THEY WILL BE ASSISTED BY A TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS SPECIALISING IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF SERVICE.

+THIS WILL PERMIT A CO-ORDINATED APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK, SERVING PEOPLE IN NEED ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF WELFARE SERVICES,+ HE SAID.

MR, LEE SAID THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME, APART FROM PRESENTING A FOCAL POINT IN REGIONS AND DISTRICTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO TURN TO ON WELFARE MATTERS, ALSO AIMS AT INCREASING ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY BY PROVIDING GREATER AUTONOMY ON A REGIONAL LEVEL.

+MOST DECISIONS ON OPERATIONAL MATTERS WILL IN FUTURE BE TAKEN AT DISTRICT OR REGIONAL LEVEL RATHER THAN IN THE DEPARTMENTAL HEADQUARTERS,+ HE SAID.

WITH REGARD TO THE ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIP EXISTING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY WELFARE SECTOR, MR. LEE SAID THIS WOULD BE IMPROVED BY CHANGES INVOLVED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONAL SIDE AS A RESULT OF REGIONAL ISATION.

+THROUGH CLOSER LIAISON WITH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES OPERATING IN THEIR REGIONS, THE REGIONAL OFFICERS WILL ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO UNNECESSARY OVERLAP IN THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, HE SAID.

EXPLAINING THE NEED FOR REGIONALISATION, MR. LEE SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAS IN RECENT YEARS EXPERIENCED DRAMATIC INCREASE IN BOTH STAFF AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE EXPANDING SERVICES IT PROVIDES.

PLANS ARE WELL IN HAND FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE VARIOUS FIELDS SUCH AS FAMILY SERVICES, REHABILITATION FOR THE DISABLED, SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND YOUTH, PROBATION AND CORRECTION WORK, AND SOCIAL SECURITY, HE SAID.

FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT HAS EARMARKED $630 MILLION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR, WHICH REPRESENTS A THREE-FOLD INCREASE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

ON SOCIAL SECURITY ALONE, THE DRAFT ESTIMATES PROVIDE AN EXPENDITURE OF $405 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF NEARLY 500 PER CENT OVER THE FIGURE OF $72 MILLION FIVE YEARS AGO, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, MR. LEE SAID A COMPREHENSIVE WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE WOULD BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY AND THE PROPOSALS IN THE PAPER WOULD ENTAIL AN ADDITIONAL $235 MILLION IN RECURRENT EXPENDITURE BY 1982-83.

+TO COPE WITH SUCH A RAPID DEVELOPMENT, AND IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE RE-ORGANISED BY DECENTRALISING ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS IN THE VARIOUS FIELDS OF WELFARE SERVICE,+ HE SAID.

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