XN000022-1985-03-27 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1985

BARRING UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE SHOULD BE WITNESSING A BALANCED BUDGET IN 1986-87, HE SAID. SOME HAVE EVEN PREDICTED THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE IN THE RED IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR. JUDGING FROM OUR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE DURING 1984, THIS MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE CORRECT.

ON THE ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE OF $38.4 BILLION FOR 1985-86, HE SAID THIS REPRESENTED ONLY A MODERATE INCREASE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

*THIS IS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF RIGID DISCIPLINE AND INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, HE SAID.

MR WONG WELCOMED THE ADMINISTRATION'S AIM NOT TO PERMIT ANY INCREASE IN THE TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE IN 1985.

THIS WAS TO BE ACHIEVED BY CUTTING OUT WASTE, BY INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY AND BY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY WORK, BUT NO CUT BACK ON THE VARIOUS SERVICES BEING PROVIDED, HE SAID.

+ INDEED, SOME SERVICES, SUCH AS EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE, WILL ENJOY A MODERATE INCREASE.

+ IT APPEARS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS BEGINNING TO APPRECIATE THAT SOUND BUSINESS PRACTICE IS BY NO MEANS INFERIOR TO BUREAUCRATIC INFLEXIBILITY, MR WONG SAID.

ON EDUCATION, MR WONG SAID ITS IMPORTANCE WAS UNDERLINED BY THE FACT THAT $7.81 BILLION HAD BEEN EARMARKED FOR IT AS AGAINST $4 BILLION FOR MEDICAL SERVICES AND $2.53 BILLION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.

+THE AMOUNT FOR EDUCATION REPRESENTS 17 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE AND A 10.7 PER CENT RISE OVER 1984-85,+ HE SAID.

HE REFUTED CRITICISM THAT NOT ENOUGH WAS BEING PROVIDED IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION BY GIVING SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.

+GOVERNMENT'S STATED POLICY IS TO PROVIDE PRIMARY SCHOOLS WITHIN A REASONABLE WALKING DISTANCE FOR ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN TO PROVIDE A SUBSIDISED PLACE FOR ALL PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS, TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN SCHOOLS AND PLACES AT TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES TO MEET THE FULL DEMAND FOR FORM LEAVERS WHO ARE SUITABLE FOR THE COURSES PROVIDED; AND TO PHASE OUT THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT (JSEA) BY 1991.

+TO HELP MEET THESE OBJECTIVES, 10 PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PROVIDING 19 200 PLACES MAINLY IN THE NEW TOWNS, AND FIVE SECONDARY SCHOOLS PROVIDING INITIALLY 1 280 FORM AND 640 FORM IV PLACES WILL BE COMPLETED IN 1985-86.

/+AS REGARDS

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