Background of Study ***

Background of Study

Refer to our title' A miilion of poor people', the definition of the 'poor' is argumentive. For the some countries, their government would establish a poverty line, in order to define a family is poor or not. In Hong Kong, HKGOV has not established a poverty line. As a sequence, people who get

the financial help of CSSA shall be defined as under 'poverty line'. Another way is to find to the median, the income per family who is below the half of the median would also be defined as below poverty line. (Refer to Oxfam website) In the first half of 2009, the percentage of poverty per capita is 17.9%, which is also based on the second way mentioned above to measure.

Also, the disparity between the rich and the poor is related to this project. Gene Coefficient is one of the way to measure the disparity. Hong Kong is ranked the first place in Asia. This means the disparity between the rich and the poor of Hong Kong is the largest among all the countries in Asia.

'Poverty' is the alarming task in Hong Kong Society. We hope that HKGOV can find the root of the problem and take the initiative to uproot the problem.

Written by Chan Kei Fung Edward