社評：地方政府財政囊中羞澀 基層公務員要回吐獎金

<轉載自2023年5月8日 明報 社評>

疫後第一年將近過半，內地經濟表現好壞參半，增長超過全年目標的5%不難達到，問題是在全面復蘇的過程中，不同增長速度對不同省份帶來的問題不能小覷，政府財政收入進一步萎縮，地方財政吃緊的程度加大，一些省份的地方債務仍在膨脹中，借新債還舊債的做法不可持續，中央除一再要求嚴控外，似乎亦無他法。更有一些省份要求公務員回吐往年多發的獎金，在中央與地方財政左支右絀的情况下，基層員工福利問題，更需要中央政府過問才能得以保障。

全年達到5%增長率無問題 地方政府舊債未清舉新債

首季度經濟增長率達到4.5%，比預期中表現更佳，國際貨幣基金組織也調高了中國經濟增長的全年預測至5.2%。然而，進出口表現並不理想，只有4.8%增長，疫後第一次舉辦的線下廣州交易會成交額比疫情前下降15%，隨着歐美市場疲軟加劇，以出口帶動全國經濟增長的比重將會下滑，這或許是廣東首季度經濟增長只有4%的原因。

經濟增長的另一頭馬車是消費，一季度的消費總額有5.8%增長，顯示消費信心已經復蘇，五一黃金周的旅遊收入達到1400億元人民幣，比預期中1200億元還要多，過去藏富於民而今演化成購買力，相信下半年的消費將會進一步帶動整體經濟增長。

疫後經濟很快能夠回復到疫情前，似乎毋須擔心，但在這個過程中，不同省份有不同的困難。比較突出的是地方債務問題，上月底召開的政治局會議，透露一個信息，中央關注地方債務問題，提出「要加強對地方債務管理，嚴控新增隱性債務」。加強管理是永恆的政策，「嚴控新增」的信息量很大，一是隱性債務問題嚴重，二是仍然在新增中。

青海省去年政府負債率達到84%，全國排名第一，貴州則以61.9%排第二，國際認可的負債率是100％至120%，國家則要求控制在50%以下，去年還有吉林、甘肅、天津和海南的負債率超過50%。中央一直以來三令五申嚴控地方政府舉債，地方政府則在玩「貓捉老鼠」的遊戲，正式以地方政府發行債券的形式在中央監控下無所遁形，但成立融資平台，讓國企借貸或者為政府工程融資，最後要擔保的還是地方政府，這種隱形債務，過去在中央睜一眼閉一眼，或者不同監督部門都閉一眼的情况下，地方債務「蒸蒸日上」。

貴州省政府公開承認，「無法通過自身解決」地方債，相當於向中央「攤牌」，要求中央政府協助解決。其實，通過中央轉移支付方式支持地方政府財政，今年將首次超過10億元大關，而中央政府的財政收入則並非財源滾滾，首季度中央級的公共預算收入減少4.7%，而各種開支有增無減，首季度債務利息支出增加15.9%，社會保障和就業支出增幅9.6%，而個人所得稅收入則下降4.4%，說明失業補助或者鼓勵再就業的開支不菲。

拖欠農民工工資重新出現 公務員要回吐兩年前獎金

屋漏偏逢連夜雨的是最底層的農民工，一度沉寂的農民工被拖欠工資情况重現，而且很大一部分拖欠工資的僱主，是政府工程承包商，政府拖欠工程款，工頭拖欠工人工資，這種勞資糾紛，勞資仲裁即使沒有偏袒政府部門，過了仲裁一關之後還要到法院訴訟，成本高昂，通過法律手段解決問題比蜀道還難。

公務員以及公用事業職工則被要求「回吐」獎金，公務員和公用事業職工即教師與醫生等，年終獎金是總收入的重要組成部分。廣東部分地方政府已經發出指令，要求公務員以及公用事業單位職工，退回2021年多發的獎金，比例在三分之一至一半不等，一些基層公務員及公用事業職工要回吐幾萬元。公務員及教師去年已經取消了年終獎，連退休公務員退休金中的獎金也被削減，總體收入減少三到四成，而今還要「翻舊帳」，將兩年前多發的獎金回吐。

政府要求公務員減少收入與全國共渡時艱，無可厚非，而回溯兩年前的政策，是否有點過分，見仁見智。問題是能否增加透明度以顯示公正公義，不同層級的公務員分配獎金有嚴格要求和程序，要求回吐獎金也遵循同樣的標準嗎？政府在削減開支方面，只有向公務員工資一項開刀嗎？是否存在一邊削減工資，一邊興建高檔辦公樓？這些都欠一個交代。

國家總體方針是共同富裕，毫無爭議，但在經濟不景或者一些省份增長提速不及其他省份情况下，共同富裕應該通過什麼政策來實施，青海資源貧瘠而發展不起來，需要扶持是理所當然，但一些省份因為「過度投資」而負債纍纍，中央也一定要毫無差別地「救市」（bail out）嗎？長此以往，還能鼓勵其他省份遵照中央嚴控的精神嗎？

共同富裕是長遠目標，過渡期間需要得到保障的是基層職工，他們被欠薪或者剋扣工資只能啞忍，地方政府面對的困難是全方位的，政府部門的債務不能追究，企業的債務則要扶持，這個時候，只有中央拿出全面可行的方案，才能保障基層員工的福利。

Local Governments' Tight Finances on the Mainland

Almost half a year has passed since the end of the pandemic. Mainland China's economic performance has been uneven.

