This year also marks my 38th year in the Civil Service of which 12 years have been spent in the social welfare field, directly or indirectly. Together we have witnessed the remarkable changes that Hong Kong has gone through in the past fifty years. We have worked side by side to make Hong Kong a better place for all. My years in the Social Welfare Department have given me a better understanding of the nature of social work, its impact on society and the difficulties faced by front line workers. I have great admiration for you all as enablers and agents of social change and for your sense of commitment to the community.
Every modern society needs good professional social workers.
Equipped with the right skills, properly motivated and led, your profession can do much to redress the inequities inherent in any capitalist society and to ensure that the needs of the disadvantaged, the sick, disabled and elderly are met. All over the world, governments and organizations, whether public or private, are forced to change to cope with the challenges of the 21st century. Despite the economic difficulties brought about by the Asian financial turmoil which, amongst other things, have led to much reduced revenue for the Government, Hong Kong is fortunate that we are still able to provide for growth in social services. With slower overall growth, and increasing demands from the community, it is clear that we cannot go on injecting more money into the welfare sector without satisfying ourselves that we are obtaining value for money and addressing the real needs of the community. Within the Civil Service, we are looking critically at the way in which we manage and deliver services and I urge the subvented welfare sector to do the same.