Speech by CS at HKAB Food for Love Project launch ceremony (with photos/video)
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First of all, many, many thanks indeed for your generosity, for your civic spirit. This is a most commendable project because not only would it bring warmth and happiness to a lot of underprivileged people in Hong Kong, the disabled and also the elderly, the needy people, making sure that they are happy, they are content, properly fed nutritious food and so on, but also a collaborative project with Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which is Hong Kong's number one charitable body. They are Hong Kong's largest NGO receiving government subvention and they are experts in social enterprises, experts in helping the disadvantaged. They are experts in providing care, put it this way. So this collaboration is very important, but what is more important is that it also symbolises your corporate social responsibility. You are not just mindful with your own business or bottom line. You are also concerned about the community at large, the disadvantaged. So, on that score, I pay you warm tribute, not only just minding your business, minding your profit, the profit margin, but also the community at large.
Also, as I just said earlier on, we are entering the final lap, the very, very final lap of our current term, only 10 days left. When we began on July 1, 2012, nearly five years ago, the provision for welfare in the Budget was only $42.8 billion. The current financial year, five years on, is $73.3 billion, up by 71 per cent, in social welfare. So it certainly helps change the landscape in Hong Kong, the social landscape, and really build a caring, compassionate and cohesive society. But this is not enough, we need to work closely together with the banking sector, the private sector, the NGOs, as well as the Government, all three of us, tripartite co-operation. So on that score, I salute your effort, salute your concern, your compassion. Wish you every success in your banking business and continue to plough back your profit to the community and keep this project going, not just for six months but a lot longer with government involvement.
Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.
Ends/Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:31
Issued at HKT 17:31
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