XN000022-1988-04-20 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1988

BUT HE REGRETTED THAT APPARENTLY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD ALREADY CONCEDED DEFEAT WHEN HE SAID HE WAS PERPARED TO CONSIDER FURTHER HOW SEPARATE TAXATION FOR WORKING WIVES MIGHT BEST BK INTRODUCED.

MR WONG SAID HE INSISTED ON NOT ONLY THE SANCTITY OF THR FAMILY BUT ALSO THE SOCIALLY EQUITABLE ARRANGEMENT OF REGARDING THE HOUSEHOLD, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL, AS THE TAX UNIT.

"AFTERALL, IF MARRIED LIFE IS A LIFE OF SHARED, JOYS AND SORROWS SHARED, EXPENSES SHARED, NOT BE REGARDED AS SHARED, HE SAID.

SHARING, WITH LOVE WHY SHOULD INCOMB

HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE INLAND REVENUE ORDINANCE OUGHT TO BE AMENDED TO THE EFFECT THAT WIVES WERE NO LONGER APPENDAGES TO THEIR HUSBANDS FOR TAX PURPOSES AND THAT BOTH MEN AND WOMEN A9 MARRIED COUPLES OUGHT TO BE REGARDED AS SPOUSES TO EACH OTHER.

ON THE IDEA OF A GENERAL SALES TAX, MR WONG SAID THAT AS AN INDIRECT TAX, IT WAS BY DEFINITION REGRESSIVE AND CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLE OF ABILITY TO PAY AND WAS THEREFORE OBJECTIONABLE.

ON EXPENDITURE, MR WONG SAID HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE GROWTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS.

"IN 1977, THE ESTABLISHMENT WAS 114,000 OR JUST OVER 100,000 REPRESENTING 25 CIVIL SERVANTS PER THOUSAND POPULATION. TEN YEARS LATER, IN 1987, IT WAS 183,000 OR NEARLY 200,000, REPRESENTING 33 CIVIL SERVANTS PER THOUSAND POPULATION.

"THIS CIVIL SERVANT PER THOUSAND POPULATION FIGURE HAS BREN CREEPING, NAY CLIMBING, FROM 25 IN 1977, TO 26 IN 1978 THROUGH 1980, TO 31 IN 1982, TO 32 IN 1983 THROUGH 1986, AND TO 33 IN 1987,"

HE SAID THE CIVIL SERVANTS PER THOUSAND POPULATION FIGURES AT FIVE-YEAR INTERVALS BETWEEN 1962 AND 1987 WERE EVEN MORE TELLING.

"THE LEVIATHAN HAS GROWN FROM 17 PER THOUSAND IN 1962, то 20 IN 1967, 24 IN 1972, 25 IN 1977, 31 IN 1982 AND 33 IN 1987.

"I AM AWAITING THE RELEASE OF THE 1989 EDITION OF THE PAMPHLET (HONG KONG IN FIGURES) TO BRING THIS TABLE UP TO DATE. THE FIGURES GIVEN ON PAGE 245 OF THE DRAFT ESTIMATES SUPPORTING DETAILS SECTION 1' SHOW A LOW FIGURE OF AROUND 193,000 AND A HIGH FIGURE OF 201,000.

"

'ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT STRICTLY SUIT THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING THE TABLE, THEY DO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS BET TO INCREASE FROM 183,000 IN 1987 TO 193,000 OR 201,000 OR IN OTHER WORDS TO EXPAND BY 10,000 TO 18,000 CIVIL SERVANTS WITHIN A YEAR.

"I WONDER IF ALL THE INCREASES ARE NECESSARY, HE ADDED.

/HR WONG