FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1982
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SUPPORT HELPS GROWTH OF WELFARE AGENCIES
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY ITS OVERALL SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF OVER 30 PER CENT IN EACH OF THE PAST TEN YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR ERIC HO, SAID WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE SCOUTS ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG TODAY (FRIDAY).
+UNDOUBTEDLY, FUNDING FROM ALL SOURCES WHETHER FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE COMMUNITY CHEST OR PRIVATE DONORS HAVE TOGETHER ENABLED THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO GROW AND EXPAND AT A MUCH QUICKER PACE THAN WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE HAD THEY BEEN ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON THEIR OWN FUND RAISING, OR ON GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION ALONE, HE SAID.
COMMENTING ON THE +SEE-SAW EFFECT+ OF COMMUNITY CHEST ALLOCATIONS ON THE GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION SYSTEM, HE SAID: THIS COLLECTIVE EFFORT HAS APPARENTLY BEEN OVERLOOKED OR IGNORED.
+THE FACTS REMAIN THAT THE QUALITY OF THE COMMUNITY CHEST ALLOCATIONS IN THE HANDS OF THE VARIOUS VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THE FUNDS THEY RAISED ON THEIR OWN, OR UNSOLICITED DONATIONS RECEIVED DIRECT.
+AND EVERY YEAR THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES HAS INCREASED.+
THE OLD DISCRETIONARY SUBVENTION SYSTEM, HE SAID, HAD SERVED ITS PURPOSE, AND THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED LAST SUMMER A NEW SYSTEM THAT WOULD PROVIDE A MORE SECURE BASIS FOR THE COMBINED EFFORTS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.
+UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, INCOME RAISED BY AGENCIES OTHER THAN PRESCRIBED FEES WILL NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, MR HO EXPLAINED.
PENDING THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW SUBVENTION SYSTEM AND STARTING WITH THE 1982/83 SUBVENTIONS, NO ACCOUNT WOULD BE TAKEN OF ANY DONATIONS OR COMMUNITY CHEST ALLOCATIONS RECEIVED BY AGENCIES, HE ADDED.
+ALL AGENCIES HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE DETAILS OF THE NEW SYSTEM AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF THEIR SERVICES. I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADVERSE REACTIONS,+ HE SAID.
+THIS SCHEME WILL ENABLE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY, AND WITH AS MUCH FREEDOM AS POSSIBLE, IN PROVIDING THE SERVICES WHICH THE COMMUNITY REQUIRES.+
MR HO STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT VIEWED ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AS A PARTNERSHIP.
+MUTUAL CO-OPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING IS IMPORTANT, OTHERWISE THE NEW SUBVENTION SYSTEM CANNOT BE EFFECTIVELY APPLIED, + HE SAID.
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