XN000022-1984-08-28 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1984

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HE POINTED OUT THAT AT THE LAST DB ELECTIONS, 132 PEOPLE WERE ELECTED, COMPRISING 58 BUSINESSMEN, 22 TEACHERS, FIVE PROFESSIONALS, FOUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND 43 OTHERS.

LAST TIME 900 000 PEOPLE REGISTERED AND 300 000 VOTED. +IT WAS A SMALL PROPORTION BUT A BIG STEP FOR HONG KONG.+

IN RESPONSE TO REMARKS THAT THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAD NO +EXECUTIVE POWERS+, HE SAID THE BOARDS WERE NOT INTENDED AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY IN ARCHETYPE WESTERN STYLE SINCE THE URBAN COUNCIL WAS ALREADY PERFORMING NECESSARY MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS STREET SWEEPING AND CONTROL OF HAWKERS.

+SIMILARLY WE CANNOT EXPECT BOARDS TO HAVE POWERS TO OVERRIDE AND FRUSTRATE CENTRALLY-DECIDED POLICIES FOR THE PUBLIC AND GENERAL BENEFIT. HONG KONG IS TOO SMALL TO HAVE 18 SEPARATE LOCAL AUTHORITIES,+ HE ADDED.

SO WHAT HAVE THE BOARDS ACHIEVED? MR AKERS-JONES CITED WAN CHAI AS AN EXAMPLE.

DURING THE LAST THREE MONTHS, THE BOARD HAS WORKED TO IMPROVE THE PROVISION OF STUDY ROOMS IN THE DISTRICT: SURVEYED THE NEEDS OF THE AGED AND DRAWN UP A PROGRAMME PLAN; PROMOTED DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AS A BASIS FOR CIVIC EDUCATION AND ARRANGED DISCUSSION FORUMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST, INCLUDING THE GREEN PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT; AND CARRIED OUT ENVIRONMENTAL-

IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

COMPUTER SYSTEM HELPS WITH FUNDS CONTROL

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GOVERNMENT FUNDS ARE NOW BETTER MANAGED AND CONTROLLED BOTH AT THE CENTRAL AND DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL THROUGH THE USE OF A NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM.

THE NEW PROJECT, KNOWN AS THE LEDGER ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM, OR LAF IS, IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN STAGES TO MEET THE NEED FOR FINANCIAL CONTROL AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

+ IN THE PAST, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAD TO RELY HEAVILY ON MANUAL SYSTEMS TO MAINTAIN BUDGET CONTROL AND TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT, A CHIEF TREASURY ACCOUNTANT, MR PAUL EVANS, SAID.

+NOW, DEPARTMENTS CAN ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH THE USE OF VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINALS LOCATED IN THEIR OFFICES. THESE TERMINALS, WHICH ALLOW BOTH DATA ENTRY AND INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, ARE LINKED TO THE CENTRAL LAF IS DATABASE INSTALLED IN THE TREASURY.+ SAID MR EVANS, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION AT THE TREASURY.

/LAFIS, WHICH