XN000022-1993-04-22 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1993

GOVERNOR

AS I SAID A MOMENT OR TWO AGO, WE ARE CONSIDERING ALL THE VIEWS THAT WERE EXPRESSED ON THE DOCUMENT THAT WE ISSUED, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ENDORSED A FEW MONTHS AGO, PLAINLY, WE WILL NEED ΤΟ TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS COUNCIL ON A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND. WE ARE TALKING HERE ABOUT HUGELY IMPORTANT DECISIONS WHICH WILL TIE UP A VERY LARGE PROPORTION OF HONG KONG'S INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS SO IT WOULD BE LUDICROUS FOR US IN THE EXECUTIVE, FOR ME AS GOVERNOR, OR FOR THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE VERY RAPID DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSIDERING ALL THE CONSEQUENCES. BUT OF COURSE, FOR REASONS OF BOTH POLITICAL NECESSITY, AS WELL AS PRINCIPLE, I WILL WANT TO TAKE VERY, VERY CLOSE ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON BEHALF OF A WHOLE WIDE RANGE OF THE COMMUNITY, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER MADE CLEAR A MOMENT OR TWO AGO, ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT MATTER.

YOU

MR VINCENT CHENG GOVERNOR, YOU SAID IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH THAT WOULD DO YOUR UTMOST TO HELP THE DISADVANTAGED MEMBERS OF THIS SOCIETY. NOW RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THAT DISABLED DRIVERS HAVE TO PAY HIGHER PREMIUM AND THE REACTION FROM YOUR OFFICIALS HAS JUST BEEN A SHRUG OF SHOULDER. NOW WOULD YOU, SIR, BE KIND ENOUGH ΤΟ TAKE THIS MATTER UP YOURSELF AND ASK YOUR OFFICIALS ΤΟ STOP THIS DISGRACEFUL AND DESPICABLE PRACTICE?

GOVERNOR * I THINK THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES IN WHICH I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN INTERESTED IS THE PROBLEMS WHICH THOSE WITH DISABILITIES SUFFER IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR. WE HAD, IN PARTICULAR, AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE MEETING WITH THE MAIN PUBLIC TRANSPORT UNDERTAKINGS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DISABLED A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHICH I THINK PUSHED THEIR POLICY ON A NUMBER OF HELPFUL DIRECTIONS. THE QUESTION WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER RAISES FALLS, AGAIN IN MY VIEW, SQUARELY INTO THE CATEGORY OF THE SORT OF ISSUE WHICH, BVEN IF THOSE OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT HAVE THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, GOVERNMENT ITSELF SHOULD TAKE A VIEW ON. SO IN DISCUSSION WITH MY OFFICIALS AND RECOGNIZING THAT RESPONSIBILITIES LIE WITH THOSE WHO DETERMINE PREMTA IN INSURANCE COMPANIES, I'D BE PERFECTLY HAPPY TO TAKE UP THE POINT MADE BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER.

AN

MR JIMMY MCGREGOR GOVERNOR, I WONDER WHETHER YOU WOULD ALSO TAKE INTEREST IN EXTENDING THAT POLICY INTO THE QUESTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS CHARGES AND FEES FOR VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF TRANSPORT AND ALSO ENTERTAINMENT BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THERE'S AN INCREASING ANXIETY AND CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE SITUATION OF OLD AGE PEOPLE, THE FACT IS THAT MANY TRANSPORT COMPANIES DO NOT, HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE SUGGESTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT THERE SHOULD BE CONCESSIONARY FARES. THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH I BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OR THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A REAL INTEREST IN WITH A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OR SOME SUCH.

GOVERNOR : I THINK WE'VE GONE SOME WAY IN ENCOURAGEMENT BUT I'D BE, I'M BOUND TO SAY, LOATHED TO GO MUCH FURTHER FOR EXAMPLE MAKING IT TOO FIRM A CONSIDERATION WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING SCHEMES OF CONTROL OR WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING ANNUAL OR BI-ANNUAL APPLICATIONS FOR INCREASES IN FEE. THERE IS AN ASPECT HOWEVER WHICH Í THINK WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER AND THAT IS THE ABILITY OF RETIREES SOMETIMES TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES CLEARLY AS SUCH WHEN THEY'RE CLAIMING A REBATED FARE OR FEE AND THAT'S AN ISSUE INVOLVING PERHAPS A CARD WHICH I THINK WE NEED BE IMAGINATIVE ABOUT.

то

/DR SAMUEL