XN000022-1984-10-24 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1984

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WAS EXPENSIVE AND A HEAVY BURDEN ON THE PUBLIC REVENUE.

+AS A LONG TERM INVESTMENT, HOWEVER, THE MONEY TO BE SPENT ON A THIRD UNIVERSITY WILL BRING INCALCULABLE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY, + HE SAID.

ON LEGISLATION, MR WONG SAID THERE WERE 12 TO 13 YEARS TO CONSOLIDATE THE LAWS NOW IN FORCE IN HONG KONG. THIS TASK WOULD BE TIME-CONSUMING AND SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT DELAY.

+SEVERAL OF OUR ORDINANCES ARE DEPENDENT ON ENGLISH STATUTES AND TO THAT EXTENT AMENDMENTS WILL HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED SO THAT OUR LAWS CAN STAND ON THEIR OWN, + HE SAID,

AS EXAMPLES, HE CITED ORDINANCES RELATING TO SHIPPING, CIVIL AVIATION AND PATENT.

OBVIOUSLY, HE SAID, CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS TO THE EXISTING LAWS WOULD BE NECESSARY IN VIEW OF IMPENDING CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES.

DEAL WITH THE FUTURE IN THREE STAGES, SAYS WONG LAM

*****

THE NEXT 13 YEARS COULD BE DIVIDED INTO THREE PERIODS OF ABOUT FOUR YEARS EACH, THE HON WONG LAM SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

FROM NOW TC HE SAID THE MAJOR CONCERN OF THE FIRST PERIOD 1988 - WAS TO REMOVE THE SHADOW OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY AND PUT HONG KONG BACK ON THE TRACK OF DEVELOPMENT SO THAT PROSPERITY AND STABILITY MIGHT BE MAINTAINED AND THE PEOPLE HERE MIGHT WORK AND LIVE COMFORTABLY AND PEACEFULLY AS THEY HAD DONE IN THE SEVENTIES AND EARLY EIGHTIES.

+ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN OF THE PERIOD IS TO MAKE PRELIMINARY PREPARATION FOR FUTURE POLITICAL CHANGES, HE ADDED.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF THE SECOND PERIOD 1988 TO 1992 WOULD BE THE MAINTENANCE OF PROSPERITY AND STABILITY ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE DRANG UP OF ALL THE PROCEDURES NECESSARY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ADMINISTERING HONG KONG+

FORMULA ON THE OTHER,

THE THIRD PERIOD

FROM 1992 TO 1997 WOULD BE A PERIOD OF PROGRESSIVE TRANSITION, MR WONG CONTINUED.

HE SAID THAT BY THAT TIME, HONG KONG WOULD STAY UNDER BRITISH RULE ONLY IN NAME BUT TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT. HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD ADMINISTER HONG KONG WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY+.

/POCUSING HIS