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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at a media session at the Central Government Offices today (April 20) after a meeting of the Community Care Fund Steering Committee:
The Community Care Fund Steering Committee has finished our second meeting. I want to thank members, in particular Chairmen of the five sub-committees for their hard work. I also want to thank members of the public for your support for our work.
At the meeting today, we decided to take forward the first batch of 10 projects that will provide much needed assistance to various under-privileged groups including low-income families and their children, elderly people, patients suffering from chronic diseases, people with disabilities, new arrivals as well as ethic minorities.
These projects will have a full-year cost of $730 million and will benefit about 300 000 people.
We have also reserved about $170 million for three potential projects, namely after-school care services, dental services for the elderly, and language courses for new arrivals and ethic minorities.
We plan to apply to the LegCo Finance Committee on May 6 for the $5 billion injection into the Fund and start rolling out these projects as soon as possible.
Reporter: Is there disagreement among the members causing the delay in giving out the $6,000 to new arrivals?
Chief Secretary for Administration: As far as the additional $1.5 billion dollars that the Financial Secretary has earmarked for injection into the Community Care Fund, I'd like to emphasise that the principle of the Community Care Fund, the CCF, is that we will use it to help those who are in need. Therefore we are now devising the best method to help those who are in need in order to use the $1.5 billion.
Reporter: Chief Secretary, when you talk about the eligibility criteria for the project will take reference to Government programmes, are you worried that it will again leave behind people who are left out of the social safety net?
Chief Secretary for Administration: I thought that was going to be the second question actually.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:33
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