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On care for the elderly, Mr Kwong said the basic rate of CSSA for a single elderly stood as of today at $2,060 per month. In addition, extra payments are made to meet the various special needs of elderly people. Taking these into account, the average elderly single person receives some $3,000 a month.
This level of financial assistance has been worked out with great care. It was based on a year long comprehensive survey household expenditure in 1995 as well as professional judgements of the basic needs of CSSA recipients.
"As a result, we implemented a package of improvements to CSSA payments across the board, including the elderly, from 1 April 1996. That package costs us some $500 million in additional expenditure every year," Mr Kwong said.
"Thus, considering the relative priorities among competing needs in the Resources Allocation Exercise last year, we decided that we should put our emphasis on direct services for the elderly. To illustrate, in 1997-98, we have provided funds for an additional 2,746 residential places (including nursing home places) for the elderly, 21 social centres, 4 day care centres, and 5 multi-service centres."
issue.
Mr Kwong said there was a more forward looking approach to address this
"The consultation exercise on spending priorities for next year's Budget would begin in a few weeks' time. Anything that we were not able to take on board this year has not been lost forever. If it is worthwhile, we can look at it again, together," he said.
"We are now reviewing the social security allowances scheme which covers the special needs of the elderly and people with a disability. We are also conducting a consultancy on the needs of the elderly for services and support.
"The results of the consultation process, the review and the consultancy will be known by mid-summer, in time for the 1997 RAE. Any justified improvements can then be considered for priority treatment.
"That surely must be the correct way forward."
Turning to the size of the surplus which had drawn a lot of comment, Mr Kwong said: "Let me clarify one persistent misunderstanding straight away. The size of the projected surplus would not and I repeat not, allow us to spend more.