Letters | Hong Kong budget: go beyond ‘green shoots’ and tackle roots of our discontents

I refer to your article “Hong Kong finance minister banking on green shoots of economic recovery lying in environment, sustainable development, says source” (February 22). It is interesting to note in the accompanying photograph of the financial secretary eating a meal that all but two tea cups and one paper cup appear to be single-use plastic containers. It really is time for Hong Kong to wake up and immediately address the numerous disadvantages that can negate so many amazing facets of this great city.

Three key disadvantages can be addressed immediately. First, we need an immediate ban on single-use plastic bags that restaurants provide for takeaway meals. We know these are bad for our environment and that people are not reusing them but sending them to our already full landfills. Perhaps there should be a HK$5 charge for plastic bags in restaurants, shops and supermarkets – HK$0.5 is truly laughable and absolutely not a deterrent.

Second, with an estimated 1.5 million people living below the poverty line, it is time we raise the minimum wage to HK$70 per hour, a level that would enables workers to sustain a reasonable quality of life. This, combined with implementing a standard working week in line with other modern economies, would have a positive impact on the lives of so many.

Third, address the housing shortage by calling new homebuyers exactly what they are – speculative investors. While even the Post refers to them as homebuyers, how many are living in the properties they buy?