More than 300 participants from various sectors on Thursday attended the Conference on Social Enterprise to discuss new approach to helping the poor.

The conference, jointly organized by the Commission on Poverty and the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, aims to enhance community understanding of social enterprise and explain its relevance to poverty alleviation.

The one-day conference was the first of its kind and scale in Hong Kong on social enterprise development and its potential in integrating the disadvantaged.

When addressing the conference, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Henry Tang appealed to business and non-governmental organizations here Thursday to find new approach to help thousands of poor people in the city.

"We see good potential of social enterprise in helping the disadvantaged achieve self-reliance," said Tang, who is also the chairman of the poverty commission. "How to nurture its growth in Hong Kong certainly deserves the attention of policy makers, businesses, NGOs and those who share the desire to help the disadvantaged."

"I hope that participants are impressed by the possibilities that social enterprises can bring in providing better service and helping the poor in a sustainable way," Tang said.

In a keynote address, former Chief Executive of Rolls Royce Graham Morris, explained how social enterprises were different from charities and why the business sector's contribution to social enterprise development was far more than charity.

Hong Kong has its share of dynamic social enterprises in operation, providing personal care services for the disadvantaged, helping work integration of the disabled and other marginalized groups.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2006)