This year's budget has had its fair share of controversy. First, the proposal to inject HK$6,000 into all MPF accounts was shot down. Then came the idea of a HK$6,000 cash handout and tax rebate to all permanent adult residents. Now, there is an additional proposal to give HK$6,000 to mainland immigrants who have been here less than seven years. The money will come from the newly established Community Care Fund. These ideas have all stirred continuous debate and we have yet to see a consensus.
The focus of debate is on the question of discrimination and whether the budget deliberately excluded new mainland immigrants. In fact, the original proposal to inject funds into MPF accounts would have benefited mainland immigrants.
But, the cash giveaway excludes those mainland immigrants who are not yet permanent residents. As a result, the government has been accused of discrimination. To qualify under the latest proposal, they would have to prove they earn below a fixed limit and their assets would be checked. This has drawn more criticism, for making it difficult for mainland immigrants to receive the cash benefit.
In fact, most of the critics are just echoing one another; they don't really understand the concept behind these proposals.
It's true that both the MPF and cash giveaway proposals inadvertently create social conflicts. The MPF proposal wouldn't have benefited all members of the workforce; those under different retirement schemes would have been left out.
The same problem surfaced with the cash giveaway because of other restrictions, such as the age limit. But, the idea of not handing out cash to mainland immigrants who are not permanent residents doesn't constitute discrimination; it is a form of welfare benefit to local residents.
When it comes to social benefits, locals and new immigrants will always be treated differently. It's the same the world over. In fact, many countries, especially the US and Canada, have strict definitions regarding citizens, permanent residents and immigrants. In the US, applicants have to satisfy certain residency requirements to qualify for state universities while, in Britain, similar rules apply for university subsidies and grants.