I cannot help feeling that the inability of Government to keep expenditure at the same pace as the growth of revenue in order to meet the demand for more public service is to a great extent due to the inefficiency of the administration and lack of foresight and forward planning. We surely have a great number of very important com- munity and public services and projects which earlier on were shelved for shortage of funds or for priority reasons. In many other countries many of them would have been attempted even on borrowed money. The plain fact is that in 1966 capital expenditure amounted to $560 million and since it dropped to $300 million in 1968 it has never been
38
[MR WANG] Appropriation Bill-resumption of debate on second
reading (25.2.70)
allowed to return to the former level. All in all, there is an urgent need for a good deal of worthwhile expenditure which need not entail irresponsible or staccato growth.
19/4/vii
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.