XN000022-1987-02-26 — Page 2

HIRSDA

FEBRUARY 26, 1987

WIDESPREAD BENEFITS FROM VERY GOOD BUDGET'

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY (THURSDAY) DESCRIBED THE BUDGET FOR 1987-88 AS A VERY GOOD BUDGET, WITH SOME OF THE BENEFITS BEING SPREAD WIDELY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S COMPUTER EDUCATION CENTRE IN HUNG HOM, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS VERY GRATIFYING TO KNOW THAT THE NEW BUDGET WOULD ENABLE HONG KONG TO GET A HEAD WITH SOME OF ITS MAJOR BUILDING PROJECTS.

+ONE OF THE ONES WHICH I THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE IS THE EASTERN DISTRICT HOSPITAL. AND IT'S VERY PLEASING THAT WE ARE ABLE, WITH THE FUNDS WE HAVE AVAILABLE, TO GET ON WITH THAT, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID DISAGREED WITH SUGGESTIONS THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY WAS BEING OVER-CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE BUDGET. HE SAID MR PIERS JACOBS EXPLAINED HIS STRATEGIES EXTREMELY CLEARLY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.

+THIS ISN'T A TIME FOR WILD INITIATIVES, BUT FOR CAUTION AND SENSIBLE PROGRESS.+

ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE $3 BILLION SURPLUS IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, HE SAID +WE HAD A VERY VERY GOOD YEAR, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY GO ON A SPENDING SPREE. WE SHOULD POINT OUR ECONOMY IN A CAUTIOUS WAY,+

ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO OFFER COMPUTER STUDIES

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ALL PUBLIC SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER COMPUTER STUDIES IN FORMS FOUR AND FIVE FROM SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE COMPUTER EDUCATION CENTRE, IN HUNG HOM, SIR DAVID SAID 83 PER CENT OF PUBLIC SECTOR SCHOOLS HAD JOINED THE COMPUTER STUDIES SCHEME SINCE 1982, WITH COMPUTER EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT A TOTAL COST OF $30 MILLION.

AS COMPUTER EQUIPMENT WOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED TO THE REMAINING SCHOOLS, THE SCALE OF OPERATION HAD ENABLED THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO EMBARK ON PLANS TO INTRODUCE IN STAGES A NEW SUBJECT, COMPUTER LITERACY, TO ALL JUNIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS, HE SAID.

/+THE NEW