Disparity In Hong Kong Essay

The disparity of rich and poor is the growing cause of concern in Hong Kong. According to Hong Kong government of census and statistics department, the Gini coefficient has hit 40 years high. It represents inequality of income level. Compare to 2006, the Gini coefficient is 0.537,it had increased 0.004 unit. Hong Kong income disparity is by far an acute problem. It is even higher than USA and Singapore, and it is the highest Gini coefficient is Asia. The increasing disparity between rich and poor is attributed to a few causes.

First, the primary case of increasing poverty gap in Hong Kong is not unemployment, but low wages. Hong Kong is one if the lowest unemployment rates in develop regions. It shows the major of people who living in poverty

Nowadays the prices of necessaries are higher than the basic income. The development for economy comes at a price which is inflation. Grass roots have to face the higher living expenses. But their salaries level are not as follow as the inflation. The high daily spending adds to the burden when some of them have families to take care. There is a strong likelihood that it will lead the more of Grass roots changes from middle level to the lower level of society structure. Because the increasing prices put pressure on poor’s and general public, they become to a lower statues and it is extreme different from the riches. Then it leads to the M-shaped society. It means the society become two-class structure (top class and low class)in Hong Kong . Hong Kong middle class regard as the main structure before, after the society structure changes, the middle class cannot keep breast with the society. Middle class started to lose its characteristics and benefit, and it falls down into a part of low class. Then, the disparity between rich and poor has

The government had already to hold poverty on high regard and place poverty alleviations as one of the priority policy areas to Hong Kong. Government had set up the department of commission on poverty(COP) and published an outpouring of policies and ways to tackle this perennial problem. For example, the government launched the Wage Protection Movement (WPM).Under WPM, participating corporations are encouraged to offer cleaning workers and security guards wages not lower than the relevant averages. When it comes to reality, in 1060 organizations which were participating in wage protection, only 52% of cleansing works benefited from the scheme. It shows the scheme cannot really help the workers with low income to have enough protection. Then,It brings the negative effect to the society. When the disparity become extreme different, it will cause social differentiation. Poor’s think they was exploited by the rich seller or organizations. And the dissatisfactory will destroy the social harmony. They may march in protest after news of any other issues

Thus, the causes of increasing disparity between rich and poor have brought negative influence to the society. Government should take effective steps to help to poor and ease the situation of Hong Kong. For example government can improve the labour law to protect margin labour and avoid employer to arrear salaries. Then poverty gap can be alleviate when government overcome