■如何照顧退休長者，是檢視政府扶貧成效的重要指標。 資料圖片【原文】政府早前公佈「2016年香港貧窮情況報告」，指貧窮人口突破135萬人，香港每5人中便有1人屬於貧窮（impoverished）。有相關政府官員發表網誌，反駁愈扶愈貧的說法。
現時長者貧窮問題日益突出，未來扶貧（poverty alleviation）工作更需針對性，投放更多資源照顧長者，完善退休保障，令扶貧更有成效。
在政府大力推行扶貧政策之下，貧窮人口不降反升，且創下新高，應看到這中間既有統計的因素，亦有人口結構變化的原因。
相關官員指，香港使用的是「相對貧窮（relative poverty）」理念，2016年恒常現金福利介入（policy interventions of recurrent cash benefits）前，貧窮線下的住戶收入與「貧窮線」總差距為385億元；介入後，除了有17萬住戶脫離「貧窮線」 ，還在「貧窮線」下的住戶收入與「貧窮線」的總差距收窄至199億元，故政府沒有「愈扶愈貧」。
三分一長者貧窮 退保最緊要
更值得關注的是，長者貧窮人數已超過33萬，平均每3個長者就有1個是貧窮人口。由於長者退休後大多沒有收入，在人口老化（ageing population）加速的大趨勢下，長者佔人口比例的提升直接拉升貧窮率。
本港人口老化趨勢加劇（aggravating），擺在政府面前一個急待解決的問題，就是如何更好地照顧退休長者，因為不少長者沒有工作收入，而本港又沒有退休保障機制，基層長者很快就成為貧窮人口，而且人數會越來越多。
加強財富再分配 可考慮加稅
讓長者安享晚年，政府責無旁貸，亦是檢視扶貧成效的重要指標。政府需增加對長者安老的資源投放，以適應長者群體越來越大、需求越來越多的趨勢。社會各界予以充分重視，尤其是企業界，應承擔（shoulder）更多社會責任，回饋長者。
香港作為一個富裕發達社會，人均GDP高達43,600多美元，在物質上有條件讓基層市民分享更多發展的紅利（fruits of success），營造公平和諧的社會。
本港的貧窮問題，既有人口老齡化的因素，亦涉及樓價租金高企、收入追不上資產升值等因素，政府必須加強財富的再分配，解決收入兩極化（income polarization），做到既扶貧又防貧。
收窄貧富差距，政府固然責無旁貸，富裕（affluent）階層亦應有所作為，主動回饋社會，承擔更多社會責任。事實上，本港商界並不排斥適當加稅（tax increases），政府應引導各界廣泛討論、凝聚共識，促進社會均衡發展，減少因貧富懸殊而產生的怨氣。 （標題及小標題為編輯所加） （摘錄自香港文匯報社評27-11-2017）
Ageing population: one big hurdle in combating poverty
【譯文】According to the "Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report 2016" announced by the government earlier, one fifth of the population live under the official poverty line as the number of impoverished people hits a record high of 1.35 million. However, government officials have rebutted in a blog post criticisms of poverty alleviation measures being ineffective.
As poverty among senior citizens becomes increasingly prominent, more targeted effort and resources should be devoted to both elderly care and retirement protection, so as to better combat poverty.
Statistical and demographic factors are some of the reasons why the poor population figure kept reaching new heights, despite the government's extensive efforts in fighting poverty. According to government officials, the poverty line in Hong Kong is currently based on the concept of "relative poverty". During 2016, before policy interventions of recurrent cash benefits, the total wealth gap between households under the poverty line and the line was HK$38.5 billion. The post-intervention figure was narrowed down to HK$19.9 billion and some 170,000 households were also lifted out of poverty. Therefore from this perspective, the government's poverty alleviation measures were not ineffective.
Elderly care most needed
Even more worrying is that the number of poor elders is now over 330,000, which is approximately a third of the elderly population in Hong Kong. Elders are very unlikely to have a stable income after retirement. Under the trend of ageing population, the rising proportion of elderly people would directly lead to an increase in poverty rate.
As the trend of ageing population is aggravating, the most urgent issue faced by the government is to improve elderly care. Since many elderly people do not have a stable income after retirement, and there is no retirement protection system in Hong Kong, more and more grass-roots elders will eventually fall under the poverty line.
Covering the elders' twilight years is the government's inarguable duty as well as a major indicator to the effectiveness of our poverty alleviation measures. In order to cope with the enlarging old age population and the demand that comes with it, the government has to commit more resources to elderly care. Different sectors of the society, especially the business sector, should shoulder more social responsibilities and give something back to our senior citizens.
As a fully-developed society with a GDP per-capita as high as US$ 43,600, Hong Kong has every condition to share the fruits of success with more grass-roots citizens and create a fair and harmonious society.
For fairer distribution of wealth
The problem of poverty in Hong Kong involves multiple factors. Apart from the ageing population, there are also factors like severely unaffordable home prices and rents, and the fall of purchasing power due to a lag in wage growth. The government must step up its efforts in wealth redistribution and effectively tackle the problem of income polarization, so as to achieve poverty alleviation as well as prevention.
Naturally, the government is duty-bound to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. However, the more affluent group in the society should also take action to pay back to the community and shoulder more social responsibility.
In fact, the business sector in Hong Kong does not resist reasonable tax increases. The government should take up a leading role in building consensus on this matter to promote a balanced development in our society, and reduce grievances arising from the disparity between the rich and the poor.■Jeffrey Tse [ywc_jeffrey@hotmail.com]
Exercise
1. 堅尼系數
2. 購買力平價
3. 綜合社會保障援助計劃（綜援）
4. 高齡津貼（生果金）
5. 長者生活津貼
Answers
1. Gini coefficient
2. Purchasing Power Parity
3. Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme
4. Old Age Allowance
5. Old Age Living Allowance