Pandemic Hits Poor the Hardest

There are more unemployed among the working poor than other Hongkongers

It is devastating how the coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the worldwide economy, and Hong Kong is no exception.

Today there was a news report on the exhibitions industry, that 50 exhibitions and conferences were cancelled this year so far that would have drawn 54,000 exhibitors and 3.4 million visitors.

Last year some 1.69 million people came to Hong Kong for MICE events (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions), which made up of 55 percent of the total business visitors according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

SoCO released its survey on low-income workers today

That has a knock-on effect on hotels, restaurants and shops in the city.

There are about 600 firms related to exhibitions in Hong Kong, all paying rent on warehouse space, and staff, and many sitting on lots of product that they need to sell, not to mention the hundreds of casual staff without work.

Others being hit very hard by the pandemic are the working poor. Their unemployment rate is eight times higher than the city's unemployment rate, and more than one-third do not get government subsidies because they find it too cumbersome to get through all the bureaucratic red tape.

The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) conducted a survey of more than 330 low-income residents and found 31.5 percent had lost their jobs between May and July, and 28 percent had not worked for an entire year.

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed had been unemployed for those three months, and 10 percent were behind on rent. 

Many found it too troublesome to apply for subsidies

Hong Kong's unemployment rate for the same period was 6.1 percent.

"The city's low-income residents are living in a disaster zone compared to other people," said SoCO community organizer Sze Lai-shan. "For those who have been unemployed for months, they are having to eat less or even take out loans.

"The government has been giving out subsidies, but the poorest among us are not getting a single cent."

Some of those interviewed complained they weren't able to reach officials from the social welfare department for help because many government staff are working from home during the pandemic.

Things are getting really desperate for these people who wonder how they are going to survive the next few days let alone the next month.

Has the government forgotten about them?

Or are they expected to follow Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung's advice to get a job washing dishes?

How is this Benevolent?

Tens of thousands of poor elderly people will miss out on government benefits

Financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is making the tough decisions of who gets what in Hong Kong's budget for the coming years.

He's already hinted there won't be many handouts this year because the government didn't make much money from land sales. The surplus is expected to be one-third of the HK$138 billion (US$17.6 billion) last year.

But the government does still have over a trillion Hong Kong dollars in reserves.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan has hinted a smaller surplus

Nevertheless, the government has decided one of the cuts will be to impoverished seniors between the ages of 60 and 64. From February 1, those who are 65 years old and over and are poor will be eligible for the elderly comprehensive social security assistance (CSSA), up from the current 60.

Those who are not yet 65 and already receiving CSSA payments will not be affected because of disability or ill health, but it will impact those who are about to turn 60, are down and out, and were hoping for more government subsidies.

Roy Kwong Chun-yu, the chairman of the Legislative Council's panel of welfare services, criticized the move, which will affect about 25,000 people.

The elderly rate is HK$3,485 (US$445) per month, while those who about to turn 60 will only get HK$2,455. This money is meant to cover basic expenses, which is barely enough as it is.

Some elderly prefer to try to earn money than get handouts

"Many have left the workplace after they turned 60 due to age or health problems," Kwong said. "But besides the elderly CSSA, other elderly welfare measures are for those 65 and above, leaving a gap in support for those aged 60 to 64."

He added only HK$100 million is needed to fund the current arrangement.

Does the government not care about these 25,000 people who will need this government subsidy? The monthly handout is so pathetic that you have to wonder why the age range has increased -- there are many poor elderly who are collecting cardboard because they are too proud to receive help from the government, and Hong Kong can afford to help these tens of thousands of people.

Or does Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's administration think these impoverished people are just going to go away?

Unofficial Chinese Word of 2018

A newly-created word "qiou" that means "poor-ugly" is all the rage for 2018

Netizens in China have unofficially decided on the word of the year -- and it's a made-up character.

Pronounced "qiou", possibly in the third tone, the character has the word 穷 (qiong2) on top, and 丑 (chou3) below.

One netizen created a poem using the word "qiou"

The first character 穷 means "poor", while 丑 is an adjective that means "ugly". Put qiong and chou together and you get -- qiou or "poor-ugly".

