HK Set for Fiscal Deficit That’s Double Estimate, Chan Says

  • City may report deficit of HK$100 billion: financial secretary
  • Profit, salaries tax revenue will be lower than estimated

Paul Chan

Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg
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Hong Kong is headed for a financial deficit almost double the budget estimate as the sluggish economy shrinks revenue and the pandemic boosts government spending, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan.

The city may report a fiscal deficit of more than HK$100 billion ($12.7 billion) for the 2022-23 year, compared with the HK$56.3 billion estimated by the government earlier this year, the financial secretary wrote in his blog on Sunday.