https://www.scmp.com/rss/326448/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com So square the circle: 1. Hong Kong is in a state of “unforgivable havoc”. 2. I did it. 3. I am sorry. 4. Given the choice, I should resign. 5. Please forgive me. 6. I have not given my resignation to the central government … 7. Err, that’s it. The morality of recording Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s private conference and leaking it verbatim to the press is dubious. But this is politics; it’s standard operating procedure. It is naive to think that leaks will never happen and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3025626/good-news-hong-kong-leaked-carrie-lam-tape-solution-unrest-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3025626/good-news-hong-kong-leaked-carrie-lam-tape-solution-unrest-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2019 06:00:10 +0000 Our coffers are overflowing and I appreciate Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s efforts in convincing Chief Executive Carrie Lam to share some of that excess with the people of Hong Kong. The Caring and Sharing Scheme was announced more than a year ago, and it has been more than three months since applications opened for eligible Hongkongers to receive up to HK$4,000 each under the scheme. But while applications have been acknowledged, the crediting of cash has been slow. We have one of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3010198/why-hong-kongs-efficient-government-so-slow-cash-handouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3010198/why-hong-kongs-efficient-government-so-slow-cash-handouts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2019 05:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong Science Park intends to do all it can to help the government’s campaign for a free exchange of big data and biological samples in the Greater Bay Area, the park’s chief executive said. Albert Wong Hak-keung said in an interview with the Post on Thursday that such an exchange – between Hong Kong and mainland China – would greatly boost the city’s innovation and technology (I&T) sector. “If the exchange of data and bio samples is made possible in Hong Kong, world-renowned tech talents,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2188131/free-exchange-data-and-bio-samples-will-boost-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2188131/free-exchange-data-and-bio-samples-will-boost-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2019 23:00:23 +0000 Hong Kong’s high school students will be groomed to become technology leaders as part of the government’s ambitious HK$45 billion funding package to boost the city’s innovation sector. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his budget speech on Wednesday that he would deploy HK$500 million (US$64 million) to implement the IT Innovation Lab programme in secondary schools over the next three years. This was among a host of funding initiatives dedicated to the city’s innovation and technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2187966/hong-kong-spend-hk45-billion-grooming-next-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2187966/hong-kong-spend-hk45-billion-grooming-next-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Feb 2019 13:34:14 +0000 Applicants for a HK$4,000 cash handout will no longer have to provide proof of address, after the government acceded to widespread criticism and removed the requirement. The city’s No 2 official accepted the scheme could have been handled better. The administration also expanded the number of phone hotlines set up to help people make their claim, from 28 to 34, and printed an extra 1 million forms after complaints people were having to print their own. Distribution of the application forms for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183429/government-responds-cash-handout-concerns-among-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183429/government-responds-cash-handout-concerns-among-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jan 2019 03:23:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s No 2 official has told government departments to handle applications for a cash handout of up to HK$4,000 with flexibility, following complaints the scheme is too complicated. Distribution of application forms for the Caring and Sharing Scheme began on Monday. Under the scheme, Hong Kong residents aged 18 and above will get up to HK$4,000 if they do not own property or benefit from government allowances. Those who are given tax breaks will get the difference between HK$4,000 and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2183163/government-will-take-flexible-approach-cash-handout-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2183163/government-will-take-flexible-approach-cash-handout-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jan 2019 08:43:00 +0000 It is no secret that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor does not always see eye to eye with pro-government lawmakers on everything. But there is every reason for both sides to stop pointing fingers over the elderly welfare adjustment saga and risk the dispute snowballing further into a full-scale war that jeopardises governance. As in other ageing societies, it is not unjustified for the Hong Kong government to raise the age limit for elderly Comprehensive Social Security Assistance... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182788/both-lawmakers-and-government-should-reflect-welfare-feud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182788/both-lawmakers-and-government-should-reflect-welfare-feud?