XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 16

15

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

GOVERNOR,

LIKE

ILLS

MY A

THAT

MR RONALD ARCULLI:

YOU MUSTN'T TAKE HONOURABLE FRIEND EDWARD HO TOO SERIOUSLY WHEN HE SAYS BUYING THOUSAND FLATS IS GOING TO PUSH THE PRICE UP. THOSE THAT I REPRESENT HAVE ASKED ME TO PUT THIS TO YOU: PLEASE SIR, WOULD YOU MORE?

SOME BUT THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, YOU'VE MENTIONED SOME NEED CORRECTING AND THAT WE REALLY SHOULD GO FOR EFFICIENCY AND HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, AND THERE'S REALLY BEEN QUITE A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

THAT HOW DO YOU INTEND TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO SO AND WHETHER THIS MIGHT EITHER CUTTING DOWN THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, INEFFICIENCIES EXIST, AND IF POSSIBLE TO REDEPLOY SOME OF THAT SURPLUS MANPOWER INTO OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE?

GOVERNOR:

INCLUDE WHERE

SIDE

THINK

I THINK THAT IT'S IN THE INTERESTS OF CIVIL SERVICE, AS IT'S IN THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, TO OPERATE IN AS LEAN A FASHION AS POSSIBLE. DON'T THINK

I THAT THAT IS OTHER THAN A STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERIAL TRUTH. WHAT I HOPE WE CAN DO IS TO OPERATE OUR PERFORMANCE AND ATTEMPT TO INCREASE GREATER EFFICIENCY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

PLEDGES

BY SIDE. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT I MEAN.

I THAT ALL PUBLIC SERVICES, ALL CIVIL SERVICES, HAVE BEEN BAD AT PUSHING DECISIONS DOWN TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL. I THINK, FOR THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE EXAMPLE,

SECTOR. I THINK THAT IF YOU ARE A MANAGER AT ANY LEVEL IN THE SERVICE,

CIVIL YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THE RESOURCES THAT MANAGE. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE SIMPLE DECISIONS ABOUT BUDGETING, ABOUT PURCHASE, ABOUT YOUR MANPOWER, WITHOUT HAVING TO DOUBLE TREBLE

CHECK, CHECK, EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF A CABINET OR ABOUT THE REPAINTING OF OFFICES.

FILING I THINK A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT IS ONE IN WHICH CIVIL SERVANTS ARE ABLE TO DECISIONS AT EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL.

TAKE MORE

COMPETENTLY

SO I SEE

YOU

THE

AND WHEN CIVIL SERVANTS ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITY OF MANAGING THEIR RESOURCES MORE SUCCESSFULLY, THEY BEHAVE LIKE MANAGERS EVERYWHERE ELSE, THEY TRY TO RUN THEIR OPERATION AS

AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. PERFORMANCE

THE WHOLE PLEDGES EXERCISE AND THE EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN WHICH WE'VE BEGUN, RUNNING HAND IN HAND, AND I SEE BOTH OF THEM STATUS OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND ENHANCING THE REGARD AND RESPECT IN WHICH ENHANCING THE

THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN HONG KONG IS RIGHTLY HELD.

MR

TANG SIU-TONG (IN CANTONESE): MY QUESTION IS NOT A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION, IT IS A REAL QUESTION. IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS YOU DON'T GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT INFLATION BUT INFLATION IS A MAJOR WORRY IN KONG, SO DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT INFLATION?

GOVERNOR:

TO BE THAT DIFFICULT.

—

HONG

MAIDEN QUESTIONS AREN'T SUPPOSED INFLATION IN HONG KONG AND I DON'T WANT SOUND TOO MUCH LIKE AN ECONOMIST

ΤΟ INFLATION IN HONG KONG IS LARGELY A STRUCTURAL CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. LARGELY A CONSEQUENCE OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE GROWING VERY FAST, BUT GROWING VERY CONSIDERABLE RESTRAINTS BECAUSE OF OUR GEOGRAPHICAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

FAST WITH

HAVE PROBLEMS OF LAND SUPPLY, WE HAVE PROBLEMS OF LABOUR SUPPLY, THOSE SUPPLY SIDE PROBLEMS AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE EXPANDING AS

WE ARE, HAVE HELPED TO PRODUCE INFLATION.

AS

WE AND RAPIDLY

/WE CAN'T