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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1988
TURNING TO BUILDING MANAGEMENT, MR CHENG SAID THERE HAD BIEN LONGSTANDING COMPLAINTS THAT OWNERS CORPORATIONS AND MUTUAL AID COMMITTERS WERE NOT PROPERLY SUPERVISED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DECISION-MAKERS OF BOTH BODIES WERE NOT PROPERLY PROTECTED
LIABILITIES.
THAT
FROM
"WITH MORB AND MORE BUILDINGS IN NEED OF REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE TREATED AS A MATTER
OF URGENCY 90 THAT A SOLUTION COULD BE WORKED OUT WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY,' HE SAID.
H
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALSO STRENGTHEN ITS MANPOWER TO TACKLE THE SERIOUS PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES, IN PARTICULAR THOSE WHICH POSED IMMINENT DANGER TO LIFE OR PROPERTY, HE ADDED.
HE SUPPORTED THAT HONG
ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE ISSUE, MR CHENG SAID THE VIEWS OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES KONG SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM.
MR CHENG POINTED OUT THAT REPEATED CALLS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO HELP TACKLE THE PROBLEM BUT "TO OUR TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT", NO POSITIVE ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN SO FAR.
TO
"BRITAIN SHOULD RESPOND TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND ACQUIESCE HONG KONG RELINQUISHING THE ROLE OF A FIRST PORT OF ASYLUM. AND IT MUST RESPOND QUICKLY, HE URGED.
I
IN
COMMENTING ON THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S FIRM STANCE REFUSING TO INTRODUCE SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES THIS YEAR, MR CHENG SAID HE WOULD LIKE то ECHO THE CALL BY SOME OTHER COUNCILLORS FOR THE GOVERNMENT ΤΟ INSTIGATE SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HE SAID MARRIED COUPLES SHOULD BE OFFERED AN OPTION TO CHOOSE WHETHER TO PAY THEIR TAXES JOINTLY OR INDIVIDUALLY.
MR CHENG SAID HE NOTED THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S WORDS THAT HE WAS NOW PREPARED ΤΟ CONSIDER FURTHER HOW SEPARATE TAXATION FOR WORKING WIVES MIGHT BEST BE INTRODUCED.
HE.
HE ADDED THAT
LIKE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WAS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING "THE GOOD NEWS" FROM THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
MR CHENG ALSO COMMENDED THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY FOR PRODUCING A BUDGET THAT PLEASED ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
HE SAID THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S DECISION ΤΟ DECREASE THE STANDARD TAXATION RATES, INCREASE PERSONAL ALLOWANCES AND REDUCE STAMP DUTY HAD UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN WELL-RECEIVED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IN PARTICULAR THE MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME GROUPS WHO FORMED A VERY IMPORTANT SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY,
O
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