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Building a Caring Society Together

Yesterday was the Spring Lantern Festival, traditionally a time for family members to get together.  I was delighted to attend the 146th Anniversary Charity Dinner of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) last evening and express my appreciation to all members of the TWGHs, as well as donors and charity groups for their generosity in supporting the social services of the TWGHs during the year.

Founded in 1870 and started as a hospital providing free medical care services to the poor and sick, the TWGHs has now developed into a well-established charitable organisation in Hong Kong.  To keep pace with social development and the changing needs of the community, the TWGHs has been actively expanding its services to cover healthcare, education, the elderly, youths and families, as well as social enterprises, etc., making significant contributions to society.  Before joining the Government, I was blessed to have served the Caritas - Hong Kong and other organisations as a volunteer for many years.  I am grateful for the existence of many similar social welfare organisations in Hong Kong which have been serving the needy with continued dedication and commitment.  In my view, the Government should also play an active role in building a caring and inclusive society by making good use of its financial resources.

Poverty alleviation, elderly care and support for the disadvantaged are at the top of the current-term Government’s agenda.  The Government has never been miserly in committing resources to these areas, as evidenced by the significant growth in the related expenditure.  In the 2016-17 financial year, the estimated recurrent government expenditure on social welfare is $66.2 billion, representing an increase of 55% compared with four years ago.  Over the past few years, we have endeavoured to provide appropriate services for the disadvantaged, and encourage and support people capable of working to achieve self-reliance in the spirit of helping people to help themselves.  To address elderly poverty and working poverty, the Government has introduced two new programmes, namely the Old Age Living Allowance and the Low-income Working Family Allowance.  Many beneficiaries indicated that the schemes have helped them meet expenses on rent, miscellaneous items such as water and electricity, medical care, etc.

Improving livelihood and fostering community care are the long-term goals of the Government.  We have been increasing the provision of resources to enhance education, healthcare services and social welfare in recent years.  The estimated recurrent expenditure on these three livelihood areas for 2016-17 totals around $200 billion, accounting for 60% of recurrent government expenditure.    This represents an increase of over 80% when compared to ten years ago.  As mentioned by the Chief Executive in the Policy Address, we will increase the recurrent provision for the Hospital Authority by $2 billion annually from the next financial year onwards to further enhance chronic disease management, rehabilitation support and healthcare services for the elderly.  Also, the Government has been refining the Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, with a view to benefiting more people in the community.

With a rapidly ageing population, the Government will inevitably come under increasing financial pressure.  We need to take a forward-looking perspective and plan ahead to provide for the future while we are financially capable.  To enhance public healthcare services, the Government has set aside a provision of $200 billion for a ten-year hospital development plan to enable the Hospital Authority to expand and upgrade healthcare facilities in a more flexible and long-term manner.   Land and housing, the foremost concerns of the public, also top the priority of the Government.  We have made relentless efforts to develop new land and increase housing supply over the past few years.  The Housing Reserve was established in 2014 to provide financial resources to meet the long-term public housing supply target.  The balance of the Housing Reserve now stands at over $70 billion.

The measures mentioned above are major investments in our future, demonstrating the Government’s long-term commitment and determination to build a caring and inclusive society.  Of course, public resources are neither unlimited nor inexhaustible.  Hence, public funds should be used properly and effectively to truly benefit the people.  As the Financial Secretary, I will do my utmost to ensure that the measures are financially sustainable and will benefit every citizen in the long run.  That said, we cannot solve all the problems relying solely on government resources.  Every citizen has a part to play.  I call on all of you to show your care for the elderly, your neighbours and friends as well as the needy groups in the community.  Together we will build a caring, inclusive and happy society in Hong Kong.

As I am writing this blog, many of those badly injured in the arson attack at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station last Friday are still in hospital.  I sincerely wish them a speedy recovery and offer my deepest condolences to all the victims and their families.

February 12, 2017