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:36:29 +0000 It is hard not to feel sorry when an 81-year-old man deep in poverty sees no way out and kills his chronically ill partner to end her suffering. Compassion aside, he had to face the legal consequences and was convicted by a court of manslaughter. However, the judge saw the case as worthy of “tempering justice with mercy”, and the man will soon be released after being held in custody for nearly two years. The story begs a question: is it inevitable for the ailing and the poor to end up in such a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182046/tragic-case-reflects-need-better-elderly-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182046/tragic-case-reflects-need-better-elderly-care?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jan 2019 13:57:36 +0000 Unlike in some Western countries where pension age reforms have sparked civil unrest, Hong Kong’s move to raise the threshold for welfare payments to the elderly may not prompt any serious protests. But even though existing welfare recipients will not be affected when the age limit for elderly social security assistance is raised by five years to 65 next month, the government has to ensure that those in need will not be left out. Our hard-working Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor used... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2181582/hong-kongs-welfare-system-has-help-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2181582/hong-kongs-welfare-system-has-help-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jan 2019 13:49:37 +0000 Our government doesn’t want to be popular. It’s being rounded on from all sides for effectively cutting an old-age benefit that it can well afford, a reduction that will make little difference to its overall welfare spending. To be fair, it’s raising regular payments for a whole range of social welfare – including allowances for old age, disability, transport and rent – as well as the minimum wage. But it won’t be earning any praise. Instead, it’s being condemned for a new plan, under which... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2181576/hong-kong-government-wrong-cut-elderly-welfare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2181576/hong-kong-government-wrong-cut-elderly-welfare?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jan 2019 13:22:04 +0000 Hong Kong’s non-governmental groups are able to apply for a subsidy to transform vacant government sites for their purposes, capped at HK$60 million (US$7.7 million) for each project, a lawmaker revealed on Monday. The cap, disclosed by the Democratic Party’s Roy Kwong Chun-yu, is the latest detail of the government’s HK$1 billion (US$130 million) fund to revitalise those sites and was one of the initiatives introduced in February by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. The cap means the total... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171818/hong-kong-ngos-can-apply-hk60-million-transform-vacant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171818/hong-kong-ngos-can-apply-hk60-million-transform-vacant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Nov 2018 23:03:03 +0000 As the chief executive’s policy address approaches, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has the opportunity to create a new and vibrant education system. The world around us continues to change at a rapid pace. Yet, across all sectors of education in Hong Kong, there is little creativity or acknowledgement that change is needed. The government’s review of the school curriculum drags on with little opportunity for public debate or discussion. The vocational education sector continues to be weighed down by... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2163855/if-education-reform-priority-singapore-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2163855/if-education-reform-priority-singapore-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Sep 2018 23:30:15 +0000 I refer to your editorial of June 9 (“Pay demands of civil servants unrealistic”). Why must pay in the private sector be compared to that of government service and why should the private sector be “enraged” about the civil service demands for a larger pay rise? People working in the private sector have bonuses, share options and 13-month pay. Those in the private sector work there out of choice. If they are “envious” of what those in the civil service make, they are more than welcome to join the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2150534/hong-kong-civil-servants-deserve-be-well-rewarded-efficient-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2150534/hong-kong-civil-servants-deserve-be-well-rewarded-efficient-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:04:00 +0000 Hong Kong civil servants are among the highest paid in the world. Yet they still won’t miss a chance to ask for more, as reflected in their demands for a bigger pay rise this year. Oblivious to the fact that the offer of an up to 4.51 per cent rise already makes most in the private sector envious, if not enraged, staff unionists want a 5 per cent rise across the board. A 4.51 per cent pay rise? No, give us 5 per cent, frontline civil servants say It is a standing practice for the staff side to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2149999/pay-demands-hong-kong-civil-servants-are-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2149999/pay-demands-hong-kong-civil-servants-are-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jun 2018 20:13:27 +0000 The workers’ unions of frontline Hong Kong civil servants have expressed disappointment with an expected pay rise of 4.51 per cent this year, despite it being more than the 2.84 per cent initially suggested by government advisers. On Tuesday, Li Kwai-yin, president of the 120,000-strong Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association, said it was unsatisfied with the increase stipulated by the Executive Council. The association demanded a 5 per cent raise instead. Li’s comments came after the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2149407/unions-hong-kongs-frontline-civil-servants-unsatisfied-451?