XN000022-1987-03-18 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1987

TURNING TO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR THE MENTALLY ILL, HE SAID HE WELCOMED THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR THE BUILDING OF FOUR NEW HALF-WAY HOUSES FOR EX-MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE.

HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REDOUBLE ITS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR THOSE IN NEED OF PSYCHIATRIC CARE AND ASSISTANCE.

HE ALSO SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME CONCERNING THE MENTALLY DISABLED.

LASTLY, HE REQUESTED THE GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO SPONSOR MORE CULTURAL, RECREATION AND SPORTS PROGRAMMES.

HE SAID HE HOPED FISCAL MEASURES BY WAY OF TAX REBATES COULD BE GIVEN TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PROVIDE INCREASED SPONSORSHIP TO THE ARTS AND SPORTS.

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BROADLY-BASED INDIRECT TAX SYSTEM NOT NEEDED

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IN VIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S EXCELLENT FINANCIAL POSITION THERE IS NO COMPELLING NEED TO MAKE A MOVE TOWARDS A BROADLY-BASED INDIRECT TAX SYSTEM, THE HON THOMAS CLYDESDALE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR CLYDESDALE POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT FINANCE WERE AND ALWAYS HAD BEEN IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND THEY WERE A GOOD DEAL BETTER THAN THEY APPEARED AT FIRST GLANCE.

HE SAID HE HAD REVIEWED THE GOVERNMENT'S ACCOUNTS SINCE 1960 TO DATE AND HAD FOUND THAT A SURPLUS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED IN 22 OF THE 27 YEARS WHICH HAD ELAPSED SINCE THAT TIME. DEFICITS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED IN ONLY FIVE YEARS.

MR CLYDESDALE SAID A CLOSE LOOK AT THE DEFICITS IN THE THREE SUCCESSIVE YEARS TO MARCH 1985 REVEALED THAT THEY RELATED ONLY TO THE CASH DEFICIT ARISING ON GENERAL REVENUE ACCOUNT AFTER CAS H TRANSFERS HAD BEEN MADE TO OTHER GOVERNMENT FUNDS.

IF WE DEDUCTED THE BUILD-UP OF CASH RESOURCES IN THESE OTHER FUNDS THE ACCUMULATED DEFICIT FOR THOSE THREE YEARS WOULD BE REDUCED TO A MUCH LOWER FIGURE, HE SAID.

/IN ADDITION,