2
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1994
TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION
THE
BY THE HONG
FOLLOWING
IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE
AND FOR THE AGED'S EASTERN DISTRICT MULTI-SERVICE KONG SOCIETY CARE CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY THIS. (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON:-
NON-GOVERNMENTAL
DAY
WE
GREAT SO SERVICES ABOUT
GOVERNOR: GOOD AFTERNOON. I'D LIKE TO THANK SAGE, ONE OF OUR EXCELLENT ORGANISATIONS FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING HERE FOR THE ELDERLY. WE ARE, AS YOU KNOW, DOING DEAL MORE FOR THE ELDERLY IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND SHOULD BUT THERE IS NOT VERY MUCH POINT IN PROVIDING BETTER UNLESS THE ELDERLY HAVE WORRIES ABOUT THEIR
OWN LIVELIHOOD, THEIR OWN INCOMES REMOVED FROM THEIR SHOULDERS. I THINK THAT IT'S FAIR SHOULD DO TO SAY THAT THERE IS A CONSENSUS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE MORE TO HELP THOSE WHO'VE RETIRED, LIVED IN COMFORT AND DIGNITY THEIR OLD AGE. THE DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON VERY MANY YEARS. NOW, I THINK THE TIME HAS COME AND TO COME DECISIONS AND TO TAKE SOME CONCRETE ACTIONS AND THAT'S WHAT PROPOSED IN OUR CONSULTATION PAPERS THAT WERE ISSUED YESTERDAY.
IN
FÖR
SOME
WE'VE
WE DO WANT TO HONOUR OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE ELDERLY WHO'VE KONG CREATED OUR COMMUNITY, WHO'VE CREATED THE SUCCESS WHICH IS HONG
PROVIDE THE TODAY. AS YOU KNOW, A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND DOESN'T
IT DOESN'T MEET HONG KONG'S NEEDS BECAUSE
DOESN'T ANSWER.
HELP IT
HAVE A THOSE WHO ARE IN REAL NEED. IT DOESN'T HELP THOSE WHO DON'T
MONEY FAMILY TO LOOK AFTER THEM AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SAVE ENOUGH TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES IN THEIR OLD AGE. WHAT'S MORE, IT DOESN'T, OF COURSE, HELP ANYONE FOR ABOUT A GENERATION UNTIL THE MONEY'S BEEN PAID INTO THE SCHEME AND I THINK THAT THE FIGURES DEMONSTRATE THAT IT'S A MUCH, MUCH MORE COSTLY OPTION.
THE
TWO
IN
THINK,
AND
THAT PAID
PERCENT LEVEL
THE
AND
15
SCHEME THAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD IS IMPORTANT AND, I FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FIRST OF ALL, PRACTICABLE
IT PROVIDES HELP AS SOON AS WE'VE MANAGED TO PASS THE LEGISLATION IMMEDIATE SET UP THE MACHINERY. SECONDLY, IT'S PRUDENT BECAUSE IT ENSURES THERE IS AN IRON LINK BECAUSE CONTRIBUTIONS PAID IN AND BENEFITS
IT'S OUT.
TALKING ABOUT THIRDLY,
1.5 AFFORDABLE. WE ARE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES WHICH GIVEN THE LOW OF TAX
HONG KONG, NOBODY CAN CONCEIVABLY REGARD, I THINK, AS
OF IT'S WORTH REMEMBERING THAT ALMOST 60 PERCENT UNREASONABLE. WORKING POPULATION OF HONG KONG DOESN'T PAY ANY SALARY TAX AT ALL
OF PERCENT OF THE WORKING POPULATION PAYS THE TOP RATE ONLY
THAT IN DON'T THINK YOU FIND FIGURES ANYTHING LIKE I PERCENT. OTHER COMMUNITY. SO, 1.5 PERCENT IS A VERY LOW FIGURE AND, OF THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS MAKING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION IF YOU WHAT WE ARE AT PRESENT PAYING IN BENEFITS WHICH WILL BE PLOUGHING INTO THE SCHEME. IF YOU ADD TO THAT, OUR CONTRIBUTIONS AS AN EMPLOYER, FACT
CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE'LL BE FOREGOING THE TAX ON THE EMPLOYERS' AND THE $10 BILLION THAT WE'VE PUT IN TO KICK START THE SCHEME, THAT TOGETHER MEANS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE MEETING THAN A THIRD OF THE COST OF ABOUT 35 PERCENT. SO, NOBODY THAT THE GOVERNMENT ISN'T PLAYING ITS PART IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS SCHEME IS THE SUCCESS IT DESERVES TO BE.
ANY
COURSE,
ADD UP
THE
ALL MORE RATHER
CAN CLAIM
/I SAID