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2149407/unions-hong-kongs-frontline-civil-servants-unsatisfied-451?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jun 2018 12:51:50 +0000 Hong Kong’s frontline civil servants are set to receive the lowest pay rise in nearly 10 years, despite a record government surplus, if results of an annual study are adopted. The government study, which was submitted to the Pay Trend Survey Committee on Wednesday, recommended pay increases between 2.84 and 4.51 per cent, depending on an employee’s pay scale.  The highest earners would receive a 4.06 per cent pay increase, while the middle earners would see a 4.51 per cent rise and the lowest... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2146435/hong-kong-payroll-study-calls-lowest-pay-rise-frontline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2146435/hong-kong-payroll-study-calls-lowest-pay-rise-frontline?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 May 2018 11:21:02 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers gave the green light to the government’s annual budget on Thursday evening, marking one of the swiftest passages of the financial blueprint in the past six years. Major parties however said it was too early to tell whether tensions in the legislature had dissolved, despite there being little filibustering during the budget debate compared with during the term of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s highly unpopular predecessor Leung Chun-ying. Among the 43 votes of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2145588/budget-passes-through-hong-kong-legislature-minimum-fuss-jury-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2145588/budget-passes-through-hong-kong-legislature-minimum-fuss-jury-still?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 May 2018 11:48:21 +0000 Over a third of Hong Kong’s income tax revenue was paid by the top 1.5 per cent of taxpayers, according to the latest government figures, leading legislators to call for the city’s highest earners to pay more. The top taxpayers paid HK$22.8 billion (US$2.9 billion) of the HK$63.6 billion, or 36 per cent, in tax revenue collected from salaries in the 2016-17 year, according to figures from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau made available to lawmakers on Tuesday. Cross-border tech and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2143336/hong-kongs-top-15-cent-contribute-more-third-citys-income-tax?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2143336/hong-kongs-top-15-cent-contribute-more-third-citys-income-tax?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Apr 2018 12:00:15 +0000 The government on Friday revealed it would spend HK$330 million to administer a cash handout scheme to give up to HK$4,000 each to eligible Hongkongers. This means administrative costs will amount to 2.9 per cent of the HK$11 billion scheme, much higher than in 2011, when costs were only 0.5 per cent of a HK$37 billion giveaway. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, the government explained that the bulk of the costs would go towards hiring 706 temporary staff and renting an office... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142707/hong-kong-cash-handout-scheme-will-cost-government-hk330?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142707/hong-kong-cash-handout-scheme-will-cost-government-hk330?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Apr 2018 00:00:46 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her finance chief like to advertise their latest budget as a model of generosity, a departure from the previous miserly administrations. A new study by the independent Legislative Council’s research unit seems to show otherwise. The headline jump on education spending seems spectacular, an increase of 28.4 per cent, or HK$25.2 billion, to HK$113.7 billion. But that’s a one-off. In fact, education as a share of total government spending has dropped... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2142718/hong-kong-budget-philosophy-offers-very-little-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2142718/hong-kong-budget-philosophy-offers-very-little-change?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Apr 2018 19:17:38 +0000 Hong Kong government spending was called into question on Thursday after analysis released by the city’s legislature indicated officials were failing to meet the needs of an ageing population despite splashing out billions more on social welfare. The Legislative Council report came just days before local lawmakers are set to resume deliberations on finance minister Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget bill, which will undergo a second reading debate in the chamber on April 25. The report’s researchers took... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2141502/extra-billions-social-welfare-spending-failing-meet-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2141502/extra-billions-social-welfare-spending-failing-meet-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Apr 2018 00:00:15 +0000 The top 10 landlords in Hong Kong – who own about 40,000 property units among them – will benefit from rates waivers of more than HK$256 million (US$32.8 million) this financial year, reigniting criticism that the government was once again favouring the rich. The waiver of the indirect tax was among the relief measures announced in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s latest budget, and the amount, which is double what they received the previous year, came under fresh attack as the government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140953/anger-top-10-landlords-hong-kong-enjoy-rates-rebate-hk256?