PRESS RELEASE

(Source : Government Information Centre)

Interest on Tax Reserve Certificates

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Government Gazette published on October 31, 2003 contains a Legal Notice to the effect that the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has authorized a change in the rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates. As from November 3, 2003, the new annual rate of interest will be 0.0250% as against the current rate of 0.0375%, that is the new rate will be $0.0020 per month per $100.

Tax Reserve Certificates bear simple interest and interest is calculated monthly (including part of a month) from the date of purchase to the date of payment of tax.

Interest is only credited when certificates are used to pay tax and no interest is due where the principal value of a certificate is repaid to its holder.

The rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates is periodically revised in line with the market trend. Currently, it is reviewed every month based on the average of the prevailing six-month time deposit interest rates for $100,000 offered by the three note-issuing banks.

The new rate will apply to all certificates purchased on or after November 3, 2003. Certificates which were purchased before November 3, 2003 will continue to earn interest at the rates prevailing on their respective purchase dates. More interest rate information can be found in the Inland Revenue Department website (https://www.info.gov.hk/ird). The public can also obtain a copy of Tax Reserve Certificate Interest Rate Table from our 24-hour information hotline at 1878033. What follows is a summary of the interest rates for the past months:-

for certificates purchased on
or after 4 November 2002
and before 2 December 2002,

0.2308% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 2 December 2002
and before 4 February 2003,

0.0583% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 4 February 2003
and before 2 June 2003,

0.0542% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 2 June 2003
and before 4 August 2003,

0.0500% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 4 August 2003
and before 1 September 2003,

0.0417% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 1 September 2003
and before 3 November 2003; and

0.0375% per annum

for certificates purchased on
or after 3 November 2003
until further notice.

0.0250% per annum

This is always subject to the general rule that interest ceases to accrue after 36 complete months.

Ends/Friday, October 31, 2003

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