https://www.scmp.com/rss/323836/feed Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor delivers her maiden policy address on October 11, 2017. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Free or subsidised body checks, cancer screening and vaccination services that would cost the government about HK$7.8 billion (US$1 billion) a year should be provided at Hong Kong’s new community health centres, a think tank proposed on Tuesday. The proposal, one of four main recommendations from the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre after a year-long study, was released two weeks before the city’s first district health centre was expected to open officially in Kwai Tsing. The research centre,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026565/subsidised-body-checks-cancer-screening-and-flu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026565/subsidised-body-checks-cancer-screening-and-flu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2019 10:17:05 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has warned of an impending economic downturn for Hong Kong more severe than during 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic, if the turmoil and widespread violent street demonstrations continue. This warning should not be taken lightly. Hong Kong has been gripped by violence and chaos after police stations were attacked, public buildings vandalised, main roads obstructed and MTR services disrupted. Our economy is facing serious difficulties – a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3022820/carrie-lam-needs-understand-values-and-mindset-hong-kongs-youth-if?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3022820/carrie-lam-needs-understand-values-and-mindset-hong-kongs-youth-if?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Aug 2019 23:30:13 +0000 In her 2017 policy address, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, as part of the “smart city” initiative, proposed that the government take “the lead to provide telecommunications companies with financial incentives in the form of subsidies to encourage the extension of fibre-based network to villages in remote locations”. My village, Hoi Ha, in Sai Kung Country Park has – by modern standards – a slow, inconsistent and unreliable service, which makes it extremely difficult to run a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2179857/was-smart-city-hong-kong-promise-just-talk-sai-kung-village-would?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2179857/was-smart-city-hong-kong-promise-just-talk-sai-kung-village-would?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Dec 2018 03:04:09 +0000 A proposal to extend statutory paternity leave in Hong Kong from three days to five was formally put forward by the government on Friday, two days ahead of Father’s Day. The increment, which was proposed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in her maiden policy address last October, will come into effect after lawmakers pass the relevant amendment bill. The bill was gazetted on Friday and will be introduced into the Legislative Council on June 20. The amendment will be the first major... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2150923/ahead-fathers-day-hong-kong-government-proposes-increase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2150923/ahead-fathers-day-hong-kong-government-proposes-increase?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:50:25 +0000 Hong Kong students who dream of running the city one day can get a taste what it is like to be in power this summer. A new government programme will allow a select few a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to shadow ministers as they go about the daily task of keeping the island functioning. Applications for the programme, called ‘Be a Government Official for a Day’, open on Monday, with officials hoping to attract secondary four and five students who are, “self-motivated, interested in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142830/want-know-what-its-run-hong-kong-now-citys-students-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142830/want-know-what-its-run-hong-kong-now-citys-students-are?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:34:12 +0000 Four world-renowned universities are eyeing Hong Kong as a stronghold in Asia for developing cutting-edge stem cell research as the city’s financial chief is expected to announce incentives to make it easier for foreign research institutions to invest in innovation and technology locally, the Post has learned. An industry source said Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University in the United States, and Waterloo University in Canada, would like to form... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2134622/four-top-north-american-universities-eye-hong-kong-regional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2134622/four-top-north-american-universities-eye-hong-kong-regional?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:03:55 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has taken concrete action to recruit young people under 35 to public service. The government also pledged to set up a Youth Development Commission in the coming year. The objective is to adopt a broader mindset and higher-level thinking for more “down-to-earth” youth policies. The recently concluded “Pilot Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth”, to recruit 11 members aged below 35 for five committees, attracted over 1,000 applicants. This shows a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2125083/how-hong-kong-can-harness-youth-power-create-future-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2125083/how-hong-kong-can-harness-youth-power-create-future-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 09:24:56 +0000 A proposed commuter fare subsidy scheme has been expanded to cater to residents of remote areas not covered by mainstream public transport in Hong Kong. More than 2.2 million commuters would benefit from the revised scheme as early as 2019, with subsidies costing the government HK$2.3 billion (US$295 million) each year. Authorities also rejected calls to limit the number of cross-border trips to mainland China that would be eligible for the scheme, a measure that had been floated to prevent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123962/hong-kong-extends-commuter-subsidies-more-types-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123962/hong-kong-extends-commuter-subsidies-more-types-public?