Good-hearted employers

NOW, thirteen years after Hong Kong's reversion to Chinese sovereignty, the interdependence between Hong Kong'seconomy and the mainland's has become reversed. It is not a bad thing for Hong Kong to have the backing of the mainland, which will soon be the second largest economy in the world. However, Hong Kong should avoid excessively relying on its financial sector. It must therefore find new growth areas. Furthermore, when the pie becomes larger, the government must try to effect proper distribution to ensure that social environments are equitable. It should seek to improve Hong Kong people's wellbeing so that its deep-rooted contradictions will disappear. We hope there will be more good-hearted employers that would help bring about social harmony.

The government should see that the wealth created in Hong Kong is better distributed. This has much to do with Hong Kong's political system andpower structure, which are complex. However, webelieve business people's attitude is important. If businesses discharge their responsibilities towards society and use what they get from society for society,social justice and fairness will increase. That would very much conduce to social harmony.

The government will present its minimum wage bill(which has long been debated) to the Legislative Council in mid July. Hong Kong's demographics being as they are and jobs being less varied than they were,the mechanism of market forces determining wages is no longer effective. People from the lower social strata have earned smaller and smaller incomes. The poor-rich gap has widened and, as a result, social contradictions have intensified. The minimum wage legislation is what the government has joined hands with the working class to impose on businesses. With the resources they control, businesses can well live with the necessary evil of minimum pay. They should go along with the tide. If they help ensure the bill's passage instead of making any attempts to block it,they will project a much more positive public image. If good-hearted employees declare they support the minimum wage legislation and the rate they approve ofis relatively reasonable, employer-employee antagonism will ease.

In 2007, when he sought to be re-elected as Chief Executive, Donald Tsang said he would cut the profits tax rate from 17.5% to 15% if the economic situationand the government's finances permitted him to do so.Therefore, in 2008, the Financial Secretary announced in his Budget speech cutting it by one percentage point to 16.5% . Some business people have since kept asking that Donald Tsang make good his pledge by further cutting profits tax.

Some accountants have estimated that, if the government cuts the profits tax rate by another 1.5 percentage point as Donald Tsang has pledged, the public purse will lose about $10 billion a year. As the Europe debt crisis is worsening and more and more things have happened that may lead to a double-bottom global recession, it is far from wise for the government to cut profits tax now. It would be irresponsible for it to do as it pleases regardless of potential dangers. In our view, businesses should now not only refrain from pressing Donald Tsang to make good his pledge but also propose that the government raise profits tax (by,for example, 0.5 percentage point) so that its finances will be in better shape and Hong Kong can better cope with global economic uncertainties. It would not make Hong Kong less competitive to raise the profits tax rate to 17% , as it would then still be one percentage point lower than Singapore's. However, if, to advance Hong Kong's general interests, businesses propose that the government do so, citizens will look at them with new eyes.

What has recently happened has lowered businesses in citizens' estimation. It is because of many reasons that now many are hostile towards businesses, and some business-bashers do harbour misconceptions. However, if businesses have regard to public sentiment and show solicitude that becomes good-hearted employers, Hong Kong's atmosphere will improve, and it will be hopeful that "social harmony" is not just a slogan.

明報英語網「雙語社評」

english.mingpao.com/critic.htm

明報社評

2010.07.02

經濟民生須內外兼顧盼良心僱主創造和諧

回歸13 年的今日，香港與內地經濟的相互依存度，已經逆轉，香港有即將成為全球第二大經濟體的中國大陸為靠山，並非壞事，不過，香港要開拓經濟新增長點，避免過度倚賴金融業；另外，餅做大了之後，政府要適當分配，以達至一個相對公平合理的社會環境，改善民生，使深層次矛盾逐步化解，在這方面，我們祈盼有更多良心僱主出現，創造和諧的社會氛圍。

香港經濟創造了財富之後，要處理好分配。這方面涉及政治體制和權力結構，錯綜複雜，不過，我們認為商界的取態很重要，如果商界能夠取諸社會用諸社會，多從企業公民責任思考和實踐，使社會出現公義和相對公平合理的氛圍，將有利於社會和諧。

爭議多時的最低工資法案，政府本月中將提交立法會審議通過。基於本港人口結構和工種減少，工資由市場決定的機制失效，導致低下層市民收入拾級而下，貧富懸殊加劇，激化了社會矛盾。立法規管最低工資，是勞工階層與政府聯合迫使商界接受的結果。以商界擁有的資源，不難掌握最低工資乃必要之惡，他們若能順水推舟，不抗拒之餘，反而促使其成，則商界在普羅市民心目中的形象，自然正面得多。現階段若有良心僱主表態支持最低工資，而贊同的工資水平又相對合理，自然可以紓緩勞資的對立情緒。

至於利得稅，曾蔭權在2007 年競逐行政長官時，承諾若經濟和財政情况許可，任內會把利得稅由17.5%下調至15%。據此，財政司長在2008 年的財政預算案已經調低利得稅1 個百分點至16.5%，此後，有商界中人不斷要求曾蔭權兌現承諾，再減利得稅。

據會計界估計，政府若一步到位，實現曾蔭權的承諾，把利得稅下調1.5 個百分點，庫房每年少收約100 億元，歐洲債務危機惡化，全球經濟陷於雙底衰退因素愈來愈多，政府此際減利得稅，絕非明智之舉，若罔顧潛在危機，率性而行，是不負責任的做法。我們認為，商界此際不但不應要求曾蔭權兌現承諾，反而應該建議政府加利得稅，例如加0.5 個百分點，使政府的財政收入更鞏固，以對抗不確定的全球經濟環境。現在若有商界中人從香港整體利益出發，建議加利得稅至17%（仍低新加坡1 個百分點），無損香港的競爭力，市民對商界也會刮目相看。

近期發生一些事，使商界在市民心目中的形象沉降，湧現「仇商情緒」，箇中原因很多，也存在誤解；如果商界能夠多從民情出發，主動顯示良心僱主的體恤，則香港整體氛圍自然改善，和諧社會有望不致只流於口號而已。

Glossary

demographics /?dem ?'grafIks/

data relating to the population and differentgroups within it.

estimation

a judgement or opinion about the value orquality of a thing or person.

sentiment /'sentIm ?nt/

feeling or opinion, especially one based on emotions.