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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at the Spring Reception at Government House this afternoon (February 27):
Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
I should have started with the word colleagues because in many, many ways, we are all colleagues pulling together for Hong Kong. So, colleagues, Kung Hei Fat Choy!
This is part of our fine tradition in Hong Kong to welcome you, and on behalf of Regina, to this Spring Reception at Government House. But today I am going to break one part of the tradition. So, please relax because I am not going to make a speech. And definitely I am not going to read out the speech.
All I want to do is to thank you for working for Hong Kong in the past 12 months. One very good indication of how well you have worked for Hong Kong is the fact that, this is something that the Financial Secretary just announced a couple of days ago, which is the Budget speech. The fact that the Hong Kong Government is collecting much more profits tax and salaries tax from you. The total extra tax that we are collecting or the Financial Secretary is collecting compared to the original estimate, just on two counts, profits tax and salaries tax, the increase is going to be something like 23.6 billion dollars, 23.6 billion dollars. I know you have been using the best accountants, the tax advisors in Hong Kong to over-report your profits and your salaries so that you can pay Hong Kong Government more tax. Thank you very much for doing that.
And I can assure you that we are going to use every single dollar that you pay the Hong Kong Government the best way we can. We do need a strong economy. We do need these good tax receipts to look after the poor, the elderly, the environment, and the housing situation in Hong Kong. So, I am going to stop here, and I am going to say something in Cantonese.
Ends/Friday, February 27, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:11
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