Also, the combination of the characters creates the Chinese character 土 (tu3) which means "earth", "soil" or "dust". So put the three together, they could mean "dirt poor and ugly".

Many on Weibo find this new word qiou quite apt, with housing prices so out of reach of the average individual, and the pressures of looking absolutely perfect and beautiful are getting out of hand.

"The time of our youth was a happy one," one netizen poetically writes. "Because it was not yet clear to us at the time how ugly and poor we were."

Chinese media outlet Modern Express has declared qiou as "the character of 2018".

Time to practice writing your qious

Many people use it colloquially to describe themselves in a self-deprecating way by saying, "I'm qiou" or "我qiou" or "I'm so qiou".

While you can't type out the newly-created word qiou, if it's written out, people know exactly what it means. 

n a time of staggering house prices and unrealistic beauty ideals, ‘qiou’ is a character that “suits our time,” according to many on Weibo, who say the character ‘describes their current situation.’

This is original content by What's on Weibo that requires investment. You are free to link to this article. Please identify this website or author when you base content on this source or quote from it. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com to buy additional rights. Copyright (C) https://www.whatsonweibo.com. Read more at: https://www.whatsonweibo.com/the-new-chinese-character-of-the-year-is-dirt-poor-ugly/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioschina&stream=top

n a time of staggering house prices and unrealistic beauty ideals, ‘qiou’ is a character that “suits our time,” according to many on Weibo, who say the character ‘describes their current situation.’

This is original content by What's on Weibo that requires investment. You are free to link to this article. Please identify this website or author when you base content on this source or quote from it. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com to buy additional rights. Copyright (C) https://www.whatsonweibo.com. Read more at: https://www.whatsonweibo.com/the-new-chinese-character-of-the-year-is-dirt-poor-ugly/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioschina&stream=top

n a time of staggering house prices and unrealistic beauty ideals, ‘qiou’ is a character that “suits our time,” according to many on Weibo, who say the character ‘describes their current situation.’

This is original content by What's on Weibo that requires investment. You are free to link to this article. Please identify this website or author when you base content on this source or quote from it. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com to buy additional rights. Copyright (C) https://www.whatsonweibo.com. Read more at: https://www.whatsonweibo.com/the-new-chinese-character-of-the-year-is-dirt-poor-ugly/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioschina&stream=top

Lives of Cardboard Grannies in Numbers

More than 80 percent of recyclable collectors are elderly women

Old women pushing trolleys stacked with flattened cardboard, or dragging around bundles of cardboard are common sight in Hong Kong, but they are still shocking reminders that there are some people in the community who are scraping by in one of the most prosperous cities in the world.

Most do not want to depend on the government for help

They are called "cardboard grannies" and concern group Waste Picker Platform has done a survey of 505 of these people. The findings are good background information for us to know more about them.

* They make on average HK$716 a month

* There are an estimated 2,900 people on the streets collecting rubbish daily

* 80 percent of them are women, where 82 percent are over the age of 60, the oldest 96

* More than 60 percent have scavenged for more three years

* They spend on average five and a half hours a day collecting recyclables

* Each time they pick up 35kg of cardboard and go to recycling shops 1.9 times per day

* Including financial aid and wages from other jobs, they still make less than HK$5,000 per month

* Almost 90 percent of respondents collect recyclables for economic reasons

* 25 percent rely on collecting garbage to meet basic needs

On top of these statistics, the cardboard grannies have to contend with being chased away by the government's hygiene staff and 9.5 percent of those surveyed experienced having their belongings confiscated.

Most cardboard collectors are over 60, the oldest is 96

How can we solve this issue? Many of these elderly women refuse to receive handouts from the government, and at the same time they are helping the city recycle, one cardboard sheet at a time.

The government really needs to learn more about these cardboard grannies and talk to them and find out their needs and concerns. Waste Picker Platform has started the ball rolling with insightful statistics, but meaningful dialogue needs to take place.

How can we help them understand they are entitled to fringe benefits as an elderly person, but also allow them to keep their dignity of earning their keep?

That is the question that needs to be asked.

