XN000022-1983-04-10 — Page 3

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1983

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THE VARIED BACKGROUNDS OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS HAVE PROVED TO BE OF GREAT HELP. EVEN THEN, ACCORDING TO DR FANG, MEMBERS SOMETIMES FOUND IT NECESSARY TO CONSULT NON-PARTISAN EXPERTS ON HIGHLY TECHNICAL MATTERS.

DURING NUMEROUS IN-CAMERA SESSIONS WHICH OFTEN STRETCHED LATE INTO THE EVENING, 25 CONTROLLING OFFICERS APPEARED BEFORE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THIS YEAR TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON MANY ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATES. THIS VERBAL GRILLING IS IN ADDITION TO WRITTEN REPLIES REQUESTED BY UNOFFICIALS. NO LESS THAN 366 QUERIES HAVE BEEN THUS ANSWERED.

DR FANG SAID: +I WOULD SAY IT HAS NOT BEEN SMOOTH SAILING FOR DEPARTMENT HEADS OR THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE SESSION IN WHICH A BUDGET PAPER WAS NOT THOROUGHLY QUESTIONED,

BUT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS +BUDGET TIME+ FOR THE UNOFFICIALS. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR AFTER THE APPROPRIATION BILL IS PASSED, NORMALLY IN APRIL. SEPARATE FINANCIAL PAPERS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE UNOFFICIALS FOR EXAMINATION. THESE ARE DOCUMENTS WHICH EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD OR CONTROLLING OFFICER MUST PREPARE, GIVING ITEM-BY-ITEM ACCOUNTS FOR HIS DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED EXPENDITURE. AND NO FUND CAN BE SPENT BEFORE APPROVAL.

+WE EXAMINE THESE PAPERS TO SEE IF THERE COULD BE ANY CASES OF OVERSPENDING OR IF THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT NOT BE SPENDING ENOUGH FOR, SAY, SOME VITAL COMMUNITY SERVICES,+ MR LOBO EXPLAINED.

+ON THE BASIS OF OUR FINDINGS, WE RAISE OBJECTIONS, DEFER PAYMENT, ASK THAT CERTAIN PAPERS BE WITHDRAWN, OR REQUEST RE-SUBMISSIONS WITH AMENDMENTS, HE SAID.

+WE COULDN'T BE TOO CAREFUL AS THESE PAPERS COVER EXPENSES RANGING FROM, SAY, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS IN THE CASE OF MAJOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS,+ DR FANG SAID.

+SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS UNDERSTANDABLY MAY BE FRUSTRATED WHEN THEY CAN'T GET WHAT THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR. BUT THAT'S A FACT OF LIFE,+ MR LOBO SAID.

WHEN ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS ANY PARTICULAR EXPENSE CATEGORY DEMANDING MORE ATTENTION THIS YEAR, MR LOBO SAID THAT UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS +TREAT EVERY ITEM WITH EQUAL CARE+. EVEN SO, IN THE COURSE OF INVESTIGATION, SOME EXPENSE ISSUES APPEAR TO STAND OUT. DR FANG CITED CONSULTANCY FEES AND CERTAIN COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMMES AS INSTANCES OF EXPENSE ITEMS WHICH APPEAR +VERY HIGH+ TO UNOFFICIALS. DETAILED EXPLANATIONS ARE THUS REQUESTED AND, WHERE NECESSARY, OUTSIDE EXPERT OPINION IS DISCREETLY CONSULTED AS UNOFFICIALS EVALUATE THESE EXPLANATIONS.

GOVERNMENT UNITS WHICH HAVE REQUESTED BUDGETS FOR REGULAR OVERTIME PAY HAVE DRAWN AMMUNITION FROM UNOFFICIALS, DR FANG SAID.

THE MORAL HERE, AS DR FANG INTIMATED, IS THAT IF THERE IS REGULAR OVERTIME, THE CHANCES ARE THE DEPARTMENT OR UNIT CONCERNED S EITHER NOT EFFICIENT ENOUGH OR THE STAFF PLANNING HAS GONE WRY

/THESE ARE