bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Oliver Kwan

Pulcheria Chung

Pulcheria Chung, 18 St Mary's Canossian College

A sales tax would do more harm than good to Hong Kong.

Our economy  has just begun to pick up. Both businesses and consumers would suffer if a sales tax was introduced.

We should bear in mind what makes  the city an attractive location for investment:  the simplicity of our taxation system.

It would be a bad idea to complicate things.

Also,  our economy depends heavily on tourism.

One of our main selling points is  that we have no sales tax,  which makes us a shopping paradise.

Why would  we want to ruin the advantage and drive tourists away?

I am aware of the city's declining revenues and  increased spending, but   our economy is simply not strong enough  to support a sales tax.

What the government should do  is  start a consultation to discuss the issue with the different  sectors.

It should also  educate the public on the details of the proposed sales tax.

Oliver Kwan, 17 Delia School of Canada

I come from a country where people are against taxes.

But I have to say that a sales tax will be a good thing, although there will be difficulties.

We live in a community which feeds on money.

Schooling, social welfare, policing and city maintenance are only some  items from a long list of the city's expenditures.

Students pay for textbooks  in Hong Kong - something unheard of in many countries.

Things could improve with more government funding. Costs can be shared by everyone.

I doubt that the tourism industry would suffer. Being a tax-free zone is a great draw, but Hong Kong is seen as a gateway to Asia.

England, Canada, America and many parts of Europe have sales taxes, but they still attract a lot of tourists.

I'm a socialist. I think community needs are more important than personal ones. Society's needs should be our top priority.



Should a sales tax be introduced in Hong Kong?