Carrie Lam's 2017 Policy Address

[East_coast]

So far it seems the following are likely

- Transport subsidies paid by the tax payer for poor people living in remote areas
- Starter home scheme where a select few will hit the jackpot by getting a cheaper nano-flat
- Imported workers - A 'consultation' on pulling in cheap workers to reduce the costs of Hong Kong businesses
- Suppress separatism sponsored by evil foreign forces
- ???

Anything else likely to be stated

[Cminds]

Original Post Deleted

Isn't tax policy usually announced during the financial address in Feb?

[shri]

SCMP has been speculating on a corporate tax cut - which like Hemlock puts it - anyone with half a brain knows how to DIY.

Also, again as Hemlock points out - watch out for some MTR dividend related buggery ...

[pin]

SCMP has been speculating on a corporate tax cut - which like Hemlock puts it - anyone with half a brain knows how to DIY.

Also, again as Hemlock points out - watch out for some MTR dividend related buggery ...

Time to sell those MTR shares?

[shri]

Time to sell those MTR shares?

Sell everything .. sky is falling!

[shri]

Seems like the SCMP web editors are still stuck in a time warp ...

[shri]

She will only read highlights... for 60 minutes.

A two-tier profit tax is expected to be announced in the policy address, where the applicable tax rate for the first HK$2 million profit from any enterprises will be halved from the existing 16.5 percent to about 8 to 8.5 percent.

Lam is also expected to shed light on how the government could use dividends from its stake in MTR Corp. to subsidize the public transport, as well as details on her proposed affordable housing scheme for local first-time buyers.

Carrie Lam to read only highlights of her first policy address

[East_coast]

What the point of a policy address is all the policies are floated past the press to gauge popularity to adjust emphasis during the actual speech?

- Land Supply - Tycoon led commission is looking into this and will report in 18 months
- MTR dividends are in effect public money. It will be allocated to poor people so they will live in further away cheaper locations making their quality of life worse!). Build more office space in the NT!
- Progressive Profits tax is sensible as tax compliance costs are regressive. (although profits tax is a legacy tax that should be done away with)
- 'New' money for drugs for emotive diseases (Like air ambulances they look lovely but overall cost lives)
- meh

[HK_Katherine]

Why do air ambulances cost lives?
And why the fuss about transport cost? HK has to have the cheapest transport costs of anywhere I know!

[East_coast]

Why do air ambulances cost lives?

The cost vs lived saved is not good. The money would be much better spent elsewhere.

And why the fuss about transport cost? HK has to have the cheapest transport costs of anywhere I know!

It can cost around $50 each day to commute from the darkest parts of the NT's and take well over an hour The minimum wage is $34.5 per hour. So 10% of your income could be going on transport - That is a lot.

It would be better to raise the minimum wage more aggressively so more money goes to workers and less to business rent.