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2017 06:49:52 +0000 For the first time in nine years, a motion of thanks for a policy address has been passed. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor managed with her maiden speech what her predecessor, Leung Chun-ying, had not achieved once during his five-year tenure. But it’s no time for Lam to be high-fiving with her officials. It would have passed in the Legislative Council anyway even if three lawmakers from the opposition camp didn’t break ranks and vote for it. The six localist lawmakers disqualified... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2119566/motion-thanks-quaint-meaningless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2119566/motion-thanks-quaint-meaningless?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2017 17:47:46 +0000 Seventy-year-old Poon Kang-chiu has been waiting for a public housing rental flat for more than four years, but when he checked last month, the government told him he needed to wait for at least another two years. To him, the government’s target to assign each eligible family a rental flat in an average of three years is “all talk”. “If I need to wait for two more years, I would have been waiting twice as long [as the target time],” Poon said. And he cannot afford to wait. Renting a 60 sq ft... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118510/hong-kong-public-housing-policy-still-failing-low-income?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118510/hong-kong-public-housing-policy-still-failing-low-income?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2017 14:47:13 +0000 Young Hongkongers aged 18 to 35, who see themselves as committed to serving the community, with a good grasp of policy issues and good analytical and communication skills, are invited to recommend themselves for consideration by a nine-member government recruitment committee, which will judge whether the applicants’ self-assessment of their commitment and skills is good enough for them to be members of five government advisory committees. If this sounds like an inviting idea to you, I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2118289/carrie-lam-wants-hong-kong-youth-join-policymaking-club-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2118289/carrie-lam-wants-hong-kong-youth-join-policymaking-club-can?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2017 03:00:34 +0000 Following the announcement in my policy address on October 11 of a new initiative to revamp the Central Policy Unit and turn it into a Policy Innovation and Coordination Office, the government placed adverts on October 27 to invite individuals aspiring to pursue a career in public policy to apply for jobs in the new office. This initiative originated from a proposal in my election manifesto to provide more opportunities for young people from different backgrounds who are interested in policy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2118173/revamped-think-tank-will-drive-policy-innovation-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2118173/revamped-think-tank-will-drive-policy-innovation-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2017 01:00:28 +0000 The shortage of skilled professionals and red tape in hiring overseas talent must be solved or Hong Kong will risk falling behind other cities in innovation and technology, the head of the Science Park has warned. Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun called on Hongkongers to embrace opening up the city’s labour market to foreigners, but she admitted that public consensus must be gained before such a move. Speaking at a private session with the media on Wednesday, the chairwoman of the Hong Kong Science and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118004/open-city-foreign-talent-or-risk-lagging-behind-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118004/open-city-foreign-talent-or-risk-lagging-behind-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2017 12:15:46 +0000 The Hong Kong civil service is arguably the finest in the region. While policy blunders and misspending are not uncommon, as unearthed by the Ombudsman and Audit Commission from time to time, the administration is, by and large, clean and efficient. That said, there is always room for improvement. With a new government just sworn into office, public expectation is even higher. Well aware of people’s growing demands for more and better services, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117450/civil-service-must-be-lean-and-responsive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117450/civil-service-must-be-lean-and-responsive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2017 17:47:31 +0000 President Xi Jinping has a grand plan to make China a fully modern and exemplary society and the world’s leading state. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has 200-plus new initiatives which aim to...? For sure, Lam’s policy address made for many days of happy headlines. Doubtless, many of the initiatives are worthy, addressing public concerns and alleviating problems in health care, welfare, education and housing. But not one of them takes a radical look at what are widely... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117241/unlike-xi-jinping-carrie-lam-fails-deliver-when-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117241/unlike-xi-jinping-carrie-lam-fails-deliver-when-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2017 01:18:57 +0000 As government reorganisation goes, it’s putting old wine in a new bottle. Revamping the Central Policy Unit was part of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s election platform. Billing the new unit as an outlet for young people to have a greater say in government policy is no doubt a public relations exercise. But as a programme to identify potential talent and groom them for government work, it may be seen as an extension of the appointee system for political assistants. Indeed, as it... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117376/policy-unit-being-put-back-its-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117376/policy-unit-being-put-back-its-place?