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2 1 0 7 0 0 2 2 2 2 * * * 7 * 287 23 ±
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Le 36
توار
seems to be a windfall, but with respect to the Financial Secretary, he should not be congratulated for he should be embarassed by it. The public of Hong Kong should appreciate that it is not a
windfall but a miscalculation. It is
not a gift, but a deprivation. For such an unexpected surplus means in practice the taxpayer is required to pay too much, while the public in general have been given too little. While the
Government preaches the gospel of · caution, we ought to realise that there can be a downside to overcaution which
has resulted in such a huge surplus.
For instance, how can we expect our neg-
otiating team on defence costs to be
able to pursuade its counterpart rep- resenting the United Kingdom Government that our contribution towards defence
costs should decrease when it is known
that we have such a large and unexpected windfall? Sir, I have made my views
known that Hong Kong should not pay ang
anything at all towards the defence costs between now and 1997. During the past
few decades it was necessary to station
British troops in Hong Kong principally
because of the People's Republic of
-China. But with the signing of the
Joint Declaration, such a fear has now
been removed. The British troops are therefore being used principally in rel- ation to Illegal Immigrants coming from
China. Such a task will soon be per- formed by our Police Force, which means
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