Hong Kong Financial Secretary Henry Tang said Monday employment
is the key to self-reliance and helping the jobless rejoin the
labor market will help ensure the city's social safety net's
sustainability.
Speaking at a meeting of the Commission on Poverty, Tang said
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will
spare no effort to encourage able-bodied Comprehensive Social
Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients and the unemployed to find
and retain jobs.
Commission members on Monday studied the situation of the
low-income groups in Hong Kong and reviewed existing government
policies and measures aiming at providing support and assistance to
them.
They noted the government's policies and measures have provided
a comprehensive system of support to low-income families to help
them meet their basic daily needs.
The comprehensive system is befitting of a caring society, Tang
said. "The 60 percent spending increase over the last 10 years
reflects the readiness of the community to provide additional
support to the less fortunate as Hong Kong becomes more
affluent."
Members noted if the impact of salaries tax, public housing and
education benefits are taken into account, the Gini Coefficient
--which reflects income disparity in 2001 -- would be reduced by
about 14 percent.
This confirms social policies' effectiveness in providing
necessary support to the low-income families and the need to look
beyond income levels when assessing the poverty situation in Hong
Kong.
The commission agreed to conduct a more detailed assessment of
the poverty situation of different groups in society to help
enlighten future deliberation on resource allocation among the
needy.
The members also agreed to launch a study on how the current
system is providing assistance to the "non-working poor" and the
"working poor", including the provision of disregarded earnings
under the CSSA Scheme.
(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2006)