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Transcript of FS's media session
Following is the transcript of a media session given by the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, this (Friday) afternoon:
FS: You know that I have just completed a cycle of meetings with Legislative Councillors. I have met them on seven occasions. I have altogether now received six written requests or submissions, and I have also had very valuable verbal representations put to us during these sessions. During these sessions, I have met almost all Councillors. Their advice and their views are quite valuable. What I am going to do is, my colleagues and I would, are going to examine these proposals in great detail from the beginning of, perhaps, from the beginning of next week. We would examine them one by one. I would then consider my recommendations for next year, and I would account for my decision in the Budget debate. I also took the opportunity of updating Members on the state of consultation with China. I have told them that we have already come to a consensus on the expenditure side of the Estimates. In accordance of this consensus, various departments and branches are now preparing their annual estimates which again will be completed round about December/ January. And we would again be presenting our recommendations to the Legislative Council for approval on Budget day or post-Budget day. The coming Estimates would be a twelve month budget covering a full twelve month cycle beginning 1 April 1997 go right to the end of March, 1998. I have got now, as I have told you, six petitions, six letters from Members, written ones. I have also asked them to let me have any supplementary letters, supplementary views as early as possible so that my colleagues and I can consider them very carefully, professionally and fully. In order to let you know what we have done, what materials we have furnished to LegCo Members, my colleague, Alan Siu there, would be holding a separate briefing for you later this afternoon at 3.30. He would let you have copies of all materials made available to Members, so you know what they are. These materials are related largely to the performance of the revenue side, this year, 1996/97 and the various concessions we made in the last Budget. That will form a basis of Members' recommendations to
US.
Question: Mr Tsang, on welfare expenditure..will there be in fact a cut from 25 to 20 per cent. Could you elaborate on what concerned Legislators in that area when you take consultation?
FS: In my experience in the public service we have never cut welfare spending at all. And I do not think we should do that in 1997. The question is, to what extent welfare spending would be increased, and this is a matter which I will account fully in the Budget debate.