Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (fifth left, back row) presides over the sixth meeting of the fourth-term Commission on Poverty at the Central Government Offices in the city, May 18, 2022. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)
The Hong Kong government’s recurrent expenditure on social welfare increased 71 percent from HK$65.3 billion in 2017-18 to HK$111.8 billion in 2022-23, constituting the greatest increase in such spending among different terms of government, according to the Commission on Poverty.
The fourth-term commission made the revelation during its sixth meeting on Wednesday with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in the chair.
Members were briefed on the poverty alleviation policies and measures undertaken by the current-term government in different major areas. Various government departments also made reports on the progress of their projects, according to a government press release.
READ MORE: HK govt to enhance elderly healthcare voucher scheme
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government introduced various one-off counter-cyclical measures to stabilize the economy and employment situation while easing the financial hardship of the grassroots.
The Commission on Poverty is an important partner of the government in driving work in support of the underprivileged.
Carrie Lam, Chief Executive, HKSAR
According to statistics released in November last year, the size of the poor population in 2020 decreased substantially from the pre-intervention 1.65 million to 0.55 million, lifting some 1.1 million persons out of poverty and reducing the poverty rate by 15.7 percentage points, according to the release.
“Since July 2017, the Community Care Fund has introduced 23 new assistance programs, benefiting 1.23 million people through an increased financial commitment to around HK$20.8 billion.”
At the same time, the number of projects funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund increased by 319. The total amount of funding involved rose by HK$260 million, assisting 260,000 more citizens, the press release added.
Affirming the government’s overall achievements in poverty alleviation, the commission members expressed their hope that the next term of government would continue to care for the needs of the grassroots and address the poverty issue.
ALSO READ: Long-awaited e-vouchers to boost Hong Kong's economy
In this Aug 1, 2021 photo, a shopper scans a QR code to redeem a shopping voucher at a mall in Hong Kong, as the first batch of HK$2,000 consumption vouchers were disbursed by the Hong Kong government. (BERTHA WANG / AFP)
Pointing out that the commission is an important partner of the government in driving work in support of the underprivileged, the CE said: “Apart from providing valuable advice to the government, the Commission on Poverty has also allocated funding through the Community Care Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund to support measures to plug existing gaps or launch pilot measures, fully demonstrating the collaboration between the community, business sector and the government, as well as public participation.”
READ MORE: Additional $3.46b for Anti-epidemic Fund approved
She also sincerely thanked the commission for actively participating in poverty alleviation work and providing constructive advice to ensure that the government’s initiatives could better meet the needs of different groups.