By Frederik Schipper
It’s that time of the year again in which the Hong Kong Government reveals its new budget. The budget shows the way forward for Hong Kong from a government point of view. But how do the people living in our city think about it? Postgraduate students of the Department of Journalism of the Hong Kong Baptist University ventured out into the streets in order to get this question answered. “We all need to eat.”
Evan Yiu, male, 47, Hong Kong Baptist University Estate Officer
“The consumer voucher is not a good idea. I think it will only increase the inflation. I rather see that the government lowers the tax and subsidizes utilities fee.”
Mr. Lam, male, 42, Assistant Manager Century 21 Hilltop Property Agency Ltd.
“When it comes to taxes, the government should favour the lower class. For example lower the price of consumer commodities. Moreover, the tax on luxurious products such as cigarettes and wine should be raised.”
Mr. Tsang, male, 29, PCCW Contractor
“My salary has recently been cut dramatically, about 25%. The government should stop this pay cuts and secure jobs for its citizens.”
Chang Kun Huh, female, 66, Retired Secondary School Teacher
“The government should lower the salary tax. By doing so, they can stop the rising unemployment rate. To give its citizens an helping hand in these tough times, the fees of utilities should also be reduced.”
Ho Pui Lan, male, 48, Hospital Worker
“By reducing the salary tax and electricity fee last year, our government did a good job. All I do is hoping that they will continue these policies in the year to come. I believe that it is very important to give more help to the low income sector.”
Amy Ling, female, 53, Hospital Technician
“I don’t have any particular expectation concerning the coming financial budget. I only think that the tax on luxurious products should be increased because rich people can afford to pay more.
Yu Mo Lin, female, Retired TVB Artist
“Whatever the government does, it should consider all decisions carefully. To make more money, the tax on goods like cigarettes and alcohol should be raised. On the other hand, the price of food should be lowered because we all need to eat.”
Joyce Lee, female, Student at City University
“I’m worried about possible job opportunities after my graduation. Therefore, the government should care more about education, especially to give students more opportunities to increase their level of English.”
February 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm
[...] “We all need to eat,” reported by Frederik Schipper. [...]