Chat Time 40 - Widening gap between the rich and the poor?

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Questions

1. What are the causes of the widening gap between the rich and the poor?
  An aging population, rising unemployment, inferior education and uneven distribution of income are the causes of the widening gap between the rich and the poor. 

2.What is the negative effect it has on Hong Kong?
   The widening gap between the rich and the poor will be an obstacle to the economic development and eventually give rise to a range of social problems. 

3. How can the government help the poor families?
  The government can help the poor families by providing them with low-income subsidy, food subsidy, medical care and public housing.

Individual Response

1. How will Hong Kong be affected if the wealth gap continues to widen?
  If the wealth gap continues to widen, there will be more social problems which will affect Hong Kong’s harmony and stability. 

2. In today’s Hong Kong, why do you think the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?
  I think it is a consequence of failure in social policies. Government policy is over-protecting the wealthy. At the same time, labour policy is inadequate to protect the rights of workers. This creates an environment for the rich to get richer, and the poor to get poorer. 

3. Do you think the government should tax the rich to help the poor?
 I think the government should tax the rich and use that tax money to provide social benefits for the poor. It helps narrow the wealth gap and serve the function of income redistribution.

4. How can the government help poverty stricken students in Hong Kong?
  The government can give them financial subsidies like textbook subsidy and travelling allowance. It also offers them equal opportunity to receive education.

5.In your opinion, what is the cause of poverty in Hong Kong?
 Poverty in Hong Kong is caused by the increasing number of ageing people, low-skilled workers, poor academic qualifications and the influx of migrants from the mainland.