Exemption of airport departure
Question No. 2
Hon Hilton_CHEONG-LEEN
2.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN asked:
tax
for de
dawn-to-evening
sensing
vizitor
Question: In order to promote Hong Kong as a shopping
centre for tourists, will Government consider making it convenient for visitors on dawn-to-evening transit to leave the airport for shopping and sightseeing by exempting them from paying the airport tax when they depart from Hong Kong?
REPLY BY THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN
IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL : WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 1988
FINANCIAL SECRETARY:
Sir,
I would be reluctant to consider exempting
dawn-to-evening visitors from payment of Air Passenger be.
Departure Tax. In addition to a substantial loss of le government revenue, this exemption would breach the ве
reasonable principle that only those in genuine transit
through Hong Kong, should be exempt from the tax.
Furthermore, to ensure that those who claim to be exempta
have, in fact, arrived only the same day would involve the
introduction of a new monitoring system at the airport.
The cost of introducing such a system would be
disproportionate to any possible economic benefits that
might accrue as a result.