TNAG-1449-FCO40-1953-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 354

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The main advantage of the above arrangement is that it enables the Regional Council to meet all its recurrent expenditure with a small increase in the rates. It is acceptable as an interim measure. The arrangement for 1988-89 and thereafter would clearly have to be made differently if large increases in the incidence of Regional Council rates to be avoided. Bearing in mind that the new towns in the Regional Council area are much more rapid growth areas than the rest of the territory, the pressure on the Regional Council to provide more municipal facilities and services will make a substantial demand on the financial resources available to the Regional Council. I therefore think that it would only be prudent for Government to give advance consideration to this matter and to commence with a review of the interim arrangement at the beginning of 1987, at the latest.

Sir, with these remarks I support the motion.