THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 27, 1939.
The Spectre Of Increased Taxes
Sir, Wage-earners in the Colony To group all houses in a single rate- must have fairly gasped for breathable class, subject to the enormous in- when a news caption of an influential recommendation for an increase in the assessment rate to 25 per cent, stared them in the face upon leaving their offices yesterday evening. Reasoned judgment will incline to the inevit ability of a reasonable increase. Any exorbitant rise, however, invites criti- cism and opposition.
It is fair to state at the outset that the Taxation Committee in their Re- port have
put forward three major sources of increase for consideration, and that they recommend that big ad- ditional revenue from assessed taxes "should be regarded as a last resource" for revenue raising. The higher rate is estimated to yield an extra $3,000,-
000 a year.
To take the last expedient first, and as one of widest import to the com- munity in general, it may serve some useful purpose if a widespread, though not necessarily publicly audible, dis- cussion be entered into to concentrate on the proposal to augment the revenue by nearly 50 per cent. on the one sin- gle item of rents assessment.
At the bottom of page 13 of the Taxation Committee's Report the as- sertion appears that "the present rate is lower than that obtaining in Shang- hai or in Singapore." The present rate in Hong Kong is 17 per cent. on rents. Unfortunately there is no ready means of verifying the Singapore as- sessment rate.
So far as Shanghai is concerned, the general municipal rate was 14 per cent.; it is one of 10 per cent. from
1939, and the S. M. Council Budget for the current year provides for 18 per cent, from 1st October, 1939, until the next annual meeting of rate-payers. These rates apply to assessed rentals
of buildings within the Settlement. In differentiation there is a "special" rate of 14 per cent. during the earlier per- cent, iod, to be increased to 16 per on 1st October next, on buildings be yond Settlement limits enjoying Set- tlement amenities, including utility
services. t......
What is the authority for the dis- puted statement that the present rate in Hong Kong is lower than that ob- taining in Shanghai, it will be inter- esting to learn. Before the Commit- tee's vital recommendation to increase the assessment rate is implemented, no room should be left for assailable criticism. It is matter of common knowledge that Shanghai's rates were
from
crease recommended, is a fallacy which should be capable of correction. It might be some comfort if, before the actual carrying out of this particular recommendation, some satisfactory classification be made between residen- tial and business premises and, as a class by themselves, the industrial es- tablishments also. There are good grounds for this contention when business premises are exempt curbing legislative influences. A grasping class of landlords have not been slow to take full advantage of their freedom and in known cases have been responsible for three successive increases of rent during the past eigh- teen months. It may even be expe- dient to classify house properties ac- as, for instance, cording to locality, those enjoying all the urban amenities in exclusive suburban areas costing for their maintenance a higher penditure to taxpayers. The equity of the proposal will be seen in the re- lief from the incidence of heavier tax- ation which will be afforded to a class sufficiently burdened with expenditure created by exceptional circumstances.
Yours faithfully,
J. P. BRAGA.
ex-
[Mr. Braga appears to have mis- read the report. The Committee was, in general, opposed to any increase in the Assessment Tax.-Ed.].
LONE OCCUPANT OF VATICAN
RELEASED
JAIL
Vatican City May 20.
Mario Politi, lone occupant of the Vatican City jail, has been re- leased here following a pardon.
A former employee in the Ponti- fical finance department, Politi was sentenced to three years emprison- ment for theft.-Havas.
SHOP TO BEST ADVANTAGE AT
put up as a result of the serious loss THE
in revenue through occupation by a contending force of properties which formerly contributed to her revenue
ASIACO
and also to a large number of vacan-01-KWAN BLDG, DESVŒUX RD. C.
Its
cies. In these respects the reverse has happened in Hong Kong; the Co- lony has been more fortunate. income has been substantially increas- ed, and not reduced, by the deplorable circumstances of the past two years.
It is bad enough that, as a result of the demand for housing accommoda- tion, there has been an upward ten- dency in rents since August, 1937. In spite of special legislation, since very fortunitely extended, to Government's credit, landlords of a certain class are unsparing in their efforts to increase rents further. As a direct result of the increased rentals the revenue of the Colony has benefited very largely at the expense of tenants.
"NIKS
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