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140953/anger-top-10-landlords-hong-kong-enjoy-rates-rebate-hk256?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Apr 2018 13:30:00 +0000 A new scheme that the government is pumping billions of dollars into to stimulate private investment in Hong Kong tech start-ups has come under scrutiny, with critics saying it has no clear aims and can be exploited to enrich investors rather than drive innovation. Financial and business experts told the Post that the government was placing itself in an unfavourable position under the terms of an agreement to be signed with investment partners applying for the scheme.  The initiative lacked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2140789/will-hong-kong-innovation-scheme-enrich-investors-rather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2140789/will-hong-kong-innovation-scheme-enrich-investors-rather?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Apr 2018 09:46:39 +0000 About 43,000 needy and elderly Hongkongers will be the first to receive cash handouts announced in an amendment to the budget last month to give up to HK$4,000 (US$510) each to 2.8 million Hongkongers. They have been given priority as they are already receiving social or disability allowances and are likely most in need of the money. This group had already been promised additional allowances in the original budget announcement on February 28 and the cash handout they are eligible for is the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140665/43000-needy-and-elderly-hong-kong-first-get-cash-handouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140665/43000-needy-and-elderly-hong-kong-first-get-cash-handouts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Apr 2018 23:00:56 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po went back to the drawing board on the budget, and now about 2.8 million eligible Hongkongers will be getting up to HK$4,000. This came after calls for better use of the HK$138 billion budget surplus, to lay a better foundation for Hong Kong’s future through the reallocation of income and wealth, to alleviate the lot of the poor. However, it seems the government is forking out the HK$11 billion under public pressure. Also, this handout will not be across the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2140528/paul-chans-rethink-hong-kong-budget-handouts-short-term-fix-must?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2140528/paul-chans-rethink-hong-kong-budget-handouts-short-term-fix-must?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Apr 2018 05:00:45 +0000 The president of the second oldest university in Hong Kong has once again stressed that the campus is a place for academia and knowledge, not one for political wrestling.  In a wide-ranging interview, the first since his new appointment, Dr Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, Chinese University’s vice chancellor and president, said that while freedom of expression is a cornerstone for the institution, there is a bottom line for all students and staff taking part in politics.  “We have to do it in a peaceful,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2140480/no-place-disruptive-political-protests-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2140480/no-place-disruptive-political-protests-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Apr 2018 01:33:21 +0000 There might just be a way of giving Hong Kong’s least wealthy people a real opportunity to share the considerable wealth that is weighing down the government’s coffers. It may indeed be the only way, given official aversion to fundamental poverty alleviation. But before we come to this idea, let’s consider the debacle that rejoiced in the name of a budget. Having insisted that there was no question of including so-called handouts in the budget, the financial secretary was forced to eat his words... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2140210/its-huge-reserves-hong-kong-should-consider-cash-inheritance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2140210/its-huge-reserves-hong-kong-should-consider-cash-inheritance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2018 05:11:45 +0000 “No eternal allies, no perpetual enemies ... [only] interests are eternal and perpetual.” Fortunately or unfortunately, this famous quote by Lord Palmerston, Britain’s foreign secretary back in 1848, still makes much sense today, in Hong Kong in particular. There is a long-running question in this city where no party politics is allowed. When neither the opposition nor the pro-establishment camp can become a real ruling party under the executive-led governing system, and the city’s leader can’t... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2139810/can-hong-kong-officials-rely-pro-establishment-camp-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2139810/can-hong-kong-officials-rely-pro-establishment-camp-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Apr 2018 07:30:45 +0000 The New Territories represent the garden of Hong Kong, and our government should do more to beautify and make it convenient for residents, cyclists, tourists, hikers and day trippers, disabled or able-bodied, to enjoy the scenery, fresh air and local culture. While eco-tourism is becoming one of the core industries of Hong Kong, the environment, health, safety and liveability for villagers should be taken care of first. We are aware of the studies recommending that the city release government... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2139473/how-hong-kongs-new-territories-villagers-can-help-city-become-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2139473/how-hong-kongs-new-territories-villagers-can-help-city-become-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Mar 2018 08:35:12 +0000 Owners of eight in 10 private homes in Hong Kong, or about 1.43 million properties, will enjoy full rates waivers on their properties for the upcoming financial year, under a relief measure in the budget announced last month. The measure – part of a HK$50 billion (US$6.37 billion) spending package announced by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po to share some of the city’s record HK$138 billion surplus – means almost four times more properties will be exempted from the indirect tax in 2018-19,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139147/about-143-million-private-flats-hong-kong-wont-be-subject?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139147/about-143-million-private-flats-hong-kong-wont-be-subject?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Mar 2018 23:02:00 +0000 The Hong Kong government should channel more of the city’s income from land sales towards the needy, as even if it spent up to HK$40 billion (US$5 billion) every year for the next decade, it would still be in good financial shape, according to a study by a group of pro-democracy professionals from different sectors. “The government has always argued that non-recurrent revenue – such as the money from land sales – is volatile and hence it should not be used to support recurrent expenditure,” said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139002/hong-kong-can-spend-hk40-billion-year-needy-next-decade-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2139002/hong-kong-can-spend-hk40-billion-year-needy-next-decade-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:03:08 +0000 Give-and-take is a reality of politics. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has been made aware of that by disenchanted citizens since he delivered the budget last month. He gave into their demands on Friday, handing out payments of up to HK$4,000 to 2.8 million people identified as not having directly benefited from the budget. The decision was necessary given that ignoring the pressure could have led to rejection of the plan in the Legislative Council, but there surely has to be a better way... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2138775/cash-handouts-budget-should-never-be-taken-granted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2138775/cash-handouts-budget-should-never-be-taken-granted?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Mar 2018 16:58:56 +0000 Administering the HK$4,000 cash handout for Hongkongers will cost a few per cent of the HK$11 billion (US$1.4 billion) scheme with little red tape, top officials said on Sunday, as they tried to ease public concerns about it being complicated and costly. The officials also made it clear that new arrivals from the mainland would be among the 2.8 million people – one-third of residents – to benefit from the scheme, which was announced on Friday. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138832/cash-handout-scheme-will-cost-few-cent-run-hong-kong-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138832/cash-handout-scheme-will-cost-few-cent-run-hong-kong-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Mar 2018 14:00:19 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers from across the political spectrum have criticised the government for coming up with a “complicated and costly” scheme to give over one-third of Hongkongers, or 2.8 million people, a cash handout of up to HK$4,000 (US$510) each. It came after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced, amid intense political and public pressure, that people who did not benefit from tax rebates and increased allowances in the budget rolled out last month would now get a share of the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2138761/complicated-and-costly-cash-handout-scheme-criticised-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2138761/complicated-and-costly-cash-handout-scheme-criticised-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Mar 2018 14:01:25 +0000 By giving cash of up to HK$4,000 (US$510) to 2.8 million Hongkongers, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po secured smooth passage for his budget in the Legislative Council, even though he failed to win the hearts of the pro-democracy camp. Pro-establishment lawmakers, who are in the majority at Legco, praised Chan’s announcement that he would share the city’s HK$138 billion surplus with 2.8 million more people, with most political parties pledging to support the bill. 2.8 million Hongkongers to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138690/paul-chans-cash-handout-plan-praised-bravery-he-still-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138690/paul-chans-cash-handout-plan-praised-bravery-he-still-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:30:45 +0000 Over one-third of Hongkongers, or 2.8 million people who did not benefit from the budget announced last month, will get a cash handout of up to HK$4,000 (US$510) each from the government, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Friday. Chan’s announcement confirmed reports – including one by the Post – that the government would share the city’s HK$138 billion surplus more broadly. Grass roots got more this year, Hong Kong finance chief says in defence of budget While it faced intense... