XN000022-1987-11-05 — Page 22

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987

"FOR IN HONG KONG, NO LEGISLATIVE QUALIFICATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR PRACTICING SOCIAL WORK, NOR DOES AN ACCREDITATION BODY EXIST FOR DECIDING WORKERS' LEVEL OF COMPETENCE," HE SAID.

"

THUS, STANDARD SETTING AND SELF-REGULATION FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE HAVE EVOLVED AS ONE OF OUR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM UNQUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS.'

MR HUI ALSO SPOKE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTABLISH A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND.

DECISION NOT ΤΟ

FUND MIGHT CAUSE

ΤΟ BE

HE SAID THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE ACCUMULATED GREAT INTERFERENCE IN THE MONEY MARKET HAD ALREADY BEEN PROVED INVALID BY ECONOMISTS AT A MEETING WITH THE FINANCE BRANCH.

"THE EFFECT OF INFLATION ON CENTRAL PROVIDENT CONTRIBUTIONS, WHICH CAN BE OFFSET BY PROPER MANAGEMENT OF RETURNS INVESTMENTS, HAS ALSO BEEN OVER-EXAGGERATED," HE SAID.

FUND ON

"THUS, BY ADOPTING THE LOPSIDED ARGUMENTS ADVANCED BY EMPLOYERS TO CAUSE ALARM, GOVERNMENT HAS DEMONSTRATED A PAROCHIAL OUTLOOK AND AN OBDURATE ATTITUDE IN ADDRESSING A VITAL SOCIAL ISSUE," HE SAID.

MR HUI SAID THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUNCTIONAL. CONSTITUENCY BELIEVED THAT A FUND WAS THE ONLY EFFECTIVE SOLUTION ΤΟ HONG KONG'S GROWING PROBLEM CONCERNING THE AGED, IN THE LIGHT OF RAPID SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGES AND LIMITED SOCIAL RESOURCES.

HE ALSO SAID THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUNCTION OF A FUND COULD NOT BE REPLACED BY THE PROPOSED MEASURES ΤΟ IMPROVE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES, THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME AND PRIVATE PROVIDENT FUNDS.

APART FROM THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS, THE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, IN EXERTING A STABILISING EFFECT ON SOCIETY DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, ALSO CARRIED SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL MEANING THAT OUTWEIGHED THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY EMPLOYERS.

+

"THEREFORE, UNLESS GOVERNMENT WANTS ΤΟ REFRAIN FROM MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY ON A LONG TERM BASIS IT HAS EVERY RESPONSIBILITY TO COME LIP WITH ANOTHER COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY PACKAGE BEFORE IT CAN SWEEP THE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND UNDER THE CARPET.

TH

MR HUI ALSO SAID THE NEW SCHEME OF EXTENDED OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, WHICH HE SAID WAS DESIGNED AS A TRADE-OFF FOR A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, HAD AROUSED MIXED FEELINGS AMONG SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONALS, AS A MEANS TEST IN THE FORM OF AN INCOME DECLARATION WAS INTRODUCED FOR ALL NEW OLD AGE ALLOWANCE APPLICANTS.

HE SAID AN INCOME DECLARATION TOUCHED A SOFT SPOT IN CONSERVATIVE-MINDED CHINESE PEOPLE WHO TENDED TO KEEP PRIVATE THEIR SOURCE OF INCOME.

"INCOME DECLARATION,