CY’s critics give credit where it is due, but call for reflection
Top adviser to the city’s first chief executive says CY Leung missed the opportunity to reflect on his failings, but has set the pace for his successor
But Professor Lau Siu-kai, the top adviser to the city’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, said Leung had missed an opportunity to use his swansong policy address to engage in a humble reflection of the failings of his governance over the past five years.
Watch: CY Leung’s final policy address
Joseph Wong Wing-ping, a former civil service minister, said the next government should continue to implement and follow up several of Leung’s sensible policies, such as the gradual abolition of the offsetting mechanism that allows companies to use the money they put into the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) to offset severance and long-service payments.
“Leung’s proposal has struck a good balance in protecting employees’ interests and alleviating the financial burden on employers,” Wong said. “The next administration should strive to implement the proposal.”
Under the offset mechanism, employers are allowed to use their portion of contributions to the MPF to offset the severance or long service payments due an employee.
The government proposed bearing part of the cost in the 10 years after the abolition is implemented. It could total HK$6 billion and the government is not expected to fund the employers after 10 years.