HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
This year's debate is being held several months in advance of the Legislative Council's Budget Debate. It is therefore hoped that the views expressed today will be considered by His Excellency the Governor, senior Government officials, and by members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, and I would ask you, Mr. Chairman, to be good enough to see to it that copies of the speeches of Members are made available to the persons and groups concerned whom I have just mentioned before the next Legislative Council Debate. (Laughter).
Housing
In regard to housing, Mr. Chairman, I have done a bit of canvassing of the views of members of the public in recent weeks. I have been told without exception that Hong Kong's most urgent problem, apart from water, is that of housing. The report of the Special Committee on Low Cost Housing is now being studied by members of Council, and I do not propose to speak on this report today. Instead, I shall confine myself to making a strong plea to the Government to think, and think seriously about the housing needs of our "forgotten men and women"—that is, our middle income groups.
The incomes of our middle income groups range anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500 monthly. They are the "forgotten indispensables" of commerce and industry in Hong Kong. They are our patient sufferers who are required to look and dress decent, and appear to live decently. But who in the top flights of Government really know how hard these people must scrimp and save to pay high rent, high school fees, high medical costs, and the other expenses which go to make up the rising cost of living so that they can appear respectable?
If this is not known in the top flights of Government, then it is time that we tell the powers-that-be that our middle-income groups have been patient long enough, that they are utterly disheartened and fed-up, and that the Government should now be more actively conscious of their legitimate wants.
What has Government done to help our middle income groups to purchase their own homes on the instalment plan? Nothing, absolutely nothing!
We cannot consider the more than $100 million which Government is lending to civil servants to buy their own homes on a 20-year instalment plan—that is Government's responsibility as an employer to its staff.
What we should and must consider is Government's responsibility to the middle income groups who are not civil servants and who are liable to pay up to 25% in salaries taxation every year, and who help to defray the expenses of the Government. By its very attitude of indifference, or of neglect if you wish, the Government is saying "Only middle income groups in Government service are entitled to seek our help in purchasing their own homes—others outside Government service don't count, and we can't be bothered about them."
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Families Allowances on Salaries Tax
Another striking example of the Government's neglect of our middle income groups is the fact that since the income tax system was introduced into Hong Kong, there has been no increase in the amounts permitted for family allowances.
No one can or will deny that the cost of living has risen within the past ten years, even the cost of burial has, according to the Honourable LI FOOK-SHU. Since the Government's statistics are quite inadequate, nobody really knows by how much the cost of living has increased—it may be anywhere between 20% to 30%.
But we do know that the salaries of civil servants had been readjusted on the basis of increased living costs.
How much more difficult it is for non-civil servants who have been buffeted in recent years by tremendous increases in rents, school fees, and other daily expenses, and who do not enjoy the various fringe benefits that Government provides its employees, as a good employer should.
It is time that this whole question of family allowances on salaries income tax be reviewed by the Government and realistic adjustments made accordingly.
Education
Turning to the subject of education on which many of us have already spoken, the picture is not as good as it is made out to be for the benefit of visiting dignitaries.
We hear no more about universal primary education for Hong Kong. Instead we hear of reasons explaining why the education problem cannot have a solution: we have too many refugees, the population is multiplying too fast, it will cost too much, and we must "cut our coat according to the cloth". These reasons sound plausible, but they are just not plausible enough!
May I remind members of this Council that in this modern international city of Hong Kong, we are decades behind Japan in the field of education. I mention Japan in particular because Japan is our pace-setter in commerce and industry, and because by their policies and actions, the Japanese apparently accept the dictum that "an educated citizenry is vital to industrial growth and social well-being".
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
This year's debate is being held several months in advance of the Legislative Council's Budget Debate. It is therefore hoped that the views expressed today will be considered by His Excellency the Governor, senior Government officials, and by members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, and I would ask you, Mr. Chairman, to be good enough to see to it that copies of the speeches of Members are made available to the persons and groups concerned whom I have just mentioned before the next Legislative Council Debate. (Laughter).
Housing
In regard to housing, Mr. Chairman, I have done a bit of can- vassing of the views of members of the public in recent weeks. I have been told without exception that Hong Kong's most urgent problem, apart from water, is that of housing. The report of the Special Com- mittee on Low Cost Housing is now being studied by members of Council, and I do not propose to speak on this report today. Instead, I shall confine myself to making a strong plea to the Government to think, and think seriously about the housing needs of our "forgotten men and women"-that is, our middle income groups.
The incomes of our middle income groups range anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500 monthly. They are the "forgotten indispensables" of commerce and industry in Hong Kong. They are our patient sufferers who are required to look and dress decent, and appear to live decent. But who in the top flights of Government really know how hard these people must scrimp and save to pay high rent, high school fees, high medical costs, and the other expenses which go to make up the rising cost of living so that they can appear respectable?
If this is not known in the top flights of Government, then it is time that we tell the powers-that-be that our middle-income groups have been patient long enough, that they are utterly disheartened and fed-up, and that the Government should now be more actively con- scious of their legitimate wants.
What has Government done to help our middle income groups to purchase their own homes on the instalment plan? Nothing, absolutely nothing!
We cannot consider the more than $100 million which Government is lending to civil servants to buy their own homes on a 20-year instalment plan-that is Government's responsibility as an employer to its staff.
What we should and must consider is Government's responsibility to the middle income groups who are not civil servants and who are liable to pay up to 25% in salaries taxation every year, and who help to defray the expenses of the Government. By its very attitude of
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
267
indifference, or of neglect if you wish, the Government is saying "Only middle income groups in Government service are entitled to seek our help in purchasing their own homes-others outside Government service don't count, and we can't be bothered about them.”
Families Allowances on Salaries Tax
Another striking example of the Government's neglect of our middle income groups is the fact that since the income tax system was introduced into Hong Kong, there has been no increase in the amounts permitted for family allowances.
No one can or will deny that the cost of living has risen within the past ten years, even the cost of burial has, according to the Honourable LI FOOK-SHU. Since the Government's statistics are quite inadequate, nobody really knows by how much the cost of living has increased— it may be anywhere between 20% to 30%.
But we do know that the salaries of civil servants had been readjusted on the basis of increased living costs.
How much more difficult it is for non-civil servants who have been buffeted in recent years by tremendous increases in rents, school fees, and other daily expenses, and who do not enjoy the various fringe benefits that Government provides its employees, as a good employer should.
It is time that this whole question of family allowances on salaries income tax be reviewed by the Government and realistic adjustments made accordingly.
Education
Turning to the subject of education on which many of us have already spoken, the picture is not as good as it is made out to be for the benefit of visiting dignitaries.
We hear no more about universal primary education for Hong Kong. Instead we hear of reasons explaining why the education problem cannot have a solution: we have too many refugees, the population is multiplying too fast, it will cost too much, and we must "cut our coat according to the cloth". These reasons sound plausible, but they are just not plausible enough!
May I remind members of this Council that in this modern international city of Hong Kong, we are decades behind Japan in the field of education. I mention Japan in particular because Japan is our pace-setter in commerce and industry, and because by their policies and actions, the Japanese apparently accept the dictum that “an educated citizenry is vital to industrial growth and social well-being".
Page 142 of 194
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