TNAG-1854-FCO40-2629-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 221

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 18 January 1989

香港立法局 一九八九年一月十八日

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Government advise this Council how an organization if properly managed could stray so far from its original plan?

SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION: Sir, as I know, the deficit is made up of two parts. The first part is the deficit brought forward from the previous year and that amounted to $0.5 million. As to the remaining $3.73 million, it is mainly due to the company's over-optimism in the amount of money it would get from various sources. They have over-estimated the amount they would be getting from Government in the form of subvention in the first place. They have also over-estimated the amount of receipts they would be getting from private sponsors. And finally, when they negotiated with the two municipal councils for fees for joint presentations, they did not manage to get the fees they had hoped to obtain. So all this combined to make a deficit of $3.7 million from their original estimate.

MRS. LAU: Sir, if government funding is made on the basis and in anticipation of increased commercial sponsorship, what does Government propose to do in the event that the private sector does not respond sufficiently to the plea for sponsorship of the arts?

SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION: Sir, the Government's role in the promotion of the arts is to provide an infrastructure and also to provide money to promote the performing arts. In case the private sector fails to come up with the goods, then I think the Government will have to be very careful in considering the amount of money sought by the various companies to ensure that the money sought will be used in a cost-effective manner.

MR. PETER WONG: Sir, would the Financial Secretary sympathetically consider in his forthcoming budget the giving of tax breaks to make it more attractive for sponsors of the performing arts and charities in Hong Kong?

FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Mr. WONG will have to wait until 1 March before I answer that question. (laughter)

譚王䓪鳴議員問:有關演藝發展局的經費問題,政府有否考慮其資助的金額是與私營機構的贊助 有一定的比例?如有,比例如何?

SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION: Sir, I am not aware that there is a fixed ratio being laid down, but obviously we would welcome the private sector to contribute as much as possible. At the moment I understand