Candidates agree insurance sector voter base should widen

The voter base for the legislature's insurance sector should be widened beyond the current 144 representatives of insurance firms, all three candidates in this year's race told a sector voters' forum yesterday.

About 100 top executives from insurance companies attended the forum, arranged by the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, to listen to debates between the three contenders: Choy Chung-foo, former HSBC greater China insurance head; Chan Kin-por, chief executive of Munich Re Hong Kong; and Jackie Chun Yuk-chi, former chairman of the General Insurance Council.

The three agreed that one way to expand the voter base would be to allow some agents' representatives to vote. But they did not think all the sector's 60,000 employees and sales workers should become voters.

Mr Choy said there was a high turnover among agents, and many of them worked only part-time. 'It would be easy to abuse the system if all agents could vote,' he said. 'Some candidates could easily let their supporters enrol to become part-time agents. It would be better to let some representatives of the agents vote, instead of expanding the voter base too much.'

Many voters questioned the three contenders on issues including the city's regulatory framework, how to expand their business into the mainland, and environmental protection issues. All three agreed to work on these issues if elected.

'Many international firms' executives have told me they might move their companies away from Hong Kong if air quality gets worse. We need to do a lot more to clear the air,' Mr Chan said.