Hong Kong is crying out for bold thinking on social policies

Whoever wins the chief executive election will have to deal with the rotten legacy left behind.

One aspect is our government's lack of social vision and policy goals to guide public spending. As an example of what we are missing, look to Singapore: its government has just issued the 2012 budget. Similar to Hong Kong, emphasis was placed on upgrading and restructuring its economy amid global financial instability. The marked difference is that Singapore has used the annual budget as a tool to drive and co-ordinate measures to achieve the long-term social policy goal of building 'a fair and inclusive society'.

The city state's budget includes initiatives to help older workers build up their savings; enhance the affordability of health and long-term care; support people with disabilities with care service and work opportunities through wage-subsidy incentives for employers; and lifting up low-income families by helping their children overcome early disadvantages through workfare income support and education subsidies from pre-school to university.

Through its budget, the Singapore government has demonstrated that helping the disadvantaged is not just an expenditure item, but a proactive policy to build capacities and create opportunities to ensure they contribute to society's progress and share in its fruits.

Compared with Singapore, the last budget of Hong Kong's current administration pales. Hong Kong people are frustrated because they see the government piling up reserves and not putting this wealth to work, addressing deep-seated social problems and improving the quality and quantity of public services.

Hopes for more resources - to cut waiting times for medical and care services, to provide smaller classes for students, to increase public housing - were left unanswered.