Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The chief executive election is scheduled on May 8. Epidemic prevention and control is no doubt the top priority for the new leader. Economic recovery is also a key concern, and we should restructure and strengthen our economic pillars to withstand future challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the weaknesses of our economy. Hong Kong is too dependent on the financial sector as well as the retail and catering industries supporting the real estate sector. Following the effects of the pandemic and the measures to contain it, we have now seen how fragile our service industry is. We should fine-tune our education system to nurture talented youth with technical knowledge and skills. With adequate supplies of fresh graduates and skilful technicians, Hong Kong can attract unicorn companies and multinational enterprises. Take Shenzhen for example. Our neighbouring city takes the initiative to draw and retain talent in hi-tech sectors. Technological giants such as Huawei are headquartered in Shenzhen. As a leader in information and communications technology, Huawei has developed a range of consumer products including smartphones and audio products. Amid healthy competition in Shenzhen, the brand has grown further to explore solutions-based services. Huawei employs more than 107,000 people for research and development, and says it will recruit more than 10,000 fresh graduates this year. According to its white paper released last year, by the end of 2020 Huawei held more than 100,000 active patents in more than 40,000 patent families worldwide, and these are valuable economic assets. Hong Kong could collaborate with Shenzhen to jointly develop as technological twin cities. Tax incentives can be provided to international brands intending to explore business opportunities in the region and mainland China. These brands could set up their regional hubs in Hong Kong, where executives can enjoy access to funds and a wealth of legal and professional services such as intellectual property management. China’s 14th five-year plan has outlined plans for both Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Hong Kong can play a part in the innovation industry. Our new leader should have the vision to boost Hong Kong’s technological and creative industries. The candidates who run in the election must address Hong Kong’s prospects on technological development in their agenda. Chu Kar-kin, Ho Man Tin After Lam, city needs a transformational leader Amid the severe economic, political and social uncertainties brought on by the pandemic and other challenges, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has announced she will not seek a second term as chief executive. After years of hardship and turbulence, Hongkongers are longing for a saviour. The pandemic has revealed our deep-rooted socioeconomic problems. At the same time, the city has been dogged by political woes following Occupy Central and the social upheavals of 2019. It would be nice if the incoming chief executive was equipped with a magic wand to solve all these problems. Hong Kong has many “mountains” to climb: the Mandatory Provident Fund, housing, brain drain, stagflation and economic recovery after the pandemic, to name a few. The most serious issue in the chief executive election is we have been cursed by the “Peter Principle”, by which only the mediocre rise to the top. We can’t find the best candidate to fill the most important post in this enclave. You may ask what makes the job so tough. Certainly it is because of the uniqueness of the political arrangement of this special enclave: Hong Kong is Asia’s world city and international financial hub upholding “one country, two systems”, a place that has simultaneously adopted the common law and the Basic Law. The chief executive has to serve two masters . The next chief executive should be a transformational leader, not a transactional one. A transformational leader will change the values of society, which are more than an emphasis on patriotism. A transactional leader will just carry out daily routine tasks without creative ideas to improve the status quo. Hopefully we can break the curse of the Peter Principle and get the right person to fill the chief executive post – someone who will not only ensure stability but also look after the welfare and livelihood of the masses. Lo Wai Kong, Lai Chi Kok