XN000022-1988-03-02 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1988

TURNING TO SOME OF THE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE EXPENDITURE STRATEGY, MR JACOBS SAID THERE WERE MEASURES TO IMPROVE WELFARE ASSISTANCE FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED WHO REQUIRED CONSTANT ATTENDANCE, A PLANNED EXPANSION OF VARIOUS WELFARE SERVICES, AND MAJOR NEW FACILITIES COMING ON STREAM SUCH AS THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE TUEN MUN HOSPITAL AND THE PAMELA YOUDE HOSPITAL AT SHAUKEIWAN.

OF

"TAKEN TOGETHER THESE RESULT IN A GROWTH PATTERN IN RESPECT SOCIAL SERVICES THAT WILL ENSURE THIS SECTOR AN INCREASINGLY LARGE SLICE OF THE CAKE IN THE COMING YEARS, HE SAID.

P

HE SAID ALTHOUGH THIS TREND SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A REFLECTION OF THE ASPIRATIONS OF A DEVELOPING COMMUNITY AS IT GREW MORE PROSPEROUS, THE BURDEN ON THE BUDGET WAS SOMETHING THAT WE MUST RECOGNISED AND PLANNED FOR.

IT IS LARGELY

PROPOSALS, OR IMPORTANT TO BENEFITS THE

"ALSO, HE ADDED, "WHEN CONSIDERING MY REVENUE INDEED ANY POSSIBLE REVENUE MEASURES IN FUTURE, BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS INCREASED EXPENDITURE LESS AFFLUENT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.'

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MR JACOBS SAID THAT FOR MANY YEARS, THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND DEVELOPMENT PLANS HAD BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE HOUSING WAS AVAILABLE FOR ALL.

FULL

"AS A FURTHER STEP IN THIS PROCESS IT IS INTENDED THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL, WITH EFFECT FROM NEXT MONTH, ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, THE PURCHASE LOAN SCHEME, TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND COTTAGE AREAS.

HOME

ABLE

"THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WILL ENSURE THAT THE AUTHORITY IS TO PLAN A COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING PROGRAMME IN COOPERATION WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND WITH GREATER FLEXIBILITY THAN BEFORE.

"THE GOVERNMENT WILL, OF COURSE, HOUSING PROGRAMME WITH FINANCE AND LAND AS OVERALL POLICY RESPONSIBILITY," HE SAID.

CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NECESSARY, RETAINING ITS

ON TRANSPORT, MR JACOBS SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS COOPERATING CLOSELY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF SEVERAL MAJOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS SUCH AS THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND THE TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL.

HE SAID WE ALSO HAD TO

TRANSPORT LINKS

ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL BY LAND, SEA AND AIR

REMAINED ADEQUATE FOR

ECONOMIC NEEDS.

WE

DEVELOPING

"WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE OUR CROSS BORDER ROAD LINKS; ARE EXPANDING THE EXISTING CONTAINER PORT, AND WE ARE BETTER FACILITIES AT KAI TAK,' HE SAID.

זז

"BUT THERE

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