Wealthy enough to provide a decent pension
Do our officials realise that the public funds accumulated by the government are supposed to be spent for the welfare of Hong Kong citizens? Hoarding enormous reserves is not an end in itself.
The money should be used to better the lives of our citizens. The financial secretary will earn little kudos for being mean with those funds, at a time of great need.
At the same time as tycoons and government ministers can be seen getting out of their luxury cars to have lunch in the Hong Kong Club, nearby you can see elderly beggars and scavengers in Central's streets.
That generation worked long before there was a Mandatory Provident Fund, so most of them have no pension. Those without a family to support them or who have relatives who will not help, are left near destitute. Life is cruel and desperate for them, especially with high inflation. I find that shocking, given that we live in one of the world's richest cities. Women in their eighties being forced to collect cardboard boxes to earn a living are a common sight in Hong Kong.
The government should invest some of our huge reserves so that every Hong Kong citizen over the age of 65 gets a decent pension. That would give them some comfort and dignity in their remaining years. We should not forget that it was that generation, working in factories, which helped generate this city's wealth.
Rob Leung, Wan Chai
