XN000022-1981-06-10 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1981

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IF SOME AGENCIES REQUIRE LESS SUPPORT THAN OTHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN FUND-RAISING, IT JUST MEANS THAT THERE

IS MORE TO GO AROUND IN EXPANDING AND UPGRADING SERVICES, SHE SAID. BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT.

SHE SAID TOTAL SUBVENTIONS TO AGENCIES HAVE INCREASED VERY SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, FROM $16 MILLION IN 1970-71 TO $192 MILLION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.

+OVERALL, THE PERCENTAGE OF INCOME RAISED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FROM OTHER SOURCES SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY CHEST, THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB AND PRIVATE DONORS HAS DECREASED RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES, AND NOW REPRESENTS A MERE 15 PER CENT, SHE SAID.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ON AVERAGE, SOME 70 PER CENT OF AGENCIES' EXPENDITURE COMES FROM THE PUBLIC PURSE, AND IN SOME CASES, THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT CAN BE AS HIGH AS 90 PER CENT.

+ I WOULD NOT WISH RECENT REPORTS AND STATEMENTS IN THE MASS MEDIA TO UNDERMINE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITY OF THE PUBLIC AND VOLUNTARY SECTORS TO WORK HAND IN HAND IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY,

ME ADDED.

AS REGARDS THE EXISTING DISCRETIONARY SYSTEM OF SUBVENTION, THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THE NEED FOR CHANGES ALTHOUGH THERE ARE

IFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AS TO WHETHER GENCIES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO RAISE SOME FUNDS ON THE IR OWN, >HE SAID.

IT IS NECESSARY TO GIVE AGENCIES A FIRM INDICATION OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FROM YEAR TO YEAR SO THAT THEY CAN PLAN THE IR BUDGETS ACCORDINGLY AND TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON HOW THE AGENCIES' OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME SHOULD BE TREATED.

SHE FELT OPTIMISTIC THAT SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUBVENTION SYSTEM COULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1982-83.

A GOVERNMENT WORKING PARTY HAS RECOMMENDED THE CLASS IF ICATION OF WELFARE SERVICES ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, AND HAS PROPOSED THAT SERVICES CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL OR NECESSARY BE FINANCED FULLY BY THE GOVERNMENT BASED ON PRE-DETERMINED SERVICE STANDARDS.

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AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, SHE SAID, WOULD BE THAT VOLUNTARY AGENCIES OTHER INCOME, APART FROM FEES, WOULD NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, MEANING THEY WOULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE WAYS OF DEPLOYING FUNDS RAISED FROM OTHER SOURCES INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY CHEST.

FUCH FUNDS COULD EITHER BE USED IN THE PROVISION OF NON-SUBVENTED SERVICES OR IN IMPROVING STANDARDS OF SUBVENTED SERVICES, SHE SAID.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR'S VIEWS ON THE WORKING PARTY'S RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH ARE IN GENERAL SUPPORTED.

THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE WILL BE CONSULTED VERY SHORTLY AND THE CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.