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Chris Yeung

Jimmy Cheung

Don't expect handouts, sources say, the needy will be helped to help themselves

The fight against poverty is expected to form a key plank in Tung Chee-hwa's policy address on Wednesday.

The chief executive would seek to move beyond the economic recovery to take on livelihood issues, specifically targeting the poor and the elderly, a source said.

The cornerstone of this policy will be the setting up of a top-level commission on poverty to be headed by Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen.

The commission will adopt a three-pronged approach to tackling poverty, focusing on measures in economic development, employment and education.

Mr Tung is not expected to propose an increase in welfare benefits to help the poor, however.

'There will be no cash handout, no welfarism and no income redistribution,' a source said.

The government is also considering relaxing restrictions on the old-age allowance for people who choose to live in Guangdong. Mr Tung will disclose more details in his policy address.

The chief executive is also expected to address growing concerns about air pollution and outline the government agenda for the remaining 21/2 years of his term.

The source said: 'There will not be a lot of new major initiatives, but quite a bit of patching-up work.'

A member of the Tung team said: 'Time is running out for new major policies. There's already quite a lot on the plate.'

About 200 people, including elderly and children, rallied in Chater Garden yesterday calling for more focused measures to ease their plight. They ate steamed rice with soy sauce to complain about their dismal living conditions.

Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok said rules allowing old-age allowance recipients to stay out of Hong Kong for no more than 180 days a year could be relaxed. The arrangement, which now applies to those staying in Guangdong, may be extended to cover Fujian.

Dr Chow said there would still be some restrictions, however.  'We are worried that full relaxation would make monitoring difficult.'

Wednesday's address will be Mr Tung's eighth and the third of his second term.

The source said Mr Tung, while speaking positively about the overall economic recovery in the past year, would face squarely the worrying trend of income disparity.

'Views within the government about the idea of forming a poverty commission have been mixed. As Legco and welfare groups have taken the offensive, the government will be on the defensive if it does nothing,' the source said.

'The chief executive gave the go-ahead to the idea a couple of weeks ago. It's a political decision.'

The commission will be an inter-departmental body comprising key officials in charge of welfare, education, home affairs, economic development, legislators, academics and representatives from business and welfare sectors.

It will explore practical economic and employment measures to help low-income and jobless people make ends meet.

'Welfare policy will stick to the principle of self-help ... The middle class will react strongly if the government raises the CSSA (Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) payment,' the source said.

'Mr Tung is still keen to be a 'can do' chief executive. He'd like to get things done. Of course, he's begun to realise there are things he won't be able to do in his term.'



Poverty to top Tung's policy priorities