Most see cost-cutting moves as inadequate in ‘mild’ Hong Kong budget: survey

More than half of people are unhappy about the Hong Kong government’s budget, with nearly 70 per cent of respondents calling measures to boost revenue inadequate, a survey has found.

The telephone poll, conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies from February 26 to March 11, also found that more than 60 per cent of the 711 respondents believed the government had not done enough to cut its spending.

Respondents were also divided on new limits to be placed on the HK$2 fare concession scheme in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s annual budget, with 50.2 per cent supporting the changes and about 45 per cent opposing them.

Releasing the poll results on Friday, institute associate director Dr Victor Zheng Wan-tai noted: “From the survey findings, people’s reactions to the budget can be said to be mild.

“People in general do not think the government has done enough to boost revenue and cut costs. But people do appreciate that we are experiencing an economic slowdown.

“If Paul Chan had proposed a lot of fee rises to boost government revenue, it could affect people’s livelihoods.

“Likewise, if Chan had resorted to cutting the pay of civil servants to reduce expenditure, it could have had ripple effects and affected the private market. It could have hit civil servants’ morale, too.”