Hong Kong authorities have proposed allocating HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) to social welfare organisations to arrange national study programmes and exchange tours to mainland China.
In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday, the Social Welfare Department said the funding arrangement aimed at enhancing NGOs’ understanding of national affairs, including social welfare services and national security awareness.
The subsidies were part of a HK$500 million dedicated fund that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address last October.
The fund, which aims to help NGOs providing subvented services meet their development needs for staff training and system enhancement, is expected to be launched in the second quarter of this year for five years.
Details of the application will be announced later.
A fifth of the HK$100 million subsidy will be earmarked for national studies programmes and mainland exchange tours, which were not among what was listed in the policy address.
Hong Kong has 177 NGOs providing subvented welfare services as of April 30.
Another HK$100 million of the fund will be designated for specified staff training projects that align with the government’s policy objectives and welfare service needs.
The remaining HK$300 million will be reserved for IT system enhancement and professional training, with the funding for each NGO capped at 1 per cent of its provisional subventions this year, or HK$500,000, whichever is higher.
However, national studies programmes, including training on the national security law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, and mainland exchange tours, were also within the scope of the agency-based funding.
The department also revealed that an exchange tour would be organised by the end of May to help NGO staff understand national affairs and integrate into the overall national development, as a sample itinerary for NGOs to follow in future.