HONG KONG: Financial Secretary John Tsang is planning a subsidy of HK$52.2 million for education in the 2010-2011 budget. But poor families not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) are disappointed that they will receive no benefit from the assistance.

Carrie Woo Mei-yuk, about 40, is living with her family in Chai Wan in public rental housing. She has a 20-year-old son. One of her two daughters is studying in primary one and the other has just entered secondary school. The five family members squeeze into the tiny apartment of about 300 square feet, where they subsist on a family income of about HK$15,000 per month brought home by Woo's husband, who works in an advertising company.

"Good, thank you," said Woo when she heard the financial secretary say he is granting primary and secondary school students from low-income families a subsidy for Internet access charges. However, after she realized that the subsidy is intended only for families receiving CSSA, she was disappointed.

Tsang did what she expected by mounting more resources and declaring a subsidy to help the younger generation and subsidize medical services for the elderly. Still she felt left out. Because her family is not eligible for CSSA, it will not benefit from any of the subsidies.

"I'll ask my husband not to work but to apply for CSSA. We cannot benefit from all the assistance. Most people receiving CSSA are actually new immigrants or people taking drugs. They don't work but can enjoy a wealthy life supported by money given by us, the tax payers. It's so unfair," she complained.

Woo thinks the government should evaluate the CSSA scheme and study whether the scheme is really helping people in need.

About half the family's income goes to support the education of the children. Woo had been hoping for more government sponsorship.

"We are spending HK$3,000 every month for my younger daughter on violin lessons," Woo said. "It would be better if the government can grant us 50 percent sponsorship, so the money saved can allow them to learn other skills."

Woo said her children want to learn Putonghua, but the family cannot afford the fees.

"If they don't learn some extra skills, they cannot keep up with the pace of society. So we'll have to save more and spend less to support them," she said.

(HK Edition 02/25/2010 page2)