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Commission on Poverty convenes fifth meeting
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     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, chaired the fifth meeting of the Commission on Poverty (CoP) this afternoon (July 22). The meeting mainly discussed issues related to the Community Care Fund (CCF).

     The CoP endorsed four new assistance programmes to provide subsidies to persons with severe physical disabilities, students from low-income families, and low-income persons who are inadequately housed. The total commitment of the CCF is around $1 billion and it is estimated that the number of beneficiaries will be around 560 000.

     During the discussion on the new assistance programme "Subsidy for low-income persons who are inadequately housed", members agreed with the recommendation of the CCF Task Force on relaxing the definition of "inadequately housed" to benefit more people. The CoP endorsed subsidies for one-person households at $3,500, for two-person households at $7,000 and for households with three persons or more at $10,000. This programme will be rolled out before the end of this year. The estimated total expenditure is about $600 million and some 74 000 households involving some 200 000 persons will benefit under the programme.

     While noting the reservations of the CCF Task Force about the inclusion of residents in sub-divided units in industrial buildings or commercial premises as target beneficiaries, members were highly sympathetic to the situation of these residents. Members considered that the CCF has the function of plugging the gaps in the existing system and providing assistance to persons in financial difficulty, and therefore should not exclude residents living in sub-divided units in industrial buildings or commercial premises. Members agreed that a means to use the CCF to help these residents should be worked out, while taking into account the Government's position of zero tolerance towards sub-divided units in industrial buildings. Members agreed to convene a special meeting of the CoP as soon as practicable to continue discussion on any feasible measure.

     The beneficiaries of the other three new assistance programmes are primary and secondary students and students studying courses below sub-degree level from low-income families, as well as persons with severe physical disabilities. The details are as follows:

(1) Launching a new assistance programme to enhance the flat-rate grant under the School Textbook Assistance Scheme under the Student Financial Assistance Scheme by providing students eligible for School Textbook Assistance and students on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance an additional $500 or $1,000 flat-rate grant. The programme will be implemented in the 2013/14 academic year for one year. The total commitment will be $292.36 million and some 348 000 students will benefit from the programme;

(2) Launching a new assistance programme to enhance the assistance for students from low-income families enrolling in courses below sub-degree level by establishing a tuition fee reimbursement scheme and providing a flat-rate academic expense grant for them. The programme will be implemented in the 2013/14 academic year for one year. The total commitment will be $64.89 million and the estimated numbers of beneficiaries for the tuition fee reimbursement scheme and the flat-rate academic expense grant will be about 3 600 and 7 500 students respectively; and

(3) Launching the "Provision of special subsidy to persons with severe physical disabilities for purchasing consumables related to respiratory support medical equipment" programme by granting a monthly subsidy at a ceiling of $2,000. The total commitment will be $8.72 million and some 360 persons will benefit from the programme.

     In response to the views raised by service groups for persons with disabilities and mutual help organisations, the CoP agreed to modify the existing "Provision of special subsidy to persons with severe physical disabilities for renting respiratory support medical equipment" programme in two areas. Firstly, the scope of beneficiaries will be expanded to cover persons with severe physical disabilities aged 60 or above. In other words, there is no longer an age limit for beneficiaries. Likewise, there is no age limit for beneficiaries under the new subsidy for purchasing medical consumables. Secondly, the application period will be extended to December 31, 2013. The revised total commitment will be $3.87 million and there will be some 90 additional beneficiaries under the revised programme.

     In addition, regarding the approval of the Legislative Council in June 2013 of the injection of $15 billion into the CCF, members agreed to place a deposit of $10 billion out of the $15 billion injection with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The remaining amount of $5 billion will be temporarily reserved for Hong Kong dollar and Renminbi time deposit to meet the cash flow requirements and to ensure that the CCF will have adequate liquidity in the coming few years for strengthening the efforts in poverty alleviation. It is estimated that about $1.7 billion to $2 billion would be available every year for use by the CCF in the next four years.

Ends/Monday, July 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 21:47

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