Poverty rates among older adults and divorcees are much higher than the overall average. Certainly, the government must do more to reduce income disparity. Subsidies have had some effect, but it takes sizeable resources to achieve results and, to sustain this, we need to make compromises in other areas of expenditure.

More importantly, employment, salary and mobility matter most for income distribution. The latest data shows the bottom 10 per cent of the low-income group has seen a 46.6 per cent increase in salary from 2011, compared with the average of 29.2 per cent. Thus, widening of income disparities among workers has at least been halted, if not reversed. This can be attributed to the introduction of the minimum wage in 2011. The proportion of poverty among working people has also been significantly reduced, to 4.6 per cent, compared with the average of 14.9 per cent. The increase in the proportion of older adults in the community need not have an adverse effect on income disparity with appropriate measures in place. Many countries are extending the retirement age and retraining middle-aged workers. Automation can improve productivity but may also cost jobs. These workers should be deployed in other areas, like health care.

Hong Kong’s next leader must strive for a fairer society by fixing the social safety net

To reduce future strains on health care expenditure, we need to promote healthy living. Carrying out a liver transplant is very expensive, for example; educating the young about the effects of excessive alcohol use would be more effective. The cost of treating cancer and heart disease is enormous; promoting a healthy working environment and more accessible leisure activities would pay off handsomely.