On Friday’s Backchat, we look at Hong Kong’s wealth gap, after a new Oxfam report suggested that economic inequality here is at its worst in a decade.
It found the richest 10 percent make almost 60 times more than the poorest; a fifth of the population were below the poverty line as of the first quarter of the year; and economically inactive households – mostly elderly people and homemakers – make up a large proportion of the bottom 10 percent.
The charity says the government can help by creating more jobs for the underprivileged, and by reviewing Hong Kong’s minimum wage every year to make sure it keeps up with inflation.
Do you think the wealth gap is at its widest in a decade? Is inequality getting worse? What’s the best way to address the problem?
After 9:45am we dive into the Metaverse and see how two universities are using the virtual space to educate their students.
9:05am-9:45am: Hong Kong's rising income gap
9:05am-9:15am: Sze Lai Shan, Deupty Director, Society for Community Organisation (SoCO)
9:05am-9:45am: Maggie Lau, Research Associate Professor, School of Graduate Studies and Programme Director, Doctor of Policy Studies, Lingnan University
9:30am-9:45am: Timothy Ma, Chief Consultant at NGO consultancy Ma Kam Wah & Co
9:45am-10:00am: Use of Metaverse at university
9:45am-10:00am: Prof. Eugene Wong, Director of the Virtual Reality Centre, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong