Commuters line-up for leaflets

PEOPLE began queuing for details of the new fiscal package before the Financial Secretary had finished delivering his speech.

Only metres from where the full details were being spelt out, 20 commuters in the MTR's Central station started to gather 30 minutes before the end.

By the time he finished at 4 pm hundreds were waiting to collect copies and most welcomed the new initiative to issue a leaflet to explain details of how the new fiscal measures would affect the man in the street.

But they also criticised the leaflet for failing to include specific details of the increases in tax on tobacco, wine and petrol, which will affect most consumers.

The leaflet spells out details of how salaries tax cuts will affect most workers together with brief details of other tax cuts.

But most of the leaflet is dedicated to explaining new initiatives in government spending.

Expenditure is spelt out under nine different headings explaining not only what was in the Budget, but also the government estimates published last week.

More than 200,000 copies of the bilingual summary titled What the 1993 Budget Means for You were distributed at MTR stations and the Hongkong and Kowloon Star Ferry piers.

The Government Information Services Department could not say how many leaflets had been taken up yesterday.

About 18,000 copies of Mr Macleod's full speech will be available at the 19 District Offices today.