It is timely to reflect and review Hong Kong's welfare philosophies and policy directions as new solutions are needed for the changing social, economic and demographic realities, said a health official here on Saturday.

Addressing the Conference on Social Investment and Future Partnerships, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong said that the community as a whole should benefit from focused discussions.

The meeting, organized by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, aims to enhance "social capital".

It will provide a forum to initiate discussions on reviewing welfare philosophies, refocusing on an active "social investment" approach instead of passive provision of welfare services in equipping individuals and communities to help themselves and build their resilience to deal with stresses related to adversities and change.

In his 2004 Policy Address, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa tasked the bureau with engaging relevant parties in developing strategies to enhance "social capital" and to examine ways to develop the tripartite partnership between the government, the business community and the third sector to inculcate the concept of "social capital" in the community and help it take root.

"Hong Kong is going through a period of restructuring in which the pace of change has escalated and the movements in business and people have increased. People in Hong Kong face new opportunities and renewed challenges," said Yeoh.

"No one party, either the individual, family, community or the government can take sole responsibility or be effective in addressing every and all personal or social problems. Social problems need a society's responses and the solutions reside in the society," Yeoh said.

The conference was attended by over 400 participants mainly from the social welfare sector, including social policy makers and advisers, welfare agency board chairs and executives, relevant academia, representatives of the welfare sector, district councils and business organizations.
 
(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2004)