FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1988
IN THE LONGER TERM, MR HIGGINSON SAID THERE WAS THE NEED TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR BOTH THE PORT AND A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.
"THE NEW PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDY WILL SHORTLY COMMENCE AND, WHEN COMPLETED BY
THE END OF 1989, IT WILL PROVIDE A SOLID BASE FROM WHICH HONG KONG WILL PROCEED WITH CONFIDENCE INTO THE FUTURE, HE SAID.
"
FEWER SOCIAL SECURITY APPEALS RECEIVED
THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IS WORKING MORE SMOOTHLY THAN EVER AS REFLECTED BY THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS WHO FELT DISSATISFIED ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND APPEALED TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD LAST YEAR.
IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1986-87, THE BOARD NOTED THAT IT RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 92 APPEALS, A DECREASE OF 40 APPEALS OR 30.3 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING YEAR.
OF THESE 92 APPEALS, FOUR WERK PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 85 SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE CASES AND THREE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE CASES.
DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 89 APPEALS WERE HEARD, INCLUDING 44 BROUGHT FORWARD FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. OF THESE, THE BOARD CONFIRMED THE DECISIONS OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IN 53 CASES AND VARIED ITS DECISION IN 36 CASES.
IN THE PROCESSING OF APPEALS WHICH INVOLVED MEDICAL OPINION SUCH AS APPEALS OVER ELIGIBILITY FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, THE BOARD WAS ASSISTED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN ARRANGING MEDICAL BOARDS FOR RE-ASSESSMENT. DURING THE YEAR, 79 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES AND ONE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE CASE WERE REFERRED TO SUCH BOARDS.
AS FOR THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED, IT DECREASED BY 23 PER CENT FROM 198 TO 152. OF THESE, 85 WERE SETTLED BY THE STAFF OF THE BOARD, FIVE WERE REFERRED ΤΟ THE APPROPRIATE OFFICES AND 62 EVENTUALLY BECAME APPEALS.
APART FROM COMPLAINTS, THE BOARD ALSO RECEIVED A LARGE OF ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICE AND OTHER SERVICES ADMINISTERED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT. ENQUIRIES WERE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ANSWERED BY THE STAFF OF THE OR REFERRED TO THE RELEVANT OFFICES.
NUMBER
SOCIAL
THESE BOARD
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