XN000022-1979-10-10 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1979

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GOVT DETERMINED TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE IN HONG KONG

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) RE-EMPHASISED THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION NOT TO BE DEFLECTED FROM ITS PURPOSE TO BUILD A BETTER, FULLER, AND EXPANDING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE IN HONG KONG,

+ IN SUCH A GRAND DESIGN, STRETCHING OVER A DECADE OR MORE OF VARIED ENDEAVOUR, PROGRESS IS BOUND TO BE UNEVEN AS FORTUNE GOOD AND BAD AFFECTS ÚS, HE SAID.

NEVERTHELESS, HE SAID, EVEN WHERE THIS YEAR THE PACE HAS EASED, WE HAVE STILL MADE PROGRESS THAT IN MOST OTHER COMMUNITIES WOULD BE CONSIDERED VERY SUBSTANTIAL. AND CONSIDERED OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AS A WHOLE, THE PROGRESS HAD BEEN PHENOMENAL.

+FROM THIS WE CAN DRAW BOTH HOPE AND COURAGE,+ SIR MURRAY SAID, +FOR I AM DEEPLY CONSCIOUS OF HOW MUCH NEEDS TO BE DONE.+

SUMMING UP HIS ADDRESS TO THE NEW SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID HONG KONG HAD PASSED THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR OF REASONABLE PROSPERITY ILLUMINATED BY A TRULY MAGNIFICENT EFFORT BY OUR EXPORT INDUSTRY, AND IN WHICH SUBSTANTIAL FURTHER PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE PROGRAMMES ON WHICH THE FUTURE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF HONG KONG DEPEND.

THE BULK OF THE PROGRAMMES OF SOCIAL ADVANCE WERE ON TARGET AND ONLY WHEN CAPITAL WORKS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED HAD SOME REPHASING. BEEN NECESSARY, ALTHOUGH EVEN IN THIS FIELD IT LOOKED AS IF THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF SEVEN PER CENT IN REAL TERMS OVER THE LAST YEAR

+ IF WE HAD TO PROGRESS A LITTLE SLOWER IN SOME FIELDS THAN WE HAD ONCE HOPED, IT IS THE PRICE WE HAVE HAD TO PAY TODAY FOR CONTINUED AND HEALTHY EXPANSION TOMORROW, SIR MURRAY SAID.

NO PRUDENT GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ACTED DIFFERENTLY, HE SAID, AND + HAVE ALWAYS EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY IN IMPLEMENTING YEAR BY YEAR OUR LONG TERM PROGRAMMES.+

GIVEN FIVE OR SIX YEARS OF REASONABLE PROSPERITY ON THE ONE HAND AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSEVERANCE ON THE OTHER, HE SAID, WE HAVE EVERY PROSPECT OF SEEING GRADUALLY EMERGE FROM THE DUST AND THE RECLAMATIONS, FROM THE CLEARANCES AND CONSTRUCTION SITES, THE NEW RAILWAYS AND HIGHWAYS, THAT TRANSFORMATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE WHICH I AM CONVINCED CAN BE AND MUST BE ACHIEVED IF HONG KONG IS TO DEVELOP TO PLAY ITS RIGHTFUL ROLE.

SIR MURRAY SAID IT WAS IN THE PROSPECT OF SEEING TWO FURTHER YEARS OF ADVANCE TOWARDS THIS GOAL THAT HE WAS PLEASED AND HONOURED TO PRESIDE OVER THE COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNMENT FOR A FURTHER TWO YEARS.

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