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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1994
TRANSCRIPT OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S MEDIA SESSION
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, AFTER OFFICIATING AT THE PRESENTATION OF CHEQUE TO THE CHILDREN'S CANCER FOUNDATION THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON:-
CS: GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. YESTERDAY, WE ISSUED THE DETAILS OF THE OLD AGE PENSIONS SCHEME AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES, THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE DETAILS ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . WE HAVE PUBLISHED AND WILL STUDY THESE DETAILS BEFORE COMING TO A FIRM DECISION. AS YOU KNOW, THIS SCHEME HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF DETAILED STUDY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS A GOOD SCHEME. IT WILL PROVIDE SECURITY FOR AN INCREASING AGING POPULATION. THE CONTRIBUTION RATES ARE VERY LOW AND WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THAT LOW RATES OF CONTRIBUTION CAN BE MAINTAINED WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDING FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THE ELDERLY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
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I HOPE VERY MUCH THAT DURING THE CONSULTATIVE PERIOD WHICH WILL LAST UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER, WE WILL GET A VIEW FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY. I ASK THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT THIS SCHEME WITH AN OPEN MIND, NOT TO HAVE ANY PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS, TO STUDY THE DETAILS. WE WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE. AT THE END OF THE CONSULTATIVE PERIOD, THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE A VERY HARD LOOK AT THE VIEWS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED. I WANT ΤΟ REITERATE THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD THIS SCHEME, BELIEVING IT TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST
FOR OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT, IF
ANY REASONS THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE SCHEME, THEN, OF COURSE, WE WILL NOT PROCEED WITH IT. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL BE VERY ANXIOUS TO CONSULT WITH THE CHINESE SINCE THIS SCHEME, OBVIOUSLY, WILL STRADDLE 1997 BUT I AM SURE THAT FROM THE CHINESE POINT OF VIEW, THEY THEMSELVES WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM ABOUT PROVIDING FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR AN INCREASING AGING POPULATION AND I AM SURE THAT THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT OUR PROPOSALS FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW. I WILL BE CONSIDERING WHETHER THIS IS THE BEST SCHEME FOR HONG KONG.
HONG KONG, AS YOU KNOW, IS AN INCREASINGLY EFFLUENT COMMUNITY AND WE FEEL WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION THAT AT THIS STAGE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT, WE
HAVE PROPERLY COME UP WITH THE BEST SCHEME, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.
QUESTION: MRS CHAN, IF A COMPANY PUTS IN ONE AND HALF PERCENT, THEY CAN CLAIM A TAX DEDUCTION AND THEY PASS IT ALONG TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. AN INDIVIDUAL CAN'T PASS IT ALONG AND CLAIMS A TAX DEDUCTION. HOW CAN IT BE SAID TO BE FAIR?
CS: THIS IS A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT. OBVIOUSLY, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT SHARE YOUR POINT OF VIEW. THESE ARE PROPOSALS AT THIS STAGE AND AS I SAID, WE WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO LOOK AT THE VIEW THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED. WE ACCEPT THAT MAYBE AT THE END OF THE CONSULTATIVE PERIOD, THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME FINE TUNING BUT I THINK, AT THIS STAGE, I WILL NOT WISH TO COMMENT IN DETAIL ON ANY PARTICULAR ASPECT.
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