【明報專訊】Hong Kong is gradually recovering from the 2008 financial tsunami, but incomes grow much more slowly than its economy. As a result, the rich-poor gap has widened, and more citizens now live in poverty. According to a survey the Hong Kong Council of Social Service has conducted, the number of citizens listed as impoverished has reached 1.26 million (about 18.1% of Hong Kong's population), a record high. The Council has pointed out that, in the first half of 2010, impoverished old people numbered 290,000. These figures point to an alarming problem.
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service Christine Fang (香港社會服務聯會行政總裁方敏生) has suggested that, to narrow the rich-poor gap, the government should thoroughly review the MPF system and lift restrictions on CSSA (Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (綜援)) applications. Fang urges the government to help develop elderly-service and childcare industries so that it will be easier for poorly-educated people to find work. That would also help deal with problems arising from population ageing.
■Keywords
disparity between rich and poor……貧富差距
government subsidy……政府津貼
poverty……貧窮
■Questions
1.What are the problems mentioned in the paragraphs?
2.What are the causes of those problems?
3.The Chief Executive is soon to deliver his 2011 policy address. How do you think the government should tackle the problems mentioned above?
■Further readings
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (香港社會服務聯會) : http://www.hkcss.org.hk
