https://www.scmp.com/rss/264949/feed Chua Hoi-wai is chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In recent years, government-subsidised welfare agencies in Hong Kong have gone the extra mile to rally community resources to meet our rapidly multiplying social needs. But as agencies garner more private donations, should the government reduce its support, lest it be seen as “subsidising” private funders? This question points to the daunting prospect of reduced government funding, should one recommendation of the latest Audit Commission report be enacted. The lump-sum grant system, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2123995/dont-punish-welfare-agencies-hong-kong-their-success-raising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2123995/dont-punish-welfare-agencies-hong-kong-their-success-raising?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2017 02:22:58 +0000 What Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor needs to do urgently is rebuild the trust of Hong Kong people in herself and the administration. This cannot be achieved merely by formulating appropriate social or economic policies or by giving handouts to Hong Kong people. We need a chief executive who really cares about the people, talks their talk, upholds their core values and most importantly trusts the people. It would be a mistake if Lam thinks she will win people’s support by proposing good policies. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082293/carrie-lam-must-urgently-rebuild-trust-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082293/carrie-lam-must-urgently-rebuild-trust-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:30:37 +0000 The first policy address after the "umbrella movement" was widely expected to try to appease the discontent among young people. But while the chief executive appears aware of their growing frustration, he does not seem to understand its cause. Measures proposed on vocational training and career development, entrepreneurial opportunities, and affordable housing - even if they prove to be effective - should not be dismissed, but the younger generation may have been expecting more. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1679773/cy-leungs-policies-will-not-address-young-peoples-fears-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1679773/cy-leungs-policies-will-not-address-young-peoples-fears-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2015 20:53:36 +0000 Hong Kong workers have long complained that they are paying unnecessarily high fees and charges on their Mandatory Provident Fund savings. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority has conducted a cost study and given the government ideas about how to cut these overheads. Among the proposals are capping fees, the provision of low-fee funds, the establishment of a default low-fee fund and a non-profit or low-profit operator. The study, as with a similar report by the Consumer Council, found... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1134543/fixing-mpf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1134543/fixing-mpf?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 After seeing the recent financial crises in European countries such as Greece and Italy, some local commentators have warned against overspending on welfare. However, the implication that Hong Kong will face similar problems if it further expands social welfare spending is extremely misleading. Our level of social spending in Hong Kong stands at only about 30 per cent of the spending of these European countries. On average, the 34 developed countries that are members of the Organisation for... https://www.scmp.com/article/985584/social-shortfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985584/social-shortfall?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000