12
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1975
GOVT'S CONCERN IN SOCIAL WELFARE APPLAUDED
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THE HON. MISS KO SIU WAH WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN TO PROMOTE SOCIAL SERVICES DESPITE CURRENT FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
SPEAKING IN THE BUDGET DEBATE, SHE NOTED THAT SPENDING ON SOCIAL SERVICES NEXT YEAR AT $3,057 MILLION REPRESENTED 41.8 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE - AN INCREASE OF 12.4 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR LAST YEAR.
SOCIAL WELFARE ALONE WOULD GET $326.7 MILLION INCLUD I NG $214.84 MILLION FOR THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND DISABILITY AND INFIRMITY ALLOWANCES, REPRESENTING INCREASES OVER LAST YEAR OF 56.6 MILLION AND $50.34 MILLION RESPECTIVELY. THESE INCREASES IN THE PRESENT SITUATION SHOULD BE WELCOMED, SHE SAID,
IT WAS ALSO ENCOURAGING, SHE ADDED, THAT DESPITE A FORECAST DEFICIT OF $900 MILLION AND STRICT ECONOMY MEASURES, SUBVENTION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WOULD BE GRANTED AN INCREASE OF 16 PERCENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
IN OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE WERE ONLY TO BE RELATIVELY SMALL INCREASES, MISS KO WARNED THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE EASY TO MAINTAIN THE PRESENT AMOUNT AND LEVEL OF SERVICES OWING TO INCREASED OPERATIONAL COSTS.
*THE SOCIAL WELFARE FIVE-YEAR PLAN WILL CERTAINLY SUFFER A CONSIDERABLE SETBACK AND I DO HOPE THAT MORE PROVISION WILL BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH THE ON- GOING PLANS, SHE SAID.
SHE EMPHASISED THAT VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT, SHOULD EXERCISE THE STRICTEST ECONOMY TO ELIMINATE WASTEFUL SPENDING.
SHE HOPED THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE WOULD JOINTLY PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN CONSIDERING WHAT AREAS COULD BE STRENGTHENED AND WHICH PROGRAMMES WERE OVERLAPPING, OUTDATED OR IMPRACTICAL. +IN SOME CASES. A MERGER OF ORGANISATIONS OR PROJECTS MAY BE DESIRABLE+ SHE SUGGESTED.
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/MISS KO ALSO