Handouts 派糖成為施政常態這個社會就有問題

IF one is asked to list Chief Executive Donald Tsang's measures that have given people a deep impression, one will certainly include those of giving handouts. One may say for certain that Financial Secretary John Tsang will announce handouts when he delivers his 2010--11 Budget on February 24. The only question is how much applause the Tsang administration would like to have.

The government was forecast to be $39.9 billion in the red. As it has received more money from landsales and stamp duty than forecast, the budget deficit will certainly be much smaller. The government's latest appraisal is that it may be in the back rather than in the red. Whether it will run a deficit or not, the governmentis resolved to give handouts, for Donald Tsang promised at a Legislative Council question session about two weeks ago that the government would do something this year to make things easier for those inthe lower income bracket.

Politicians, calling themselves spokespersons forthe people, often ask the government to pump out money. However, the government has recently joined them in pursing money money--pumping politics. Populism being prevalent, political parties, desirous of endearing themselves to citizens and getting their votes, are keen on pressuring the government to give handouts.

Legislators of all political complexions ,pro--democratic or establishmentarian, want the government to give handouts. It is doubtful that its budget will get through if it does not meet their demands. That is consequent upon Hong Kong's abnormal political system. However, the government has, instead of trying to end problems once and for all,become so populist itself that money--pumping politicshas further worsened. Rarely can a society avoid declining that long pursues such a policy.

No handouts would end social woes or allay deep--rooted contradictions.

Over the years the government has become more and more dexterous in giving handouts. It has tried to justify the myopic practice by saying that one one--off handouts would not long stretch public finances and itshould spend what it ought to spend. The government has handed out more than $80 billion in less than twoyears. Has the Hong Kong society changed? Not in theslightest. Hong Kong's social woes will remain however much more money the government may hand out. The only way to effect change is to identify real needs and employ public resources to meet them.

The population is aging. There are elderly people who wound not spend their remaining years in old people's homes. Such people need domestic services.

People who can provide the elderly with such services are very much in demand. The government could have allocated part of the $80 billion it has handed out to voluntary agencies for developing such services.

Those agencies can provide women who have become jobless amid the economic restructuring with training so that they will have the knowledge and skills they need to look after old people. They can have such women call at old people to give them help. If this is done, senior citizens will get the services they really need, and many women can earn some money, which their families may need. Only such schemes will really help end social woes.

The foregoing is but one example. Society certainly has many other real needs. The only thing officials need to do is to use their brains to identify them and employ social resources to satisfy them. It will certainly benefit society more to tackle problems than to give handouts, and Hong Kong will be a better place to live in when its social woes are solved. The government must stop finding ways to give handouts. The only way in which it can win citizens' support is totry to do solid work.



派糖成為施政常態這個社會就有問題

如果說行政長官曾蔭權的領導予人印象較深刻者， 「派糖」肯定是其中之一。本月24 日財政司長曾俊華公布2010/11 年度財政預算案，可以斷言肯定有糖派，問題只是曾蔭權和政府要得到多少掌聲而已。

本財政年度原本預計的赤字399 億元，但因為土地收入和印花稅較預期多，赤字肯定大幅減少；政府最新估算本財政年度財政收支不但沒有赤字，還可能有盈餘。

不過，無論盈餘或赤字，政府派糖心志已決，因為上月中旬，曾蔭權在立法會答問大會時已承諾今年推出措施，紓解低收入人士困境。

以往政客和政黨打着為民請命旗號，向政府「抽水」，但是近年政府也加入了「抽水政治」行列。現實上，由於民粹當道，政客和政黨向政府施壓派糖，藉此向市民邀功，爭取選票，因此，立法會議員不管是建制陣營抑或泛民陣營，不分政治立場，都要求政府派糖，政府若未能總體滿足，則預算案能否過關也成問題。這是目前本港畸形政治體制所決定了的，政府不尋思從根本上解決困局，反而加入走民粹之路，使「抽水政治」變本加厲，長此下去，這樣的社會能不衰敗者，稀矣！派糖不可能解決社會問題，也不可能紓解深層次矛盾。這些年來，政府和官員於派糖操作，愈益嫻熟，他們以派糖只是「一次過」，並不會對政府財政構成長遠負擔，「應使則使」等說法，為短視的派糖找尋合理依據。但是不到兩年之內，派糖已經耗費800 多億元，社會改變了什麼？一點也沒有改變。無論再多派幾次糖，社會問題都不會改變。要改變，只有找出真正需要之處，然後以公共資源協助和推動滿足真正的需要。

例如香港人口老化，對於不願在安老院終老的長者，他們的生活起居需要一些服務，這是一個需求龐大的人力市場。政府若把已經派出去的 800 億元，撥出部分給志願組織及團體，全面地開展這方面工作，包括培訓因為經濟轉型後失業的婦女，授以照顧長者的基本知識和技巧，同時以組織力量，分區安排婦女登門為長老提供服務。這樣，真正有需要的長者得到服務，大批婦女也可以掙取金錢，幫補家計。類似這樣的做法，才可以真正解決社會問題。

上述例子，只屬其中之一，香港社會肯定還有許多的真正需要，政府和官員們只要肯動腦筋，把需要找出來，然後配對解決，以政府的資源和財力，只要肯面對問題，效益肯定較派糖高，而問題逐步解決，香港社會就更合理化。當局不要繼續挖空心思派糖了，開動腦筋做實事，才是爭取市民支持的不二法門。

Glossary

for certainwithout doubt.

complexion /k m'plek ʃ((??)n/A person's complexion is his general nature orcharacter.

dexterous /'dekstr ??s/ skilful and clever with one's hands.