Many Hong Kong people are happy with the government's overall performance, but they want social welfare services improved and the gap between rich and poor residents narrowed.

Last month, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong polled 853 adults about the overall performance of the SAR government.

About 60 percent expressed their satisfaction with the government.

This is a dramatic increase of 45 percent compared to the same survey conducted in 2003, around the time of the SARS scare.

Almost 70 percent said unemployment concerns are not serious.

However, despite the majority's faith in job availability and the poll's overall results, the vast majority still pointed out problems.

About 90 percent said the income gap is serious, and 76 percent said the same about the level of poverty in Hong Kong.

A significant number of respondents said social welfare services need some improving, such as welfare for the elderly (70 percent), medical facilities and services (60 percent), and public housing (42 percent).

Commenting on the survey results, Wong Chack-kie, a social work professor at the Chinese University attributed the confidence increase to the generally strong economy.

"But at the same time, people also have higher expectations of the government - especially the lower class," he said. "People want the government to increase spending on social welfare services such as the old-age allowance and public housing."

Timothy Wong Ka-ying, associate director of the school's Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, said that the people's further confidence in the government may depend on how the multi-billion-dollar expected surplus is utilized.

On the issue of poverty, Wong Chack-kie suggested increasing the amount of the old-age allowance and the comprehensive social security assistance payments.

The government could consider allocating an extra month's worth of assistance in the budget to help the poor, he said.

In addition, he said, the government should shorten the waiting time at public clinics and start consultation on public-health-service financing.

Or, the government could also consider making use of the surplus to exempt a month's rent for public housing, he added.

(HK Edition 02/05/2008 page1)