XN000022-1982-05-06 — Page 5

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1982

SOLID PLATFORM BUILT IN 1970'S FOR HONG KONG

******

SPURRED BY DETERMINED LEADERSHIP, MEN WITH A VISION IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE, AND A WILL AND ENERGY TO ACHIEVE, HONG KONG EMBARKED ON SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN ALMOST EVERY SPHERE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY IN THE 70'S.

THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS TODAY (THURSDAY) IN A SPEECH ENTITLED +A BASIS FOR CONFIDENCE TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON.

HE ADDED THAT IT WAS THIS SPIRIT WHICH CREATED INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND THIS IN TURN GENERATED THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR A PLANNED IMPROVEMENT OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES AND PERFORMANCE.

HE WAS REVIEWING SOME OF THE EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PAST 10 OR 12 YEARS - RANGING FROM EDUCATION, HOUSING TO DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND TRANSPORT LINKS TO CHINA+AS A REMINDER OF THE SOLID PLATFORM WE HAVE BUILT IN THE 1970'S FOR THE WORK THAT

IS NOW BEFORE US.+

MR AKERS-JONES SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER THAT IN 1971 HONG KONG AND KOWLOON WERE STILL PHYSICALLY SEPARATED AND FERRIES SERVED AS THE ONLY LINK WITH THE ISLAND.

THE NEW TERRITORIES, EXCEPT TSUEN WAN, WAS STILL PRE-DOMINANTLY RURAL, RATHER ISOLATED AND INTROSPECTIVE AND WITH THEIR OWN LIFE STYLE.

+SOMEHOW, WITH THE OPENING OF THE TUNNEL, THE HEART OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS LIFE WAS JOINED MORE SECURELY TO ITS LIVELY BODY IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. WE WERE ONE PLACE AT LAST!, HE SAID.

HE RECALLED THAT IT WAS ONLY IN 1971 THAT FREE EDUCATION FOR BOYS AND GIRLS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WAS INTRODUCED.

+NOW WE HAVE THREE YEARS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL, AND A 55 PER CENT PULL-THROUGH TO A COMPLETE SECONDARY EDUCATION,

TURNING TO HOUSING MR AKERS-JONES SAID THAT IN 1970 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PLAYED A RELATIVELY SMALL PART IN PROVIDING FOR THE HOUSING NEEDS.

+NOW WE HAVE A PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME SO LARGE THAT AT ANY ONE TIME YOU CAN SAY THAT PUBLIC HOUSING FOR HALF A MILLION PEOPLE IS IN THE COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION. +

TOGETHER WITH EFFORTS BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD FOR ANOTHER 300 000 PEOPLE, NEW HOUSING FOR ABOUT 800 000 WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT VARIOUS STAGES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

ON SOCIAL WELFARE, THE SECRETARY SAID THAT IT WAS ONLY IN 1970 THAT THE DRY RATION AND COOKED MEALS OF THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES WERE REPLACED BY CASH PAYMENTS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND THIS LED TO THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR SOCIAL WELFARE

INTRODUCED IN 1973.

/+IT exuraUES