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Wednesday, February 24, 1971
SUNDAY CARGO WORKING FEES TO BE ABOLISHED
$700,000 Loss In Revenue A Year
Tax levied on ships working cargo on Sundays amount to about
$700,000 a year, and its abolishment as an "anachronism" is one of the two
tax repeals Sir John Cowperthwaite, Financial Secretary, proposed today.
He told the Legislative Council when presenting his Budget that
the tax was introduced in 1891 against a certain amount of opposition from
business interests.
Its purpose was described by the then Governor, Sir William Des
Voeux, as intended to have "the practical effect of putting an end to working
cargo on Sunday." Sir William had "no desire to raise revenue from it."
The Financial Secretary said the proposal would relieve ships' crews
rather than port workers, but it seemed doubtful if the tax had ever had
much effect on the working of cargo on Sundays
"certainly none for many years."
It had become virtually a tax for revenue purposes and, in fact, it
was increased in 1962 with this in view, but the revenue was small, being
about $700,000 a year.
"the
Now that legislation had been passed providing the right to four
rest-days a month for all workers, the last vestige of the original purpose
has gone and he felt that the tax should be removed as an anachronism
more particularly as we have recently revised the fees payable by ships towards
the services of the port."
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