2021.02.15
On the fourth day of the Chinese New Year of the Ox, the DAB set up booths across Hong Kong to send New Years’ Greetings to the public. Chairperson Starry LEE and Vice-Chairman Horace CHEUNG greeted the general public at Siu Sai Wan Market and promoted the DAB campaign "Reform Hong Kong, For Stability, Equality, Prosperity.”
Over the past year Hong Kong has been beset by the COVID-19 pandemic. Starry expressed three hopes for the government: 1) import domestic vaccines into Hong Kong as soon as possible, 2) provide relief measures in the Budget and 3) the tax system should promote fairness.
The signature petition which was held recently in support of importing Chinese made vaccines into Hong Kong has collected over 100,000 online and in-person signatures. We asked the SAR Government to appeal the Central Government for the allocation of Chinese made vaccines to Hong Kong and to start the vaccination program as soon as possible.
Starry continued that the Budget going to be announced next week by the Financial Secretary must be able to relieve the financial hardship on the people by setting up a temporary “unemployment allowance”, establishing tax deductions for hiring domestic helpers and for rents paid by taxpayers who own no properties.
The DAB also suggested setting aside funds for "three-nil" buildings to maintain drainage pipes before charging the owners and providing subsidies to those owners with financial difficulties. We urged the Housing Authority to expedite the inspections of drainage pipes within the 800,000 public housing units to address the public's concerns.
In addition, the DAB recently announced its initiatives to "Reform Hong Kong, For Stability, Equality, Prosperity". Horace CHEUNG hoped the Government can "promote equality" by tax reform. He suggested the Government take two years to review the existing tax and welfare systems and identify a redistribution mechanism that is more up-to-date and acceptable to the public to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and allow the public to share the fruits of prosperity.