XN000022-1987-11-05 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987

GOVT URGED TO IMPROVE PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE

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IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT EVERY POSSIBLE MEASURE IS TAKEN TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE VAST

ORITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT LEAVE THE TERRITORY BUT WILI. CONTINUE TO STAY HERE IN THE NEAR AND LONG-TERM FUTURE. THE HON EDWARD HO SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR HO SAID IT WAS HEARTENING ΤΟ LISTEN TO GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON'S CLEAR MESSAGE THAT HE WAS RESOLVED PRESS ON WITH THE TASK OF MAKING HONG KONG A MORE PROSPEROUS HOME ALL PEOPLE.

TO

FOR

ON THE PROVISION OF HOUSING, MR HO NOTED THAT THE PATTERN OF DEMAND FOR HOUSING HAD BEEN CHANGING IN RECENT YBARS A3 THE LOCAL POPULATION BECAME MORE AFFLUENT.

THERE WAS A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO OWN THEIR OWN HOMES OR LOOKED FOR BETTER QUALITY HOUSING, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THE LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY WAS AIMED AT PROVIDING HOMES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE MILLION FAMILIES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS COMBINED, BY 2001.

"THIS MAMMOTH TASK REQUIRES A HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND FLEXIBLE HOUSING AUTHORITY SO THAT IT CAN MONITOR AND DIRECT AN OVERALL HOUSING PROGRAMME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID.

MR HO SAID IT WAS THEREFORE A LOGICAL AND REASONABLE STEP FORWARD TO ALLOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO HAVE GREATER AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS OBJECTIVE.

THE PROPOSED NEW FORMAT OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS THAT THE AUTHORITY WOULD BE CHAIRED BY AN UNOFFICIAL, INSTEAD OF THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING AS IN THE PAST.

THIS, HE BELIEVED, WAS IN LINE WITH THE OPENING UP OF THE GOVERNMENT AND WOULD MAKE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

TURNING TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWAL, MR HO FELT THAT THERE WAS A LOT TO BE SAID IN THE HARBOUR RECLAMATION SCHEMES BEING PLANNED AT HUNG HOM, WESTERN KOWLOON, CENTRAL DISTRICT AND KENNEDY TOWN, AS THESE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROXIMITY OF THE MAIN CITY FABRIC IN TERMS OF TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION то IMPROVE THE DEPLORABLE PARTS OF OUR URBAN AREA WAS MOST WELCOME. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOULD SERVE AS A KEY MECHANISM TO REDEVELOP THE BLIGHTED AREAS IN THE URBAN DISTRICTS.

/HE NOTED,