Will raft of social policies targeting elderly, poor and commuters ease Hong Kong’s problems?
City’s leader Carrie Lam rolls out bold list of measures including importing labour and increasing salaries for care staff, questioned by some on practicality
In a bold pledge to tackle the city’s ageing problem as part of social policies announced on Wednesday, Hong Kong’s leader raised the contentious idea of importing foreign labour and setting a zero waiting time target for care services.
In her maiden policy address, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also stated plans for a new transport subsidy for commuters and relaxed requirements to apply for the low-income working family allowance.
Despite strong opposition from the labour sector, Lam said her administration would explore with stakeholders the possibility of increasing imported labour for sectors such as subsidised care services for the elderly and rehabilitation services, which have been facing an acute labour shortage.
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The government would also increase the salaries of some 14,000 nursing staff at subsidised care homes for the elderly to retain and attract talent.
Official figures showed that through the Supplementary Labour Scheme, the government last year approved 3,802 non-locals to work in Hong Kong, up from 1,942 in 2012.
The number of non-local workers brought in under the scheme for the elderly care sector went up from 864 in 2012 to 1,383 last year.