No other country including the most social welfare-minded ones has this kind of payment. There are social security and pension payments in those countries. But these are payments to people who had contributed to the relevant schemes.

Some Hongkongers think they deserve this money because they paid taxes. Paying taxes is not equivalent to paying for one's pension, otherwise why would we have the Mandatory Provident Fund.

I have a golfing friend who is over 70.

He said the government, in effect, pays for one round of golf every month.

He was referring to the monthly HK$705 old age allowance he gets.

Should government revenue be used to help over-70 golfers improve their swing?

We should not treat the government as Santa Claus.

If we do not think looking after our own well-being in old age is our own responsibility, we will be burdened with ever-increasing taxes.

The old-age allowance should only be paid to the elderly who are in difficult financial situations. Instead of feeling outraged if a means test is introduced, those over-70s who are receiving fruit money but who do not really need it, should voluntarily give it up now. If over-70s who are well-to-do do not take this money, there will be more available for those who really need it.

Instead of complaining that the government wants to turn the elderly into beggars, is it not more constructive for those critics to come to a consensus with the government as to what is a fair level above which over-70s, after being means tested, should not receive the old-age allowance?

Alex Woo, Tsim Sha Tsui

Legco protest out of order

I found it very disturbing to see what the Hong Kong government allowed to happen during the policy address in Legco.

The verbal attack on Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen by legislator Leung Kwok-hung and his group [the League of Social Democrats] and the throwing of fruit, showed total disrespect for the chain of command and was a slap in the face for the authority of this government. I believe the government is trying hard to ensure the best livelihood for all Hong Kong citizens and is trying to come up with balanced solutions to satisfy all parties.

I wonder if Mr Leung appreciates how tough it is for Mr Tsang to be chief executive and try to make everyone happy.

There should be good order in the Legco chamber. People should not let their emotions get the better of them. Mr Leung should remember that he was elected to represent his constituents. He should not act like a one-man crusade.

Peter Kwong, Mid-Levels

Chicken farms not feasible

Citizens may be anxious about the safety of imported food after the latest tainted milk scandal. There has been a loss of confidence regarding imported food, especially produce from the mainland. Bird flu is also a very sensitive topic and cause of concern.

Wouter van Marle raises these issues in his letter ('We should be encouraging more chicken farms in Hong Kong', October 15).

I believe that our reliance on imported food does have its downsides. However, I do not think that encouraging more chicken farms is the right way forward. Hong Kong is a knowledge-based society. Members of our younger generation are being encouraged to develop intellectually.

Parents have high expectations of their children and would not want them to become chicken farmers. For people who are already middle-aged, it would be too late for them to learn the skills needed to start up and operate such a farm. Therefore, I do not know where in Hong Kong you would find the workforce needed to run these farms.

State-of-the-art equipment would be needed to ensure chickens were germ-free, but many people starting up these farms could not afford such equipment.

Even if we did have these farms, demand for chickens is high in Hong Kong, so we would always have to import some poultry.

If there was another outbreak of bird flu due to imported chickens then presumably chickens in Hong Kong farms would need to be culled and the farmers would be compensated. This would prove costly for the government.

It would be more effective to have better monitoring and safety checks for imported food.

Li Pui-yin, Tseung Kwan O

Simple queries unanswered

There has still been no reply in these columns from the Highways Department to the letter I wrote (' 'World' city has much poorer roads than elsewhere in region', September 24).

I was replying to the department's letter ('Careful checks on roadworks', September 20).

I sought clarification on a number of items relating to the exceedingly poor quality of roads in Hong Kong and who exactly is liable if defective roads were found to be the cause of accidents or damage to vehicles.

As no reply has been received, it is apparent that the department's inability to answer these simple questions is only matched by its inability to ensure that road users are being supplied with quality roads.

Come on, highways, surely one of the many engineers employed in your main department, research and development or customer relations is able to respond.

Where, after all is the transparency of this government body, if it is unable to answer simple questions?

C. Thomasson, Tuen Mun

Astute Nobel weathers storm

While the world financial markets are bleeding with people losing their hard-earned savings, one fund, the Nobel Prize fund stands proudly above all the chaos.

This year's recipients of the prize have all been announced.

Each of them will receive a substantial amount of money.

I do not understand how the trustees of the Nobel Foundation manage to dispense all these substantial assets every year, even during cycles of financial mayhem in the world.

I wonder if they could tell us what the secret is to maintaining these funds. Are they getting help from governments?

If not, the foundation would be a worthy recipient of its own prize in the category of economics.

D. Raaj, Tsim Sha Tsui

Hardly 'green'

Minibus operators want more minibuses with additional seats ('Push to review rules on minibuses', October 12).

All Hong Kong road-users, drivers, passengers and pedestrians will have seen how some minibus drivers behave on the road. Such behaviour can lead to fatalities.

Contrary to their colour, minibuses are not 'green' compared to say rail transport.

Minibuses came about as a consequence of the 1967 riots.

Rather than calling for more of them, the minibus operators should focus on improving their reckless driving behaviour and selfish attitude on the roads.

Wong Man-lok, Ho Man Tin