政壇：睇社論學英文：限奶令干預市場撤不撤進退兩難

限奶令干預市場撤不撤進退兩難

The export control on powdered formula is an intervention in the market: to scrap or not to scrap?

港府今年三月實施限制旅客攜帶奶粉出境措施，巿面奶粉供應回復正常，然而措施有得亦有失，限奶令被指干預巿場，損害香港自由經濟聲譽，而且引起內地民眾不滿，激化中港矛盾，甚至被內地官方媒體質疑港人變得對「掙錢懶惰和不敏感」。

因此，業界人士要求港府撤銷限奶令的呼聲日甚一日。食物及衞生局局長高永文開出四個條件，包括奶粉貨源供應充足，完善補貨機制，零售點增設預訂服務，以及加強代訂貨熱線，如能通過十一黃金周前後的壓力測試，當局將會考慮是否撤銷限奶令。

香港早前出現奶粉荒，其實只是部分品牌的嬰幼兒奶粉及型號供應緊張，倘若當局加強協調，要求業界增加供應，嚴打囤積和走私活動，問題不難解決。可惜港府管治弱勢，為圖政治便利，一味討好民粹，一刀切限制旅客攜帶嬰兒奶粉出境。

無疑，確保本地嬰幼兒奶粉供應，當局責無旁貸，問題是維持市場秩序必須合乎法度。說到底，內地旅客訪港購買奶粉帶來商機，如何在確保本地供應充足之餘，協助業界滿足內地旅客需求，創造雙贏，才是發揮香港自由巿場競爭優勢之道。

In March this year, the Hong Kong Government started to implement the measure of restricting travellers from taking more than 2 cans of baby formula out of the territory. The normal supply of powdered formula in the local market was thus restored. However, the measure has brought about pros and cons. Some accused the Government of intervening in the market and undermining Hong Kong's reputation of being a free economy. People on the Mainland were so unhappy with the control that the conflict between China and Hong Kong was intensified. Certain official media on the Mainland even queried that Hong Kong people might have become “too lazy to earn money” and “insensitive”.

As the industry's voice calling for the abolishment of the export control gets louder and louder, Dr. Ko Wing-man, the Secretary for Food and Health, says that a stress test will be conducted during the National Day golden week. The Administration will consider lifting the ban, if the industry passes the stress test at stores on their overall supply, retail chain replenishment, hotlines sales and pre-orders.

Earlier on, there was a serious shortage of powdered formula in Hong Kong. But actually this was only the case for several brands. If the Administration had stepped up its co-ordination, asked the industry to enhance supply and combated smuggling, the problem would not have been that difficult to solve. Unfortunately, the Government was so weak that it only indulged its own political convenience and ingratiated itself with the populists. As a result, an across-the-board export control on powdered formula was imposed.

It is undoubtedly the Government's inescapable responsibility to ensure an adequate supply of milk powder for local infants. But the maintaining of market order must be in line with moral standards. In the final analysis, Mainland visitors' purchase of baby formula in Hong Kong does afford business opportunities. Hong Kong should give full play to its competitive advantage as a free market by ensuring sufficient local supply and helping the industry to meet the needs of Mainland travellers at the same time. If this is done, a win-win situation can be achieved.