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A series of short programmes on public finance management will be broadcast on television and accessible from the Government Webpage from tomorrow (February 28).

These public affairs programmes will focus mainly on four areas which are of most interest to the public. They are principles underlining the prudent management of public finance, sources of revenue, areas of expenditure and spending cuts.

A Government spokesman said today (Sunday) that in the run-up to the announcement of the Budget Speech on March 8, these programmes should provide members of the public with the necessary information in understanding how the public finance is managed in particular reference to the development in recent years.

The "Budget Preview", in four episodes each lasting 5 minutes produced by the Radio Television HK (RTHK), will feature dialogues with academic, tax professional and government official on their views. They are namely Head of Department of Finance, HK University of Science and Technology, Professor K C Chan; President of the Taxation Institute of HK, Mr Thomas Lee Kang-bor; and Deputy Secretary for the Treasury, Mrs Carrie Lam.

Meanwhile, TV APIs (Announcement of Public Interests), each of 60-second duration, by the titles "The Philosophy (of Management of Public Finance)", "Practices", "Fiscal Reserves", "Government Revenue" and "Balancing the Books" will continue to be aired frequently at prime times in the next 10 days. In Chinese and English, they were produced by the Information Services Department.

These APIs have also been put on Government Information Centre (GIC)'s homepage (www.info.gov.hk) under the "2000-01 Budget" icon. The direct English site address is www.info.gov.hk/bdgt2000-2001/eindex.htm.

As to the Budget website, besides TV announcements, it contains other useful information relating to the Budget. They are grouped under such titles as Press Releases & Speeches, Background Information, Web-casting, Highlights, Frequently Asked Questions, etc.

When the Draft Estimates of Expenditure 2000-01 has been published on March 3, and the Budget Speech on March 8, they will be uploaded, together with other Budget-related documents, to this specially assigned website in due course

"The Secretary for the Treasury, Miss Denise Yue will speak on the Draft Estimates 2000- 01 on RTHK's 'Pentaprism' time-slot on March 3. The Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, will also be featured in the 5-minuter after he delivered his Budget speech on March 8," the spokesman said.

Details of the broadcast schedule are as follows:

Date     Programme       Time      TV        Duration

----     ---------       ----     --------   --------

28-2/3   "Budget Preview" 5.45 pm  TVB-J &     5 min

                          6.55 pm  ATV-H

3/3     "Draft Estimates" 5.45 pm TVB-J  &     5 min

        by S for Tsy      6.55 pm ATV-H

14/2-7/3   APIs on Public 6-8 pm  ATV(Home & World) 1 min

           Finance                TVB(Jade & Pearl)

          Management

8/3       Budget 2000-01   6-8 pm ATV(Home & World)   5 min

          by FS                   TVB(Jade & Pearl)

TVB-J  : TVB-Jade

ATV-H  : ATV-Home

End/Sunday, February 27, 2000

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