Ice Boy's Woes Continue

Wang Fuman at home and back to where he started, but with much more cash

Remember "Ice Boy", the eight-year-old from Yunnan province who had to walk to school for over an hour each way and his hair and eyelashes were covered in snow?

After the boy and his father were taken on a free trip to Beijing, a private school with boarding accepted him, as the headmaster took pity on the boy and took him in.

However, after one week in the school, the headmaster told Wang Fuman's father to take him home because of the intense scrutiny from the authorities and the media.

Zhuanshanbao Primary School is an hour away by foot

It was hoped that by enrolling in Xinhua School Fuman could try to catch up on his studies, but his father Wang Gangkui was told to come pick up his son and put him back in the state school.

"i'm illiterate and I don't understand why this school has kicked us out," the frustrated father said Wednesday.

Fuman was confused as he liked his new school.

"The teachers taught better than those at Zhuanshanbao Primary School. Pupils don't talk in class and everyone is focused on studying," he said.

"I ate better too. Unlike at home, when my grandma is busy, my sister and I need to find food for ourselves... because we don't know how to cook, we just boil potatoes, but at Xinhua School I ate so many different things."

The headmaster of Xinhua School, surnamed Yang, said he offered to take the boy for free because he wanted to "do some good".

But the intense media attention and scrutiny from authorities put the school under a lot of pressure.

Fuman with his sister (left)

"At first, I didn't know... but later, I found out that Fuman had been identified by the Ministry of Education as a key figure to be helped in the government's poverty alleviation efforts. There are very few such pupils in the whole Yunnan province," Yang said.

"As a result, during these days of having him in my school, we have received numerous requests from various levels of government departments to inspect us. Many media outlets also insisted on interviewing us."

He said the school could not cope with the extra demands placed on it because of Fuman's attendance.

Yang said he still wanted to help the boy, but in a more low-profile manner.

When Yang sent the boy back, he gave his father 15,000 yuan and offered to help the family if they encountered more problems in the future.

Meanwhile Wang Gangkui isn't doing well either. He had been promised a job at a state-owned construction company in Zhaotong, But the company says it doesn't have any work for him at the moment.

It's really sad to hear Ice Boy isn't getting the help he really needs, let alone his entire family. It's understandable that while the headmaster wants to help, he doesn't want to be constantly monitored because he has such a high profile student. There were probably lots of expectations for Fuman to do well so that he could be used as a poster child for a poor kid who did well.

Wang Gangkui was promised a job and then no word

But surely someone can help the boy get a decent education -- at least he sounds interested in learning, which is not what could be said of some students these days.

And also how can a company at first claim to offer a job to his father and then later rescind it? How professional is that? Sounds absolutely ridiculous and a publicity stunt on the part of the state-owned construction company. Wang Gangkui had quit his job in Kunming because he had been promised work and now he has nothing to do.

So now the family is back to where it started, though it does have donations pouring in. But it's not money they need, they want jobs and an education. Is it that hard to help in that way? This fiasco proves that throwing money at the problem doesn't really solve it.

25% Hongkongers Can't Afford Basic Needs

One-quarter of Hongkongers are considered deprived of basic necessities

The Hong Kong government acknowledges there are poor people in Hong Kong, but it's the number that it can't seem to decide on because it can't determine the exact definition of poverty.

It prefers to just look at income levels, but critics say this is not enough, as some people may own flats, but have no income and have run out of savings, or they barely make enough to make ends meet and live in squalid conditions. Some don't want to bother reaching out for social services or they don't qualify for certain subsidies.

Chinese University researchers have come up with another way to determine if someone is poor by seeing if they can afford 23 essential items or services. These include three meals a day, a dental check-up once a year, afford new clothes or go out with family or friends once a month.

Researchers say poverty should be calculated by deprivation

If they were not able to afford at least two or more of these items they were considered deprived.

They interviewed 1,476 people in 2014 and the same participants again last year. They found that one in four of them were deprived last year, 24.7 percent, which compares to 28.8 percent in 2014.

Researchers say the city's economic growth, historically low unemployment ration and higher salaries attributed to fewer deprived people, but it doesn't mean poverty has been eliminated at all.

Of those who took part in the study, 26.7 percent were unable to afford to get a regular dental check-up, though it was down from 38.7 percent three years earlier.

