10
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1993
HE ALSO NOTED THAT A VERY LARGE SHARE OF THE TOTAL BUDGET SOCIAL WELFARE WILL BE SPENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY, WHICH AMOUNTS $4.9 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF SEVEN PER CENT OVER 1992/93 PROVISION.
FOR ΤΟ
THIS HAS NOT YET TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE EXTRA $92.7 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BASIC RATE JUST APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO TAKE EFFECT ON APRIL 1.
EXPRESSED BY THE
SECRETARY ASSISTANCE
MR STRACHAN REITERATED THE POINT FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE IN THE MEETING THAT THE PUBLIC SCHEME MET THE BASIC NEEDS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE.
"THE SCHEME IS SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE SO THE GREATER THE GREATER IS THE SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
**
THE NEED,
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THIS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED IN THE FACT THAT WITH EFFECT FROM JULY 1, ALTHOUGH THE ESTIMATED AVERAGE MONTHLY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE $5,880 UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR A FOUR-PERSON HOUSEHOLD, 37 PER CENT COULD RECEIVE MORE THAN $6,000.
"INDEED A SMALL NUMBER OF A FOUR-PERSON HOUSEHOLD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WILL RECEIVE MORE THAN $8,000 PER MONTH FROM JULY 1, HE ADDED.
HE SAID THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE INCREASE IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX A (CPI(A)) RATE OVER THE SAME PERIOD.
HE SAID.
"THERE HAVE BEEN REAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL,
44
ALTHOUGH THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR 1993/94 SHOWED THAT SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD INCREASE BY $328 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR'S EXPENDITURE, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON MARCH 5, APPROVED A FURTHER INCREASE OF $373 MILLION TO MEET THE COST OF ADJUSTING THE SOCIAL SECURITY RATES OF PAYMENTS TO MAINTAIN ITS PURCHASING POWER IN 1993.
ON THE PROVISION OF REHABILITATION SERVICES, $556.7 MILLION WILL BE SPENT NEXT YEAR.
"THE KEY TARGETS ON THE REHABILITATION FRONT ARE 3,930 ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL PLACES AND 3,760 ADDITIONAL DAY SERVICE PLACES TO BE PROVIDED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, AS OUTLINED IN THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS, HE SAID.
++
HE ADDED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THESE KEY TARGETS WOULD START IN 1993/94. THERE IS AN INCREASE OF 15.7 PER CENT ($75 MILLION) EARMARKED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE EXPANSION OF SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.
WE
'THESE EXTRA PLACES REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF 17 PER CENT OVER THE EXISTING PROVISION. WE WILL MEET THE KEY TARGETS AS QUICKLY AS PRACTICALLY CAN," HE ADDED.
/THERE WJ1.1
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