XN000022-1991-10-08 — Page 13

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1991

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AIMED TO BE PER CENT

THE NUMBER OF FIRST-YEAR FIRST DEGREE PLACES WAS INCREASED BY 76 PER CENT IN 1994-95. BY THAT TIME, ABOUT 18 OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND A FIRST DEGREE COURSE, HE CONTINUED.

MR CARTLAND POINTED OUT THAT THE OUTPUTS OF THE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG, AS MEASURED BY THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT AND TOTAL EXPORTS, HAD ACHIEVED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF 7.6 PER CENT AND 18.4 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN REAL TERMS IN THE PERIOD 1985-90.

"HONG KONG HAS ALSO CONTINUED TO DEVELOP AS A SERVİCE CENTRE. THE SERVICE SECTOR CONTRIBUTED ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN 1988 AND IN 1989 EMPLOYED ALMOST 60

PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE, AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN HIGH EMPLOYMENT.

"SINCE 1987, BOTH REMAINED BELOW TWO PER SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO NOTED.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT HÅVE CENT. THE CURRENT NEAR-FULL EMPLOYMENT PREVAIL THROUGH

1990S, MR CARTLAND

THE

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ON THE ISSUE OF

HOUSING, MR CARTLAND SAID: "THE HOUSING PROGRAMME IS BASED ON A LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY WHICH NOW EXTENDS INTO 2011. NEARLY THREE MILLION PEOPLE, ABOUT HALF THE POPULATION, LIVED IN SUBSIDISED PUBLIC HOUSING LAST YEAR.

"ABOUT 131,000 PUBLIC HOUSING FLATS WERE IN VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION BY THE END OF 1990," MR CARTLAND ADDED.

STAGES OF

MEMBERS OF THE

ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES, MR CARTLAND TOLD CONFERENCE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE THIS YEAR.

IT REPRESENTED THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION то ENSURE THAT SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES AND PROVISIONS CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG INTO THE 1990S AND BEYOND.

SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES IN HONG KONG COMPRISED CASH BENEFITS PROVIDED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES AND DIRECT WELFARE SERVICES PROVIDED EITHER BY THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF OR THROUGH NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

"SOCIAL SECURITY IN HONG KONG IS NON-CONTRIBUTORY. THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME PROVIDES A SAFETY NET FOR SOME 98,000 BENEFICIARIES BELOW A BASIC LEVEL OF INCOME, THE MAJORITY BEING THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED.

"OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BOTH THE SCOPE AND QUALITY OF WELFARE SERVICES HAVE EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY.

SOCIAL

"CAPITAL AND RECURRENT EXPENDITURE HAS RISEN FROM $2,469 MILLION IN 1985-86 TO $6,350 MILLION IN 1990-91, REPRESENTING SOME SIX PER CENT OF TOTAL CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC SECTOR STRESSED.

EXPENDITURE,' HE

"I

/MR CARTLAND