The study also showed that those who were defined as deprived were 1.5 times more likely to be less physically healthy, and 1.3 times more likely to be less mentally healthy compared to those who could afford all 23 items and services.

Chinese University associate professor Wong Hung who conducted the study said the research showed the government's official definition of poverty underestimated those who were socially disadvantaged in Hong Kong.

Handouts don't solve the poverty issue, researchers say

The government makes its calculations based solely on income and household size, and so the poverty line is at half the median monthly household income according to household size. Those who live below the poverty line are considered poor.

With that calculation, one in five people were living below the poverty line last year, a record high.

Wong said, "Handing out money or cash vouchers to people might not necessarily solve the city's deprivation problem. The government should implement more specific community programs so people can directly benefit from them."

This is not a new suggestion and the government doesn't really do anything, instead depending on NGOs and charities to fill the need.

Wong and his colleagues are suggesting to the government that it include deprivation as part of its determination of who is in poverty or not. It would probably increase the numbers which the authorities wouldn't be happy about, but these people are in desperate need of services and resources to keep their heads above water.

With Hong Kong being such a wealthy city, there is no excuse not to help the neediest.

Hardly Bridging Hong Kong's Priorities

What the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge will look like, when it's done

Following yesterday's blog post about how the Hong Kong government isn't doing enough for its own poverty-stricken residents, it will have to spend another HK$11.8 billion on the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

The main section of the project, a 22.9km bridge and 6.7km undersea tunnel is situated in mainland waters. The Hong Kong government has to ask the Legislative Council for more money because a 2008 document says Hong Kong would pay for 50.2 percent of the 31 billion yuan cost of the main bridge, while the mainland would shell out 35.1 percent, and Macau 14.7 percent.

A map detailing where the bridge and tunnel are situated

How it got to those uneven percentages is strange, but there you have it, and Hong Kong has to bear the vast majority of the cost. Will we be using it 50.1 percent of the time too?

Lawmakers have told the government to give a detailed explanation and be prepared for lots of questions.

In February and October the Transport and Housing Bureau told lawmakers that the bridge would cost more than expected due to an "increase in labour and material costs as well as the refinement of the design and construction schemes".

However an exact amount -- HK$11.8 billion -- wasn't disclosed until yesterday.

Frankie Yick Chi-ming, chairman of Legco's transport panel, said there would be "lots of questions" from legislators when the government applies for more funding for the bridge.

Construction of the bridge's border crossing facility

"The key question I have is if 10 billion [yuan] is the final number," he said.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is in Beijing and he admitted he didn't know yet how much of the budget overrun Hong Kong had to bear, but would be calculated according to "an established mechanism" as agreed by all sides when the agreement was signed.

So a huge infrastructure project that gives Hong Kong an opportunity to kowtow to Beijing that is costing billions in extra cost is worth more than trying to help the poor get a leg-up in society.

It's a sad state of affairs really. We need more resources to help our own residents live better lives than splashing out on white elephant infrastructure projects...

Hong Kong's Growing Poor Population

Over 1 million people in Hong Kong live on or below the poverty line

Following yesterday's news that someone paid a mind-boggling HK$1.16 billion for two flats on The Peak, today's story is another whopping figure -- the number of poor in Hong Kong could be over 1 million next year, even after taking into account cash handouts from the government.

The Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report for 2016 was released a few days ago and showed that 1.35 million of the city's 7.35 million residents were living below the official poverty line. When taking into account cash handouts, the number drops to 996,000.

Law claims the government is doing its best for the poor

To determine who is poor, the authorities only look at income and not assets. The poverty line is decided at half the median monthly household income according to household size.

Last year the poverty line was set at HK$4,000 per month for a single person, HK$9,000 for a two-person household, and HK$15,000 for three people.

"If income rises quickly and the [increase in] inflation is slower than that of income, then the poverty gap becomes bigger," said Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong on two radio programs.

Also last year the Low-income Working Family Allowance Scheme was launched -- cash handouts for people living below or near the poverty line. They could get from HK$300 to HK$1,000 a month for adults, and HK$400 or HK$800 for children.

