NGOs press for stronger safeguards in Five-Year Plan
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Local NGOs and concern groups called for stronger protections for low-income Hong Kong residents after Chief Executive John Lee announced his first Five-Year Plan and his administration’s final Policy Address on Wednesday. Their demands covered poverty measurement, labour safeguards, heat stress rules and rent controls linked to the government’s plan to tackle substandard subdivided units by 2030.
Key Points
- Anti-poverty group the Society for Community Organization urged officials to restore the income-based poverty line, which the government scrapped in 2022.
- A coalition including Grassroots Wishes, Concerning Grassroot Housing Rights Alliance, Care for Carers and Alliance for Children Development Rights watched Lee’s Legislative Council address together on Wednesday.
- In a joint statement issued on Wednesday evening, the coalition asked for a circuit-breaker to cap non-local labour when unemployment, underemployment, pay levels and local labour supply hit benchmarks.
- The groups also called for a review of the heat stress warning system so it better reflects work environments and labour intensity.
- On housing, the coalition urged a cap on initial rents for Basic Housing Units, amid concerns landlords could raise rents after upgrading subdivided flats to meet official standards.
Why It Matters
The groups’ response focuses attention on whether the government’s housing and labour agenda will include enforceable protections for poorer residents rather than only broad targets. It also points to likely scrutiny of how officials implement plans to eliminate substandard subdivided units and cut public housing waiting times.