HK Budget 2011: Cyber-World Lights Up With Criticisms of Tsang, MPF Plan

Hong Kong — Rage erupted on sections of the internet soon after Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah finished his budget speech on Wednesday.

A number of Twitter users, using the hashtag #hkbudget, ranted about the absence of tax rebates. Many complained that he had failed to come up with concrete measures to help the low- and middle-income classes.

Creative hashtags and fierce language toward the government and John Tsang were also up on Twitter.

“It’s my first time seeing so many foul words on twitter today,” wrote Chanvinci on Twitter.

More than 400 people expressed their opinions about the new budget on the government’s official Facebook page Upper Albert Road.

Most comments criticized Tsang’s plan to inject HK$6,000 in to each working person’s Mandatory Providence Fund (MPF).

Two hours after Tsang finished his speech, a Facebook group was set up, calling for a cash rebate instead of the MPF injection plan. There were more than 150 members as of Wednesday afternoon.

Comments on the Facebook group included:

“What’s the point of injecting $6000 to my MPF? I need to wait 50 years until I can use it!”

“Give me cash!”

“Why is there no tax rebate!”

More than 1,400 posts related to MPF complaints went up on the Chinese microblog Sina Weibo by mid-afternoon.