WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1988
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"IT IS NOT SOMETHING OVER WHICH WE SHOULD BURY OUR HEADS IN THE SAND AND TRY TO CONVINCR OURSELVES AND OTHERS THAT EVERYTHING 18 GOING TO BE FINE, AT LEAST NOT UNTIL WE TRY ΤΟ FIND OUT THE TRUE SITUATION," HE SAID.
IT WAS ONLY WHEN WE KNEW OF THE FACTS THAT WE COULD DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, HE ADDED.
HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT ΤΟ CONDUCT, WITH THE HELP OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, A STUDY OF FUTURE MANPOWER SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
STUDIES
THIS SHOULD BE CO-ORDINATED WITH THE VARIOUS PLANNING AND PROJECTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, THE LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY AND THE WORK OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
CURRENT
HE SAID THE AMBITIOUS PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME AND THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAD CONTRIBUTED TO AN ACUTE LABOUR SHORTAGE, UNUSUAL CONSTRUCTION COST INFLATION AND UNDESIRABLE WORKMANSHIP.
THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF EXPERIENCED CONTRACTORS AND SKILLED LABOUR TO PROVIDE HEALTHY COMPETITION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, HE SAID.
MR HO WAS ALSO WORRIED WHETHER LAND PRODUCTION COULD KEEP PACE WITH DEMAND TO CATER TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME AFTER THE MID-1990'S."
"I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE FULL DEMAND CAN ONLY BE MET BY MAJOR HARBOUR RECLAMATION SCHEMES, THE WORK ON WHICH SHOULD COMMENCE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN ORDER TO GENERATE THE NECESSARY LEAD TIME IN PRODUCTION," HE SAID.
TURNING TO TAXATION, MR HO SAID THAT THERE WERE TAXPAYERS IN HONG KONG AND 7.6 PER CENT OF THEM, OR 0.94 THE TOTAL POPULATION, CONTRIBUTED TO 56 PER CENT OF THE TAX YIELD.
ONLY 700,000 PER CENT OF TOTAL SALARY
CLEARLY IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO BROADEN THE TAX BASE, WHICH INEVITABLY WOULD MEAN THAT THE NUMBER OF TAXPAYERS WOULD INCREASE.
SUCH A MOVE MIGHT BE UNPOPULAR BUT IT SHOULD BE RECOGNISED THAT THE INCREASES IN SOCIAL SERVICE PROVISIONS COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED AT A PRICE, HE SAID.
MR HO ALSO SUPPORTED THE CALL FOR SEPARATE TAXATION FOR WORKING COUPLES.
HE FOUND THAT AT LEAST FIVE OF HIS STAFF HAD DECIDED TO DEFER THEIR MARRIAGE REGISTRATIONS UNTIL THEY COULD REACH THE FLAT RATE TAX BRACKET OR WHEN THEY HAD A CHILD, WHICHEVER WAS THE SOONER.
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"CLEARLY, TO THEM, THE ADDITIONAL TAX BURDEN WAS CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT THAT IT INFLUENCED THEM IN THEIR DECISION ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN THEIR LIVES,'
HE SAID.
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