After Hong Kong’s inflation soared to its highest since 1995, civil and Church groups have called for measures to relieve the burden on poor families, especially with regard to food costs.

Government statistics released on August 22 showed overall consumer prices rose 7.9 percent year on year in July.

Teresa Mak, secretary general of the Catholic Commission for Labor Affairs, said the seriousness of inflation is easily felt in daily life with the price of a meal in fast-food restaurants, or vegetables or meat in markets, about 20 percent higher than before.

She said she was worried about the impact of inflation on low-income families, new immigrants and families who rely on social security.

Allowances are “not enough for a household to live a dignified life and the price surge makes their life even harder.”

In a survey on the impact of soaring food prices, Oxfam Hong Kong last week pointed out that though Hong Kong has one of the highest human development rankings in the world, there are 144,400 families with children aged 15 or below that fall below the poverty line.

Mak said government assistance is inadequate. “It should formulate effective and practical measures decisively, such as an annual review of the minimum wage policy and the amount of social security allowances,” she said.

Some local and international schools help their students with breakfast and lunch. These measures can be considered since they at least can feed the children a balanced diet and help their physical growth, she added.

The Catholic commission and some civil groups are organising recycling activities. Even if on a small scale, this creates job opportunities for the poor, Mak noted.