Measures to fix the economy should get top priority in the chief executive's policy address next week, Hongkongers said in a recent survey by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
About 60 per cent of the respondents said the economy and employment were the top-priority issues that the government should tackle. Most wanted to see measures that would bring down the rising cost of living. The survey included 652 people, aged 18 and older, interviewed from last Saturday to Wednesday.
On governance issues, 44 per cent of respondents said the government should raise administrative standards, while 17 per cent wanted to see a better relationship between the administration and the Legislative Council.
Given the current financial turmoil, however, most had doubts that the government could achieve its policy goals in the coming year. About 51 per cent said they had no confidence that the government could accomplish high-priority policy goals within a year.
The DAB said such pessimism showed trust in the government had decreased and that more efforts should be made to restore public confidence. Measures to reduce poverty should be set out to narrow the wealth gap, which could otherwise widen during economic bad times, the party said.