XN000022-1985-11-28 — Page 28

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1985

+TO GIVE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES THE NECESSARY FINANCIAL PROTECTION AND A SENSE OF BELONGING WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO THE STABILITY OF HONG KONG BECOMES THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND ADVOCATED BY MAJOR LABOUR AND SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS. + HE SAID.

MR HUI SAID HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT HONG KONG'S EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE FOR 85/86 STOOD AT $2.22 BILLION, REPRESENTING A MEAGRE 5.79 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE AND SOCIAL WELFARE SUBVENTION AMOUNTING TO $421.2 MILLION WAS ONLY 1.1 PER CENT OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

+SURELY, HONG KONG CAN SHOW MORE MAGNANIMITY IN ITS SOCIAL WELFARE SPENDING, HE SAID.

MR HUI PRAISED THE WORK OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN HONG KONG, SAYING THAT IT WAS THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WHICH LAUNCHED A WHOLE RANGE OF ESSENTIAL WELFARE SERVICES AS WELL AS PIONEERED MANY PREVENTIVE SERVICES DESIGNED TO MEET SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY.

+WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND WISDOM, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES PROVIDE A COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO DIRECT GOVERNMENT SERVICES, FULFILLING A UNIQUE, HISTORICAL ROLE,+ HE SAID.

HOWEVER, MR HUI SAID HE FELT THAT PROVISIONS TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WERE FAR FROM MEETING THE SOCIAL NEEDS,

ON THE PIVOTAL QUESTION OF SUBVENTION FOR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HE SAID SHORTAGE OF FUNDS GAVE RISE TO THE UNDESIRABLE CATEGOR ISATION OF WELFARE SERVICES BY WHICH ONLY THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES RECEIVED FULL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT WHILE INSUFFICIENT ALLOCATION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE ALSO COMPELLED GOVERNMENT TO SET MINIMUM STANDARDS IN CALCULATING THE UNIT COSTS WHICH HAD NOT BEEN WORKED OUT TO THE SATISFACTION OF BOTH GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

HE SAID SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AGENCIES TO SEEK OTHER FUNDING SOURCES INSTEAD OF RELYING SOLELY ON GOVERNMENT SUPPORT CARRIED WITH THEM PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES NEGATING THE ADVANTAGES PUT FORWARD.

MR HUI RECALLED A PROPOSAL BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE IN 1980 WHICH RECOMMENDED A CONTRACT SYSTEM UNDER WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PURCHASED UNITS OF SERVICES FROM VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR A FIXED AMOUNT OF FEES.

+VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HAVE A FREE HAND IN MANAGING THEIR OWN BUDGETS AND SECURING INCOME FROM OTHER SOURCES IN DELIVERING THE PURCHASED SERVICES.

+SURPLUS ACCRUED IS RETURNED TO GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS NO OBLIGATION TO PLEDGE FURTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO COVER DEFICITS APART FROM THE LUMP SUM GRANTED ON A THREE-YEAR BASIS, + HE ELABORATED.

THE MERIT