XN000022-1990-04-26 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1990

THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED WAS AN INCREASE OF ONLY $371 MILLION OR 4.3 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR LAST YEAR, SHE SAID.

SCHOOL

SHE ALSO CRITICISED THAT THE RATE OF ADOPTING WHOLE-DAY FOR ALL PRIMARY CLASSES WAS TOO SLOW, WITH THE ADDITION OF ONE SCHOOL IN 1989 WHEN EXPENDITURE ON PRIMARY EDUCATION HAD INCREASED BY 15 CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SHE NOTED THAT THE TARGET FOR THIS YEAR WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WHOLE-DAY PRIMARY SCHOOLS FROM LAST YEAR'S 120 TO 179 BUT THE ALLOCATION FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR THIS YEAR WOULD BE INCREASED BY ONLY THREE PER CENT.

"IF WE HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE ΤΟ ACHIEVE AN ADDITION OF ONE WHOLE-DAY SCHOOL LAST YEAR DESPITE A GOOD 15 PER CENT INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE, I AM INDEED SKEPTICAL THAT WITH A MERE THREE PER CENT INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE THIS YEAR, THE TARGET OF 179 WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLS CAN BE MET," SHE SAID.

MRS LAU SUPPORTED THE POLICY OBJECTIVE TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND TERTIARY EDUCATION IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS BUT URGED THAT FULFILMENT IT SHOULD NOT BE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER AREAS OF EDUCATION.

OF

SHE ALSO URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP UP ITS ASSISTANCE TO PRE- PRIMARY EDUCATION BECAUSE THE FACT THAT 87 PER CENT OF CHILDREN IN THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP OF 3-5 YEARS WERE PLACED IN KINDERGARTENS CLEARLY SHOWED THAT PARENTS DID NOT CONSIDER PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION AS SIMPLY DESIRABLE, BUT AS REALLY ESSENTIAL.

MRS LAU AGREED WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO BROADEN THE TAX BASE TO MAKE HONG KONG LESS VULNERABLE TO BCONOMIC FLUCTUATION.

BUT SHE WOULD PREFER THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY то COMB FORWARD WITH A SOLID AND COMPREHENSIVE INDIRECT TAX PROPOSAL RATHER THAN THE PRESENT PIECEMEAL RESOURCE DIGGING EFFORT.

"I BELIEVE THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF GOOD TAXATION MUST BE THAT IT SHOULD BE JUST AND EQUITABLE, AND THAT IT MUST NOT UPSET THE BASIC LIVELIHOOD OF THE PEOPLE. UNFORTUNATELY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DORS NOT SEEM TO GIVE SUFFICIENT REGARD TO THIS PRINCIPLE," SHE SAID.

SUGGESTING THAT THE INCREASE ON RATES WOULD BE INFLATORY, MRS LAU SAID THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY COULD CONSIDER REDUCING THE PERCENTAGE CHARGES OF RATES WHEN THE RATEABLE VALUES WERE REVISED SO THAT NO ONE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY MORE THAN THE PRESENT CHARGES.

OTHER OPTIONS COULD INCLUDE THE GRANTING OF RELIEF TO SMALL TENEMENTS OR POSTPONE THE REVISION OF RATEABLE VALUES FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS, SHE ADDED.

MRS LAU ALSO URGED THE GOVERNMENT то REVIEW STAFF ESTABLISHMENTS AND TO CONTROL THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE ΤΟ CURB THE GROWTH IN PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE.

/SHE SUGGESTED