Latest: Hong Kong cancel GST implemenation!!
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Hong Kong shelves controversial sales tax plan
Posted: 05 December 2006 1501 hrs
HONG KONG : Hong Kong is to drop plans to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) after it failed to win enough public support for a change in the city's famously low tax environment.
Financial Secretary Henry Tang said the decision was reached after an ongoing public consultation showed that the controversial plan lacked public support.
"It is clear from the views collected that we have not been able to convince the majority to accept GST as the main option to address the tax base problem," he said.
"So we accepted that at this time we do not have the public support nor the conditions for introducing a GST. For the remainder part of the consultation we will not be advocating GST as the only option," he told reporters.
Tang did not take questions nor clarify whether the government will re-consider the policy in the future.
He said the government will stop promoting the plan over the remainder of the nine-month consultation period and urged citizens to continue to provide their views on the other possible ways to widen the tax base.
Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang said the decision has complete support from him and the Executive Council, or cabinet.
"We believe that the decision (Tang) has made respects fully the wishes of Hong Kong people that we should seriously consider widening our tax base," he said.
"At the same time he has paid full regard to the strong opposition of the people to the introduction of GST at this time," he said.
Tsang Yok-sing, Executive Councillor and the founding chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), also welcomed the move.
"We opposed the GST but also believe that we should find other ways to widen the tax base ... we welcome that the government has listened to the public views," he said.
The proposal has met public hostility with protests denouncing the plan throughout the consultation period. All major political parties opposed the measure.
Activists had accused Tang of robbing the poor to pay the rich, with protesters saying a sales tax would decimate the booming tourism industry by making shopping in Hong Kong - one of its biggest draws - less attractive. - AFP/ch -
Perhaps Singapore can do the same.
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we have no say at all!!!
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This is democracy. We don't have this in Singapore, sadly.
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you think for one moment our gabrament would care about that part in red, i have a few used cars i can sell you
HONG KONG : Hong Kong is to drop plans to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) after it failed to win enough public support for a change in the city's famously low tax environment.
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our govt always say after implementation that we gave them full support .Originally posted by the Bear:you think for one moment our gabrament would care about that part in red, i have a few used cars i can sell you -
it's a great ploy...
they surpress any noise made with a media blackout on it, then say that our silence is consent -
HK was quoted as an example that after they implement GST, they will also reduce corporate tax.
So Singapore will increase GST and reduce corporate tax too, in view of the above.
Now Singapore still reduce corporate tax? -
LHL always say we need to take the bitter pill to have a better tomorrow.
So when is the better tomorrow going to start??? When I die? -
At least HK got public consultation. Did our govt consult us? Or they already got mandate, so no need to consult?
Any PAP man in this forum can reply me? -
no.. after you die, they will process your corpse for phosphateOriginally posted by mistyblue:LHL always say we need to take the bitter pill to have a better tomorrow.
So when is the better tomorrow going to start??? When I die? -
when ur great great great grandchildren dieOriginally posted by mistyblue:LHL always say we need to take the bitter pill to have a better tomorrow.
So when is the better tomorrow going to start??? When I die? -
They will state that the absence of protests and riots outside Parliament House is an indication of our support for their plan.Originally posted by dragg:our govt always say after implementation that we gave them full support . -
it started long ago but we werent invited.Originally posted by mistyblue:LHL always say we need to take the bitter pill to have a better tomorrow.
So when is the better tomorrow going to start??? When I die?
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arg! you bad!!Originally posted by the Bear:no.. after you die, they will process your corpse for phosphate -
and if we protest or riot they will say we broke the law.Originally posted by fudgester:They will state that the absence of protests and riots outside Parliament House is an indication of our support for their plan. -
I think we should never have lawyers as politicians... -
Q: what do you call a busload of lawyers and politicians plunging off a cliff to their fiery deaths?
A: a good start
Q: what do you call the same incident if that busload had an empty seat?
A: a damned waste...
Originally posted by mistyblue:I think we should never have lawyers as politicians... -
Wah, they need public support to implement gst there. Down here, that's unheard of. Do first, don't ask questions ever again.
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do u know they dun even have tv license fees in HK?Originally posted by ditzy:Wah, they need public support to implement gst there. Down here, that's unheard of. Do first, don't ask questions ever again. -
not to mention that hongkongers' pay are 1.5 times that of singaporeans for the same job...
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but their stuff more expensive than ours leh...Originally posted by PoRen:not to mention that hongkongers' pay are 1.5 times that of singaporeans for the same job...
even if u dun take forex into consideration -
I read somewhere their basic broadband is at least 10mbps.
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Agree, they do have a higher cost of living. So think of it, its not really a fair comparison.Originally posted by shinta:but their stuff more expensive than ours leh...
even if u dun take forex into consideration -
Nikon lenses cost 120 bucks cheaper in Mongkok, HK than Singapore.