We should not compete with our own people in providing services to the public. In addition, resources are always limited. With the rapidly changing environment and the ever rising expectations of the community, notwithstanding that as a whole we have a very efficient Civil Service, there may exist a small part of it whose performance is not very satisfactory, to satisfy the demands of the public, we therefore need to look for ways to further improve the efficiency of public services and to optimize the use of our limited resources. It is with these objectives in mind that we have encouraged private sector participation in the provision of public services wherever suitable, to go forward with corporatisation of government activities, and to privatise certain public corporations where market conditions are appropriate. Private sector participation in the provision of public services is nothing new in Hong Kong.
Experience shows that private sector participation can bring a number of benefits.
We should not over-estimate the ability and the willingness of the private sector. Initial prompting from the Government should be provided, if necessary. Based on the above considerations, we have been working on a number of projects. As we enter into the 21st century, we must make sure that we are providing services that meet modern day requirements and take full advantage of modern technology and techniques. We must not be complacent in the quest for value for money.