Paul Chan rebuts John Tsang: No need to worry about a structural fiscal deficit; house prices doubled during his tenure
陳茂波反駁曾俊華 毋須擔心結構性財赤 批評在任期間樓價飆升兩倍
The government recorded a deficit of more than $100 billion in the current financial year. Former Financial Secretary John Tsang said yesterday that he was worried Hong Kong had “officially entered an era of structural fiscal deficits” and might have to borrow to make ends meet. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on radio this morning that there was no need for concern, as the government’s revenue and expenditure would be balanced in two years. He also said the International Monetary Fund agreed that Hong Kong’s finances were very stable, and that professional investors supported the government issuing more bonds. An economist at The Chinese University of Hong Kong said Hong Kong had fallen into a structural fiscal deficit and that the latest budget “did not increase what should have been increased, and did not cut what should have been cut”. The economist said Hong Kong had no industries capable of earning back the principal and interest on its bonds, and was worried that “debt piled on debt” would cause government debt to grow ever larger.
政府今個財政年度錄得逾千億元赤字，前「財爺」曾俊華昨表達擔心香港「已經正式進入結構性財政赤字年代」，憂慮需借貸度日。財政司司長陳茂波今早在電台反駁毋須擔心，因為兩年後政府收支將達至平衡，又指國際貨幣基金組織贊同香港財政非常穩定，各專業投資者都贊成政府多發債。有中大經濟學者認為，香港已陷入結構性財赤，今份預算案「應加唔加，應減唔減」，香港未有產業能夠賺回發債本金和利息，擔心「債冚債」只會令政府債務愈滾愈大。