XN000022-1993-07-07 — Page 36

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1993

MR PRESIDENT, TO SUM UP THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE ΤΟ THE MOTION, WE DO NOT SEE THE NEED TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS. THE MAIN REQUIREMENTS ARE ALREADY WELL-KNOWN AND REFLECTED IN WELL-ESTABLISHED POLICIES.

FINER DETAILING AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BEST BE MADE THROUGH SPECIFIC MONITORING AND APPRAISAL, WHICH IS IN FACT AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ON-GOING WORK. AS I SAID EARLIER, OUR ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND AND HAVE BEEN FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICE SECTORS. NUMEROUS COMMITTEES IN VARIOUS SPHERES, MANY WITH NON-OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US TO PROMOTE SUCH DEVELOPMENT. WE VALUE THE VIEWS FROM THOSE COMMITTEES AND THEIR USEFUL CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD CONTINUE. THESE EXISTING COMMITTEES ARE MAINLY SECTOR SPECIFIC TO REFLECT THE DIFFERING NEEDS OF THE VARIOUS SERVICE INDUSTRIES, BUT SOME MORE BROADLY BASED MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED AND THERE MIGHT BE FURTHER SCOPE FOR SUCH DEVELOPMENT IN FUTURE. FINALLY, IT IS CLEAR THAT HONG KONG IS ALREADY A MAJOR SERVICE CENTRE NOT JUST IN ASIA BUT IN THE WORLD. NEVERTHELESS, ALL OF US WILL NO DOUBT AGREE THAT WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER, AS IN THE PAST, ΤΟ HELP HONG KONG'S SERVICE SECTORS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND FLOURISH.

MR PRESIDENT, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH THE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS IN THE MOTION, THOUGH NOT WITH ITS SPIRIT OF SEEKING TO ENHANCE THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICE SECTORS, THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL NOT SUPPORT THE MOTION.

BILL AMENDED TO CONFORM WITH BILL OF RIGHTS

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AMENDED A ENSURE THAT "STOP ORDERS" ISSUED TO A TAX DEFAULTER UNDER THE REVENUE ORDINANCE CONFORM FULLY WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS.

BILL

ΤΟ INLAND

(AMENDMENT}

A

AFTER THE AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE INLAND REVENUE (NO.5) BILL. 1992, THE DISCRETION TO ISSUE STOP ORDERS WILL LIE WITH DISTRICT JUDGE RATHER THAN THE COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE.

то

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PASSED BILL IS TO BALANCE THE PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOTH LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS, WITH THE NEED TO HAVE PLACE A RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING TAX FROM ABSCONDING FROM HONG KONG,

NEED

THE

IN

DEFAULTERS

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