​Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Multicultural Carnival in Celebration of the 27th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region cum Kick-off Ceremony for Ethnic Minority Care Teams today (July 28):
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
A warm welcome to our multicultural carnival and kick-off ceremony for Ethnic Minority Care Teams.
Hong Kong has long been a vibrant multicultural metropolis, which more than 300 000 ethnic minority residents call home. Not only have they enriched our city's cultural diversity, but they have also contributed to its development in many ways.
The Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government spares no effort in building a caring and inclusive society. Our support for ethnic minorities is wide-ranging – from education and employment to welfare, healthcare and community integration.
The Chief Executive, in his Policy Address last year, announced a series of new support measures. They include setting up dedicated Care Teams, and additional support service centres, for ethnic minorities.
To that end, I am pleased to announce that eight Ethnic Minority Care Teams will be set up today. They will underpin the services provided by the eight existing government-funded support service centres for ethnic minorities.
The Care Teams will visit ethnic minority households and stay in touch with them. Besides keeping them posted on the latest government information, the Care Teams will proactively find out and fulfil their needs with relevant services. If necessary, the Care Teams can also refer them to relevant government departments or organisations for follow-up.
Meanwhile, our Government is setting up two additional support service centres for ethnic minorities – one in Kowloon Central, the other one in New Territories East – bringing the total to ten. We expect the two new centres, along with two more dedicated Care Teams, will come into service by year's end.
With 10 centres in place by then, we will be able to cover all the major districts of ethnic minority communities in Hong Kong. In those centres, ethnic minorities can enjoy holistic support, which covers orientation programmes, language and after-school tutorials, community integration workshops, youth activities, counselling services, and much more.
All in all, we are always here for members of our city's ethnic minorities, helping them unleash their potential and realise their dreams.
And our support for ethnic minorities goes beyond Hong Kong. We are grateful for the Central Government's recently announced measure for non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents – many ethnic minority residents included – to apply for designated Mainland travel permits (Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese Citizens)).
With these permits, they can easily go to the Mainland for tourism or business, enjoying self-service clearance and greater clearance efficiency at Mainland control points.
The measure has been well received by ethnic minorities, I am pleased to say. Our Kowloon City and Yau Tsim Mong District Offices have organised designated sessions to help them apply for permits. Looking ahead, our dedicated Care Teams, and their affiliated support service centres, will also provide the necessary support.
Ladies and gentlemen, today's carnival presents a variety of cultural performances and interactive game booths to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR. I am sure you will enjoy it.
On that note, I look forward to the close collaboration between our Government and the Ethnic Minority Care Teams together with their affiliated support service centres. Let's build a more harmonious and better Hong Kong together.
Now, I will say a few words in Chinese.
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