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138617/28-million-hongkongers-get-cash-handout-hk4000-each-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138617/28-million-hongkongers-get-cash-handout-hk4000-each-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Mar 2018 07:45:00 +0000 More than 1.5 million Hongkongers who do not benefit from this year’s budget are set to receive a cash handout of HK$4,000 (US$510) each from the government. Sources said an announcement would be made as early as Friday afternoon. Under intense public and political pressure to further share the bumper HK$138 billion surplus announced in last month’s budget, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will spend an extra HK$10 billion on the handout. Former Hong Kong minister wanted budget to include... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138509/more-15-million-hongkongers-get-cash-handout-hk4000-each?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2138509/more-15-million-hongkongers-get-cash-handout-hk4000-each?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Mar 2018 22:03:13 +0000 A former Hong Kong minister revealed on Monday that he had made a rare appeal to the government to give cash handouts to all in the latest budget, which has been criticised for allocating more sweeteners to the middle class. Speaking to the Post in Beijing, Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, now a deputy in China’s legislature – the National People’s Congress – said he had proposed to the administration to give HK$3,000 each to adult permanent residents, and he was “a bit disappointed” that the suggestion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2137857/former-hong-kong-minister-wanted-budget-include-hk3000-red?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2137857/former-hong-kong-minister-wanted-budget-include-hk3000-red?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Mar 2018 07:59:01 +0000 Hub is the buzzword in Hong Kong, as reflected in our claims to be a hub in dozens of sectors. From Chinese medicine to medical tourism; from offshore Renminbi business to Islamic bonds; from innovation and technology to arts and culture; the city apparently aspires to be the hub of everything. E-sports has been touted as the next entry. As soon as finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po announced new budgetary measures on this front, experts have swiftly talked up our potentials to become a hub for video... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137676/money-no-guarantee-e-sports-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137676/money-no-guarantee-e-sports-success?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2018 20:02:10 +0000 The government has tightened the rules on who qualifies for free entry to Hong Kong’s most important student exam, amending a policy first unveiled in last month’s budget. Only school students will benefit from the exam fee waiver, to stop people taking the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam – whose results determine university admissions – for fun or to make mischief. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said during his 2018-19 budget speech that the government would cover fees for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2137635/rules-who-gets-free-dse-exam-entry-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2137635/rules-who-gets-free-dse-exam-entry-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2018 06:56:23 +0000 It will probably all come to naught but Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po deserves credit for at least talking about taboo ideas to create more homes and address unaffordable housing. First he wanted to let renters claim tax deductions but said technical computer issues prevented him from doing it in the latest government budget. Now, he wants to tax owners of empty flats. Housing advocates not tied to the real estate cartels have long raised the idea but successive administrations have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137611/wealthy-not-home-tax-empty-hong-kong-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137611/wealthy-not-home-tax-empty-hong-kong-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2018 00:26:05 +0000 Hong Kong’s financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po declared on Friday he would have “no fear” confronting private developers if he were to press ahead with a groundbreaking vacancy tax for unoccupied flats in a bid to cool the city’s red-hot property market. Chan was putting up the brave front at the Redefining Hong Kong debate held by the Post, where a panel comprising leading economists and tax consultants exchanged views over the annual budget blueprint Chan delivered last month. A day earlier,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2137582/hong-kongs-finance-chief-vows-get-tough-private-developers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2137582/hong-kongs-finance-chief-vows-get-tough-private-developers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Mar 2018 23:47:32 +0000 The 2018-19 Hong Kong budget has earmarked HK$500 million for a steering committee under the chief secretary to strengthen support for ethnic minorities and enhance collaboration within the government. Hong Kong Unison suggests that part of the HK$500 million be used to develop a systematic Chinese curriculum and make such teaching materials widely available to non-Chinese-speaking (NCS) students. The government should also inform the public about the structure and accountability of the steering... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2137343/how-hong-kongs-non-chinese-speaking-ethnic-minority-pupils-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2137343/how-hong-kongs-non-chinese-speaking-ethnic-minority-pupils-can?