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Task force report into CSSA system 'got it wrong', says Court of Final Appeal

A report by a population policy task force chaired by the then chief secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen first suggested the introduction of the seven-year rule to the CSSA system. But the Court of Final Appeal cast doubt on the report, which was frequently cited in its 60-page judgment.

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Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li

A report by a population policy task force chaired by the then chief secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen first suggested the introduction of the seven-year rule to the CSSA system.

The report was published in February 2003 just before the full severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak, and became policy on January 1, 2004.

It was released at a time of economic difficulty and fears of a huge government deficit during the outbreak.

It also painted a gloomy picture of the city's burden of care to its ageing population and highlighted the one-way permit scheme admitting immigrants - especially the young - from the mainland.

But the Court of Final Appeal cast doubt on the report, which was frequently cited in its 60-page judgment.

It found no support for adopting the seven-year rule and that the rule had nothing to do with the financial sustainability of the social security system.

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