Chief slams 'conceited' idea Two political parties proposed an entry tax on visitors from the mainland
KEY IDEAS : 1. People Power and the Democratic Party proposed a land entry tax on mainland visitors. 2. The mainland might impose a similar tax on Hongkongers. 3. Too many tourists will be disastrous for Hong Kong. CHIEF Executive (行政長官) Leung Chun-ying (梁振英) slammed a "conceited" proposal for a land entry tax on mainland visitors. Speaking before attending last Tuesday's Executive Council (行政會議) meeting, Leung said mainland and foreign visitors have boosted the local tourism industry and economic development. "They have brought job opportunities to the grassroots and local tourism. We should not feel conceited before getting rich," Leung said. People Power (人民力量) has called for a HK$100 tax while the Democratic Party (民主黨) suggested HK$25 to HK$50. Lawmakers Albert Chan Wai-yip (陳偉業) and Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (陳志全) proposed the tax be included in Financial Secretary (財政司司長) John Tsang Chun-wah's (曾俊華) budget. They said official estimates project visitors increasing to 70 million a year by 2017 and 100 million by 2023, which would be disastrous for Hong Kong. But the tax would cut the number of mainland visitors by 10 million. Leung said the taxes were unilateral and not feasible. "The public should not simply expect that mainland authorities would not introduce a similar tax on Hong Kong people if the tax is introduced in the SAR," he said. Meanwhile, Exco member Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee (葉劉淑儀) criticised the proposal asdiscriminatory and impractical. Democratic Party vice chairman Sin Chung-kai (單仲偕) said their proposal is not aimed at curbing tourists. "Introducing an entry tax may not be entirely bad for visitors, who will have a better travel experience in Hong Kong," he said, adding it can help slow visitor growth. But Liberal Party (自由黨) lawmaker and former head of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅遊發展局) James Tien Pei-chun (田北俊) said such a tax would damage Hong Kong's image and it might not really help reduce the number of mainland visitors. Tourism-sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing (姚思榮) said that Hong Kong should consider the feelings of mainlanders. Raymond Chan demanded that the chief executive apologise for accusing Hongkongers of being conceited. League of Social Democrats' (社會民主連線) "Long hair" Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄) also said Leung has become "arrogant before getting competent". (The Standard, Kelly Ip, 12 February, 2014)
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