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The following is issued on behalf of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee:
The Social Welfare Advisory Committee (SWAC) discussed the welfare planning framework and the progress report of the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) at a meeting today (April 24).
SWAC chairman, Mr Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, said after the meeting that members had listened to the views of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service on the welfare planning framework.
He said members generally supported the current approach the Government had adopted in planning welfare policies and priorities, which included an annual consultation mechanism with the welfare sector to discuss work priorities and an enhanced district planning mechanism.
He added that the annual consultation mechanism introduced last year gave the Government and the sector a chance to exchange views and set the priorities to tie in with the Government's policy and resource planning cycle.
"Under this annual consultation mechanism, the welfare sector can not only express their views before the formulation of the Policy Address but will also be briefed by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau on the work priorities set after the delivery of the Policy Address.
"Our members attended the consultation sessions last year and considered that the new mechanism was a good attempt and should continue,'' he said.
At today's meeting SWAC also identified some key priority areas for its future work. They included review of the integrated family services, promoting good corporate governance for Non-Government Organisations, encouraging tripartite partnership among the Government, the business sector and the community, as well as promoting family core value.
Members were also briefed on the findings of studies done by an evaluation consortium with seven research teams from five tertiary institutions over the operation of the CIIF and its projects.
While affirming that the CIIF had yielded positive outcome in the promotion of the concept of social capital building, the consortium has also made a number of recommendations to enhance the future operation of the CIIF, promote good practices, and assist with the further development of social capital in HK.
The CIIF was set up in August, 2002, to encouraging mutual concern and aid, promoting community participation and supporting cross-sectoral partnerships.
Ends/Monday, April 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:35
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