MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1994
LAND
* MR NICK
BROOKE
THE REVIEW
CHARTERED SURVEYOR, AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE TOWN
PLANNING BOARD
1
AND
PANEL HAS BEEN ASKED TO EXAMINE THE GOVERNMENT'S DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENTS, INCLUDING AUCTIONS,
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS REGARDS IMPROVEMENTS AND CHANGES WHICH MIGHT BE INTRODUCED BEFORE THE NEXT AUCTION ON JULY 26.
―
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPENDITURE UP 50 PER CENT IN FOUR YEARS
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPENDITURE HAS GROWN BY 50 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR DONALD TSANG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW COMPUTERISED SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT SYSTEM OF SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, MR TSANG SAID ONE REASON FOR THE HUGE INCREASE WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REAL LEVEL OF SOCIAL BENEFITS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE 1994/96 ESTIMATES PROVIDED $2.9 BILLION FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME (CSSA) WHICH PROVIDED CASH ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED ON A MEANS-TESTED BASIS.
THREE BILLION DOLLARS WERE PROVIDED FOR THE SOCIAL SECURITY ALLOWANCE SCHEME (SSA) WHICH PROVIDED FLAT RATE ALLOWANCE FOR THE SEVERELY DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY.
SAID.
ABOUT 630,000 PEOPLE BENEFITTED FROM THESE SCHEMES, MR TSANG
MR TSANG NOTED THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD IMPLEMENTED THE NEW COMPUTERISED SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT SYSTEM
ON APRIL 1 THIS YEAR IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE GROWTH IN WORKLOAD AND PROVIDE A MORE EFFICIENT SERVICE TO ITS CLIENTS.
HE ADDED THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT INTENDED TO BUILD ON THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM BY PROVIDING A BETTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
"THIS WILL HELP US TO MONITOR EXPENDITURE MORE CLOSELY AND PLAN
FOR THE FUTURE MORE EFFECTIVELY," MR TSANG SAID.
ALSO SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR IAN STRACHAN, EXPLAINED THAT THE NEW SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT SYSTEM (SSPS) WAS AN ON-LINE SYSTEM.
NOTING THAT THE 32 SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS STAFF COULD CREATE, UPDATE AND ENQUIRE INTO CLIENTS' RECORDS THROUGH TERMINALS INSTALLED AT THEIR OFFICES, MR STRACHAN SAID UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION WAS THEREFORE READILY AVAILABLE WHICH FACILITATED PROMPT RESPONSE THE CHECKING OF DUPLICATE CLAIMS.
TO
/"SECONDLY, THE
-