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Mar 2018 08:37:55 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget has received a fairly mixed response. The good news is that nearly everyone welcomed at least some of it. But there was also quite a lot of criticism. The impression I get is that a lot of people were disappointed by the budget as a whole. And officials are perhaps also disappointed that the plan did not get a warmer welcome. If that is the case, it is a mismatch in expectations. Officials thought the plan represented a bold shift in direction, while... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137201/hong-kongs-restraint-budget-handouts-are-welcome-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2137201/hong-kongs-restraint-budget-handouts-are-welcome-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:40:06 +0000 It is easy to make fun of our financial secretaries, and often tempting to do so. In a world where governments of even the most powerful economies run substantial fiscal deficits, it is difficult to take seriously a finance minister who literally has more money than he knows what to do with. Yet that is the position Hong Kong has been in for many years. Although this sounds like a good situation – and indeed some aspects are positive – in fact, it is very much a mixed blessing. The latest office... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136401/why-having-too-much-money-can-be-problem-just-ask-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136401/why-having-too-much-money-can-be-problem-just-ask-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Mar 2018 06:35:13 +0000 Will the HK$50 billion investment in innovation and technology, along with other initiatives in the budget, contribute to building the desired culture of innovation in Hong Kong? In addition, what more should the government be doing in its role as facilitator and promoter of Hong Kong? Asking these questions is a good start towards moving Hong Kong forward along a necessary path in the city’s development. Any budget is always a balancing act for the government between investing in the future of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136516/hong-kongs-budget-funding-innovation-smart-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136516/hong-kongs-budget-funding-innovation-smart-start?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Mar 2018 02:19:32 +0000 The 2018 budget has made Paul Chan Mo-po the worst financial secretary in the history of Hong Kong. With a surplus of HK$138 billion, the government trumpeted the new budget as a giveaway; however, it has received a record low rating in the latest public opinion survey. People are taking a dig at Chan for his allocation of a huge sum of money – 40 per cent of the surplus – but expending a disproportionate effort on trivial matters. Recent annual budgets have been drifting further and further... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136356/hong-kong-government-must-stop-giving-ocean-park-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136356/hong-kong-government-must-stop-giving-ocean-park-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:08:08 +0000 The first budget of the government of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was announced on February 28. It is believed that Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s philosophy is in line with the chief executive’s new fiscal philosophy, which emphasises careful financial management with the principle of keeping expenditure within the limits of revenue (“Financial chief Paul Chan has made a difference with his budget”, March 1). In this regard, Chan’s insight is highly appreciated. Though... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2136141/paul-chans-hong-kong-budget-shows-team-spirit-leads-carrie-lams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2136141/paul-chans-hong-kong-budget-shows-team-spirit-leads-carrie-lams?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Mar 2018 08:23:55 +0000 Public unhappiness with the ­recently announced budget ­continued unabated on Tuesday, as the latest poll showed over half – 54 per cent – of respondents were dissatisfied with it. In addition, the 500 people surveyed by the University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme gave the budget 42.8 marks out of 100, meaning that satisfaction with the government’s financial strategy plunged to a seven-year low. After announcing a record ­surplus of HK$138 billion (US$17.7 billion) last Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2136030/criticism-hong-kong-budget-continues-unabated-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2136030/criticism-hong-kong-budget-continues-unabated-public?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Mar 2018 23:17:18 +0000 Managing public expectations before and after the budget has proved to be a challenge for the government. Pressured by aggressive politicians ahead of the Legislative Council by-elections on Sunday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has no choice but to try to dish out more goodies to the people or risk having his budget blocked by the legislature. The scenario is not unfamiliar. In 2011, lawmakers from across the political spectrum successfully pushed the then finance chief John Tsang... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136038/hong-kong-financial-chief-faces-budget-dilemma-those-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2136038/hong-kong-financial-chief-faces-budget-dilemma-those-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Mar 2018 18:42:25 +0000