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Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Financial Secretary, Mr Antony Leung after attending a radio programme this (January 9) morning:
Reporter: Mr Leung, credit rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor, would not give Hong Kong its rating yet saying it will wait until your budget speech in March. But what can you tell them today that the Policy Address really is good for Hong Kong?
Financial Secretary: Firstly, as Mr Tung has said, the Government has the determination and the ability to address the budget deficit problem. But addressing the budget deficit, the most important thing is revitalizing the economy. And I believe that the direction as set out in the Policy Address yesterday in revitalizing the economy is a good one. For the details, especially the details in addressing the budget deficit, they have to wait until March the fifth and I can only tell them to watch the speech very carefully on March the fifth. And I am confident I can give them a proposal or give them a plan that is very credible.
(Please also refer to theChinese portion of the transcript)
End/Thursday, January 9, 2003
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