XN000022-1993-12-15 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1993

GOVERNOR: I DON'T

YEARS.

A

A

ARE NOT

WITH THE

THINK THAT GOVERNING HONG KONG HAS EVER BEEN PUSHOVER AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT THREE AND HALF

JOBS IT IS AN IMPORTANT JOB AND ALL IMPORTANT WITHOUT

DIALOGUE THEIR DIFFICULTIES. BUT WE'LL BE STARTING OUR

AM SURE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AS FROM THIS AFTERNOON AND I LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL WANT TO DO WHAT IT BELIEVES TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS REMARKABLE COMMUNITY.

THE SCHEME

QUESTION: ABOUT

CONSIDER THAT THE RETIREMENT SCHEME. WILL YOU GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RETIREMENT THAT IT PROPOSED, NOT ONLY THE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES?

AND

COMMUNITY THE FROM

TO TAKE

THE

THE

GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT IS A QUESTION WHICH YOU WILL FIND THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER COVERED IN HIS STATEMENT THIS AFTERNOON.

FETCH WHAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD WANT IS FOR US IN HONG KONG TO UP FACING THE SAME SORT OF FINANCING PROBLEMS WITH WELFARE PROVISION WHICH HAS CREATED SOME MANY DIFFICULTIES IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND IN NORTH AMERICA AS WELL. ANY CONTRIBUTION GOVERNMENT, FROM THE TAXPAYER, THAT IS FROM YOU, WILL HAVE ACCOUNT OF THAT BUT THAT IS THE SORT OF ISSUE WHICH IS BEING DISCUSSED THIS AFTERNOON IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE KNOW VERY WELL AT THE MOMENT THE GOVERNMENT

FOR MAKES CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PROVISION ELDERLY

IN I AM SURE THAT WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE EVENTUALLY PUT IN PLACE BUT WE NEED TO DISCUSS THOSE ARRANGEMENTS, THOSE PROPOSALS WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE AM NEED TO DISCUSS THOSE PROPOSALS WIDELY IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I SURE THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE OPINIONS AND, OF COURSE, AND I WANT TO CHINESE UNDERLINE THIS, WE WILL NEED TO DISCUSS THOSE PROPOSALS WITH OFFICIALS AS WELL BECAUSE THE SCHEME IS PRIMARILY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IT AFTER 1997. THEY ARE NOT SOLELY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 1997 AND IS ONLY RIGHT THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT DISCUSSION AND I HOPE THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE IN

CONSTRUCTIVE BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE WHICH IS VERY VERY HIGH AGENDA OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WAY

ON

THE

0

GOVT'S RETIREMENT PROTECTION APPROACH THE BEST WAY FORWARD: GOVERNOR

THE

THE APPROACH THE GOVERNMENT PUTS FORWARD ON RETIREMENT PROTECTION IS THE BEST WAY OF PROVIDING BETTER FINANCIAL CARE FOR ELDERLY, BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE, IN A WAY WHICH IS COST- EFFECTIVE, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING URBAN COUNCIL FACILITIES, HE SAID: "I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT MY VIEW IS THAT WE SHOULD DEPEND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PRIVATE SCHEMES."

"I THINK THAT IS THE HONG KONG TRADITION AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT.

ASKED ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHEME, HE SAID: "WE KNOW VERY WELL AT THE MOMENT THE GOVERNMENT MAKES CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PROVISION FOR THE ELDERLY AND I AM SURE THAT WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF IN THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE EVENTUALLY PUT IN PLACE.

/"BUT WE