XN000022-1993-03-04 — Page 9

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993

+

NUMBER

THE

DO.

AND I AM NOT AT ALL EMBARRASSED TO BE REDUCING OF TAXES.

ΤΟ I MEAN I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD THING AND REMEMBER THE TAXES THAT I HAVE BEEN DELETING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF A YEARS WERE TAXES THAT WERE INTRODUCED BY ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS AT TIME WHEN THE FINANCES WERE THOUGHT TO NEED SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WHY THEY WERE INTRODUCED. IF WE NO LONGER NEED IT, WE THAT'S

SHOULD

GET RID OF THEM, THAT IS MY VIEW.

IN

IN

VERY NEED

I THINK WHAT HONG KONG NEEDS IN THE RUN UP TO '97, ΤΟ COME BACK PARTLY TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, IS A LACK OF INNOVATION TAXATION THEORY AND PRACTICE. I THINK PEOPLE WANT STABILITY TAXATION AS IN OTHER MATTERS, THAT IS TO SAY THEY DON'T PARTICULARLY

NEW WANT

TAXES INTRODUCED FOR THEORETICAL REASONS.

A WE HAVE GOOD TAXATION SYSTEM, WE HAVE GOOD REVENUES, AND I DON'T SEE THE FOR RADICAL REFORM.

QUESTION:

DEAD AND BURIED, FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE

FINANCIAL

SECRETARY?

FS:

PROPOSAL,

WELL, NO ONE EVER LIKES то ACTUALLY BURY A TAX

COBWEBS SO WE WILL JUST LEAVE IT IN THE BACK ROOM WITH

ON

IT.

QUESTION:

SAID THAT

PROBLEM

OF

REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE CONSTRUCTIONS, IT HAS BEEN THE SUGGESTION YOU SUGGESTED YESTERDAY, ΤΟ OVERCOME THE

PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE LESS THAN THE BUDGET IS

NOT

SO

DEMOCRATIC.

FS:

-

BUT

WE

то

I DIDN'T SEE THAT AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY. HAVE ACTUALLY SAID THAT WE HAVE A RANGE OF IDEAS BUT WE WOULD LIKE DRAW ON PARTLY PRIVATE SECTOR BEST PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE AND SEE HOW MUCH THAT CAN BE APPLIED, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE WIDER USE OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT AND SO ON. SO I AM NOT QUITE SURE WHICH PARTICULAR BIT SOMBONE DIDN'T LIKE.

QUESTION:

BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THEY THINK THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE LONG PERIODS OF TIME FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

ISSUE ΤΟ

THINGS TO THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS AND FOR THE DEPARTMENTS TO AGREE ON THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT.

FS:

DIFFERENT

WB

IS, THINK t

IT JUST THE LEGCO END BEFORE IT EVER GETS

WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE THING, THAT AT ALL THE PROCEDURES AND TIME THINGS, BUT ARE LOOKING WOULD CERTAINLY BE NOT FAIR TO SAY THAT IT IS OF THE PROCEDURE, THERE IS A LOT THAT HAPPENS TO LEGCO WHICH WE HAVE ALSO GOT TO TIGHTEN UP.

EXACTLY

DELAYS

THAT

ANY ONE PARTICULAR PROCEDURE IS TO BLAME FOR MIGHT TAKE PLACE, IT IS A MATTER OF FORECASTING WHAT THOSE DELAYS ARE.

SECRETARY FOR WORKS:

1 THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FINANCIAL. SECRETARY. THE PROCESS OF PLANNING, AS YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT MORE THAN A THOUSAND ITEMS UNDER PLANNING.

OF THE PROCESS

THOSE

IS ITEMS FORWARD, ACCORDING TO A FIXED PROGRAMME, AREA THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AT THE MOMENT, AND IT IS NOT RIGHT TO THAT ANY

RIGHT,

BRINGING

THE

SAY

/MR MACLEOD