Some 58 NGOs face funding cuts from 2025 to 2027: Chris Sun

Some 58 non-governmental organizations that receive HK$50 million or more in government subsidies annually will see their funding cut by two percent in 2025/26 and three percent in 2026/27, labor and welfare minister Chris Sun Yuk-han said. 

All 177 NGOs that are subsidized by the government will be exempted from funding cuts in 2024/25. 

The remaining 119 NGOs that have less than HK$50 million annual subsidy, amounting to two-thirds of the overall number, will also be exempt for the following two fiscal years. 

This came as the finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po announced in last month’s budget that recurrent government expenditure will be cut by one percent for two consecutive years. 

Speaking on Thursday, Sun said he met with all the executive directors and chairs of government-subsidized NGOs on Wednesday to disclose the detailed arrangements on allocating the financial resources. 

Sun said authorities made the decision after thorough consideration and tried to help small and medium sized NGOs as much as possible under a tight budget. 

He believes the NGOs can understand that the government has provided its biggest support to cater to the needs of the welfare sector within its capability.