Press Releases
Annual consultation session with welfare sector for priorities in 2006-07
Some 230 representatives from the social
welfare sector today (June 20) expressed views on priorities for 2006-07 in an
annual consultation session.
Deliberating on the social welfare concept in his opening remarks, the Secretary
for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said emphasis would be placed on two
fronts.
Firstly, the Government would place more emphasis on preventive work by offering
assistance to people who were on the verge of falling into the safety net.
The other focal point was how to mobilise the resources and vitality of the
community. Citing the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund as an example, he
said other resources or organisations of the society had to be mobilised to take
part in welfare affairs.
"Hong Kong has an influential commercial sector. If we do not mobilise
resources on this front, it would be a waste," Dr Chow said.
Dr Chow believed these concepts could stimulate society, including
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and recipients, to have greater motivation
and creativity to build up a vision and face up to the challenges.
On the welfare sector's concerns on the cessation of the Tide-Over Grant, Dr
Chow stressed that he supported the recommendations made by the Director of
Social Welfare. The recommendations were put forward after their thorough
discussion.
Dr Chow noted the Lump Sum Grant was an appropriate subvention system to provide
greater flexibility to NGOs to respond more promptly to the needs of services.
He felt there was no urgency to make any drastic changes to the system but
agreed that the system should be kept under constant review to see if
fine-tuning was warranted.
Dr Chow said NGOs, as good employers, should offer reasonable remuneration and
prospects to their staff. NGOs could actively consider better utilising
existing resources, including deploying their reserve, to carry out
restructuring and re-engineering, he added.
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food decided to set up an annual
consultation mechanism from 2005 with the welfare sector in the annual planning
process for determining the priorities in the following financial year.
The Government would take into account views collated at the consultation
session in developing the priorities for 2006-07.
Today's consultation session was the first to be held this year. The exercise
comprises four concurrent sessions on family and children, youth, elderly and
rehabilitation.
Ends/Monday, June 20, 2005