強積金淪不公義化身 當局須拿出決心匡正

<轉載自2015年9月16日 明報 社評>

本港衆多的深層次矛盾，強積金肯定是其中之一，其不公義實質，加深了勞資對立和打工仔對政府的怨懟。當局知道箇中利害，也提出優化措施意圖補救，只是改革進度太慢，未能符合實際需要。例如預期年底將推出的預設基金，能否扭轉管理費高昂仍未知道，梁振英在競選特首時提出的逐步取消強積金與遣散費及長期服務金的對冲機制，則3年來未有進展。昨日有傳媒報道說明年1月的施政報告將提出取消對冲機制，期望今次並非再一次狼來了，而是梁振英已有決心處理這個棘手問題。

高管理費對冲機制 剝蝕打工仔血汗錢

報道引述政府消息人士透露，為免僱主要一次過作出太大承擔，減少商界反對聲音，政府構思新措施不會有追溯力，容許實施日期前的僱主供款，仍然可以對冲，即是實施後的僱主新供款，才會取消對冲。勞工及福利局長張建宗回答記者提問時，並未否定政府正構思取消對冲機制，只說現在處於聆聽階段，未有傾向看法。他同時強調取消對冲是複雜的事，必須平衡各方面，找到適合的路。從這些事態看來，政府已經把取消對冲機制排上議事日程，有理由相信梁振英會在他的第4份施政報告，向市民有所交代。

打工仔每提起強積金，大多咬牙切齒，因為辛勤所得竟然被七除八扣，只剩一個桔，不足以維持退休生活。先說強積金的管理費和回報。根據工聯會定期發布的強積金最新資料，市面有38個強積金計劃涉及537隻基金，年度實際基金開支已經突破100億元；強積金實行了15年，資產累積約6000億元。若每年基金開支平均為50億元，則打工仔已經給銀行、保險公司、基金經理等相關人等奉獻了750億元。

委託人說過強積金成立之初，因為需要投入資本，而資產不多，管理費高昂是必然的事，待運作底定和資產增加之後就會相應下調，云云。這些說辭，事實證明一派胡言。按工聯會的研究，8年前的強積金實際基金開支約40億元，現在突破100億元，期內打工仔人數沒有特別增長，開支卻增加了150%；若非牟取暴利，根本無法解釋。另外，截至今年7月，537隻基金的回報大約65%低於通脹，較前年上升34個百分點，62%基金回報亦跑輸盈富基金。

由此可見，打工仔的強積金要繳付高昂管理費等費用，回報卻少得可憐，折射出來的現實是：法例規定並容許透過基金開支剝削打工仔的血汗錢，完全偏離了強積金為市民退休保障4條支柱之一的原旨，景况極其荒謬。

除了管理費高、回報低，對冲機制是強積金另一個不公義。現行強積金對冲機制，法例容許僱主向離職僱員發放長期服務金或遣散費後，可從僱員的強積金戶口內僱主供款部分提取相同款額以作抵消。這個機制，影響最大的是低薪一族，薪金低於強積金供款下限7100元的打工仔，本已毋須作僱員供款，如被遣散時94%的僱主供款因為對冲機制而被冲走，則這些僱員的退休保障差不多等於零。

強積金對冲機制已經淪為「僱主錢罌」。由2009至2014年，每年對冲金額約26億至30億元，估計15年以來，至少約有230億元強積金被僱主用作對冲遣散費和長服金。前任積金局主席胡紅玉今年3月離職時，批評對冲機制對打工仔不公平，認為政府應該取消機制，不能再拖。

預設基金成效未知 須繼續逼減管理費

實施強積金的主要目的是強迫僱員儲蓄，透過受託人資產管理，使僱員退休時有一筆錢養老。但是實踐下來，整個計劃完全荒腔走板，過去15年，對冲機制與歷年基金開支加起來涉及約1000億元，數額龐大，反映強積金計劃究竟為誰而設？替什麼人服務？真是說不清楚了。清楚的則是打工仔不能靠強積金安享晚年。

預期年底實施的預設基金計劃，規定每年管理費上限不能高於0.75%，與去年平均基金開支1.65%比較，算是當局回應強積金被指「不公平、不公義」的作為。不過，這會否收到效果，仍須視乎當局如何引導市民正確體待新計劃。其實，預設基金只是芸芸強積金計劃的基金之一，仍然未能全盤解決管理費高昂的問題，當局要繼續設法透過強力監管強積金計劃，迫使基金調低收費至合理水平。

強積金制度未能達至政策目標，其不公義實質已經暴露無遺，一個退休制度竟然成為替金融界生金蛋的鵝，委實咄咄怪事。另外，強積金的不公義，正在侵蝕香港的肌體，社會貧富對立，市民怨懟政府，一定程度與此有關。因此，政府務必拿出決心整治，否則社會不可能和諧，而對立和怨懟持續累積，也有可能成為衝擊社會安定的計時炸彈，必須及早拆除。

Injustice of MPF system is threatening social stability

 WITHOUT a shadow of a doubt, the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) system is one of the sources of Hong Kong's many deep-seated conflicts. It is an unjust arrangement, and has worsened the antagonism between employees and employers as well as working people's dissatisfaction with the government. While the authorities are well aware of this and have introduced measures to improve the MPF system, the slow pace of reform has been unable to meet the practical needs of society. Yesterday it was reported that the abolishment of the offsetting mechanism would be proposed in the policy address to be published next January. It is our hope that Hong Kong people will not be let down again and that Leung Chun-ying will have the determination to tackle the thorny issue.

