Editorial：Government Should Inspire All Sectors to Reform
文章日期：2024年10月17日
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【明報專訊】THE NEW POLICY ADDRESS is to be published today (16 October). ''Reform'' and ''development'' will be the keywords of it as a response to the expectations of the central government; they also accentuate what is called for in today's Hong Kong. It is hoped that the SAR government will outline a blueprint for reform and development.
The incumbent administration has been in office for over two years. The upcoming Policy Address will be the third published by Chief Executive John Lee since he was sworn in. Lee has said the new Policy Address will have a green cover just like the one from last year to demonstrate the continuity and connectedness of government policies.
In the past, Hong Kong has long pursued economic liberalism. Guided by the ideology of ''small government, big market'', the authorities seldom put an emphasis on ''reform''. Times have changed, and Hong Kong is facing a new environment and new challenges. Now it has to seek changes and strive for development proactively. The government can no longer afford to be merely a market regulator or a bystander, but should play an active role as a reform facilitator.
Reform is no trivial matter. For Hong Kong to pursue economic upgrading and transformation, it is necessary to change the existing patterns and achieve a qualitative metamorphosis. The process will not be painless, and all sides of society will have to make some sacrifices. However, it is questionable whether all sectors are ready for reform.
Take the tourism industry, whose ecology has experienced change since the pandemic. Many people have pointed out the need for Hong Kong's tourism industry to reform and transform itself and change the ''quantity over quality'' mindset. However, the mentality of ''making a fast buck'' is still deeply ingrained in the sector. People in the industry admit it is quite difficult for the sector to transform itself.
Another example is the shipping industry. Even though the authorities have issued a policy document and set out the direction of reform, reception from the sector has been lukewarm. Every now and then, there are suggestions that part of the land on which container terminals are situated should be used for housing.
Furthermore, for Hong Kong to become an international hub for high-calibre skilled labour, universities play a pivotal role. To attract Nobel Prize scholars to Hong Kong, it is necessary for universities to build first-rate fundamental scientific research facilities to allow them to conduct high-level research. However, there are still opinions in political and business circles that the cost of building fundamental scientific research facilities is too high. If Hong Kong does not break free from such a conservative and myopic mentality, its road to reform will be paved with difficulties.
No doubt the SAR government has put in efforts in recent years to help various industries undergo upgrading and transforming. In the retail industry, for example, the government has set up an E-commerce Development Task Force to help the industry ride on the trend of e-commerce and online shopping. The Trade Development Council has also partnered with mainland e-commerce platforms to help Hong Kong businesses promote their products.
The central government has high expectations for Hong Kong's reform and hopes the local industrial and business sectors will actively participate rather than stay on the sidelines. In the future, the authorities should adopt more measures to support those who embrace change and dare to challenge those unwilling to change. As the overarching theme of the new Policy Address emphasises the idea of ''reform together'', the SAR authorities need to think more about how to galvanise different industries into reform so that reform will not become empty talk.
明報社評 2024.10.16：政府須發揮牽頭作用 推動各行業改革前行
新一份《施政報告》今天出爐，「改革」與「發展」成為了報告主題關鍵詞，呼應了中央的期許，也突顯了眼下香港需要，期望特區政府勾勒出改革發展藍圖。
現屆政府上任已有兩年多，今次是行政長官李家超發表任內第三份《施政報告》。李家超表示新一份報告封面將與去年一樣沿用綠色，以示政府政策的延續性及關連性。
過去香港長期奉行經濟自由主義，當局在「小政府大市場」意識形態下，甚少主動強調「改革」。時移世易，當下香港面對新環境新挑戰，必須積極求變謀發展，政府不能只當市場監管者或旁觀者，更要積極扮演改革促進者的角色。
改革不是請客吃飯，香港經濟要升級轉型，本身就意味要打破現行模式，實現質的躍進，過程不會無痛，各方都要有所付出，然而各界是否已做好改革的準備，卻是一個疑問。
疫後旅遊業生態轉變，不少人都指出香港旅遊業要改革轉型，改變「重量不重質」思維，只是「搵快錢」心態依然深深扎根於業界，有行內人士便不諱言，要業界轉型相當困難。
又例如航運業，雖然當局已發表政策文件，定下改革方向，但業界反應談不上很積極，依然不時有人主張索性把部分貨櫃碼頭用地拿來起樓。
香港要成為國際高端人才高地，大學角色舉足輕重。要吸引諾貝爾獎的學者來港，大學有必要興建頂級基礎科研設施，讓他們做高水平研究，然而政商界依然有聲音質疑，興建基礎科研設施花費大不划算。不擺脫以上因循思維和短線心態，香港改革只怕舉步維艱。
近年特區政府在協助各行各業升級轉型方面，無疑有下工夫，以零售業為例，政府便成立了電子商貿發展小組，協助業界趕上電子商務及網購大趨勢，貿發局更與內地電商平台合作，協助本港商戶推廣。
中央對香港改革寄予厚望，期望本港工商界積極參與，莫做旁觀者。當局未來應採取更多措施，對有心求變者要多加支持，對不願求變者則要敢於鞭策。新一份《施政報告》主題強調「齊改革」，特區當局需要多去思考，如何發動各行各業對改革的積極性，以免改革流於紙上談兵。
■/ Glossary 生字 /
trivial：not important or serious; not worth considering
metamorphosis：a process in which sb/sth changes completely into sth different
myopic：unable to see what the results of a particular action or decision will be; unable to think about anything outside your own situation
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