Seeking harmony: Chief Executive Donald Tsang urges the business community to offer more help to social enterprises.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang says social enterprises can help the disadvantaged to re-integrate into society and become self-reliant, urging the business community to offer more support to help them thrive.

Speaking at the Social Enterprises - Rallying Support to Foster Self-reliance forum today, Mr Tsang said social enterprises can help the disadvantaged build up self-confidence and gain other people's respect. However, these enterprises are not easy to run as they must be profitable and achieve their social objectives at the same time.

A social enterprise is defined as a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are mostly reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. It is not driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.

Mr Tsang noted there are more than 200 social enterprises in Hong Kong. He called on the business community to invest more in these enterprises, by offering professional advice, training and support. This will also help enhance their competitiveness.

He stressed fostering a three-way partnership between the community, the business sector and the Government is crucial to making social enterprises better businesses.

While the Government will create an environment conducive to the development and operation of social enterprises, Mr Tsang said the Home Affairs Bureau will see whether the relevant regulatory framework meets the needs and development of social enterprises here. A summit will also be held later this year.