XN000022-1986-03-26 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1986

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+ IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT OUR FISCAL POLICY SHOULD ADDRESS ITSELF TO THE STRATEGY OF FOSTERING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND NOT TO CONTAIN OR CURB, IN A RATHER MECHANICAL MANNER, THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, HE SAID.

HE MAINTAINED THAT GOVERNMENT SERVICES MUST BE PROVIDED CHEAPLY, OR, MORE PRECISELY, AT COMPETITIVE RATES WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AT ALL TIMES.

+TO PUT GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY TO THE TEST, INTERNATIONAL INTEREST HAS BEEN FOCUSSED ON PRIVATISATION, HE SAID.

DR CHAM PROPOSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BEGIN THE SAME PROCESS BY DIVESTING ITSELF OF ANY ACTIVITIES WHICH THE PRIVATE SECTOR COULD OFFER AT A LOWER COST.

+EVEN IF THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT WANTS TO MAINTAIN EXISTING SERVICE, IT MUST FIRST BE SUBJECTED TO A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AGAINST PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.

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+THIS PROCESS, WHICH I WOULD CALL 'PRIVATISATION SCREENING' WILL PROVIDE A CONSTANT CHECK ON THE DANGEROUS BREEDING OF INERTÍM, RED TAPE AND LETHARGY WITHIN OUR GOVERNMENT MACHINERY, + HE SAID.

HE BELIEVED THAT BY INSTILLING THE ELEMENT OF PRIVATISATION SCREENING+ AS THE PRINCIPAL IMPERATIVE, GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES COULD CLEARLY BE VITALISED IN BOTH QUALITY AND QUANTITY.

AS PROFIT-ORIENTED ENTREPRENEURS AND MANAGERS WERE ALWAYS MOTIVATED TO PERFORM BETTER, THEY WOULD RESPOND TO TENDERS COMPETITIVELY, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE TENDERING PROCESS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY EFFICACIOUS MEASURES OF CONTROL IN THAT A REGULATORY MECHANISM HAD TO BE DEVISED TO SAFEGUARD THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF SERVICES UNDER PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, QUALITY HAD TO BE MONITORED, PRICING HAD TO BE COMPETITIVE AND THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE HAD TO BE GUARANTEED.

DR CHAM SUGGESTED THAT PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE MANAGEMENT WAS A PROSPECTIVE AREA TO WHICH THE PRIVATISATION SCREENING PROGRAMME COULD BE PROFITABLY AND IMAGINATIVELY APPLIED.

SUCH A SCHEME, HE SAID WOULD NOT ONLY HELP TO REDUCE COSTS BUT ALSO INVITE THE INVOLVEMENT OF RESIDENTS IN FOSTERING THE IR SENSE OF BELONGING AND PARTICIPATION.

HE EXPECTED THERE WOULD BE STRONG OPPOSITION TO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FOR CERTAIN SERVICES TO BE SUBJECT TO PRIVATISATION SCREENING BUT HE BELIEVE THE COUNCIL SHOULD RESOLVE TO ADHERE TO THIS AS A PRINCIPLE.

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