Fewer Hong Kong police officers fall into debt, but more default on tax payments
Family problems cited as major cause of officers falling heavily into debt, but gambling and business failures also feature.
Fewer police officers have unmanageable debt problems, but more have fallen behind with their tax payments, according to the latest government figures.
A document submitted to the Legislative Council security panel by the Security Bureau showed that the number of police officers reported to have unmanageable debts fell to 46 in the first half of the year, down from 56 in the same period last year and 50 in the second half of last year. The figures in the first and second half of 2013 were 71 and 61 respectively.
Family problems remained the major cause of officers falling heavily into debt this year, accounting for 33 of the 46 cases, or 72 per cent. Other reasons included gambling, overspending, business failure and “important life events”.
Meanwhile, 48 officers received notices of tax recovery from the Inland Revenue Department, involving HK$770,056 – up from 36 and HK$552,868 in the same period last year. In the corresponding period in 2013, 28 police officers owed the tax authorities HK$538,323.64.
Legislative Council security panel member James To Kun-sun said the improvement on police officers’ indebtedness was not surprising in view of a more stable economic situation in recent years, but he was puzzled by the “odd” increase in tax recovery notices. He called on the police force to look into the reasons behind it and explain to the security panel.
To said tax recovery notices were the final warning from the Inland Revenue Department, so forgetfulness was not an excuse.
He said debt had been a more pronounced problem during the global financial crisis of 2008, but the economic situation had since stabilised. The police had also taken the problem of officers gambling more seriously, he said, which could also explain the drop in indebtedness.
Junior Police Officers’ Association chairman Joe Chan Cho-kwong also said it was difficult to understand why his colleagues would delay tax payments.
He said colleagues had become more rational and controlled regarding stock investments, but was concerned that some officers might face financial problems due to the recent fluctuations in the market.