However, only 30,000 people benefited from the scheme.

Many of the poor are elderly with not enough savings

Last year the poverty figures were the highest since the city began measuring in 2009, with 7,000 more impoverished people than in 2015.

Law disagreed with criticism that the government made matters worse for the poor because there were more living near or below the poverty line despite the handouts.

"It's not that the government has not done more [to help], but that what it has done is not enough to close the gap," he said.

For someone who used to be with the Democratic Party and then quit in order to serve Carrie Lam's administration, this response is troubling. The government does not seem to realize that it's crucial to lift people out of poverty otherwise their numbers keep growing as we are seeing now.

The way to do that is to raise the minimum wage as Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung has suggested, as well as a non-means tested universal retirement scheme to help the elderly, as many of them are financially challenged due to inflation.

Some supplement their savings with collecting cardboard

Hong Kong is a very wealthy city, though the gap between the rich and the poor is widening so much that it's staggering how great the chasm is. And yet the government doesn't do enough to help the poor. Small amounts of handouts here and there are barely enough to feed people let alone help pay their rent.

There are a few who may own flats that are worth a lot, but if they sell, where are they going to move to? Or their place is so run down they can't afford to have it fixed up, so they are stuck in a dilemma too.

Decades ago, as long as one worked hard, they would be eventually pay their dues and be able to establish themselves. Nowadays working hard isn't enough to get ahead because of inflation and salaries remain stagnant.

Is the Hong Kong government really that blind to the situation? Piecemeal handouts are barely a band-aid solution to the issue. There needs to be a systematic way of accounting for every poor person in Hong Kong, figuring out their needs and finding an effective way to tackle them, be it low-income housing, social welfare, finding jobs or retraining.

The sooner this is done, the better, otherwise there are going to be many more people on or below the poverty line next year.

HK Needs More Public Housing

A fire in this building in Kwai Chung killed three people in subdivided flats

A fire in a subdivided flat in a warehouse building in Kwai Chung killed three people on Saturday, raising more questions again about the safety of people living in these unhealthy spaces, though they cannot afford anything else.

The owner of the space had subdivided 6,000 square feet of space into 17 rooms and did not submit the application to make minor alternations to the Buildings Department, nor did the changes meet fire safety standards.

The 1953 Shek Kip Mei fire led to building public housing

In addition, the 45-year-old Ma Sik Industrial Building didn't have any sprinklers because it was built before 1973 and was thus exempted from retrofitting.

Security minister John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday that police, buildings and fire services department officials were investigating whether the fire was a result of breaches in safety or fire regulations.

That's all fine and well for the government to look into the technical breaches in terms of fire safety, but can we look at why we are having subdivided flats in the first place?

There is not enough affordable or low-income housing in Hong Kong and the government has a duty to do something about this. We cannot have people living in horrible conditions and pay much more in rent per square foot than the average middle class flat owner.

In 1973 the government pledged to house 1.8 million people

Subdivided flats are notorious for being unhygienic, cramped, noisy and fire hazards waiting to happen. Low-income earners have no choice but to live in these places to have a roof over their heads. This is unacceptable -- it is 2017.

And the government can play an important role in this.

It built public housing in 1954 after a fire in Shek Kip Mei destroyed makeshift homes of mainland Chinese immigrants the year before. The concrete buildings weren't perfect, with communal washrooms and kitchens, but at least they were solid structures for people to live in.

In 1973 the government announced a 10-year plan to provide 1.8 million people in Hong Kong with "satisfactory accommodation". The authorities felt it was their responsibility to provide accessible housing to the poor.

How much longer can people live in subdivided flats?

Today the government hasn't done a comprehensive assessment of subdivided flats in Hong Kong -- how many are there, who lives in them, how much money do they make or receive each month, and more importantly what can be done about the situation?

These inhabitants are not dirt poor, but they cannot afford even the cheapest microflat. Shouldn't that be a sign that the city needs more public housing? Hong Kong is so wealthy and yet it has no compassion for people who need a decent roof over their heads.

Can our relatively new Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor please look into this and solve this issue? It would definitely bring more harmony to the city...

