Commission on Poverty

Group 3Chui Man Toi (52222860)Huen Wing Yan(52217352)Ho Kwok Fai(5222860)Chung Man Sze( 52218730)Lam Tsz Chung (52217200)Li Yuen Man ( 52168003)Lung Yan Tung (52224459)

What is poverty?

Poverty in Hong Kong自由時報 (4-10-2010) 香港窮人 126 萬 創歷史新高 〔編譯盧永山／綜合報導〕香港社會服務聯會公布數據指出，今年上半年香港貧窮人口高達一二六萬人，占香港總人口七百萬的十八％，較去年同期增加二．四萬人，創歷史最高紀錄。而根據香港樂施會的資料，香港最富有十％家庭與最窮十％家庭的月收入差距高達二十七倍。

和中國簽ＣＥＰＡ 窮人不減反增 從二○○三年六月香港與中國簽訂「內地與香港關於建立更緊密經貿關係的安排」（ＣＥＰＡ）以來，香港貧窮人口呈逐漸上升趨勢，貧窮人口由二○○三年的一一六．六萬人，增至今年上半年的一二六萬人，貧窮率接近十八％。香港社聯根據港府提供的住戶收入統計數字進行分析，結果發現，今年上半年約有一二六萬人的收入低於香港所有住戶平均收入的一半；以一人家庭為例，即收入少於港幣三二七五元（台幣一三一九八元），就屬於貧窮人口。

Do you think it is poverty?

ContextBackground Formation Structure Stakeholders Mission

How does involve civic society? Civic engagement mechanism Process

Evaluation Merits Demerits

BackgroundFormationStakeholdersStructureMission

Formation1980sOpen door of ChinaDeindustrialization Economic restructure Loss of low skill job

1997Asian Financial Crises Intense situation

2000 23 social welfare & religious organizations was established=>urge gov’t to establish an “Eradication of Poverty” committee

200312 organization under the HKCSS urged the gov’t establish a committee to eradicate poverty

2005 Tung Chee-hwa set up the commission on poverty of gov’t

Ending of COP

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勞工及福利局負責監察扶貧工作的進度，及進一步鼓勵協調各政府部門的扶貧工作。民政事務局會負責推動社會企業的的進一步發展。   

no formal organization to manage the affairs of poverty

How does it affect the future of the poverty?

The financial secretary

Head of central policy unit

Employment Home affairs

educationsHealth and

welfare

4 Principal officials

18 unofficial members

legislators

academics

NGOs representatives

business people

Community leaders

others

Structure

Stakeholders

Hong Kong Social Security Society (HKCSS)

Oxfam

Livelihood Agenda 21

Umbrella Organization

Mission Concern the needs of the poor Tackle the problems of poverty -By Making Policy -Promote Self- reliance Reduce the risk of intergenerational poverty Encourage citizen’s participation Delineate responsibility Foster public- private partnership Mobilize social capital in alleviating poverty Focus on inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary issues

How does involve civic society?

Civic engagement mechanismProcess

Civic engagement mechanism

Advisory Committees To advise the government the government have no obligation to take

up recommendation Statutory Bodies (temporary) Serve are board and wide-ranging Adjudicating on appeal

Process

13 Meeting (Formal & Informal) Individual task: hold numerous meeting Official :meet with official and unofficial

members individually Unofficial: hold informal meeting, table

document, interacting with public

Process

Visit to selected districts and Social Service agencies

Forum Sharing Session Seminar

Evaluation

EvaluationAspects Elaboration

A district- based approach to alleviate poverty

•Manage & deploy the resources by Home Affairs Bureau & Home Affairs Departmente.g. Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po & Tin Shui Wai

Promote self-reliance •Strength employment assistanceIncrease work incentives Develop social enterprisee.g. Transport subsidies (North & the Islands districts)

Reduce the risk of intergenerational poverty

•Compensatory interventione.g. The Children’s Development Funde.g. Pre-primary Education (學前教育 )

Elderly poverty •Encourage social inclusion and participation of elderlye.g. Elderly Commissione.g. Medical, housing, financial supports

Merits

EvaluationAspects Elaboration

Consensus building •pro-grassroots activists not powerful to make government give into their demands• pro-grassroots activists are not united• no common definition on poverty line

Policy coordination & integration • policy bureau tend to be passive to take up decision•not synchronize with the policy priorities of individual policy bureaux

Transparency & accountability • quite transparent •Little mechanism to hold policy bureau accountable for funding

Demerits

EvaluationAspects Elaboration

Participation •Not include people in poverty•Government control the agenda and decide what to discuss

Work result •No in-depth discussions•Inability to discuss the structural cause of poverty•Lack of substantive policy recommendation & actions (lack of sincerity)

Unsatisfied

Demerits

Reference

Welfare Policy: The Case of the Commission on Poverty , Chapter 7, http://www.bauhinia.org/publications/BFRC-CES-Report.pdf

http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2010/new/oct/4/today-p1-2.htm

Report of the Commission on Poverty http://www.cop.gov.hk/b5/report.htm