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The Democratic Party
of Hong Kong Reacts to the Policy Address – 11 October 2001 In reaction to the policy address delivered by Mr. Tung Chee-hwa today, the Democratic Party of Hong Kong finds the proposed relief measures to alleviate the economic hardship faced by the community unrelieving, and the proposed accountability system lacking true accountability. The Democratic Party commends the government for heeding the cross-party request to reduce rates payment for all ratepayers for the coming year to ease their burden. However, the government has few other measures that can truly help the needy in our community: 1. The government has proposed to raise the tax-deduction ceiling for
housing loan interest from $100,000 to $150,000 per year for this and
the next year of assessment. Even if calculated at the highest tax bracket,
an additional $50,000 of tax-deductable mortgage interest will only save
the homeowners $8,500 per year, or about $700 per month. To the homeowners
with negative equity who need immediate relief, this is perceived as a
symbolic gesture that is only better than nothing. On the other hand,
if the government were to help them refinance their mortgages, the reduction
of loan 2. The Democratic Party welcomes the increase in investment in education.
However the 3. The policy address outlined the government's proposal to create 30,000 short-term jobs to help relieve the unemployment situation. However, the Chief Executive did not reveal whether the ongoing employment of 20,000 temporary government positions is included in this 30,000 job opportunities. And in the face of over 170,000 unemployed in the community, this initiative will only amount to a droplet of water in a vast desert. 4. The underprivileged continue to be ignored. The government did not set out real provisions to help the single-parent families, the handicapped, the recent immigrants, or the aged and poor. Finally, on the proposal supposedly to improve the system of accountability in the government, the Democratic Party finds it most disappointing. It is designed to allow the Chief Executive to install his/her own people in the government. The proposed setup will only increase the power of the Chief Executive because the appointees can be removed at will by the Chief Executive. This kind of political appointment system will never be truly accountable system if the Chief Executive is not popularly elected with universal franchise. In the days to come, the Democratic Party legislators will work with other members of the Legislative Council in forging an alliance to pressure the government for more real relief measures. The Democratic Party will also continue to expose the hypocrisy in the so-called accountability system which will only deepen the current executive hegemony in the SAR government. The Democratic Party of Hong Kong Martin LEE
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