XN000022-1994-04-20 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1994

THAT WITH THE RESPECT, WE MUST NOT GET INTO THE FRAME OF MIND

WE SHOULD ABANDON A BECAUSE

PRESENT WE HAVE HEALTHY FINANCES AT

30 WELL SENSIBLE PROJECT FINANCING AND PRIVATISATION WHICH SERVE US

ATTITUDE IN AND SIMPLY PAY WHATEVER IT TAKES. IF WE HAVE TAKEN THAT

MORE THE PAST WE WOULD NOT NOW HAVE HEALTHY RESERVES AND IF WE SPEND AND MORE, WE SHALL FIRST HAVE LESS OF A CUSHION TO MEET DOWNSIDE RISKS AND SECONDLY, LESS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE OTHER DESIRABLE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE COMING YEARS. AND I THINK FOR EXAMPLE OF RAILWAY PROPOSALS AND THE RAILWAY STRATEGIC STUDY, THE FURTHER OF THE SEWAGE PROGRAMME AND THERE I MENTION IT AT NO DOUBT THE RUNWAY ON THE NEW AIRPORT. SO WE NEED TO STRIKE A THE NEED RIGHT NOW IS TO GET ON WITH THE FINANCING PROPOSAL.

MR

THE STAGES

SECOND SENSIBLE BALANCE, TALKS ABOUT THE FOURTH

IMPORTANCE AGREEMENT FOR THAT

ME

PRESIDENT, THE ADMINISTRATION ATTACHES THE SAME AS DO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL TO THE NEED TO REACH AN EARLY THE AIRPORT AND AIRPORT RAILWAY FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS. REASON I SHALL NOT GO INTO MORE DETAILS AS SOME MEMBERS HAVE URGED TO DO.

WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE, IN OUR FOURTH FINANCING PROPOSAL, MET HENCE OF THE CHINESE SIDE'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF EQUITY, AND BORROWING, IN THE TWO CORPORATIONS. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALSO BEEN THE AIRPORT TRYING ITS BEST TO TAKE FORWARD THE PHYSICAL WORKS FOR

MEMBERS WILL BY CORE PROGRAMME PROJECTS ON A STEP-BY-STEP BASIS.

IN HAVE GATHERED THAT WHILST WE SUPPORT SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS VARIOUS MOTIONS, THE ONLY ONE WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN PHRASES WHICH FIND EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL, THE ONLY MOTION THAT WOULD NOT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO BRING THE TALKS TO AN EARLY AND SUCCESFFUL CONCLUSION, IS THAT BY MR ALBERT CHAN. THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL VOTE ACCORDINGLY.

NOW THE

WE

MORE

SHW DISTINGUISHES TERMINOLOGY ON HEALTHCARE FINANCING

THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DISTINGUISHED WITH CLARITY THE TERMINOLOGY OF VARIOUS FUNDING METHODS FOR HOSPITAL SERVICES PROPOSED IN THE CONSULTATION DOCUMENT "TOWARDS BETTER HEALTH".

SPEAKING DURING THE MOTION DEBATE ON HEALTHCARE FINANCING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MRS WONG SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ALL TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE OUTSET THE MEANING OF "COST RECOVERY", "PERCENTAGE SUBSIDY APPROACH" AND "PEGGING FEES TO COSTS".

"COST RECOVERY" IS NOT A NEW PRINCIPLE, SHE SAID, POINTING THAT ANY SERVICE WHICH IS NOT FREE CONTAINS AN ELEMENT OF RECOVERY.

OUT

COST

CITING FIGURES, SHE SAID THE EXISTING FEES FOR GENERAL WARD BEDS RECOVERED TWO PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE OPERATING COSTS IN ACUTE GENERAL HOSPITALS, FIVE PER CENT IN CONVALESCENT HOSPITALS AND 10 PER CENT IN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS,

THE FEES FOR SECOND CLASS BEDS RECOVER 100 PER CENT AND FOR FIRST CLASS BEDS RECOVER 150 PER CENT OF COSTS.

OF

COSTS

/"ALL THIS