Page 5 - Retailers2013Winter_SP_low

雖然商界普遍都對一年一度的施政報告沒什期望， 惟剛公佈的2014/2015施政報告卻令商界萌生更大的 憂慮，因報告集中在扶貧助弱，對經濟發展着墨不 多，更沒有提及佔香港經濟產值9成以上的中小企業 和對政府財政貢獻最大的中產階層！儘管商界向來 支持對弱勢社群增加支援，但施政報告不禁令人憂 慮增加龐大福利開支的錢從何來？香港今後可能需 要加稅去支付增加的經常開支！

應屆行政長官的第二份施政報告，基本上與其選舉 政綱是一致的，致力在其任內改善香港的住屋難和 貧窮問題兩大目標。但對於經濟發展方面的選舉承 諾，包括：制定產業政策、積極支援中小企、促進 香港旅遊及零售業發展等，不單止政策欠奉，而且 還出現逆承諾而行的措施！

梁振英先生在選舉政綱明確提出：「向國家爭取， 將現有深圳居民一年多簽的自由行擴大至珠三角城 市，同時提升邊境通關效率，令珠三角居民來港消 費從旅遊消費逐步變日常消費，增加港人就業機 會」，以及「提升本港旅遊服務的吸引力」，「增 建會展場地」，「提升和推廣香港的批發產業」！ 及至上任後與批發及零售行業聚會的場合上，亦有 強調當年他上北京向中央游說開放個人遊以協助香 港經濟復蘇所付出的努力。

但是，言猶在耳，施政報告一句因應“過量或過於 集中的旅客會對香港構成壓力＂，竟然變成“中央 政府同意暫不增加個人遊赴港試點城市，以及暫不 擴大一簽多行措施試點範圍。＂

我們完全理解政府因自由行旅客大幅增加，但香港 旅遊和商業設施未能配套而導致的中港矛盾升溫， 以及對政府構成的壓力；立法會也曾多次就此辯論 為政府投入資源去改善配套來舖路。然而，行政長 官並未有乘勢而上一扭過去10年停滯不前的局面， 將危機變成商機，反而將無盡商機的大門關上，與 他經常強調的“迎難而上＂ 工作態度相違背，實在 遺憾！

The business community never had any rosy expectation of the Policy Address this year but when the content was revealed, the general sentiment was one of heightened concerns. The key focus of the Chief Executive's Policy Address was pover ty alleviation with insignificant attention paid to economic development. Worse still, neither our SMEs which contribute to 90% of the local economy nor the middle class whose tax payments made up the largest chunk of the Government coffers got a mention. Although the business community is all for helping the under-privileged, the Policy Address inevitably led many to question how the social welfare expenditure is going to be funded. We may have to face with the reality that taxes would have to go up in the future to sustain Government recurrent expenses!

The Chief Executive's second Policy Address is consistent with his election pledges – to address the issues of housing and poverty. However his pledges on economic development including the formulation of a development strategy, active support to SMEs and promotion of tourism and retail trade etc are not only absent in his Policy Address, we are even seeing policies that run counter to those pledges.

Mr. C.Y. Leung clearly stated in his election platform that he would "request the Central Government to extend the 'Multiple Entries per Year' arrangement currently available to Shenzhen residents under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) to cover other cities in the Pearl River Delta... which will have the added effect of increasing employment opportunities in Hong Kong." Mr. Leung also pledged to promote the development of tourism, increase conference and exhibition space as well as enhance and promote the wholesale trade segment. He has also stressed his efforts to lobby the Central Government to launch the IVS which has led to the quick economic turnaround for Hong Kong.

These pledges were still fresh in our minds but were brushed aside in this year's Policy Address which stated that "an excessive number or over-concentration of visitors may exert pressure on Hong Kong... the Central Government has agreed to a temporary freeze on the number of pilot cities for the IVS and the scope of the multiple entry permit arrangement."

I fully understand the IVS has increased the number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong drastically and that local tourism infrastructure was incapable of handling the volume causing pressure to the Government. Legislative Council has debated this subject in several occasions paving the way for the Government to increase resources to improve various local infrastructural developments. Unfortunately, the Chief Executive failed to turn risks into opportunities but instead decided to close the door to potential businesses. This was contrary to Mr. Leung's favourite motto: perseverance in adversity.

Message from Legislative Councillor Functional Constituency Representative for Wholesale & Retail

立法會議員之話 批發及零售界功能組別代表

Hon. Vincent Fang, SBS, JP

方剛先生

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