Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), Mr Andrew Lai; and the Government Economist, Ms Irina Fan, held a press conference on the Budget at Central Government Offices, Tamar, today (February 25). Following are the remarks by Mr Chan:
Reporter: Good afternoon, Mr Chan, some English questions. Firstly, the Government has ruled out using the Exchange Fund in 2021, warning of severe consequences at the time. Could you explain why the Government thinks it’s okay to use the Exchange Fund now? And also, what are the potential risks you see in making this move, and could you also explain the Government’s motivation in streamlining the Government’s various funds in this Budget? Secondly, on tax policy, the Government said they will set up a committee chaired by you to review Hong Kong’s tax policy. What is the Government’s direction in this committee? And are you planning to increase the tax base? And if so, could you give some specifics on how you’re going to go about it? Thank you.