In a Legislative Council (LegCo) question-and-answer session yesterday, Chief Executive Donald Tsang expressed concern for the underprivileged amid the rising inflation and pledged measures in the next policy address in October to ease their burden.

According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department last month, the consumer price index for March had increased by 4.2 percent over a year earlier.

Most legislators asked questions concerning burden brought about by the inflation on the grassroots in the session and urged the government to provide more help to lower-income groups.

Tsang told legislators that tackling the inflation will be the priority for the government, and added that such is a global issue.

He said the Consumer Council has already started conducting price surveys, and urged other public bodies to launch similar price-monitoring projects.

With regard to public transport fare increase applications submitted by various operators, Tsang reiterated that the interest of the public will come before that of the operators in its deliberation.

"We have already established a proper mechanism for approving fare increase applications," he said. But he added that the government should exercise caution when deciding whether to provide public transportation subsidies, citing instability in tax revenue.

Meanwhile, Tsang said the government is aware that certain sectors have not benefited from the economic recovery and the launch of public infrastructure projects.

In response to that, unionist legislator Wong Kwok-hing demanded the government legislate for the implementation of a minimum wage system and make non-payment of wages a criminal offence.

To illustrate the seriousness of the issue, Wong said there are 2,000 workers who are being owed wages even after their employers were ordered by court to make the payments.

Tsang said the government is to review in October a wage protection scheme introduced earlier and should it prove to be a failure, the government will introduce minimum wage legislation next year.

In terms of childcare services, Tsang said a family commission will be established to study ways to enhance such services so as to ease burden on middle-class families.

(HK Edition 05/16/2008 page1)