XN000022-1983-04-14 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1983

MR BREMRIDGE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SOME CARELESS MANAGEMENTS MAY FACE MODERATE DIFFICULTY WITH FORWARD BUSINESS, BUT A ONE PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE (THE FIRST SINCE 1976) AT $4 PER HEAD PER DAY WAS REALLY NOT TOO BAD.

+THEY MUST TAKE THE ROUGH WITH THE SMOOTH, HE SAID. MR BREMRIDGE SAID THE $100 AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX WOULD FALL ONLY ON THOSE WHO COULD AFFORD TO FLY AND, IN MANY CASES, IT WAS LESS THAN THE DISCOUNT GIVEN BY AIRLINES OR THEIR AGENTS ON PUBLISHED FARES.

NEW LEGISLATION, WOULD BE REQUIRED, AND SUBJECT TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVICE, WOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE COUNCIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED,

APPROXIMATE COMPARATIVE FIGURES WERE SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE, $118; PAPUA NEW GUINEA, $104; THE SEYCHELLES, $70; INDIA, $67; TOKYO, $49; SINGAPORE, $36; AND SHANGHAI, $34.

+THE TAX PROPOSED FOR HONG KONG IS HIGHER THAN AVERAGE, BUT WE CLEARLY NOW NEED THE REVENUE. WHERE ELSE IS IT TO COME FROM,+ HE ASKED.

MR BREMRIDGE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT HE HAD PROPOSED AN AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX, NOT A GENERALISED DEPARTURE TAX, BECAUSE HE DID NOT WISH EITHER TO IMPEDE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM TO LEAVE HONG KONG OR TO LAY FINANCIAL BURDENS ON THOSE TRAVELLERS OF WHOM THE MAJORITY WAS +CLEARLY NOT WELL OFF+.

MR BREMRIDGE SAID HE WOULD NOT NOW PROPOSE TO ABOLISH THE PRESENT $20 SERVICES CHARGE AND INTRODUCE AN AIRPORT TAX AS HIGH AS $100 IF HE COULD FAIRLY SECURE MATCHING REVENUE FROM OTHER SOURCES.

+THE TAX ITSELF NEVERTHELESS HAS ATTRACTIVE FEATURES, MEMBERS MAY REFLECT THAT SUCH A TAX IS BUT ONE ASPECT OF THE AVAILABLE MARKET MECHANISMS WHICH MAY PROLONG THE EXISTENCE OF AN ADEQUATE AIRPORT AT KAI TAK AND THUS ENABLE US FOR EXAMPLE TO MAINTAIN THE PRESENT PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME,+ HE ADDED.

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