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■張建宗宣布容許移居廣東的合資格長者在當地領取生果金的「廣東計劃」。 資料圖片
勞工及福利局局長張建宗10日宣布容許移居廣東的合資格長者在當地領取生果金的「廣東計劃」。事實上，隨著內地生活水平和人民幣匯率提高，當局應加快把長者津貼納入「廣東計劃」，增加計劃津貼金額，配合放寬離港限制，為港人在內地安老提供更多的支持。
長者回流的原因，是由於近年內地通脹和人民幣連番升值，令長者僅憑千多元生果金難以應付內地養老需要。事實上，香港長者以往可以靠積蓄到內地養老，生活還有餘裕。但是，「廣東計劃」由上屆政府於2011年提出，長者現時在內地的生活開支已比2年前大增。現時「廣東計劃」申請人只可每月領取1,135元，和剛於4月推行的每月2,200元長津，相差1,065元，這份差額對長者在內地生活有很大幫助。雖然當局有意研究把長津計劃納入「廣東計劃」，但強調要待有關計劃實施一段時間後，在1年內展開檢討後才考慮實施。
當局除放寬生果金的離港限制和擴大「廣東計劃」金額外，更應檢討目前的社福政策，兼顧粵港融合趨勢，在醫療、房屋、福利等政策支援方面，多與內地部門和社福機構合作，為在內地安老的港人提供更完善的支援。
Speed up the extension of old age living allowance to Guangdong Scheme
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare Cheung Kin-chung announced on 10 June the 隼uangdong Scheme* under which eligible elderly people who have moved to Guangdong Province will be allowed to collect fruit money in their locality of residence. In fact, the living standard on the mainland has been rising and Renminbi keeps on appreciating. The authorities should step up their efforts to incorporate the old age living allowance into the Guangdong Scheme and increase the sum of allowance under the scheme. These can tie in with the easing of eligibility restrictions on absence from Hong Kong, providing greater support to Hong Kong elderly people who choose to spend their old age on the mainland.
Currently, many elders are moving back to Hong Kong because of inflation on the mainland and the continual appreciation of Renminbi in recent years. The fruit money which is just more than HKD1,000 is now hardly enough for the old people to live their lives on the mainland. In the past, the elders were able to lead quite a comfortable life on the mainland on just their own savings. The Guangdong Scheme was introduced by the former government in 2011, but now the living expenses for the elderly people residing on the mainland have increased considerably compared with those two years ago. At present, a Guangdong Scheme applicant receives only HKD1,135 a month, which is HKD1,065 less than the old age living allowance of HKD2,200 passed in April this year. This difference is good enough for the elders from Hong Kong to improve lives on the mainland. Although the government has expressed the intention to study the incorporation of the old age living allowance into the Guangdong Scheme, it has also stressed that such action will only take place after the scheme has been reviewed within a year after it has been in operation for a certain period of time.
Apart from easing the eligibility restrictions on absence from Hong Kong for receiving fruit money and increasing the sum of allowance under the Guangdong Scheme, the authorities should also review the current social welfare policies, taking into consideration the trend of convergence between Guangdong and Hong Kong. It should engage in greater collaboration with mainland agencies and social welfare organizations in areas of medical care, housing and social welfare policies in order to provide better support to the Hong Kong elderly people who choose to live on the mainland in their twilight years.（節自香港《文匯報》2013年6月11日） ■Translation by Tung-ming [tungming23@gmail.com]
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