The financial secretary rejects calls for an end to the consultation
The government will press ahead with efforts to sell a goods and services tax to the community with a five-step consultation process, in the face of widespread and increasingly vehement public opposition.
Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen yesterday rejected calls from some political parties for the nine-month consultation to stop, despite his falling popularity since the tax plan was floated.
'I hope, given time, there will be more rational and intellectual discussions on the issue,' he said, declaring himself disappointed at the calls for the process to halt.
Mr Tang was speaking after a meeting of a government think-tank committee, at which he said most members thought the tax was worth considering as a means to broaden the revenue base.
He said the five-step consultation would begin by asking whether there was a need to broaden the tax base. It would go on to ask what was the best way to do so and, if the GST was chosen, what mechanism and regime were suitable for Hong Kong.
The final two stages would look at the impact of such a tax on different groups and discuss concrete measures for tax relief and compensation.
