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The Social Welfare Department's Senior Citizen Card Scheme (SCCS) aims to promote a spirit of care and respect for the elderly. It also facilitates their access to concessions, discounts or priority services offered by government departments, public transport operators and companies.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the SCCS and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) is taking the opportunity to further promote the SCCS and a spirit of respect for senior citizens. Joining with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the department has lined up local catering service providers to offer special concessions to senior citizen card holders on this year's Senior Citizens Day (November 16). The catering operators will provide at least a 10% discount or other shopping concessions to senior citizen card holders making purchases on that day.
Over 400 organisations and companies with a total of about 900 outlets in the 18 districts are participating in this territory-wide event. Participating food outlets and shops will put up a logo (Annex I) specially designed for the event in eye-catching areas for easy identification by senior citizens.
The SCCS was launched by the SWD in 1994, and all Hong Kong residents aged 65 or over are eligible for the card. As at end of October 2014, over 1.54 million senior citizen cards had been issued by the SWD's Senior Citizen Card Office. Approximately 0.99 million senior citizens are current card holders, accounting for around 93% of all eligible elderly persons in the territory. At present, there are about 2,600 companies and organisations with over 8,000 outlets participating in the SCCS.
Details of the food outlets and shops participating in the Senior Citizen Card 20th Anniversary Promotion Programme can be found on the event poster (Annex II) (Chinese only). Members of the public can also download the Senior Citizen Card Smartphone Applications (Chinese only) or visit the SWD homepage for more information (Chinese only): www.swd.gov.hk/doc/scco/Senior%20Citizen%20Card%20Scheme%2020th%20Anniversary%20Programme.pdf
For enquiries, people may call the Senior Citizen Card Office at 2961 7551 or 2961 7552 during office hours.
Ends/Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:23
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