CE urged to support ethnic minorities, boost birthrate
Chief Executive John Lee was attending a meeting in Hung Hom to gather views for his upcoming policy blueprint. Photo courtesy of the Chief Executive's Policy Unit
Shoring up support for Hong Kong's ethnic minority population and boosting the fertility rate were among a number of appeals to Chief Executive John Lee as he attended a meeting in Hung Hom on Sunday to gather views for his upcoming policy blueprint.
Dozens among the more than 100 people attending put forward their suggestions and concerns in the two-hour televised forum, including a kindergarten teacher representing ethnic minorities who called for better learning and career opportunities for the population.
"How would the government help ethnic minority families and their next generation for them to have a fairer and more equal learning environment, while providing them with appropriate support both inside and outside of school?" she asked.
In response, the city's leader said his administration is working to build a more inclusive community.
"I understand very well that we need to provide support for them in many aspects, such as language, especially Cantonese and learning Chinese. Every year, the Education Bureau has a number of subsidies and measures [on that front]," Lee said.
"There are also care teams dedicated to ethnic minorities to better understand their culture and background."
Some other issues covered focused on addressing the city's low birth rate and assisting young people.
The Chief Executive said the government had rolled out a number of measures to encourage childbirth, such as a HK$20,000 handout and tax reduction.
Lee was also urged to roll out support measures for the elderly, provide resources to the arts, and provide more funding for the development of innovation and technology.
"When formulating policies, the government has to take care of things on both the macro and micro level. On the macro level, we need to make the pie bigger. When the pie is bigger, everyone benefits from it. It's equally important to ensure each person has a larger share of the pie," he said.
Lee will hold another town hall meeting next week, before delivering his fourth annual Policy Address in September.
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