【明報專訊】IN THE LATEST BUDGET, from the new arrangement regarding the $2 transport fare concession scheme for the elderly, and the proposed boundary facilities fee on outbound private cars, to the slashing of the $2,500 student grant, a number of measures to raise revenue and cut costs have been met with controversy and criticisms. From the perspective of the Education Bureau, axing the student grant will not directly impact on resource allocations to schools and the quality of education. Yet, the grant cancellation indeed adds to the burden of lower- and middle-class parents; it also runs counter to the policy of encouraging childbearing.
Any measure to raise revenue and cut costs with an impact on people's financial welfare inevitably draws complaints. The new arrangement regarding the transport fare concession scheme for the elderly is an example. For trips with a fare above $10, 20% of the original fare will be charged. For elderly residents living in relatively remote districts in the New Territories and the outlying islands, it certainly means a significant increase in their expenses for long-distance travelling to and from the urban area. In a radio phone-in programme that the Financial Secretary attended yesterday (27 February), many expressed their discontent with the new arrangement.
The new Budget has dished out substantially less ''sugary'' sweeteners, scaling back relief measures by 30% year-on-year. While the public are more or less mentally prepared for this, some plans are relatively unexpected. Examples include the proposed boundary facilities fee on private cars departing via land boundary control points, and the scrapping of the $2,500 student grant.
The boundary facilities fee affects only tens of thousands of private car owners, but the cancellation of the $2,500 student grant involves as many as 800,000 students. It has not only elicited strong responses from parents, but also questions from the Legislative Council. Chu Kwok-keung, lawmaker for the education functional constituency, even issued a statement that the authorities had never consulted him regarding the grant cancellation. The Financial Secretary said that as the government has to cut spending, all bureaux and departments have to reduce their expenditure by 2%, with arrangements decided by the head of each bureau. He asked those affected for understanding, and to ''go through the hard times together''.
Launched in 2019, the $2,500 student grant covers all secondary school, primary school and kindergarten students. Education Secretary Christine Choi mentioned that as public finances are under strain, the authorities must concentrate resources on students with the most pressing needs. However, a member of the social services sector has noted that the current school textbook assistance scheme does not cover expenses like school uniforms and stationery. Without the student grant of several thousand dollars, some underprivileged parents may become unable to afford the tuition classes, interest classes or extracurricular activities of their children.
Indeed, the Education Bureau faces challenges in budget cuts. According to the Education Secretary, to meet the demand for a 2% reduction in spending would mean cutting over $6 billion from the education budget. Drastic cuts to school resources and funding could directly impact the quality of school education. The abolishment of the student grant already saves $2 billion annually, leaving room to explore other ways to save the remaining $4 billion.
Education is critically important to society. The government's across-the-board demand for a 2% budget cut in all departments, without any discretion to education, is problematic. What the public see is only the axing of subsidy to 800,000 students, while high-ranking government officials and civil servants can have a pay freeze rather than a pay cut. The anger of parents is not hard to understand.
明報社評 2025.02.28：取消學生津貼反彈大 削減教育開支須慎重
新一份《財政預算案》多項開源節流措施都引發爭議，無論是長者2元乘車優惠新安排、倡議向出境私家車開徵邊境建設費，還是取消2500元學生津貼，皆惹來質疑。對教育局而言，取消學生津貼，不會直接影響學校資源調撥及教育質素，但對於中下階層家長而言，取消津貼確實增加了他們的負擔，有關做法亦跟鼓勵生育政策背道而馳。
任何影響民生的開源節流措施，難免惹來怨言。以長者乘車優惠新安排為例，10元以上車票改為兩折收費，對居於新界離島較偏遠地區的長者而言，往來市區的長途車船費開支無疑多出一截。財爺昨天出席電台「烽煙」節目，不少市民都不滿長者乘車優惠新安排。
新一份預算案「派糖」措施大幅「減甜」，紓緩措施規模按年減少三成，公眾多少都有心理準備，不過也有一些倡議較為突然，擬向陸路離境私家車開徵邊境建設費，以及取消2500元學生津貼，都是例子。
徵收邊境建設費，受影響者也只是數萬名私家車主；取消學生2500元津貼，涉及的學生數目多達80萬，不僅家長反應強烈，立法會上也有不少質疑聲音，教育界立法會議員朱國強更發表聲明，指當局從未就取消有關津貼向他諮詢。財爺表示，政府要節流，各政策局及部門都要削減2%開支，具體安排由各政策局長決定，希望受影響的市民理解並「共渡時艱」。
2500元學生津貼安排於2019年推出，凡是中小學及幼稚園學生都有份。教育局長蔡若蓮提到，現在公共財政面臨挑戰，當局需要集中資源幫助最有需要的學生。但有社工界人士指出，現時書簿津貼並不覆蓋校服、文具等開支，少了數千元學生津貼，部分基層家長付不起錢幫子女報補習班、興趣班及課外活動。
誠然，教育局在削支問題上也有其難處。根據局長說法，若按削減開支2%的要求，當局須削減超過60億元教育開支。如果重手向學校開刀削減資源和撥款，可能直接影響學校教育質素；取消學生津貼，每年已可節省20億元，餘下40億元如何節省可以再想辦法。
教育對社會非常重要，政府以一刀切方式要求所有部門削支2%，未有因應教育需要酌情處理，其實是一個問題。公眾只見80萬學生津貼被削，高官公務員卻「凍薪不減薪」，家長心裏有氣，實在不難理解。
■/ Glossary 生字 /
concession：a reduction in an amount of money that has to be paid; a ticket that is sold at a reduced price to a particular group of people
discontent：a feeling of being unhappy because you are not satisfied with a particular situation
elicit：to get information or a reaction from sb, often with difficulty