Using the poverty line as a single indicator to measure poverty is no longer appropriate, as it fails to objectively reflect the realities of Hong Kong and makes it difficult to precisely address the challenges faced by vulnerable groups, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said.
His remarks came on Monday after the government released the Report on the Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Hong Kong last month.
The report moved away from the previous poverty line, which was based on household income, and adopted a new 21-indicator framework aimed at better identifying and supporting targeted groups in need.
Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services, Sun said sustainable poverty alleviation could not rely solely on economic indicators or cash handouts funded by public resources.
He said a more comprehensive support system was needed to strengthen the social safety net, including universal support services covering social welfare, healthcare, education and public housing.
The government will take a more proactive approach to identifying people in need and rolling out targeted projects, he said, citing measures such as the Strive and Rise Programme, Community Living Rooms and the After School Care Service Scheme.
Sun added that the Commission on Poverty had identified three primary target groups: households living in subdivided flats, single-parent households and all-elderly households.
He said the commission would proactively identify other groups and consider expanding the scope of targeted support in its next term if necessary.
