XN000022-1983-04-10 — Page 2

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1983

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UMELCO DELVING DEEP INTO GOVERNMENT SPENDING

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THERE HAS BEEN HARDLY ANY YEAR IN WHICH GOVERNMENT BUDGET REQUESTS HAVE NOT BEEN REVISED AS A RESULT OF MICROSCOPIC SCRUTINY BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

EXPENDITURE PAPERS COME IN THICK AND FAST FOR THE MEMBERS' CONSIDERATION, COVERING A TOTAL OF 71 BROAD CATEGORIES PLUS INNUMERABLE SUB-CATEGORIES.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS THREE OFFICIAL MEMBERS: THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS. BUT IT IS THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WHO HAVE THE VOTING RIGHT.

NUMBERING 27 IN ALL, THESE UNOFFICIALS ARE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS AND SOCIAL STRATA, EACH WITH HIS OWN FULL-TIME JOB TO TACKLE ON TOP OF THE VOLUNTARY WORK FOR THE COMMITTEE. THE IR PROFESSIONS RANGE FROM TEACHING, SOCIAL WORK, MEDICINE AND LAW TO BANKING, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACCOUNTANCY, ENGINEERING AND OTHER FIELDS OF ENDEAVOUR. THEY ALSO SIT ON THE EXECUTIVE OR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND SOME OF THEM ON BOTH.

THE QUESTION INEVITABLY ARISES: HOW DO THEY FIND TIME TO DEAL WITH THE DAUNTING, TIME-CONSUMING TASK OF EXAMINING AND MONITORING GOVERNMENT SPENDING, MAKING REASONABLY SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY GET GOOD VALUE FOR PUBLIC FUNDS,

TO THIS, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER MR ROGER LOBO REPLIED: +IT'S ALWAYS THE BUSY PEOPLE WHO HAVE TIME. WE ADJUST OUR LIFE HERE AND THERE TO 'CREATE' MORE TIME.+

DR HARRY FANG, ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SHARED THIS SENTIMENT: +IT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT THAT IF YOU WANT THINGS DONE, YOU ALWAYS GO TO BUSY PEOPLE.+

DR FANG MADE THIS REMARK IN A RUNNING LUNCH-TIME INTERVIEW GIVEN BETWEEN TWO EMERGENCY SURGICAL OPERATIONS AT ST PAUL'S HOSPITAL. STILL WEARING HIS WHITE OVERALL WITH A SURGICAL MASK DANGLING IN FRONT. DR FANG SAID HE DEVOTED SOME 30 PER CENT OF HIS WORKING HOURS TO EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WORK. TYPICALLY FOR MANY MEMBERS, SUCH HOURS ARE LONG ON MOST DAYS, INCLUDING SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

AFTER RECEIVING COPIES OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATES IN FEBRUARY EACH YEAR, THESE MEMBERS IMMEDIATELY FORM THEMSELVES INTO DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS TO EXAMINE AND DECIPHER THE FACTS AND FIGURES BEHIND EVERY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY. THIS YEAR, FOUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN SET UP TO DEAL SEPARATELY WITH LAW AND ORDER: ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICES; SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION, HEALTH AND HOUSING: AND GENERAL SERVICES.

+WE DISCUSS THE ESTIMATES IN THE UMELCO OFFICE, SHARE OUT OUR TASKS AND INVARIABLY TAKE THE VOLUMINOUS PAPERS HOME TO SCRUTINISE, TO EVALUATE, BEARING IN MIND THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS AS WELL, SAID MR LOBO, A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN WITH A TIGHT SCHEDULE.

THE VARIED