Fifth-term Commission on Poverty convenes first meeting (with photos)
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As the Chairperson of the CoP, Mr Chan welcomed members of the new term and said that the current-term Government steadfastly upholds the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation with resources directed to those most in need. He added that he looks forward to closely working with members to explore, identify and support target groups for targeted poverty alleviation.
Members expressed support for the close cross-sectoral collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community in progressively rolling out initiatives of targeted poverty alleviation, alongside the Strive and Rise Programme launched last year to support junior secondary school students from underprivileged families, particularly those living in subdivided units. They agreed to a two-pronged approach to addressing the specific needs of target groups in order to achieve the expected effects of alleviating poverty or helping them rise above poverty, viz. empowering those who are able to help themselves so that they could achieve self-reliance and improve their lives, and releasing the potential labour force of society on the one hand, and continuing to plug existing service gaps to support those who are unable to help themselves on the other.
Members were pleased to learn about the good progress of the Strive and Rise Programme, which gives full play to the synergies of the Government, the business sector and the community, since its launch in October 2022. The Government will evaluate the effectiveness of the first phase of the Programme in due course with a view to incorporating enhancements into the second phase. Members were also pleased to note that the Government will establish an "alumni club" for mentees. Mentees who have completed the Programme can continue to keep in touch with their mentors and other mentee graduates through this social network-cum-resource centre, to strive for upward mobility, and to support newcomers to the Programme in the future, such that the Programme can go on systematically.
Also, members took note of the relevant government officials' reports on the progress of the Community Care Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. They exchanged views on how best resources should be deployed to take forward the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation.
Ends/Monday, March 6, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:13
Issued at HKT 18:13
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