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would be utilised in setting up the new scheme.
Levels of
assistance to persons aged 65 and over might be as follows:
Population aged
65 and over*
(assumed)
(At 1976 prices)
Rate per person
per day**
(HK$)
Total cost to public funds (HK$ million)
1980/81
250,000
1981/82
250,000
1982/83
282,250
10.36
11.03
11.04
650
690
780
population mid-1975 = 238,000
**taken to be HK$8 in 1976/77 increased in line with real growth of gross domestic product.
4. Consolidated Account expenditure in 1981/82 would be HK$ 13,560 million (at 1976 prices) of which some 54% (or about IIK$ 7,280 million) would be for social programmes. Of this social expendi- ture, about 21% (or HK 1550 million) would be in respect of the cost (including administration costs of HK$ 570 million) of the income supplementation scheme described in paragraph 3 (HK$ 1350 million in all) together with a further HK$ 200 million or so for miscellaneous other programmes organised by the Urban Council and the Housing Authority. The income supplementation scheme would represent about 11% of the total Budget (that is, expenditure on the General Account), amounting to about HK$ 11,790 million.
Economists Department Foreign & Commonwealth Office
June 1976
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