XN000022-1993-06-02 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1993

IN ANY CASE, HONG KONG HAS LITTLE TO BE ASHAMED OF WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF INCOME DISTRIBUTION. ANOTHER MEMBER HAS MENTIONED THE FIGURE FOR HONG KONG IS, FOR EXAMPLE, COMPARABLE WITH SINGAPORE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. AND OF COURSE, IN THE PAST DECADE, HOUSEHOLD INCOMES IN HONG KONG HAVE REGISTERED MARKED INCREASES EVEN FOR THE LOWER INCOME BRACKETS. THE STANDARD OF LIVING HAS INCREASED ACROSS THE BOARD.

LET ME REPEAT IN THIS CONTEXT THE QUESTION I POSED EARLIER. SUPPOSE I ACCEPTED THE MESSAGE OF THIS MOTION AND LEVIED HIGHER TAXES ON THE MOST ENTERPRISING AND TALENTED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT WOULD BE THE RESULT? WE WOULD DEPRESS THE REWARDS OF GROWTH AND SO TAKE A STEP TOWARDS THE EQUALIZATIONS OF INCOMES AT LOWER LEVELS OF PROSPERITY FOR ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND EVEN THEN OUR CRITICS WOULD SEE NO IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE THEY REFUSE ΤΟ TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REDISTRIBUTIVE EFFECTS OF TAXES AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURE OF THE VERY SOCIAL POLICIES MENTIONED IN THE MOTION. SO THEY WOULD STILL COMPLAIN AND PERHAPS WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL AN 'EQUALITY

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OF MISERY WAS ACHIEVED.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE OTHER, RATHER SENSITIVE POINT. WE HAVE MANY SOCIAL POLICIES DESIGNED PRECISELY TO HELP THE LESS WELL-OFF, THE VULNERABLE. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE POLICIES ARE NOT WEAKENED SO AS TO MAKE THEM LESS SELECTIVE, HENCE PROVIDING LESS ASSISTANCE THAN WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE.

LEST THAT IS TOO THEORETICAL, LET ME CITE AS AN EXAMPLE HOUSING POLICY. I BELIEVE MR FUNG WAS ON THE SIDE OF THOSE RESISTING THE DOUBLE RENT POLICY. YET THE RESULT OF SUCH WELL-INTENTIONED CAMPAIGNS IS PRECISELY TO WEAKEN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR HUGE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING PROGRAMME IN HELPING THOSE MOST IN NEED. WE HAVE IN OUR PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES A SITUATION IN WHICH RELATIVELY WELL-OFF FAMILIES CAN CONTINUE TO PAY A HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED RENT. AND CAN EVEN GET PRIORITY OVER POORER PEOPLE IN PRIVATE HOUSING WHEN IT COMES ΤΟ APPLYING FOR HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS EVEN IF THOSE RELATIVELY WELL-OFF FAMILIES ALREADY OWN A FLAT (OR FLATS) ELSEWHERE IN HONG KONG. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE BETTER-OFF ENJOY SUCH PRIVILEGES, ORDINARY FAMILIES HAVE TO WAIT THEIR TURN PATIENTLY OR IMPATIENTLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING WHILE PAYING HIGH RENT FOR PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION SOMETIMES TO LANDLORDS IN PUBLIC HOUSING. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AGAIN AT SOME OF OUR SOCIAL POLICIES NOT AS MR FUNG SUGGESTS TO ALTER INCOME DISTRIBUTION BUT TO TRY TO ENSURE THOSE WHO BENEFIT ARE THOSE MOST IN NEED, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT POINT.'

ΤΟ CONCLUDE, MR PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF GENUINE CONCERN FOR THOSE IN NEED, AND ACTION TO ASSIST THEM; COUPLED WITH A DETERMINATION TO PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 80 THAT THOSE WITH MERIT CAN MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE TOP WHATEVER THEIR FAMILY INCOME. MEMBERS WILL HAVE GATHERED FROM MY REMARKS THAT THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL OPPOSE THE ORIGINAL MOTION, BUT WILL SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT.

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