【社評雙語道】主動消除障礙 普及電子支付
【原文】摘錄自2023年11月11日香港《文匯報》：
一連三日探討本港電子支付發展，分析了目前所面對的四大難點以及破解之道。在新一份施政報告中，行政長官李家超提出百項方案打造智慧城市，推廣電子支付豐富線上消費場景，刺激新經濟模式發展，政府要做好宣傳教育、提供支援，推動電子支付普及化，加快建設智慧城市步伐。
本港電子支付的使用率由2020年不足五成升至去年逾六成，但相比內地高達86%的使用率仍然偏低，尤其在街市、的士等消費場景，市民仍然習慣使用現金。
政府近年銳意推動電子支付，過去3年多次派發電子消費券，令市民使用電子支付有所增加，但仍面對手續費偏貴、市場兼容率不高、市民擔心私隱等障礙而未能更進一步。特別是本港電子支付工具種類多，各支付工具兼容性差，窒礙商戶和市民使用。有專家認為，數碼港元可以在不同平台流通，推廣使用數碼港元是打破電子支付普及率不高的有效辦法。
數碼港元具備多方面好處。第一，能夠成為不同電子支付工具的聯通紐帶，提升電子支付的便利；第二，有利於跟國際上的電子支付工具對接。金管局早前推出「港泰快速支付系統」，讓港人到泰國旅遊時能透過「轉數快」支付，但現時接受收款的商戶不夠多，專家認為如果推行數碼港元作為統一收款機制，可最大限度實現無障礙對接；第三，數碼港元由政府發行，市民不會因為服務商倒閉而蒙受損失，在私隱方面亦更有保障，增強市民使用電子支付的信心。
要最大限度地普及電子支付，政府應該向商戶和市民提供切實到位的支援措施。現時電子普及率低的地方，主要集中在一些小商戶，例如街市、小店、的士等，政府應研究降低手續費，鼓勵電子支付工具公司為小商戶給予使用優惠，幫助小商戶解決技術問題；同時推動電子支付工具公司為小商戶提供更多增值服務，例如提供大數據分析協助推廣，讓小商戶也能分享到電子支付增加營業額的好處。
政府要建設智慧城市，更應以身作則，加快在各政府部門、郵政局、醫院等場所的收費普及電子支付，培養市民使用電子支付的習慣。針對一些想用但不懂用、不敢用的長者群體，政府應該發動社會組織力量做好教育，協助長者安裝電子支付工具，指導他們使用，消除數碼鴻溝。
本港雖然在電子支付的發展上略顯滯後，但在金融基建、資訊科技有良好基礎，加上市場高度靈活和國際化，只要在數碼港元發展上加快速度，完全可以後來居上，以利建設智慧城市、便利市民。
Remove obstacles proactively to popularise e-payment
【譯文】A three-day series of discussions on the development of e-payment in Hong Kong has analysed the four major challenges currently faced and the ways to overcome them. In his new policy address, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, has proposed a hundred initiatives to build a smart city, promote e-payment to enrich online consumption scenarios, and stimulate the development of new economic models. The Government should ensure effective promotion, provide sufficient support and promote the popularisation of e-payment, so as to accelerate the pace of building a smart city.
The usage rate of e-payment in Hong Kong has risen from less than 50% in 2020 to over 60% last year. However, compared to the mainland's usage rate of 86%, it is still relatively low, especially in consumer scenarios such as public markets and taxis, where people are still accustomed to using cash. The government has been actively promoting e-payment in recent years, distributing electronic consumption vouchers multiple times over the past three years, which has led to an increase in the use of e-payment by the public. However, such obstacles as high handling fees, low market compatibility, concerns about privacy, etc., have hindered further progress.
In particular, there are various types of e-payment tools in Hong Kong, but their poor compatibility has hindered their adoption by merchants and the public. Some experts are of the view that promoting the use of digital Hong Kong dollars (e-HKD), which can circulate on different platforms, is an effective way to increase the adoption rate of e-payment.
E-HKD has a number of advantages. Firstly, it can serve as a link between different e-payment tools and enhance the convenience of e-payment. Secondly, it facilitates the integration with international e-payment tools. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority recently launched the bilateral linkage between Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System (FPS) and an instant payment platform in Thailand, allowing Hong Kong residents to make payments through FPS while traveling in Thailand. However, not enough merchants are accepting these payments currently. Experts believe that implementing e-HKD as a unified payment mechanism can maximise seamless integration. Thirdly, e-HKD is issued by the government, ensuring that citizens do not suffer losses due to service provider closures and providing better privacy protection, thereby enhancing the confidence of the public in using e-payment.
To maximise the adoption of e-payment, the government should provide practical support measures to merchants and residents. At present, the sector with low adoption rate of e-payment is mainly concentrated in small businesses such as public markets, small shops, and taxis. The government should study ways to reduce handling charges and encourage e-payment tool companies to offer concessions to small businesses, and assist them in solving technical problems. At the same time, the government should encourage e-payment tool companies to provide more value-added services to small businesses, such as offering big data analysis to assist with promotion, enabling small businesses to benefit from increased sales through e-payment. To build a smart city, the government should set an example by expediting the popularisation of e-payment for fees and charges in various government departments, post offices, hospitals, and so on, so as to cultivate the habit of using e-payment among members of the public.
For the elderly who are interested but unsure or afraid to use e-payment, the government should mobilise social organisations to provide education, assist the elderly in installing and using e-payment tools, so as to bridge the digital divide.
Although Hong Kong lags slightly behind in the development of e-payment, it has a strong foundation in financial infrastructure and information technology, coupled with a highly flexible and international market. As long as the development of e-HKD is expedited, it is entirely possible for Hong Kong to catch up, so as to facilitate the building of a smart city and to provide convenience for the public.
◆ Tiffany
