HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 11 January 1989
香港立法局————————一九八九年一月十一日
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under 10%. Will the Financial Secretary give us the real inflation figures as they affect various sectors of the public and also people like you and me?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Sir, the indices we publish are derived by internationally established methods and incorporate data from monthly surveys of the prices actually being charged for a wide variety of goods and services chosen to reflect the spending pattern of the relevant sector of the population. In forming their personal assessment of the rate of inflation, there is of course a natural tendency for individuals to concentrate on prices that have shown large increases and they tend to ignore those that have not changed, or have changed only a little. We do, as you know, Sir, keep a number of indices, the two other main consumer price indices are the CPI(B) and the Hang Seng Consumer Price Index. During the first 11 months of 1988, the CPI(A) increased by 7.5%, the CPI(B) by 7.3%, and the Hang Seng Consumer Price Index by 8.6%. These variations reflect the different consumption patterns of the different expenditure groups involved.
MR. MCGREGOR: Sir, having regard to the possibility that rice supplies to Guangdong generally and Shenzhen specifically may be causing concern to the authorities there, can the Government provide an assurance that the Hong Kong Rice Control Scheme has sufficient reserves of rice to protect Hong Kong consumers against any reduction in supplies in China, and hence a very high degree of inflation?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Yes, Sir, I can give that assurance. We maintain a reserve of rice supply. It has been run down slightly in the interests of maintaining a stable market. I have requested the Secretary for Trade and Industry to keep a close eye on this and to ensure that the reserves are built up to a satisfactory level.
倪少傑議員問:財政司指出由中國輸入本港的糧食只佔本港銷耗量不足20%,請問此20%, 是否包括食米在內?財政司是否意謂中國糧食輸入本港的下降不足以影響本港糧食的正常供應, 如影響,有何對策?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Sir, I think the figure does include rice, but I will have to confirm that and give Mr. NGAI a written reply. (Annex I) If the supply from China does decrease I do not think it will have a marked effect on the total availability of food in Hong Kong. There are a number of other sources of supply, and by and large the market operates on the basis of demand. People find what they want from other sources.