XN000022-1984-01-18 — Page 9

7

-

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984

PROPOSED TAX RISES OUT OF STEP'

****

DR THE HON FRANCIS TIEN POINTED OUT THAT THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASES FOR TAXIS +SEEK TO REGULATE AND REFORM THE TAXI TRADE BY FISCAL MEANS AND RUN COUNTER TO A BASIC PRINCIPLE ON WHICH OUR FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM DEPENDS+.

+THEY DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE TAXI TRADE MUST OPERATE AND THEY ARE OUT OF STEP WITH AN IDEA WHICH WE CHERISH IN HONG KONG, NAMELY THE RIGHT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN A STABLE ENVIRONMENT WITH A MINIMUM OF STATE INTERVENTION, HE SAID, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THE BEST GOVERNMENT IS THE LEAST GOVERNMENT AND THE PROPOSALS BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT ARE A DEPARTURE FROM OUR WELL-TRIED FREE MARKET SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE DISTURBANCE TO THE NORMAL ORDER OF EVERYDAY LIFE CAUSED BY THE IR SUDDENNESS AND SEVERITY.

+THEY OFFER A BROAD-BRUSH SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM OF GREAT COMPLEXITY,✦ HE ADDED,

HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT PUBLIC SYMPATHY WAS

ON THE SIDE OF THE TAXI TRADE IN THIS CASE.

HE DEPLORED THE INCONVENIENCE WHICH THE PUBLIC HAD SUFFERED IN THE PAST WEEK AND ABOVE ALL, THE SCENES OF VIOLENCE WHICH WE WITNESSED LAST FRIDAY.

+THE JOINT EFFORTS AND SWIFT ACTION TAKEN TO DEFUSE A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE SITUATION MUST BE COMMENDED.

+I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE POLICE FORCE IN HANDLING THE UNRULY ELEMENTS ON THE STREETS OF KOWLOON SO EFFICIENTLY, HE SAID.

+TAXIS SHOULD BE SEEN AS UTILITY+

****

THE HON ALEX WU URGED AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT +THE VIABILITY OF TAXIS BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND BE GIVEN THE SAME ATTENTION AS THOSE OF OTHER PUBLIC UTILITIES SO THAT THEY MAY CONTINUE TO SERVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY NEED THEM+.

HE FELT THAT THE MEASURES PROPOSED IN THE TWO BILLS

WERE DEFENSIBLE ONLY IN STATISTICAL TERMS.

+ IT IS ONE THING TO GATHER INFORMATION BY STATISTICAL MEANS. BUT IT IS QUITE ANOTHER TO BASE PUBLIC POLICY ON IT TO THE EXTENT OF DISMISSING AS IRRATIONAL AND THEREFORE UNACCEPTABLE, ANY OPPOSITION WHICH CLAIMS NO BETTER CREDENTIALS THAN COMMON SENSE AND EXPERIENCE, HE SAID.

/+WE ARE