XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, NOVENLER 19, 1986

+SIMILARLY, THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO ISSUE A CIRCULAR LETTER TO ALL REGISTERED TRAVEL AGENTS ADVISING THEM TO REFRAIN FROM ORGANISING TOURS AND PROMOTING TOURISM TO SOUTH AFRICA,+ HE SAID.

+THESE MEASURES ARE NOT STATUTORY SINCE HONG KONG DOES NOT HAVE LEGISLATION TO ALLOW RESTRICTIONS IN THESE AREAS.+

MR JACOBS POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S STANCE AGAINST APARTHEID WAS NOT NEW. VARIOUS ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN PREVIOUSLY, INCLUDING THE BANNING IN AUGUST THIS YEAR OF IMPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA OF GOLD COINS MINTED THERE.

GUIDELINES SET ON VALUE FOR MONEY STUDIES

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A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF VALUE FOR MONEY STUDIES MADE BY THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT WAS TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TABLING THE GUIDELINES IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, THE HON ALLEN LEE POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD RECOMMENDED IN ITS EIGHTH REPORT ISSUED IN JANUARY THAT EARLY ACTION BE TAKEN TO RESOLVE A GREY AREA CONCERNING THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT'S POWERS.

THE COMMITTEE HAD NOTED THAT WHILE THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT DID HAVE A REMIT TO EXAMINE AND REPORT ON POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, THE BOUNDARIES OF THAT REMIT, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO VALUE FOR MONEY STUDIES, HAD NOT REEN CLEARLY DEFINED.

THE GUIDELINES WERE THEREFORE DRAWN UP AFTER CONSULTATION AND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMMITTEE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT, HE SAID.

OUTLINING THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE GUIDELINES, MR LEE SAID THAT, FIRSTLY, THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT, WHILE HAVING GREAT FREEDOM IN PRESENTING HIS REPORTS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WOULD NOT COMMENT ON POLICY DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, SAVE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THEIR EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC PURSE.

SECONDLY, THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT MIGHT CARRY OUT AN INVESTIGATION IN THE EVENT THAT HE REASONABLY BELIEVED THAT AT THE TIME POLICY OBJECTIVES WERE SET AND DECISIONS MADE THE RE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LACK OF SUFFICIENT, RELEVANT AND RELIABLE FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA AVAILABLE.

/AT THE