The Hong Kong government has allocated HK$19.2 billion (US$2.48 billion) to provide a wide variety of services for people with disabilities in the 2008-09 financial year, Hong Kong Secretary for Labor and Welfare Cheung Kin-chung said on Saturday.

This represented 6.4 percent of the SAR government's total public expenditure, he said, adding that the services include the provision of medical, education, rehabilitation, employment and transport services as well as Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme and Disability Allowance.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Hong Kong Conference for People with Mental Handicaps, Cheung said the Labor and Welfare Bureau would provide an additional 671 residential care places and 480 day-care places for people with disabilities in the 2008-09 financial year.

Noting that timely support for people with disabilities was crucial to their development and integration into the community, Cheung said since January 2009, the SAR government has set up 16 one-stop district support centers to enhance integrated home-based training and support services for the group and their family members.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2009)