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:30:25 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is offering handsome pay packets of up to HK$95,000 a month in a hiring drive for policy researchers as she reforms a government think tank with new young faces. A three-week open recruitment exercise for the posts of senior policy and project coordination officer and policy and project coordination officer kicks off on Friday, signalling a step forward in the ongoing revamp of the Central Policy Unit. The senior officer post offers a basic monthly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2117181/bumper-pay-packets-grabs-carrie-lams-new-think-tank-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2117181/bumper-pay-packets-grabs-carrie-lams-new-think-tank-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:32:41 +0000 In her manifesto for the election, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor proposed a competitive new direction for tax policies to strategically support economic growth. Her maiden policy address echoed this new direction, announcing two important tax measures: a two-tiered profits tax and a super-deduction for research and development expenditures. It is indeed timely to examine Hong Kong’s tax policy. Traditionally, Hong Kong has adhered to two principles for its tax system – a low tax... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116604/tax-reform-hong-kong-can-drive-new-engines-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116604/tax-reform-hong-kong-can-drive-new-engines-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 03:49:15 +0000 Hong Kong likes to portray itself as a caring society. While the social welfare protection offered by the government and subvented bodies may not be the world’s best, a wealth of measures are in place to help those in need. That said, there are still gaps to fill. Calls to improve the safety net are justified. The case looks even stronger in the wake of a study by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services. According to its analysis of government data in 2014-15, poor families living in private... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116653/broaden-safety-net-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116653/broaden-safety-net-those-need?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 17:12:31 +0000 The government’s new tax initiatives were a good start towards fostering small and medium companies but more must be done to overcome Hong Kong’s overly “laissez-faire” attitude towards business, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong president said on Monday. The comment came as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor attended the chamber’s lunch to promote her policies and engage with business owners. Lam announced this month that companies will soon pay tax of 8.25 per cent on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116643/hong-kong-must-do-more-shed-laissez-faire-business-attitude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116643/hong-kong-must-do-more-shed-laissez-faire-business-attitude?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:36:14 +0000 There are no plans to cut Hong Kong’s corporate taxes across the board because the government needs to reserve funds to protect the city against economic fluctuation, the city’s financial chief said on Monday. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po dashed the hopes of the business community for cuts at the government’s first summit on taxation, which brought together 400 business people, accountants and civil servants who also heard a stark warning about tax compliance from an world economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116637/hong-kong-financial-chief-dashes-hopes-wide-ranging-tax-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116637/hong-kong-financial-chief-dashes-hopes-wide-ranging-tax-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:42:02 +0000 Owners of subsidised flats may not have to pay a high price to fully privatise their properties under a pilot scheme proposed on Monday that echoes the vision of Hong Kong’s leader to boost home ownership. Our Hong Kong Foundation, a think tank founded by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, suggested the premium that subsidised flat owners needed to pay the government to be able to sell or let out their properties should not be linked with market inflation. Property tycoon Walter Kwok supports... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116596/proposal-seeks-break-chains-hong-kong-housing-market-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116596/proposal-seeks-break-chains-hong-kong-housing-market-way?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 09:31:17 +0000 There is a truly remarkable line in the chief executive’s recent policy address: “On care for the elderly, we do not see the ageing population as a threat to public finance.” It is hard to think of a government in any other advanced economy in the world making such a carefree statement. At first glance, this looks like a proud boast of fiscal prudence. In reality, though, it is nothing more than a statement of the government’s lack of interest in taking a transformative role in tackling the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116581/hong-kongs-miserly-approach-elderly-care-nothing-be-proud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116581/hong-kongs-miserly-approach-elderly-care-nothing-be-proud?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 08:53:44 +0000 I am inclined to give a high mark to the 2017 policy address: a B, maybe even a B-plus. The title – “We Connect for Hope and Happiness” – was a bit cheesy but the overall spirit was definitely right. Take the timing and setting. By bringing the speech back to its traditional October date, as members requested, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor gave face to the Legislative Council. After all, the main purpose is to set out the government’s priorities for the year, almost all of which... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116204/hong-kong-needs-active-governance-and-carrie-lam-can-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116204/hong-kong-needs-active-governance-and-carrie-lam-can-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 04:04:19 +0000 The government’s HK$100 million plan to issue “electronic identification” for Hong Kong residents to allow easier access to online public and commercial services parallels a similar plan unveiled 17 years ago that never took off as hoped. The Post has learned that the new electronic ID is expected to be launched within two years. According to Secretary for Innovation and Technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, the e-ID will allow Hongkongers easier access to online services offered by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116393/hong-kong-roll-out-electronic-identification-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116393/hong-kong-roll-out-electronic-identification-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 08:29:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s top minister for public servants has defended the proposed Civil Service College as worthwhile as he dismissed claims that national studies for them amounted to “brainwashing”. Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Secretary for the Civil Service Joshua Law Chi-kong argued such education for public servants deepened understanding relevant to their work and was therefore practical and useful. “All our laws and policies have to abide by the Basic Law,” he said, referring to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116390/national-studies-hong-kong-civil-servants-not-brainwashing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116390/national-studies-hong-kong-civil-servants-not-brainwashing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 08:00:41 +0000 Hong Kong scientists have cast doubt on the government’s vision for the city as an“international hub for scientific research” but claim its pledge to double spending on research and development is a step in the right direction. They were responding to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s maiden policy address earlier this month, when she announced a plan to double R&D spending to 1.5 per cent of GDP and encourage more local postgraduate and postdoctoral research. This would contribute to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2116378/boosting-rd-hong-kong-requires-more-just-funds-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2116378/boosting-rd-hong-kong-requires-more-just-funds-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 04:23:54 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s policy address earlier this month was heavily focused on land and housing policy, with the aim of helping Hong Kong people get on the so-called housing ladder. Apart from the Home Ownership Scheme, a Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme will enable better-off households in public housing estates to buy their own flats. In addition, Lam has initiated a “Starter Homes” programme that targets the middle class, and proposed regularising... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116089/carrie-lams-housing-policy-will-benefit-developers-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116089/carrie-lams-housing-policy-will-benefit-developers-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2017 07:15:29 +0000 The government will launch an open recruitment exercise this month for Hongkongers between the ages of 18 and 35 to join its advisory committees on social and youth matters, as part of its efforts to give the younger generation more say in policymaking. The city’s secretary for home affairs, Lau Kong-wah, told a radio programme on Wednesday that the government wanted around 10 young people to join five committees, including the Youth Development Commission, a new advisory body expected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115942/more-say-hong-kongs-youth-government-recruits-them-input?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115942/more-say-hong-kongs-youth-government-recruits-them-input?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:30:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s civil service unions have said a promised headcount increase of 5,400 workers will be far from adequate to manage their workload. Union leaders took aim at the pledge by the city’s leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, by pointing out that the department that oversees food and environmental hygiene had seen its staff size shrink by about a third since 2000. They likened the proposed 3 per cent expansion to “throwing a drop of water into the ocean”. Staffing levels at many departments... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115433/proposed-headcount-increase-hong-kongs-civil-service-just?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115433/proposed-headcount-increase-hong-kongs-civil-service-just?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2017 12:01:43 +0000 On tat son dou was one of the most searched Cantonese phrases online in Hong Kong last week, according to Google. It means Anderson Road and is the repository of hope for many young couples. The government plans to build “starter homes” there for young, middle-income families. For too long, these households who earn too much to enter public housing but too little to afford private housing have been unable to own a piece of Hong Kong. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s government signalled a shift... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115423/how-hong-kongs-starter-homes-scheme-young-couples-compares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115423/how-hong-kongs-starter-homes-scheme-young-couples-compares?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2017 06:45:45 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, in her maiden policy address, made sure we understand that she is serious about new beginnings. It is clear that Lam put a lot of thought into not only her address, but also where her predecessors have failed, evident by her going all-out to be different. She was eager to show that she is more than just talk when it comes to differentiating herself from previous chief executives. Her speech was intentionally short ,as she opted to give us a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115228/savvy-carrie-lam-shows-she-knows-her-politics-well-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115228/savvy-carrie-lam-shows-she-knows-her-politics-well-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:31:43 +0000 Chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has produced a maiden policy address which is not only the lengthiest of such addresses, but also the most comprehensive in responding to a wide range of social, livelihood and economic issues. Overall, Lam has thought through most major issues and mapped out detailed solutions. Expectations were high. In particular, there was high hope for policy breakthroughs in remedying Hong Kong’s acute land and housing shortage. Talk of “public-private... