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HK Government to Help Youth Develop Potential: Chief Executive
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(SAR) government aims to provide as many opportunities as possible for young people to develop their potentials to the full for self-advancement as well as for the betterment of Hong Kong, Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said in Hong Kong Saturday.
"We also hope to help them develop into mature and responsible citizens making contributions to the community," Tung said at the opening ceremony of the Youth Summit held in Hong Kong.
He stressed that young people are the pillars of our future, adding that "the investments and nourishment we dedicate to the youth today will bear fruit in the future."
Hong Kong has a young population of over 1.67 million aged between 6 and 24, accounting for one fourth of the total population. "They are the most precious asset of the community," Tung said.
Tung pledged that the government will endeavor to put in place the necessary infrastructure and create an enabling environment which will allow young people to give full play to their abilities
and promote the well-being of society.
To complement the government's efforts, Tung said, families, schools, employers, non-government organizations, the mass media, other sectors of the community and young people themselves, all have an important part to play.
Tung called on government and members of the community to provide opportunities for the development of young people, enhance communication with them and create a conducive environment to facilitate their growth toward adulthood.
"We will also provide the necessary services to help strengthen the role of families in the development of our youth," he added.
The government spending on education in the current financial year amounts to 55.3 billion HK dollars (7.09 billion US dollars), according to Tung.
The recurrent expenditure on youth development programs and counseling services for the youth at risk is estimated to be over 1.2 billion HK dollars (153.8 million US dollars), he said.
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