XN000022-1985-02-27 — Page 34

32 -

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1985

+

INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL ARE INCREASES TO INLAND MAIL RATES FROM 40 CENTS TO 50 CENTS FOR THE 30 GRAM CATEGORY, REGISTRATION FEES FROM $4 TO $5 AND AIRMAIL RATES BY SOME 30 PER CENT.

SIR JOHN'S SECOND PROPOSAL WAS THAT THE CURRENT FLAT RATE OF $2 SHOULD BE INCREASED TO $3 FOR ALL TYPES OF VEHICLES USING THE LION ROCK AND ABERDEEN TUNNELS WITH EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, 1985.

THE INCREASE IN TOLL AS IT AFFECTS BUSES REPRESENTS A TINY PERCENTAGE OF THE IR OPERATING COSTS, THUS THERE SHOULD BE NO EFFECT ON PASSENGERS.

+THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD YIELD AN ADDITIONAL $28 MILLION, HE SAID.

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S THIRD PROPOSAL WAS TO INCREASE WITH IMEDIATE EFFECT, THE FEES FOR THE ANNUAL REGISTRATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES, PROVISIONAL AND FULL DRIVING LICENCES AND DRIVING TESTS.

+THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE LICENCE FEES FOR TAXIS, WHICH WERE ONLY INCREASED IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

SIR JOHN POINTED OUT THAT HE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE BURDEN LAID ON PRIVATE MOTORISTS IN RECENT YEARS AND OF THE CONCERN THAT HAD BEEN LOUDLY EXPRESSED ON THE IR BEHALF.

+1 THUS PROPOSE AN APPROXIMATE INCREASE OF 10 PER CENT REQUIRING MUCH ROUNDING OFF+. HE SAID. THIS IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE RATE OF INFLATION SINCE THE LAST REVIEW IN 1983.

+FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CASE OF A SMALL CAR OF UP TO 1 500 CC THE EFFECT WILL BE AN INCREASE FROM $2 300 TO $2 500, + HE SAID.

SIR JOHN ESTIMATED THAT THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE YIELD FOR 1985-86 WOULD BE $67 MILLION.

SIR JOHN'S FOURTH AND LAST SPECIFIC PROPOSAL WAS TO INCREASE, AS A FIRST MEASURE, PASSENGER EMBARKATION FEES FOR MACAU FERRY SERVICES FROM $8 TO $15 AND THE MAIN BERTHING FEES FROM $1 TO $ A TON.

BOTH SHOULD TAKE EFFECT WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW MACAU FERRY TERMINAL IN ABOUT JUNE 1985, HE SAID.

SIR JOHN NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD INVESTED CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE GROWTH IN PASSENGER MOVEMENTS AT THE MACAU FERRY TERMINALS.

+THE REVENUE DERIVED FROM PASSENGER EMBARKATION AND BERTHING FEES, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN REVISED SINCE 1975, IS INSUFFICIENT TO RÉCOVER OPERATING COSTS LET ALONE PROVIDE ANY RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT,+ HE SAID.

/+IT IS