# data[].attributes.headline
1. What should the way forward on poverty alleviation be according to the publisher?

# data[].attributes.subject
1. What should the way forward on poverty alleviation be according to the publisher?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at or filling in . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.

When the current government took office, its main focus was tackling the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is under control and life has returned to normal, the government should shift its attention to more deep-seated social issues, including poverty alleviation.

There is an urgent need to do so because if we allow poverty to worsen, it could easily lead to social unrest and affect Hong Kong's international image. Additionally, with the problem of an ageing population being exacerbated by a declining labour force , the poverty situation in Hong Kong has changed.

As a non-official member of the Commission on Poverty, I believe we need to make some fundamental changes to poverty alleviation. First, it is problematic to use the poverty line as a framework for analysing the problem and helping people.

Hong Kong's poverty problem is complex, with different vulnerable groups facing different problems. A simple quantitative approach, like the poverty line, does not work. We need a more accurate strategy targeting the neediest groups.

In addition, we should also stop making a distinction between pre-intervention and post-intervention to measure the government's performance in poverty alleviation. As the government will not ignore poverty issues, the pre-intervention figure has no practical meaning.

What should the way forward on poverty alleviation be? Firstly, it must be precise. This means identifying special groups in most need of help, such as subdivided flat residents, single-parent families, the elderly and even women and ethnic minorities. We must study their social and living characteristics and then develop targeted measures to improve their living environment.

Secondly, nearly 80 per cent of the working population living in subdivided flats have low-skilled occupations, while among single-parent poor households, more than 70 per cent have attained junior secondary education and below. It is necessary to upgrade their skills.

Thirdly, for many single-parent families, in addition to cash benefits, the government may need to provide services that really meet their needs, such as childcare, to encourage adults to return to work.

Fourthly, special consideration should be given to the living environment of the beneficiaries of poverty alleviation. The statistics show the median floor area per person in a subdivided unit is only 65 square feet. Such a living environment is not only very unsatisfactory, but also a potential hotbed of transmission in an epidemic.

Fifthly, the median rental-income ratio for subdivided units is particularly high, double that for the rest of the population.

Sixthly, many elderly households lack caregivers. These are practical problems that must be addressed with precision.
Dr Kevin Lau Chung Hang, advisor to Our Hong Kong Foundation
How capitalism in the rich world is failing

In the past two decades, capitalism in developed countries has unfortunately degenerated from a system of production into a speculative orgy. The fundamental driving force of creating more and more, on an ever-expanding scale, to outdo competitors has diminished.

Instead, the majority of capital and activity is spent on speculation and deal-making, trying to grab a bigger slice of an existing pie made by someone else rather than contributing to the production or development of new products and services. The next step is to turn a substantial short-term profit by stimulating a frenzy of activity in the stock market.

Instead of encouraging discoveries and breakthroughs, the financial system has turned to short-term reward and speculation.

The hunt for an existing activity that can be monetised remains a significant focus of the market, with projected revenues and profits gambled on through bond and share sales.

The emphasis is less on the inherent value of the new product and more on the probable movement of the freshly issued shares. Successful investors make substantial profits from speculating on such fluctuations. None of this improves the quality and quantity of goods and services. Neither jobs nor opportunities are created.

For companies, share buy-backs represent another aspect of this unproductive speculative business in today's corporate world. Instead of investing earnings in research and development or new facilities, companies buy their own shares, raising the price and benefiting shareholders. Those who sell and those who haven't sold benefit from an increase in the value of the shares they hold. The worth of assets is artificially inflated without growth or development.

Jasper Tang, Kadoorie Hill
Prospering like it's 1999

As international companies turn to India, lose its competitive edge in manufacturing. To prevent Indian companies from taking a bigger bite of China's manufacturing base and regain competitiveness in the face of India's drive to become a manufacturing powerhouse in Asia, China must reconcile with the United States and create a friendship that will last decades. Covid-19 is still changing global dynamics.

It's time to roll up our sleeves in China, secure the country's economic base and prevent politics from driving away business. It's time to make peace and build trust after Covid-19. Let's make it a good 20 years of prosperity once again, like 1999-2019.
Rishi Teckchandani, Mid-Levels

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Letter | Hong Kong's poverty problem needs targeted solutions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Readers discuss the way forward for the city on poverty alleviation, how capitalism in the rich world is failing, and 20 more years of prosperity.

# data[].attributes.headline
Which ways do you think is the most feasible? Express your views.

# data[].attributes.subject
Which ways do you think is the most feasible? Express your views.

# data[].attributes.headline
Which social problems do you think is the most pressing one to tackle? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Which social problems do you think is the most pressing one to tackle? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Exorbitant House Renting?  Unemployment? Social inequality?  

# data[].attributes.subject
Exorbitant House Renting?  Unemployment? Social inequality?  