The economy grew in the first quarter by 4.5%, which was better than expected. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also raised its full-year forecast for China's economic growth to 5.2%. However, import and export performance was not satisfactory, with only 4.8% growth. As the European and American markets weaken, the proportion of national economic growth driven by exports will slide, which is probably why Guangdong's economic growth in the first quarter was only 4%.

Another driver of economic growth is consumption. In the first quarter of the year, total consumption increased by 5.8%, showing that consumer confidence has recovered. Tourism revenue during the Labour Day Golden Week reached 140 billion yuan, more than the expected 120 billion yuan. The wealth of the people has now evolved into purchasing power, and it is believed that consumption in the second half of the year will further drive overall economic growth.

It seems that there is no need to worry about whether or not the post-pandemic economy can return to pre-pandemic levels soon. But when recovery is taking place, different provinces are facing various difficulties. What looms large is the issue of local debt. In the Politburo meeting held at the end of last month, a message was disclosed, which was that the central government is concerned about the local debt issues and proposed "to strengthen the management of local debt and strictly control the incurring of new hidden debts."

The problem of migrant workers being in arrears of wages remained dormant for a while. Now it has reappeared. Many employers who owe workers' wages are government project contractors. The situation is that the government owes contractors construction costs, and contractors owe their workers wages. In a dispute like this, even if arbitration is not conducted in a way that favours government departments, the matter will need to be handled by courts after the arbitration stage, which is costly. It is more difficult to solve such disputes through legal means than to reach for the moon.

As for civil servants and employees in the public utility sector, they have been asked to hand back their bonuses. For civil servants and public utility employees such as teachers and doctors, year-end bonuses are an important part of their total income. Some local governments in Guangdong have issued instructions, requiring civil servants and employees in the public utility sector to return overpaid bonuses in 2021. The ratio ranges from one-third to half. Some civil servants at the grass-roots level and public utility employees have to return tens of thousands of yuan. Year-end bonuses for civil servants and teachers were cancelled last year. Even the bonuses in the pensions of retired civil servants have been cut, which reduced their overall income by 30 to 40 percent. Now the cut is even being taken back in time and bonuses issued over two years ago have to be returned.

Common prosperity is the long-term goal. During the transition period, it is grassroots workers who need protection. When being owed or deducted wages, they can only put up with it. The difficulties faced by local governments are across the board. Government departments cannot be held liable to their debts, while corporations need support for their debts. For the time being, only a comprehensive and feasible plan proposed by the central government can protect the welfare of grassroots employees.

地方政府財政囊中羞澀 基層公務員要回吐獎金

疫後第一年將近過半，內地經濟表現好壞參半。

首季度經濟增長率達到4.5%，比預期中表現更佳，國際貨幣基金組織也調高了中國經濟增長的全年預測至5.2%。然而，進出口表現並不理想，只有4.8%增長，隨着歐美市場疲軟加劇，以出口帶動全國經濟增長的比重將會下滑，這或許是廣東首季度經濟增長只有4%的原因。

經濟增長的另一頭馬車是消費，一季度的消費總額有5.8%增長，顯示消費信心已經復蘇，五一黃金周的旅遊收入達到1400億元人民幣，比預期中1200億元還要多，過去藏富於民而今演化成購買力，相信下半年的消費將會進一步帶動整體經濟增長。

疫後經濟很快能夠回復到疫情前，似乎毋須擔心，但在這個過程中，不同省份有不同的困難。比較突出的是地方債務問題，上月底召開的政治局會議，透露一個信息，中央關注地方債務問題，提出「要加強對地方債務管理，嚴控新增隱性債務」。

一度沉寂的農民工被拖欠工資情况重現，而且很大一部分拖欠工資的僱主，是政府工程承包商，政府拖欠工程款，工頭拖欠工人工資，這種勞資糾紛，勞資仲裁即使沒有偏袒政府部門，過了仲裁一關之後還要到法院訴訟，成本高昂，通過法律手段解決問題比蜀道還難。

公務員以及公用事業職工則被要求「回吐」獎金，公務員和公用事業職工即教師與醫生等，年終獎金是總收入的重要組成部分。廣東部分地方政府已經發出指令，要求公務員以及公用事業單位職工，退回2021年多發的獎金，比例在三分之一至一半不等，一些基層公務員及公用事業職工要回吐幾萬元。公務員及教師去年已經取消了年終獎，連退休公務員退休金中的獎金也被削減，總體收入減少三到四成，而今還要「翻舊帳」，將兩年前多發的獎金回吐。

共同富裕是長遠目標，過渡期間需要得到保障的是基層職工，他們被欠薪或者剋扣工資只能啞忍，地方政府面對的困難是全方位的，政府部門的債務不能追究，企業的債務則要扶持，這個時候，只有中央拿出全面可行的方案，才能保障基層員工的福利。