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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, believes that tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community is the key to the further development of social services.
Addressing the Hong Kong Strategy dinner tonight (January 6), Mr Cheung said that in respect of continuous social development, the Government hopes to develop new means, other than the traditional mode of wealth distribution through taxation to help the needy, based on a three-way partnership among the community, business sector and the Government.
"While continuing with our unfailing commitment to improve welfare services, the Government also strives to introduce new thinking, new motivation and new values to solve social problems, by channelling Hong Kong's rich social capital into positive supporting forces and promoting greater collaboration among the community, the business sector and the Government," he said.
He said that the Government has been playing the role of facilitator to promote this tripartite partnership. Various projects with differing targets have been launched in recent years in this regard, such as the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund and the Child Development Fund, benefitting more than one million people so far.
The Government and the Elderly Commission are jointly exploring more flexible and diversified service modes to provide community care services to better meet the needs of the elderly. These studies will be completed later this year and have the potential to substantially enhance elderly care services.
Mr Cheung stressed that the promotion of tripartite collaboration will not diminish the overall commitment and role of the Government in assisting people at the grassroots level. In 2010-11, the Government's recurrent expenditure in the four major policy areas of social welfare, education, health care and housing amounted to $139.2 billion, representing 57.2% of total public expenditure.
He said that an effective tripartite collaboration requires continuous and sustained effort, as well as creative thinking by the public, the business sector and the Government. In working with the elite of society, he wishes to transform the concept of tripartite collaboration into action, and promote a new culture of helping the disadvantaged.
Ends/Thursday, January 6, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:50
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