Speech by CS at Multicultural Carnival in Celebration of 27th Anniversary of Establishment of HKSAR cum Kick-off Ceremony for Ethnic Minority Care Teams (with photos/video)

     â€‹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. 
      
     å¾ˆé–‹å¿ƒèˆ‡å�„ä½�一å�Œå‡ºå¸­ã€Œå¤šå…ƒæ–‡åŒ–慶回歸嘉年è�¯æš¨å°‘數æ—�裔關愛隊啟動禮ã€�。
      
     é¦™æ¸¯æ˜¯ä¸€å€‹å……滿活力的國際大都會,ç�¾æ™‚有超é�Ž30è�¬å��少數æ—�裔人士。特å�€æ”¿åºœå¾ˆé‡�視構建關愛共èž�的社會,一直å�‘少數æ—�裔人士æ��供全方ä½�的支æ�´ï¼Œæ¶µè“‹æ•™è‚²ã€�就業ã€�ç¦�利ã€�醫療,以至èž�入社å�€ç­‰ã€‚
      
     è¡Œæ”¿é•·å®˜é€�é�ŽåŽ»å¹´ã€Šæ–½æ”¿å ±å‘Šã€‹å†�下一城,宣布一系列新措施,其中兩項就是æˆ�立少數æ—�裔關愛隊,以å�Šå¢žè¨­å°‘數æ—�裔人士支æ�´æœ�務中心。
      
     åœ¨é€™è£�,我很開心å�‘大家宣布,八支少數æ—�裔關愛隊在今日正å¼�æˆ�立,強化全港ç�¾æœ‰å…«é–“少數æ—�裔人士支æ�´æœ�務中心的æœ�務。這些專è�·å°ˆè²¬çš„關愛隊,將會與少數æ—�裔人士ä¿�æŒ�緊密è�¯ç¹«ï¼ŒåŒ…括上門探訪,除了å�‘他們發放政府最新信æ�¯ä¹‹å¤–,更é‡�è¦�的是主動了解他們的需è¦�,å�‘他們æ��供所需æœ�務,並因應情æ³�轉介至相關部門或機構去跟進。
      
     å�Œæ™‚,特å�€æ”¿åºœæ­£å…¨åŠ›æŽ¨é€²å¢žè¨­å…©é–“少數æ—�裔人士支æ�´æœ�務中心的工作。兩間中心分別ä½�æ–¼ä¹�é¾�中和新界æ�±ï¼Œé �計今年年底啓用,到時多兩支少數æ—�裔關愛隊亦會投入æœ�務。屆時,一共10間支æ�´æœ�務中心將會涵蓋全港少數æ—�裔人士的主è¦�è�šå±…地方。
      
     æˆ‘們希望,所有在香港生活的少數æ—�裔朋å�‹ï¼Œéƒ½æœƒè¦–香港為你們的家,在這è£�盡展所長ã€�æˆ�就夢想。
      
     æˆ‘們亦很感è¬�中央ç©�極回應特å�€æ”¿åºœçš„建議,最近宣布é�žä¸­åœ‹ç±�的香港永久性居民å�¯ä»¥ç”³è«‹ã€Šä¾†å¾€å…§åœ°é€šè¡Œè­‰ã€‹ï¼ˆã€Šæ¸¯æ¾³å±…民來往內地通行證(é�žä¸­åœ‹ç±�)》),讓他們「一å�¡åœ¨æ‰‹ã€�,就å�¯ä»¥äº«å�—自助通關的便利。我們會繼續為少數æ—�裔朋å�‹ï¼Œå�šå¥½ç›¸é—œçš„推廣和支æ�´å·¥ä½œã€‚
      
     æˆ‘充滿信心,特å�€æ”¿åºœè�¯å�Œæ‰€æœ‰å°‘數æ—�裔關愛隊和少數æ—�裔人士支æ�´æœ�務中心,將會攜手並肩,建設更和諧ã€�更美好的香港。
      
     æœ€å¾Œï¼Œæˆ‘希望大家好好享å�—今日這個多元文化嘉年è�¯ï¼Œä¸€èµ·æ…¶ç¥�香港特å�€æˆ�ç«‹27周年。多è¬�大家。

Photo  Photo