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115202/can-government-push-home-ownership-ease-hong-kongs-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115202/can-government-push-home-ownership-ease-hong-kongs-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2017 01:17:51 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was being frank when she admitted she had no magic wand for the housing conundrum. But she rightly acknowledged that the public has a legitimate expectation of an adequate housing supply from the government. The pressure to deliver has become even greater since she mapped out the most comprehensive blueprint yet in her first policy address this week. Previous chief executives sought to tackle the problem with different approaches, though the results... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115325/discussion-required-housing-ladder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115325/discussion-required-housing-ladder?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:29:27 +0000 A travel subsidy intended to relieve commuters’ financial burden was unlikely to be “abused”, and only a few thousand travellers are expected to recoup the full HK$300 discount, the transport minister said on Friday. Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan spoke after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced the new subsidy in her policy address on Wednesday. Under the deal, once a person has spent HK$400 in a month on public transport on their Octopus card, the government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115232/hong-kongs-new-commuter-subsidy-not-open-abuse-says-transport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115232/hong-kongs-new-commuter-subsidy-not-open-abuse-says-transport?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 07:46:03 +0000 The city’s top innovation and technology official has now struck a more welcoming tone on online and sharing economy businesses, saying that he will explore removing regulatory barriers and update laws to help them operate. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, innovation and technology minister Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung said the government was “very much for the sharing economy” and held up GoGoVan, a goods van-hailing service, as a positive example. “This is an Uber-like company that uses... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115152/hong-kong-strikes-more-welcoming-tone-sharing-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115152/hong-kong-strikes-more-welcoming-tone-sharing-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 01:00:00 +0000 A cartel of Hong Kong developers who own an estimated 1,000 hectares of farmland stand to benefit the most from new housing schemes announced in the chief executive’s policy address, industry watchers have said. The warnings stem from worry about potential collusion in the world’s most expensive housing market. There were also questions whether Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s policies will really provide affordable homes for “the sandwich class” and shorten the waiting time for public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115149/hong-kongs-developer-cartel-line-benefit-carrie-lams-schemes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115149/hong-kongs-developer-cartel-line-benefit-carrie-lams-schemes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 00:00:25 +0000 Hong Kong does not lack world-class universities to supply our economy with talented young graduates. But if established big companies do not hire them, or they are not suited by old economy openings, many are prompted to walk across the border in search of opportunity in Shenzhen and other places that invest more in research and development (R&D) to boost innovation and start-ups. This does nothing to halt a gradual overall decline in competitiveness and is therefore a loss the city cannot... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115159/innovation-steps-are-right-direction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115159/innovation-steps-are-right-direction?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:15:15 +0000 It is only a matter of time before Hong Kong imports workers to tackle its shortage of carers for the elderly, even if the current crunch can be eased by a pay rise announced in Wednesday’s policy address, according to the labour and welfare minister. Dr Law Chi-kwong on Thursday gave the strongest indication yet that the government was seriously looking into the controversial idea, a day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pledged in her policy blueprint to explore the possibility... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115150/matter-time-hong-kong-import-carers-elderly-labour-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115150/matter-time-hong-kong-import-carers-elderly-labour-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 14:30:45 +0000 Initial jubilation over saving the Wan Chai Sports Ground from demolition was muted on Thursday after Hong Kong’s leader said the land the iconic venue sits on was too valuable not to be developed. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor surprised the sports community on Wednesday during her maiden policy speech when she said the Wan Chai Sports Ground would be spared demolition. Instead, she announced plans to redevelop three government buildings next to the Hong Kong Convention and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115140/carrie-lam-says-wan-chai-sports-ground-will-be-demolished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115140/carrie-lam-says-wan-chai-sports-ground-will-be-demolished?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 12:30:30 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday quashed criticism that her administration’s efforts to provide 1,000 affordable homes for middle-class Hongkongers will only benefit private developers. The chief executive was responding to a caller on a radio programme, a day after delivering her maiden policy address, during which she announced a slate of projects to help sandwiched, middle-class Hong Kong families afford their own home. Lam had announced a pilot “Starter Home” scheme... