TNAG-0786-FCO40-990-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-labour-and-trade-union--1978 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL **

10.1

X. SOCIAL SECURITY

Social security aims at protecting the

public from economic stresses resulting from sickness, unemployment, old age, invelidity and death, providing them with medical care when needed and subsidising families bringing up young children. in the six countries visited, there are as yet no comprehensive social security systems which fully provide for these circumstances. Each country has introduced certain measures, however, to solve its own problems in this regard. These measures may take the form of social insurance, social assistance, provident funds, services provided by the Government and employers' liability. The paragraphs below highlight the salient features of the social security systems in the six countries vis-à-vis Hong Kong.

Old age, invalidity and death schemes

10.2

Indonesia and Thailand do not have measures providing protection against the economic consequences of old age, invalidity and death, but both governments have expressed their intention to establish schemes providing such protection as soon as possible. Although korea has schemes in this regard only for public officials, military personnel and private school teachers, legislative provisions concerning a national welfare pension system (based on the social insurance method) have existed since 1973 but have not been brought into operation as a result of the economic recession due to the oil crisis. The Korean Government intends to bring the system into operation in 1980. in Hong Kong social security is provided on a non-contributory, means-tested basis through the Public assistance Scheme (of which over 60% of the veneficiaries are elderly people) and on a non-contributory non-means-tested basis through the Welfare Allowance Scheme which caters for the severely disabled and the elderly infirm aged 75 and above. Victims of crimes of violence and those accidentally

CONFIDENTIALure##