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Departure levy 'faces obstacles'
By May Sin-Mi Hon A land departure tax is unlikely to be implemented on April 1 even if the Government announces it in the Budget tomorrow, it is understood. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation might need to help in collecting the tax, which would mainly be levied on passengers crossing the Lowu border. However, the Government has not yet discussed with the corporation how the levy would be collected. The corporation is thought to favour the use of the Octopus smart card to impose charges. But a method of exempting frequent travellers such as students and truck drivers has yet to be devised. Corporation chairman Yeung Kai-yin said the tax would definitely affect passenger flow across the border. He said the corporation had conducted surveys - the latest in October - on more than 1,000 cross-border passengers. "The result showed the tax will definitely affect passenger flow. However, the extent will depend on how much the tax is," Mr Yeung said. About 200,000 passengers cross the Lowu border every day. |