The report quoted a government source as saying that, in order to save employers from "committing too much" and reduce opposition from the business community, the government is planning to introduce a new, non-retroactive measure. In other words, contributions made by employers before the effective date can still be used for offsetting purposes. Employers' contributions made after that date, however, will be barred from serving such purposes. When answering questions asked by the media, Matthew Cheung, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, did not deny that the government was planning to abolish the offsetting mechanism, saying merely that the government was listening to different views and had not sided with any of them as yet. He added that the abolishment of the offsetting mechanism was a complicated matter, and that in order to choose the right way for Hong Kong, the government had to find a balance between different aspects.
When it comes to the MPF system, most working people are gnashing their teeth. It is because under the system, a myriad of deductions are made from their hard-earned money, making what is left too meagre to support their retirement. Consider the management fees and the returns. According to the latest information released by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU), which releases such information regularly, there are altogether 38 MPF plans on the market, which are linked to 537 funds. The yearly expenditure on these funds has exceeded $10 billion. It has been fifteen years since MPF system was introduced, and its total accumulated assets amount to around $600 billion. Let us assume that the yearly expenditure on these funds is $5 billion. Over the past 15 years, employees have given $75 billion to banks, insurance companies, fund managers, etc.

When the MPF system first came into operation, its trustees maintained that, since the system needed capital to run and since there was not much capital at the beginning, high management fees would be inevitable. The trustees said that, when the system began to run smoothly and accumulate capital, the management fees would be lower. Such a theory has now proved to be an exploded myth. According to studies conducted by the HKFTU, MPF yearly expenditure was around $4 billion eight years ago. It has now exceeded $10 billion. In other words, while the size of the working population has stayed largely the same over the past eight years, the expenditure has jumped by 150 per cent. The only logical explanation is that unreasonably high profits are being made from the MPF system.

As a policy, the MPF system has failed to achieve its objectives. Its injustice has been completely exposed. It is very bizarre that a retirement system has become a goose that lays golden eggs for the finance industry. Furthermore, the injustice of the MPF system is destroying the social fabric of Hong Kong. To a certain extent, it has contributed to the antagonism between the rich and the poor and Hong Kong people's dissatisfaction with the government. The government must have the determination to fix the MPF system. Otherwise, it will be impossible for society to be harmonious, and society's antagonism and dissatisfaction could accumulate into a time bomb that threatens society stability. The bomb has to be defused as soon as possible.

強積金淪不公義化身 當局須拿出決心匡正

本港衆多的深層次矛盾，強積金肯定是其中之一，其不公義實質，加深了勞資對立和打工仔對政府的怨懟。當局知道箇中利害，也提出優化措施意圖補救，只是改革進度太慢，未能符合實際需要。昨日有傳媒報道說明年1月的施政報告將提出取消對冲機制，期望今次並非再一次狼來了，而是梁振英已有決心處理這個棘手問題。

報道引述政府消息人士透露，為免僱主要一次過作出太大承擔，減少商界反對聲音，政府構思新措施不會有追溯力，容許實施日期前的僱主供款，仍然可以對冲，即是實施後的僱主新供款，才會取消對冲。勞工及福利局長張建宗回答記者提問時，並未否定政府正構思取消對冲機制，只說現在處於聆聽階段，未有傾向看法。他同時強調取消對冲是複雜的事，必須平衡各方面，找到適合的路。

打工仔每提起強積金，大多咬牙切齒，因為辛勤所得竟然被七除八扣，只剩一個桔，不足以維持退休生活。先說強積金的管理費和回報。根據工聯會定期發布的強積金最新資料，市面有38個強積金計劃涉及537隻基金，年度實際基金開支已經突破100億元；強積金實行了15年，資產累積約6000億元。若每年基金開支平均為50億元，則打工仔已經給銀行、保險公司、基金經理等相關人等奉獻了750億元。

委託人說過強積金成立之初，因為需要投入資本，而資產不多，管理費高昂是必然的事，待運作底定和資產增加之後就會相應下調，云云。這些說辭，事實證明一派胡言。按工聯會的研究，8年前的強積金實際基金開支約40億元，現在突破100億元，期內打工仔人數沒有特別增長，開支卻增加了150%；若非牟取暴利，根本無法解釋。

強積金制度未能達至政策目標，其不公義實質已經暴露無遺，一個退休制度竟然成為替金融界生金蛋的鵝，委實咄咄怪事。另外，強積金的不公義，正在侵蝕香港的肌體，社會貧富對立，市民怨懟政府，一定程度與此有關。因此，政府務必拿出決心整治，否則社會不可能和諧，而對立和怨懟持續累積，也有可能成為衝擊社會安定的計時炸彈，必須及早拆除。