XN000022-1984-02-05 — Page 15

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1984

+ IN THE MEANTIME, WE SAY GOODBYE TO A YEAR WHICH BROUGHT MUCH ANXIETY TO US ALL. TOGETHER, WE CAME THROUGH THOSE DIFFI- CULTIES. THE DOLLAR IS AGAIN STABLE. THE ECONOMY IS GAINING STRENGTH. OUR TRADE FIGURES ARE IMPRESSIVE. AND I BELIEVE THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO OVERCOME THOSE DIFFICULTIES HAD THE EFFECT OF STRENGTHENING OUR RESOLVE. ALTHOUGH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OUR RESOURCES HAVE BEEN MORE LIMITED, NOTHING WILL DETER US FROM DOING ALL WE CAN TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH OUR PEOPLE LIVE, THE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM, OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AND OTHER PROGRAMMES WHICH WILL SHAPE THE LIFE-STYLE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.

+ THE INNATE STRENGTHS OF OUR COMMUNITY: ITS COHESION AND SENSE OF PURPOSE WILL STAND US IN GOOD STEAD IN THE YEAR OF THE RAT. THE COMING YEAR IS A PARTICULARLY AUSPICIOUS ONE WITH DOUBLE SPRING AND DOUBLE RAINFALL (SIGNS OF GOOD FORTUNE AND PROSPERITY). IN SUCH A YEAR AND WITH SUCH STRENGTHS, I AM CERTAIN WE CAN MOVE AHEAD WITH CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES AND IN OUR FUTURE.+