雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】THE PROPOSED ALLOCATION of $5.45 billion for the Disneyland expansion plan, though criticised for "debasing Hong Kong and undermining its authority", has been approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council by 30 votes to 24. The Disneyland management must be all smiles, as the HKSAR government, perpetually playing the goat, has once again delved into its own pocket to ensure that Disneyland will make hefty profits and incur absolutely no loss. It is taxpayers who have to accept all this grudgingly when the government dumps billions of dollars, all of which is public money, into a pit with no bottom in sight.

ENG audio 1

Last year the government reached a deal with Disneyland over the expansion plan, under which a total of $10.9 billion would be contributed by the two parties in proportion to their shares in the theme park. The plan was immediately challenged by different sectors of society. It was because, according to the 1999 agreement between the government and Disneyland, the latter receives huge amounts of franchise fees and management fees from the government no matter whether the theme park is operating at a profit or a loss. The expansion plan would in every way benefit Disneyland, while the government could face a double whammy, as it had to shoulder Disneyland's losses. In November last year, the Legco Panel on Economic Development adopted a non-binding motion, demanding that the government postpone the expansion plan. The government paid no regard to the motion and submitted its funding request, heavy-handedly, to the Finance Committee.

ENG audio 2

In an attempt to reduce opposition to the plan from different sides of society, the government negotiated with Disneyland. But the latter merely agreed to finetune the proportion of fund injection, which would result in the government paying several hundred million dollars less. Apart from that, no major concessions were obtained, and the management fees would be calculated exactly the same way as before. The government's weakness is no doubt disappointing. What is even more disheartening, however, is that government officials leapt to Disneyland's defence, telling lawmakers outright that the company would not accept further proposals, that they had to "take it or leave it", and that Disneyland would not come up with a better proposal for the next administration either. Gregory So, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, even claimed that the government should not look at a matter solely from its point of view in a business negotiation. But in fact, is it not a basic game rule to make seemingly outrageous demands as an opening gambit at the negotiating table and test the bottom line of the other side incessantly in an attempt to maximise your side's interest? What a preposterous idea it is to put yourself in the shoes of others every step of the way!

ENG audio 3

Different motions have been put forwarded by lawmakers since the Finance Committee began deliberating on the funding request. These motions, with demands ranging from revising the calculation base for the management fees to laying down prerequisites for the funding, have all been voted down. One lawmaker who supported the funding cited facilities like swimming pools run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department as an example, claiming that such items were also investment projects that were costly and non-profitable. Her conclusion was that the government could not scrap an item just because it was operated at a loss. By comparing the use of public money to satisfy citizens' needs for leisure and cultural activities and the use of it to subsidise Disneyland's profit making, the lawmaker was making a deliberate attempt to confuse matters. The Finance Committee, by giving the green light to the expansion plan, has deprived Hong Kong people of a major opportunity to put pressure on Disneyland. It has also made the government's weaknesses more visible to Disneyland — now it could ask even more from the government. Our fear is that it will be increasingly difficult to negotiate a good deal from the Disneyland over issues such as the land for the second phase of the theme park.

ENG audio 4

立法會財委會在「喪權辱港」批評聲音下，以30票贊成24票反對，通過政府注資54.5億元擴建迪士尼樂園（下稱樂園）的撥款申請。迪士尼有特區政府繼續貼錢做「羊牯」，確保豬籠入水穩賺不賠，當然笑逐顏開，難為納稅人眼白白看着政府將數十億公帑投入這個「無底洞」。

PTH audio 1

政府軟弱屈從迪士尼 立會未捍衛市民利益

去年政府與迪士尼就擴建樂園達成協議，按雙方股權比例合共注資109億元，然而社會各界質疑聲音四起，皆因根據1999年政府與迪士尼簽訂的協議，無論樂園是賺是蝕，迪士尼都可以向政府收取巨額專利權費和管理費，擴建樂園對迪士尼肯定有利，惟特區政府卻要承擔虧損，隨時賠了夫人又折兵。去年11月，立法會經濟發展事務委員會通過無約束力動議，要求政府押後擴建計劃，可是政府不為所動，硬闖財委會申請撥款。

PTH audio 2

政府為求減少社會各界反對聲音，跟迪士尼展開談判，可是迪士尼除了同意稍微修訂擴建注資比例，讓政府少付數億元外，並未作出任何重大讓步，管理費計算方法分毫未改。政府談判表現軟弱，固然令人失望，更令人沮喪的是官員事後竟然給迪士尼「保駕護航」，向立法會議員表明，迪士尼強調不會接受進一步的方案，「Take it or leave it」，要麼接受，要麼拉倒，即使下屆政府再提出，迪士尼也不會有更好的方案。商經局長蘇錦樑還聲稱，商業談判時，政府不能夠只從自己的立場思考，云云。談判桌上開天索價，不斷試探對方的真正底線，盡力爭取己方利益，乃是商業合作的基本遊戲規則，豈有事事替對方着想之理？

PTH audio 3

自上月初財委會審議擴建撥款以來，多名議員都提出動議，要求修訂管理費計算基礎，又或附加撥款條件，惟均無功而還。有支持撥款的議員以康文署游泳池等設施為例，聲稱有關項目都是開支大卻不賺錢的投資，然而不能因項目蝕錢便選擇放棄，云云。有關說法實際是混淆視聽，將運用公帑滿足市民文娛活動需要，與動用公帑貼錢幫迪士尼牟利混為一談。財委會為撥款擴建開綠燈，不僅令港人失去了向迪士尼施壓的重要機會，也讓迪士尼更加清楚洞悉政府的軟弱無能，隨時得寸進尺。日後政府若想就樂園第二期發展用地等問題，跟迪士尼討價還價，恐怕難上加難。

PTH audio 4

明報社評2017.05.03

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Ms CHIU, Toby Yim-tung

Lecturer

www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/CHIU,_Toby_Yim-tung-91.html

蔡維玉

講師

www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/CHOI,_Wai-yuk-322.html

【Bilingual Editorial】