XN000022-1979-03-29 — Page 18

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1979

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OF THIS, ONLY THREE MILLION IMPERIAL GALLONS WERE LOCALLY PRODUCED, PROVIDING REVENUE OF ONLY $27.6 MILLION.

IN OTHER WORDS, LOCALLY PRODUCED CHINESE SPIRITS ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 24.4 PER CENT OF THE OVERALL CONSUMPTION OF CHINESE SPIRITS, AND UNDER 20 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL REVENUE.

ON AVERAGE, THIS BRINGS IN $9.2 MILLION A YEAR, WHICH IS INSIGNIFICANT COMPARED WITH THE ESTIMATED REVENUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE FOR THE COMING YEAR, HE SAID.

HE THOUGHT IT WILL ENHANCE ITS IMAGE AS AN UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENT IF IT WOULD CONSIDER THIS VERY MINOR CONCESSION.

A +FLAW+ IN THE BUDGET

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THE HON. PETER C. WONG AGAIN ASKED FOR THE PROVISION OF AIR-CONDITIONING IN GENERAL HOSPITAL WARDS DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE SAID OMISSION OF THIS PROVISION IS ONE FLAW IN AN OTHERWISE PAINSTAKINGLY PRESENTED AND REALISTIC BUDGET.

HE HAD IN THE COUNCIL LAST MONTH URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE AIR-CONDITIONING TO THE MORE NEEDY PATIENTS BUT WAS TOLD BY THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AT THAT TIME THAT PRIORITY HAD TO BE ACCORDED IN THE LIGHT OF THE MANY COMPETING CLAIMS ON LIMITED RESOURCES.

+ADMITTEDLY, THE KEY FACTOR IS THE QUESTION OF PRIORITIES AND COMPETING CLAIMS. BUT IN VIEW OF THE PREDICTED SURPLUS THIS YEAR AND THE ESTIMATED SURPLUS NEXT YEAR - AMOUNTING TO NO LESS THAN $3,000 MILLION, I FAIL TO SEE WHY THIS LONG OVERDUE NEED SHOULD NOT BE ACCORDED HIGH PRIORITY,+ MR. WONG SAID.

+WHATEVER COMPETING CLAIMS THERE MIGHT BE, GOVERNMENT POLICY

IT SHOULD BE DICTATED BY COMMON SENSE AND A SENSE OF BALANCE. WOULD BE A SORRY DAY FOR HONG KONG IF GOVERNMENT WERE SO ENGROSSED IN WEIGHING THE VARIOUS SEEMINGLY COMPETING CLAIMS THAT URGENT NEEDS ARE RELEGATED TO THE BACKGROUND, HE ADDED.

MR. WONG APPRECIATED THAT WHEN HE SPOKE LAST TIME, THE ESTIMATES HAD PROBABLY BEEN PREPARED. HE NOW SOUGHT AN ASSURANCE FROM THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT IGNORED HIS PLEA,

+HOPEFULLY, A DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE AT LEAST REGARDING NEW HOSPITALS AND, IF SO, THIS COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INFORMED, HE SAID.

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