XN000022-1989-04-27 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1989

BE COUPLE,

HE SUGGESTED THAT THE BASIC PERSONAL TAX ALLOWANCE

$80,000 FOR A INCREASED TO $48,000 FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND

BACK" SYSTEM THAT THE "CLAW

ON ADDITIONAL PERSONAL ALLOWANCE BE BE IMPLEMENTED ABOLISHED, THAT SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THAT EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROVIDENT RETIREMENT FUNDS BE EXEMPTED FROM TAX.

HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT INTEREST ON MORTGAGE LOANS HOME BUYERS FOR SELF-OCCUPATION BE EXEMPTED FROM TAX.

GR

FOR GENUINE

TAI CHIN-WAH URGES GOVT TO LOOK AT CIVIL SERVICE SET-UP

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE CIVIL SERVICE то SEE WHETHER, WITH THE MANY POLICY BRANCHES, IT HAS GROWN тоо CUMBERSOME AND WHETHER PROCEDURES HAVE GROWN 80 COMPLICATED AS TO HINDER EFFICIENCY, THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH URGED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY 1.

**

SPEAKING DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE, MR ΤΑΙ DESCRIBED AS 'WORRYING' THE 3.9 PER CENT GROWTH IN THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, WHICH EXCEEDED THE TARGET GROWTH OF 2.5 PER CENT.

"IF WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE COST EFFICIENCY OF OUR CIVIL

то SERVICE, NOT ONLY MUST WE ENCOURAGE OUR DEPARTMENTAL MANAGERS

GET MORE OUT OF THE INCREASED RESOURCES THAT THEY ARE ADVOCATING, WE MUST ALSO ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK AT THE PROCEDURES THEY ARE APPLYING TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE OPERATING WITH MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS COST EFFECTIVENESS, HE SAID.

·

WERE CIVIL SERVANTS BEING BOGGED DOWN WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF CONFERENCES BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS BEFORE A CONCLUSION OR A DECISION COULD BE REACHED, HE ASKED.

ACCORDING TO MR TAI. THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT WAS THE SUBJECT OF CONSTANT COMPLAINTS RY NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS FOR ITS

INEFFICIENCY IN DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS то BUILD HOUSES, COMPENSATION PAYMENT FOR LAND RESUMPTION AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

TURNING TO THE RURAL IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY, HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT ΤΟ LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERALL COORDINATION, WITH A VIEW TO ENSURE THAT PLANNING IN THE RURAL AREAS, AND NEW TOWNS, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORK PROPOSED, WAS ACTUALLY CARRIED OUT ON TIME.

HE WAS UNHAPPY WITH TIK PRESENT ARRANGEMENT THAT ALL LAND MATTERS WERE DIVIDED BETWEEN TOWN PLANNING. THE TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT, AND THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, WHILST THE ROLE OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN REDUCED INTO VIRTUAL INSIGNIFICANCE RESPECT OF LAND DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT.

IN

/"IN MATTERS