ENG-2008 — Page 501

History 421

with an increasing number of people entering the Mainland from or through Hong Kong, the natural gateway, each year.

To keep pace with the development, the Government places strong emphasis. on improving and expanding infrastructure. As a result, Hong Kong has been transformed into a modern city with efficient road and rail links, and first-class port and airport facilities. New highways have opened up previously remote areas, the railway networks are being expanded, and a new international airport has been in operation at Chek Lap Kok since 1998.

The new towns in the New Territories, which accommodate 47 per cent of Hong Kong's population, have eased the pressure on development of the main urban areas. Current planned projects continue to spur the economy, create jobs and enhance the environment.

The development of Hong Kong's economic base has enabled the public sector to increase spending on housing, education, social welfare and health over the years. from $144.6 billion in 1998-99 to an estimated $169.5 billion in 2008-09.

Hong Kong's public housing programme started with an emergency measure to rehouse some 53 000 people made homeless overnight in a squatter fire on Christmas Day 1953. It has developed into a comprehensive programme that encompasses a wide range of rental and home ownership flats with self-contained facilities.

The main aim of the Government's subsidised housing policy is to provide assistance to low-income families who cannot afford private rental accommodation. The Hong Kong Housing Authority's primary responsibility is to build public rental flats to help families in need gain access to adequate and affordable housing and to assist the Government in maintaining the average waiting time for such flats to around three years.

The Government has been investing heavily in education to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness in a knowledge-based and globalised economy. Free primary and junior secondary education has been provided to every student attending public sector schools since 1978. Senior secondary education and full-time courses offered by the Vocational Training Council for secondary three school leavers also became free in September 2008. Tertiary education remains heavily subsidised. It is the Government's policy that no student is deprived of education for lack of financial

means.

The Government and non-governmental organisations have made major strides in improving social welfare services to the public in the past decade which in turn have increased government spending on social welfare from $26.0 billion in 1998-99 to an estimated $39.4 billion in 2008-09. Social services are today provided not only for emergency relief, but for other needs as well.

The post-war years also saw the development of a healthcare system to cope with Hong Kong's rapidly growing population, caused mostly by a huge influx of refugees from China. Big steps were taken to combat communicable diseases in the early post-war years and to build additional public and private hospitals, as well as