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The following is issued on behalf of the Student Financial Assistance Agency:
The Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) will be established tomorrow (March 1).
A Government spokesman said, "Through the establishment of the new Agency, which comprises two arms, namely the Student Finance Office (SFO) (renamed from the Student Financial Assistance Agency) and the Working Family Allowance Office, we aim to provide dedicated financial support to needy families in Hong Kong.
"The establishment of the WFSFAA represents the Government's commitment to help ease the financial burden of needy families. Through various student financial assistance schemes, we work to ensure that no students in Hong Kong will be denied access to education due to a lack of means. Through the Low-income Working Family Allowance (LIFA) Scheme currently under preparation, we aim to relieve the financial burden of low-income working families by encouraging self-reliance, with particular focus on children to promote upward mobility."
The new Agency will be headed by Mr Esmond Lee Chung-sin, currently the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice/Deputy Judiciary Administrator (Development). He will take up the post as Head, WFSFAA on March 16, 2015. During the period from March 1 to 15, 2015, Ms Nancy So Mei-yee, Controller, SFO will be the Acting Head, WFSFAA. The Head of the WFSFAA reports to the Permanent Secretary for Education on student financial assistance matters and the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare on the LIFA Scheme and the Continuing Education Fund.
A biographical note on Mr Lee is as follows:
Aged 49, Mr Lee joined the Administrative Service in July 1989 and rose to his present rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B in April 2006. Mr Lee has served in various bureaux and departments. He was Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) from August 2007 to October 2011 and has been the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice/Deputy Judiciary Administrator (Development) since November 2011.
Ends/Saturday, February 28, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:00
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