Remarks by CS at interview on Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong (with photos/video)
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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, hosted an interview on interview on Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong today (June 18). Present were the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau, with members of Commission on Poverty, particularly Honorary President of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Mr Jimmy Kwok; the Chief Executive Officer of St James’ Settlement, Ms Josephine Lee; and the Chief Executive of the Tencent Charity Foundation, Dr James Li. Following are their remarks at journalism conference:
Press reporter: First, does the Government have the variety of the number of individuals have been raised out of hardship thanks to the hardship reduction steps? If no, how can the Government examine the efficiency of these steps when we are speaking about hardship reduction, and does that mean Hong Kong will no longer have a hardship line? Second, the Government has for the very first time embraced the principle of social transfer worths in hardship reduction measurement, which reveals the advantages gotten by families. How does this in fact inform the efficiency of the hardship relief efforts? How does the Government evaluate whether the quantities suffice to assist those in requirement. Does that validate not offering more financial backing? Thank you.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you for your concern. As the Chief Secretary has actually stated really plainly, when we speak about targeted reduction of hardship, it is based upon a really extensive fundamental services offered in the fields of social service, medical, education, and likewise public real estate. All these 4 locations, you can think of, supply a really detailed fundamental assistance for a large spectrum of individuals in Hong Kong who are in requirement of various kinds of Government assistance for them. On top of that, we are likewise mindful about the requirements of some unique groups. They consist of those residing in sub-divided flats, those who are single moms and dad households, and what we call, all-elderly households. They require aside from what is generally supplied through social well-being, medical, education and public real estate. We developed targeted services. This consists of gos to by the Care Teams and Community Living Rooms. All these are developed to assist various groups. I believe the secret is to take a look at the for each specific task, we are more concentrated on KPIs and whether we have actually had the ability to accomplish all those pre-set KPIs. It is plainly displayed in the report. I believe we are more than satisfying the KPI requirements. This all programs that these targeted reduction jobs attained the mentioned goals, by assisting all those groups and targeted groups of individuals whom we think they require our aid.
And a part of that, we have actually supplied with brand-new tools, as you have actually discussed, the social transfer worths. This is a globally acknowledged method to monetise, and to provide you a worth about the services offered by the Government. I believe the very best method is to imagine the truth, if you turn to page 168 and 169 of the Report, we have actually provided you some extremely case in points, consisting of the senior and households residing in a public real estate estates, and those getting senior services or getting money aids from the Government, so they reveal you in a really quickly reasonable method. If all the services offered by the Government had to be gotten from the market, of course presuming all these services are offered in the market, what would be the worth in financial terms of all these services? To offer you a concept about the assistance supplied to all those individuals who require aid, this is the method to take a look at what we are doing today about targeted relief of hardship. Thank you.
Chief Secretary for Administration: I wish to supplement that in regards to recipients, and according to our records for the Sham Shui Po Community Living Room as an example, up until now there have to do with 520 000 variety of participation, and for the Strive and Rise program, all of us together have more than 14 000 trainees, and for the after-school care service, the quota is 10 500. These are the recipients.
(Please likewise describe the Chinese part of the remarks.)