FS rejects claim budget has nothing for the poor
Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Thursday dismissed claims that there is nothing in the budget to help Hong Kong's poorer residents, rebuking a legislator who warned he might vote against the blueprint. Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen claimed "not a single cent" is earmarked for poverty alleviation measures and it would be hard for him to support the budget unless the government drops the spending cuts it is planning in the social welfare sector he represents.  But in reply, Chan told Tik that a reduction in expenditure is being adopted across all areas out of necessity, adding that he will not be forced by a legislator to change his mind. "I'm an official of the Hong Kong SAR. I cannot be forced to do something because of the [Legco] vote," Chan said at a finance committee meeting on the budget. The minister added that the HK$129 billion to be spent on social welfare is the single biggest area of expenditure in his blueprint. Lawmakers also questioned Chan on his plan to impose a HK$12 billion special football betting duty on the Jockey Club, spread over five years. Election Committee member Doreen Kong noted that the club had made positive contributions to society during the pandemic and asked whether the government is "repaying good with evil". In response, Chan said given Hong Kong's current social and economic situation, it's time for the club to make further contributions it can well afford. "When the investment environment in 2021 was good, it made quite a windfall... If you look at the club's reserves, they are very high," he said.