Academics said the Budget had failed to alleviate economic difficulties or boost public confidence.
Tsang Shu-ki, professor of economics at Baptist University, said the Budget appeared to be 'some sort of miracle' by increasing expenditure, reducing tax and maintaining the surplus at the same time.
But he attributed such an impression to the good engineering skills of the Financial Secretary, who had dampened expectations.
'When you look at the details, tax cuts are relatively limited,' he said referring to the half-percentage point cuts in profits tax and rates.
Professor Tsang said the Budget would not relieve the difficulties entrepreneurs were facing.
'Are they suggesting a tax reduction to buy computers when many businesses are going bankrupt?' he asked.
The associate director of the Chinese University's Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Professor Lau Siu-kai, said the Budget would not boost confidence.
