Hong Kong Standard
Joct.
173/2
Defence cost
under
attack
HONGKONG'S new Defence Agreement which will cost a
massive $580 million over the next five years came under fire, yesterday.
Kaifong leaders and Urban Councillorsattacked the huge increase as too high and "the last straw
40+
The Financial Secretary, Mr C.P. Haddon-Cave, told the Legislative Council yesterday that Hongkong would contribute about $580 million towards defence over the next five years
- $300 million up on the 1966 agreement.
£
-
Many community leaders are not persuaded by the Financial Secretary's claim that the Inge bill will be balanced by the return of 5.20 acres of land to Government, Mr Haddon-Cave said the actual cash contribution would be $174 million or less than a tenth of the overall cost and that the rest would be paid in "kind,*
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He explained that in "kind" meant $246.5 million would be spent on works which would revert to Hongkong and $159.5 million on maintaining servicemen's buildings.
Mr Haddon-Cave said it had been estimated that the direct economic benefit to Hongkong from the forces stationed here was about $116. million a year,
But the cimit than of the Council of Kaifong Associations, Mr Cheung Kam-tim, snid ho WOR
convinced, **The new
agreement is just like the old one, ho mudel,
He pointed out thni although the bill had been split into two types of contribution "the amount Hongkong has to pay is more or less the same,'
**
Mr Yan Chi-kit of the Hongkong and Kowloon Joint Kaifong Research Council, described the increase as the last straw,'
Hongkong is prosperous only on the surface, he said, and still had lots of worries. Urban Councillors Peter P.P. Chan and Dr Donny Hutang also agreed that the amount was too high.
However, while Mr Chan suggested it was necessITY to contribute to "some sort of garrison" Dr Huang claimed there was no need for a large force here and that Britain should bear the entire cost.
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