Mickey Mouse Gets the Last Laugh

Disneyland has the upper hand in negotiations with Hong Kong

Hong Kong taxpayers are left holding the bag yet again thanks to Disneyland managing to bully us into shelling out HK$5.45 billion for an extension to the amusement park.

That's because the Hong Kong government is the biggest shareholder and was somehow unable to negotiate a fairer deal when Disneyland had a "take-it-or-leave-it" ultimatum.

Even lawmakers of all stripes felt the government should have gotten a better deal. They must be terrible negotiators.

The lawmakers said if the government was going to finance half of Disneyland's six-year renovation, it should be subject to better shareholding, financing and management arrangements with the entertainment corporation. But on Tuesday the Legislative Council's finance committee approved the funding by 30 to 24 votes.

Commerce minister Greg So says we did the best we could...

Pan-democrats had tried to filibuster, but after five months of bickering and lobbying, the government's funding application was passed.

"I am delighted that the finance committee approved the expansion plan," said Commerce Secretary Greg So Kam-leung. "We have gone through a lot of analysis. We have also pushed very hard in the negotiation. We believe that this package is really the best package that we can achieve."

Does anyone believe him?

Meanwhile Disneyland released a statement saying it was "grateful" to secure Legco support.

The HK$10.9 billion expansion project, with the other half financially covered by Disneyland, will start next year, and will have themed zones based on the animation hit Frozen, and Marvel superhero films, as well as a revamp of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Many believe the partnership between the Hong Kong government and Disneyland is unequal, because the latter receives millions of dollars in royalties and management fees even though the park continues to lose money.

How about spending $5.45 billion on social housing instead?

Before the final vote, pro-establishment lawmakers rejected more than 40 motions by the pan-democrats, including requests to disclose more of the theme park's financial figures, give more discounts to Hong Kong people, as well as review further economic benefits to Hong Kong.

"We are very disappointed. I am sure it won't be the last time that Disneyland asks for money from Legco," says Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, accusing those who approved the funding of ignoring public concerns.

Why is the government spending so much money on a money-losing proposition? One financial columnist even boldly suggested the Disneyland site should be bulldozed and made way for social housing. The infrastructure is already there!

The HK$5.45 billion could be better used in so many other ways, like revamping the education system and helping underprivileged children get the extra resources they need to have a decent education so that they can have a leg up in life.

That money could also be used for social housing, to build or convert brown sites into affordable housing for people so they don't have to live in subdivided flats.

But this isn't the foresight of the government, whose priority seems to be solely focused on tourists and not on the livelihoods of its own people.

Disneyland may like to describe itself to be the happiest place on earth, but not for Hong Kong taxpayers.

Number of the Day: HK$640 Million

The 10th handover anniversary is nine times cheaper than this year's bash

Can you believe it's almost 20 years ago when the British formally handed Hong Kong to China?

A decade ago we spent HK$69 million, so how come another 10 years later it has ballooned to HK$640 million?

Perhaps just as infuriating is that the money is going to events and activities that hardly have anything to do with the handover anniversary with the theme "Together, Progress, Opportunity".

We'll see more steps beautified like this with taxpayer money

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will have a whopping HK$194 million budget and it will splash out on a "City Dress Up" project, where stairs in different districts will be painted. Shouldn't that just go under maintenance?

The Development Bureau gets to spend HK$14.67 million and part of it will be splurged on a Backstreet Art and Run project. Sounds like a gentrified graffiti project.

Meanwhile the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has HK$9 million and is spending the money on tree planting, hiking and camping facilities that it would normally budget for in its costs. So why does it need this extra money?

Similarly, how are International Fire Instructors Workshop; Fire, Ambulance Services Academy Open Day: Hong Kong Cup Diplomatic Knowledge Contest and Inter-school Cross-curricular Project Competition on Climate Change have anything to do with the 20th anniversary of the handover?

Lau Kong-wah says the events "spread care and joy". Huh?

Some critics are already questioning the use of the money, adding that government officials don't seem to have any imagination for better ideas.

However, Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah said the events were meant to engage the public and "spread care and joy".

If Lau wants the government to spread "care and joy", how about revamping the education system to get rid of the rote system, making more financial resources available for the poor, developing more social housing, setting a decent minimum wage, stop kowtowing to tycoons, giving young entrepreneurs a break and so on.

