Bureaucracy in the new era
文章日期:2018年1月5日

雙語社評齊齊聽

[英語 (足本收聽)]

[普通話 (足本收聽)]

THE BEIJING AUTHORITIES' violent move to expel the so-called "low-end population" has rendered many workers originally from other regions homeless. In the meantime, the policy to replace the burning of coal for heat with natural gas and electricity has been plagued by construction delays, because of which residents in many areas are shivering with cold. These policy blunders can be summed up in one term — bureaucracy.

[ENG audio 1]

In the past, the Beijing authorities did carry out routine inspections of flats that did not meet residential requirements and ordered that they be rectified. However, as the problem, though prevalent, did not pose an imminent danger, government officials connived at it, which was also indicative of their bureaucracy. The blaze in the Daxing region on 18th November resulted in 19 deaths. The regional government took prompt action and inspected all the flats that posed a safety hazard and evicted the residents. Now the measure of conducting checks on housing that is potentially dangerous is what every government should do promptly. But the yardstick by which to measure how bureaucratic a policy is how it is executed.

[ENG audio 2]

Beijing has now a population of over 20 million. The urban sprawl is continuing, creating problems ceaselessly. Seen in this light, the incumbent government's proposal to get rid of Beijing's "non-capital functions" is a laudable move. In fact, wholesale markets that are situated amid the hustle and bustle of a city not only affect the cityscape, but also create a larger problem — serious traffic congestion that can otherwise be prevented. As the disadvantages of keeping these markets outweigh the advantages, they should be outlawed. The question is how.

[ENG audio 3]

The term "low-end population" is derived from "practitioners of low-end occupations". Government officials and scholars, too indolent to learn the proper respect they should give other people, began to use "low-end population" as an abbreviation in different documents and on different occasions. As the so-called "low-end population" live in housing that is potentially unsafe and work in sectors that are not part of the functions of the capital and that are to be phased out, their room to eke out a living in Beijing is getting increasingly limited. The government's violent move to evict them is an act of bureaucracy.

[ENG audio 4]

As for the burning of pulverised coal in villages, it is not only inefficient but also a major factor in pollution. Recently in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, decrees have been issued to ban the practice, which is common in villages in Northern China. This will go a long way towards solving the pollution problem of Beijing and reducing national carbon emission, and as such is the right move by the government. The substitution of natural gas or electricity for coal as a source of heat is not only clean, but also beneficial to the reduction of environmental pollution caused by the transportation of coal. Though it is slightly more expensive, it is worthwhile to make the switch given its protection for the environment. The question is how the policy should be carried out.

[ENG audio 5]

In expelling the "low-end population", the Beijing municipal government has earned itself a place of infamy for being "cruel and unjust". This is because those people were languishing low down in the social hierarchy and the government paid no regard to the fact that they would be rendered homeless out in the bitter cold if they were evicted. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has offered hopes of national rejuvenation and aroused people's high expectations. Bureaucracy must not be allowed to tarnish the spirit of the 19th National Congress, which is to regard people as the top priority.

[ENG audio 6]

明知出問題照硬闖 新時代官僚主義更可怕

北京近日粗暴驅趕「低端」人口離開,導致眾多外來民工流離失所;而以天然氣和電力取代燃煤供暖的政策,又由於工程延誤等原因導致大範圍居民要捱凍,這些決策失誤,歸納起來大概就是官僚主義。

[PTH audio 1]

北京過去對不符合居住條件的公寓房,不斷有檢查,也曾勒令改造,但由於情况普遍,以及未有造成即時的危險,官員也就睜一眼閉一眼,這也是官僚主義的表現之一。到上月18日大興區發生大火,奪走19條人命,區政府立即行動,巡查全部有危險隱患的房子,並將裏面的住客趕走。對於篩查危險隱患房子的措施,每一個政府都應該做,而且必須及時去做,但如何執行才是檢查官僚主義的標準。

[PTH audio 2]

北京市目前人口超過2000萬,市區不斷擴大,城市病有增無減,本屆政府提出要將並非首都功能疏解,這是值得肯定的措施,而事實上在鬧市中的批發市場,不但對市容市貌有負面影響,最大的問題是引來不必要的交通嚴重擠塞,這是得不償失的,應該取締,問題還在於如何執行。

[PTH audio 3]

「低端人口」這個名詞的來源是「低端行業的從業人員」,後來慵懶的官員和學者,不知對人的起碼尊重,在大小文件和場合中都用了「低端人口」的簡稱。這些「低端人口」住在有安全隱患的房子,從事非首都功能而需要被淘汰的行業,他們在北京生存的空間本來就愈來愈小,現在政府用粗暴的手段把他們掃地出門,就是官僚主義的表現。

[PTH audio 4]

農村燒散煤是效率低下並且製造污染的重要因素,目前京津冀地區頒發政令,取締這種在北方農村普遍採用的做法,對解決北京市的空氣污染有很大的幫助,對減少全國碳排放量也有貢獻,是政府應有之舉。取而代之的是以天然氣或電力供暖,既使用了清潔能源,還可以減少在運輸煤的過程中造成的環境污染,雖然價格稍微昂貴,但衡量對環境的保護作用,還是值得去做的,問題還是在於如何執行。

[PTH audio 5]

北京市政府在驅趕「低端人口」的問題上背負一個不仁不義的罵名,是因為對這些本來就在社會底層艱難掙扎的人群,不理會驅趕他們會令他們在寒冬中顛沛流離。中共十九大給民族復興帶來希望,給人民帶來期盼,不能因為官僚主義作風,把十九大的以人民為中心的精神帶來負面影響。

[PTH audio 6]

明報社評2017.12.11

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

Dr TAO, Kimberly Wei-yi

Lecturer

www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/TAO,_Kimberly_Wei-yi-382.html

蔡維玉

講師

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

【Bilingual Editorial】