XN000022-1989-05-27 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, MAY 27. 1989

SAFETY NET FOR THE NEEDY

IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRM COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE A "SAFETY NET" FOR THE NEEDY AT ALL TIMES.

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR ALEXANDER FUNG,

· SAID THIS TODAY (SATURDAY) IN A SEMINAR ON "SOCIAL SECURITY

THE 1990'S ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICE.

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MR FUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE ASSISTANCE WAS ALSO EXTENDED PARTICULARLY IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY ARISING FROM ECONOMIC RECESSION WHEN THE NEEDS OF THE LESS FORTUNATE SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY WERE MORE STRONGLY FELT.

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IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES, THE GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKES TO REVIEW THE VARIOUS SCHEMES FROM TIME TO TIME WITH A VIEW TO MAKING IMPROVEMENTS WHEN APPROPRIATE. ** HE SAID.

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"SOCIAL SECURITY IS PROVIDED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PA) SCHEME THE SPECIAL NERDS ALLOWANCE (SNA) SCHEME, THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION. SCHEME, THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND EMERGENCY RELIEF SERVICES.

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"THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THESE SCHEMES IS TO MEET THE BASIC AND PARTICULAR NEEDS OF THE RECOGNISED VULNERABLE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE IN NEED OF FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL ASSISTANCE.

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ALL THESE SCHEMES HAVE THE COMMON FEATURE OF BEING NON-CONTRIBUTORY, AND THEY HAVE EVOLVED THROUGH A LONG HISTORY OF RELIEF SERVICES DATING BACK TO 1938.1

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SOCIAL SECURITY HAD HAD ITS SOLID FOUNDATION SINCE THE 1970'S WHEN THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES WERE INTRODUCED ONE AFTER ANOTHER, MR FUNG EXPLAINED.

HE SAID THAT THE PA AND SNA SCHEMES HAD SINCE BECOME THE MAINSTAY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN HONG KONG TO HELP THOSE WHO WERE LEAST ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES.

REFERRING TO THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME, MR FUNG NOTED THAT THESE SCHEMES HAD BEEN REVISED 10 TIMES SINCE THEIR INCEPTION.

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THESE PFRIODICAL REVISIONS WERE IN LINE WITH THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BASIC RATES AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS REFLECTING INFLATION.

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ALLOWANCE RATES

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD AND THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM TO SPECIALLY HANDLE SUSPECTED FRAUD CASES, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS SUCH AS OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT, DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT AND LONG TERM SUPPLEMENT.

THERE WERE