政壇：睇社論學英文：高鐵工程又延誤 一拖再拖嘆奈何

廣深港高鐵是全國高鐵「四縱四橫」的骨幹部分，其中八十四公里的內地段已於二○一一年底前落成通車，反而二十六公里的香港段好事多磨，一拖再拖，不知何年何月方能落成，堪稱香港發展緩慢的典型例子。

港鐵預計，今年中是鐵路項目施工的高峰期，合共需要約一萬八千名工人，人力短缺高達五千個，有必要申請輸入外勞。可惜說時容易做時難，當局早前提出簡化及加快外勞審批程序，引起勞工團體激烈反彈，力指目前仍有不少建築工人無工開，反對港鐵帶頭輸入外勞。究竟基建人手短缺有多嚴重，港鐵與勞工團體依然各執一詞。

高鐵工程一拖再拖，凸顯港府施政無能。港英時代，高效驚人，香港由小漁村發展為東方之珠，可惜回歸後，歷屆港府施政無能，香港日漸沉淪，遲早又變回小漁村。中央收回香港後便撒手不管，坐視香港沉淪，這樣的回歸有甚麼意義呢？

What can be done now that the XRL construction is delayed again?

Delay and overspending have become a routine for Hong Kong's large-scale infrastructure projects. The Transport and Housing Bureau was notified by the MTR that the construction progress of the Express Rail Link （XRL） fell short of expectation, thus its commissioning would be delayed. As for the extents of the delay and overspending, the authorities remained silent. Even with a conservative estimation, the relevant claim for compensation and extra building cost may reach an amount as high as tens of billions of dollars.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong XRL is a trunk line of the National High-speed Railway Network which comprises 4 longitudinal and 4 latitudinal railroads. The 84-kilometre section of the XRL on the Mainland had already been completed and started operating at the end of 2011. But the 26-kilometre Hong Kong section was plagued with setbacks and saw repeated delays. Not knowing when the completion date would be, the XRL has become a typical example of Hong Kong's snail-paced development.

The MTR figures that more than 18,000 workers would be needed as this year is the peak of railway constructions in Hong Kong. With a shortage of 5,000 workers, there is a need for importation. But this is easier said than done. Earlier on, the government's suggestion of simplifying and expediting approval procedures for foreign worker applications triggered strong repercussions from the local labour unions. Stating that many local workers were still unemployed, the labour unions objected to MTR's initiation of worker importation. As to how serious the labour shortage in infrastructure projects is, the MTR and labour unions each sticks to its own version.

The repeated procrastination of the XRL project has revealed the impotence of the Hong Kong government. In the colonial era, Hong Kong was so efficient that a small fishing village evolved quickly into the Pearl of the Orient. Unfortunately, after the handover, the governance of successive administrations has all been incompetent. The city's continuous decline will sooner or later lead to its devolution back into a small fishing village. After regaining the sovereignty over Hong Kong, the Central authorities just washed their hands of the city's affairs, and sat to watch its degradation. How is this kind of “returning to the motherland” meaningful？

重要生字

remain silent 沒有交代

each sticks to its own version 各執一詞

wash one's hands of （the business） 撒手不管