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SCMP Reporter

Decision is a major departure from his long-standing policy

A commission is to be set up to tackle poverty, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said yesterday.

Mr Tung said he  endorsed public demand for a body to be formed to address poverty issues.

'I will actively consider and appoint representatives from outside the government [to the commission]. The commission will take an all-round approach to see how to get people out of poverty,' he said.

More details will be announced in the policy address on January 12.

The remarks are a remarkable departure  from the long-standing position that an inter-departmental poverty commission is unnecessary.

The chief executive said poverty had worsened because of globalisation.

'Although we have a good safety net, we have to accept that some people may not get the help they need. The government has the duty to help them,' he said.

Government estimates show the unemployment rate for highly skilled workers is 2.5 to 3 per cent, while the rate for low-skilled workers is 7.5 per cent.

But by 2007, there is expected to be a shortage of 100,000 highly skilled workers,  while there will be a surplus of 230,000 low-skilled workers.

'We need to be more focused. We will strive to help the children of social security recipients to prevent the poverty problems from passing to the next generation. How to achieve this will be a great challenge,' Mr Tung said.

He was also quizzed on  Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun's  claim that Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen  could be insisting that a single developer build the West Kowloon cultural project in exchange for tycoons' support for his possible bid for chief executive.

But the chief executive said he would not respond to remarks 'which are not well thought out'.

He said he often had discussions with Executive Council members and had a clear understanding on their views.

'The policy secretaries are all dedicated and work for the best for Hong Kong - 2007 is still two years away,' he said. Although there had been a lot of speculation about the next chief executive, it was still too early to comment.

On the controversy surrounding the West Kowloon project, Mr Tung said the government would keep an open mind and consider extending the consultation period if necessary.

Asked if he would be prepared to drop the project,  Mr Tung asked: 'How can we move ahead if the whole community doesn't want it to be done?'

On the contentious single-developer issue: he said: 'Whatever we do, we do it for Hong Kong's best interest. Projects of such scale are bound to be controversial. We just hope to do it in a satisfactory way and make it a success.'



Body to tackle poverty is given go-ahead by Tung