XN000022-1983-10-26 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTO

-3, 1983

10

LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLAN WELCOMED

****

GOVERNMENT'S LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE WAS WELCOMED TODAY BY THE HON CHARLES YEUNG.

SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE DESCRIBED THIS STRATEGY AS UNINHIBITED BY HISTORIC FACTS, UNAFFECTED BY FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AND UNFETTERED BY THE UNCERTAINTIES ARISING FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS ON OUR FUTURE.·

+ INSTEAD GOVERNMENT IS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE FULL UTILISATION OF HONG KONG'S UNIQUE GEO-ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE AND SKILLED MANAGEMENT AND WORK FORCE SO AS TO CREATE ANOTHER ECONOMIC MIRACLE TO THE CREDIT OF BRITAIN, CHINA AND HONG KONG, HE SAID.

+ IN THE LONG-TERM HONG KONG'S STRATEGY HAS ON THE ONE HAND AIMED AT IMPROVING BOTH THE QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF EDUCATION AND ON THE OTHER HAND AT CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE ECONOMY, HE ADDED.

HE NOTED THAT DESPITE ECONOMIC RECESSION, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON CAPITAL WORK WOULD BE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.

+IT IS HEARTENING TO LEARN THAT FEASIBILITY STUDIES ARE AFOOT TO TRAVERSE THE NEW TERRITORIES AND KOWLOON WITH HIGHWAYS BY TUNNELLING THROUGH MOUNTAINS PASSING THROUGH TAI PO AND MA ON SHAN.

+HOWEVER, ONE REGRET IS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RAILWAY NETWORK TO LINK THE WEST PART OF NT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED, HE SAID.

MR YEUNG POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT ALSO PLANNED TO EXPAND SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES AND COMMUNITY BUILDING BY IMPROVING THE MEDICAL SERVICES, LABOUR WELFARE AND SERVICES TO WOMEN, CHILDREN AND THE AGED SO AS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

ON THE HOUSING FRONT, HE SAID, THE PRESENT SUCCESS AND THE FUTURE OBJECTIVES OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING SCHEME ARE ACHIEVEMENTS WE CAN BE PROUD OF.+

MR YEUNG ALSO NOTED THAT THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS AND THE HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING IN HONG KONG HAD CREATED MORE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PEOPLE.

HE SAID, +AS THE GENERAL STANDARD OF EDUCATION IMPROVES AND THE AWARENESS OF SOCIAL VALUES BY THE COMMUNITY INCREASES, THE PERSONAL IDEALS AND THE UALITY OF LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY WILL CORRESPONDINGLY RISE.

+ IN ORDER TO REAL, SE THESE PERSONAL IDEALS AND TO SATISFY THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMUNITY, THE NEW GENERATION WILL SHOW A KEEN INTEREST IN THEIR PERSONAL RIGHTS AND IN THEIR COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT WITH A DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY BUILDING.

+THUS IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BECOME THE LARGEST ADVISOF BODY OF OPINION IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM WITHIN A SHORT SPA OF TIME.+

/HE ADDED,