Does an exhibition about Egyptian mummies and art pieces from the Louvre have anything to do with Hong Kong?

Works for Paris' Louvre Museum have no HK connection

There is already an uproar about spending HK$190,000 on making the song, "Hong Kong Our Home" that has been mocked by anti-establishment musicians.

It's an outright mess, but it's too late to voice our concerns.

It seems the Hong Kong government is keen to spend an outrageous amount of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars to please Beijing. But does it care really? And it does seem ripe for corruption opportunities.

Oh wait -- opportunity is one of the themes of the 20th anniversary of the handover this year.

It all makes sense now...

Picture of the Day: Better Luck Next Time?

Five tickets, and not much luck for this beginner punter

Tuesday was the 40th anniversary of Mark Six, the lottery in Hong Kong and it marked the milestone promising a HK$100 million (US$12.86 million) jackpot.

Naturally lots of people went to Jockey Club outlets to buy tickets, even first-timers like me.

On Sunday night there was a massive queue going out the door from the one in Kennedy Town, so I walked to the one in Sheung Wan and bought five tickets that are computer drawn at HK$20 each.

In the end HK$446 million worth of tickets were sold.

The numbers were drawn last night -- 11, 16, 19, 21, 30 and 33, the bonus number 31.

What did I get? One ticket had two numbers, the rest had one number or none.

But there were five lucky winners who won HK$27 million each.

I like many others knew the chances were slim, but as the saying goes, "You gotta be in it to win it".

Oh well.

Nevertheless, a good chunk of the money will be used to help Hong Kong's underprivileged, such as the elderly, the poor and young people seeing rehabilitation.

Scaring Hong Kong on Cost of Universal Pension

A number of elderly make extra cash by collecting cardboard and recyclables

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying election platform back in 2012 included setting up a fund for the elderly, but the government seems to be scaring the public into thinking implementing such a scheme would be too expensive.

We have been hearing lots of stories of elderly residents who are too poor to look after themselves despite having worked very hard all their lives. Some are too proud to ask for welfare, others are borderline cases that aren't eligible for social assistance.

There was talk of giving more money to those who needed it, but then they would have to undergo some kind of means test to confirm they qualified for the extra funds. Then there was the issue of assets -- someone may own a flat, but not have enough cash monthly to buy food to sustain themselves -- did they qualify?

Chow proposes a universal pension paid by the government

The government got University of Hong Kong Professor Nelson Chow Wing-sun to conduct a study and in August he proposed those over 70 years of age should get a pension of HK$3,230 per month and paid for by the government at a cost of HK$7 billion per year.

He said the government should pay for it because people would be reluctant to pay into the scheme, mostly because of disillusionment with how the Mandatory Provident Fund, a mandatory savings plan, had failed miserably -- people's funds are losing value instead of gaining.

Then about a week ago the government presented two different pension plans for public consultation. One was a non-universal plan where one person living alone could not have assets more than HK$80,000, while the other was Chow's idea. The government claimed that to pay for the scheme, taxes would have to be raised.

At the same time Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor seemed to want to distance the Leung administration from Chow, saying what he was proposing was only a report, and turning it into policy was another matter.

This angered Chow, who has consulted the government on retirement issues since the 1980s. He held his own press conference for the first time in 30 years asking: "If the government's stance is that it does not want to implement a universal retirement scheme, why does it want to consult the public?"

Carrie Lam claims the scheme would mean increasing taxes

Lam fired back saying the academic "does not fully understand the concept and management of public finances".

If Chow is unqualified to understand funding of public services, then why has he been advising the government for over 30 years?

The Hong Kong government coffers are at over HK$730 billion. Why can't Hong Kong afford to pay for a universal pension scheme of HK$7 billion a year?

Do we want more stories of elderly people sleeping in McDonald's because they can't afford a place to live? Isn't the government ashamed it isn't doing enough to help these people?

Apparently not. If Beijing is meddling more in Hong Kong affairs, surely China would encourage the city to have a universal pension scheme... at least that would be one good thing about being "mainlandized"...