Financial Secretary John Tsang speaks at a regional consultation forum on the 2010-11 budget at Tsuen Wan Town Hall yesterday. GIS

HONG KONG: Corporate and government should work together to provide more long-term community services and other forms of assistance to disadvantaged people, say a group of experts at a forum sponsored by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

The forum was held to set out recommendations relating to the upcoming government budget later this month.

The experts said those who were chronically unemployed, families earning less than HK$6,000 a month and those who work long hours then go home to take care of disabled people should receive special consideration.

"There are about 500,000 families earning less than HK$6,000 per month and their actual wages have gone down over 3 percent," said Christine Fang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. "We have seen that the economy is picking up and now there's inflation coming, so the livelihoods of the grassroots will become even harder," Fang added.

Hong Kong has the world's widest wealth gap with the Gini Coefficient exceeding 0.53, according to a United Nation's report, State of the World's Cities 2008/2009 - Harmonious Cities. Although Hong Kong has no defined poverty line, the underprivileged are broadly considered as those who have insufficient resources to support their daily expenses.

Stephen Cheung, dean and chair professor of the School of Business of Hong Kong Baptist University, predicted there will be mild inflation in 2010 which would still put pressure onto families with low income. He thought corporations ought to shoulder some social responsibility and help reduce the wealth problem.

While corporations are looking forward to a reduction on profit tax in the coming budget, Executive Council convenor Leung Chun-ying believes that it is not the right time to adopt the measure as there is still a serious wealth gap problem in Hong Kong.

"Not only the government, but also the society as a whole have to work together to work on the poverty problem," said Leung.

Despite the economic growth, the earnings of the underprivileged have not increased for the past twenty years, according to Fang. She said the government should focus on assisting low-income families in the 2010-11 budget.

"We hope that this year the budget will not just give one-shot benefits to people in need. The whole community and especially we social workers on the front line notice that the situation for poor people has been worsening and the wealth gap has been widening," Fang said. "We hope that the government can think of some long-term relief measures."

Suggested measures include enhancing individual capacity to work, especially for young people. Fang suggested assistance should be given to help poor children have Internet access, since that is an essential means of learning nowadays.

More community services on residential care and children care are also recommended.

(HK Edition 02/05/2010 page1)