11

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1989

PROBLEMS "I SUGGEST THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD STUDY THESE

TO FIND OUT

FOR AND TRY

WHETHER PEOPLE ARE BUYING PROPERTIES

DESIRABLE IN INVESTMENT OR FOR SPECULATION, AND DECIDE WHETHER IT IS

TAX THE LONG-TERM INTEREST OF HONG KONG TO INTRODUCE A PROPERTY GAINS ON TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO PROPERTIES AS WELL AS SHARES OF COMPANIES WHICH ARE USED PRIMARILY AS VEHICLES FOR HOLDING PROPERTIES.

SUCH A "I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT

TAX SHOULD BE INTRODUCED THIS IS A MEASURE RIGHT NOW, FOR THERE ARE WIDER IMPLICATIONS. BUT

A NECESSARY WHICH HAS FOUND FAVOUR IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AND IT MAY BE

MARKET IF IT GETS WEAPON TO USE IN ORDER TO COOL DOWN THE PROPERTY ANY HOTTER. HE SAID,

I

LIVE ANOTHER EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE HONG KONG A BETTER PLACE TO

WAS CONVENOR OF THE IN WAS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT, MR LEE, WHO OMELCO STANDING PANEL ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, SAID.

WHILE OBSERVING THAT MORE AND

INCLUDING PEOPLE. MORE THOSE OPERATING LARGE FACTORIES, INDUSTRALISTS, PARTICULARLY

WERE AGAINST POLLUTION, HE WAS CONCERNED PREPARED TO JOIN IN THE FIGHT

BUSINESS THAT SOME OF THE SMALL FACTORY-OWNERS WOULD BE DRIVEN OUT OF

TO SWITCH TO IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAD TO SPEND MORE MONEY IN ORDER LOW-SULPHUR FUELS.

FIGHT

"ONE WAY TO ALLEVIATE THEIR PROBLEM IS TO GIVE THEM MORE

BECAUSE IN MANY AREAS, OUR BUT I AM AGAINST POLLUTION IS ALREADY LONG OVER-DUE.

THAT

TIME. AGAINST

SHOULD PRESS ON 'I THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT THE ADMINISTRATION

THE WHITE PAPER ABOUT TO BE WITH THEIR PROGRAMME AS CONTAINED IN

BEFALL SOME OF PUBLISHED: AND TRY TO CUSHION THE HARDSHIP WHICH MAY

ALLOWING THEM OR SMALLER FACTORY-OWNERS

TAX OPERATORS BY DEDUCTIONS FOR CAPITAL OUT-LAYS FOR NEW EQUIPMENTS IN ORDER TO WITH NEW ANTI-POLLUTION REGULATIONS," MR LEE SAID.

OUR

COMPLY

OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL FURTHERMORE, HE SUGGESTED THE SETTING UP

AS FROM THE FUND WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL

LOW-INTEREST LOANS OR EVEN INTEREST-FREE INDUSTRY ITSELF, SO THAT

WHO NEED OPERATORS OR NEW EQUIPMENT OR TO TAKE

LOANS COULD

GIVEN TO BE

FACTORY-OWNERS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO INSTALL OTHER NECESSARY MEASURES TO COMPLY WITH ANTI-POLLUTION REGULATIONS.

TURNING

TO

THE

OF SALES ΤΟ BROADEN

MR

THE

WAS

VERY

LEE SAID TAX, QUESTION INTENTION

THE TAX BASE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S UNOBJECTIONABLE, AS THE LION'S SHARE OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM A SMALL NUMBER OF TAX-PAYERS AND MANY OF THEM WERE LEAVING HONG KONG.

FINANCIAL THE

SECRETARY

NOT

SAYING

"AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

IS A SALES TAX EITHER IN THE THAT HE

INTRODUCE DEFINITELY WILL

HE WOULD FORESEEABLE FUTURE OR AT ALL; FOR WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT

EVEN IF THAT

IT ВЕ INTRODUCED IN THE CONTINUE TO STUDY IT, AND

H HE NOTED. DISTANT FUTURE, IT WILL ONLY COME AS PART OF A PACKAGE,

AS THE

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