***************************************************
The Commission on Poverty (the Commission), held its sixth meeting this afternoon (November 25).
Members discussed proposals to strengthen the district-based approach in alleviating and preventing poverty, which echoed the direction set out in the Policy Address to enhance work in districts.
Members considered that there was merit in providing additional funding to districts to encourage local poverty alleviation initiatives. The additional funding will be parked with and administrated by Home Affairs Bureau and Home Affairs Department.
Members also agreed on the need to empower districts through strategy and policies and to nurture supportive community networks. To give the issue more focussed attention, Members agreed to establish a new Task Force on District-based Approach to advise the Commission on the long-term strategy. The Task Force will oversee, among other things, a study on the implementation of the district-based approach so far and consider ways to energise district networks and resources. Dr. Law Chi-kwong will be the chairman of this new Task Force.
Financial Secretary and Commission chairman Mr Henry Tang said, "We hope the additional funding would help encourage districts to focus their effort in the priority work areas identified by the Commission, especially in helping people find job and become self-reliant."
"I am delighted that Dr. Law has agreed to take up the chairmanship and I am confident that the new Task Force will help the Commission develop recommendations on a long-term strategy for implementing the district-based approach," he added.
To encourage worthwhile projects and cross-district collaboration, Members generally agreed that they should set relevant indicators for what the Commission wished to achieve then tried to engage more people outside the Commission, including academics, professionals, business people and people familiar with district work, to help determine allocation of the fund.
At today's meeting, Members were also briefed on a refined set of poverty indicators developed by the Government Economist. Members generally considered the indicators comprehensive and useful. They noted that the macro indicators would be used to facilitate policy planning and monitoring of the trend. The indicators are developmental in nature and will be reviewed and revised in accordance with changing needs. Members also noted that most of the indicators (11 out of 17 indicators) showed visible improvements in many areas, such as employment, education level of young people and living condition of children and the elderly, etc.
In additional, Members were updated on the progress of the work of the Commission, in particular the follow-up actions on social enterprise to assist the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed to move from welfare to self-reliance. They were also updated on the latest development of "My STEP", a district pilot to tackle the hardcore unemployed youths who have received Comprehensive Social Security Assistance for a long time.
The agenda and papers of the meeting are available at the official web site of the Commission: www.cop.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, November 25, 2005
Issued at HKT 20:53
NNNN
