XN000022-1984-10-24 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1984

RECORDS SHOWED THAT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS EXPENDITURE ON ECONOMIC SERVICES WAS ONLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, IN CONTRAST TO EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES, WHICH HAD BEEN KEPT AT A HIGH LEVEL OF OVER 40 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE SAME PERIOD EXCEPT IN 1981.

+THIS COULD HARDLY BE SEEN AS ENCOURAGEMENT TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY,+ HE SAID.

HE FELT STRONGLY THAT SOME CHANGE IN THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT POLICY WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED SERIOUSLY.

IN PARTICULAR, THE DISPARITY IN EMPHASIS BETWEEN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SERVICES SHOULD BE REDRESSED TO REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG AS A SOUND AND HEALTHY ECONOMY.

+IN MY VIEW, ECONOMIC SERVICES SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED AND

A MORE AGGRESSIVE AND DYNAMIC APPROACH TO ASSISTING COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ADOPTED.+

THEY SHOULD ALSO BE ENCOURAGED TO SPONSOR AND PROVIDE INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT SERVICES SUCH AS ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES WHICH WERE NORMALLY BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS OR EVEN A COMPLETE SECTOR OF THE INDUSTRY, BUT WERE ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING THEIR LEAD IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET.

+I APPRECIATE THAT THE NON-INTERFERENCE POLICY HAS SEEMINGLY SERVED HONG KONG WELL IN THE PAST,+ MR CHEN SAID.

+BUT EVEN THE HEALTHIEST PERSON REQUIRES A DOSE OF TONIC FROM TIME TO TIME TO MAINTAIN PEAK CONDITION.

+FOR HONG KONG TO MAINTAIN AND STRENGTHEN ITS ECONOMY PARTICULARLY AFTER THE UNCERTAINTY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, TIMELY ENCOURAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT WOULD ONLY BE RIGHT AND PROPER.

+HONG KONG HAS BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED ITS INDUSTRIAL LEAD IN THE REGION, BUT IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THAT LEAD SLIP,+ HE SAID.

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