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115130/carrie-lam-quashes-criticism-anderson-road-housing-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115130/carrie-lam-quashes-criticism-anderson-road-housing-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 11:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Thursday that while she would continue to reach out to the city’s young people, they must not break the law. Speaking on a radio programme the morning after she rolled out her maiden policy address, Lam also said she hoped that the city’s youth would “realise one day that the government cares about them”. She later said in a question-and-answer session with lawmakers that as a Catholic, she prayed for Hong Kong’s young people every... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115060/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-says-she-prays-citys-youth-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2115060/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-says-she-prays-citys-youth-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 07:40:32 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday indicated she had no intention of easing or strengthening measures to cool the city’s overheated property market, but she did raise the prospect of amending the rules on stamp duty. Speaking a day after she delivered her maiden policy address setting out her priorities for the year ahead, Lam said existing restrictions were already “very tough” when asked if there were any plans to roll out more. Due to current mortgage restrictions, Lam... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115053/restrictions-hong-kong-property-market-cool-prices-wont?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115053/restrictions-hong-kong-property-market-cool-prices-wont?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 06:43:16 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s maiden policy address was an opportunity to show whether she will be a carbon copy of her predecessor, Leung Chun-ying, and whether she can really connect with the public. Lam’s vision and strategies for Hong Kong’s development over the next five years were more or less the same as her election manifesto – a “Hong Kong of hope and happiness”. Land and housing policy is still afforded top priority. “Starter homes” – a brand-new initiative offering... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115034/carrie-lam-proves-shes-no-cy-leung-clone-her-first-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115034/carrie-lam-proves-shes-no-cy-leung-clone-her-first-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 06:30:15 +0000 In a bold pledge to tackle the city’s ageing problem as part of social policies announced on Wednesday, Hong Kong’s leader raised the contentious idea of importing foreign labour and setting a zero waiting time target for care services. In her maiden policy address, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also stated plans for a new transport subsidy for commuters and relaxed requirements to apply for the low-income working family allowance. Despite strong opposition from the labour sector,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2114947/will-raft-social-policies-targeting-elderly-poor-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2114947/will-raft-social-policies-targeting-elderly-poor-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Amid growing calls for change, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday gave the public a much needed dose of hope. From new housing commitments to a governance revamp, from a transport subsidy for all to tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses, from engaging young people to helping the underprivileged, Hong Kong’s new leader appears to be on the right track to lead the city to a new start. Carrie Lam steers clear of politics, pledges billions on tech and housing... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2114981/hong-kong-leader-delivers-needed-message-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2114981/hong-kong-leader-delivers-needed-message-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 19:30:15 +0000 In her maiden policy address, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor moved away from the fiscal conservatism of her former election rival John Tsang Chun-wah and reversed some key policies of her predecessor Leung Chun-ying. Instead, she embraced many demands of the opposition and the community over a range of livelihood and quality-of-life issues. 7 things you need to know from Carrie Lam’s policy address Her departure from previous administrations was both in form and substance. At the very start, she... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2114976/political-play-consummate-bureaucrat-wins-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2114976/political-play-consummate-bureaucrat-wins-day?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 17:21:40 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has hit out at local fans who boo the Chinese national anthem at football matches, saying the issue was “a very serious” one. The chief executive said national respect and identity were at stake, and it was not simply a question of whether the next game would be played away from fans behind closed doors, as has been suggested by Hong Kong’s No 2 official, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung. Lam largely steered clear of contentious political... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2114968/booing-chinese-national-anthem-serious-issue-about-respect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2114968/booing-chinese-national-anthem-serious-issue-about-respect?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:15:15 +0000 The founder of a Hong Kong gaming start-up welcomed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s research and development (R&D) incentives announced during Wednesday’s policy address, but said he saw little benefit in the tax cuts for small businesses. Silver Yu Wing-fung, 33, established his mobile gaming company, Skytree Digital, in 2013. Like many start-ups, Skytree did not turn a profit for the first few years. “If we don’t earn any profit to be taxed, [the cuts] mean nothing to us,” Yu... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2114958/tax-cuts-helpful-only-if-companies-earn-profit-says-sme-owner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2114958/tax-cuts-helpful-only-if-companies-earn-profit-says-sme-owner?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:16:06 +0000 Lower taxes on profits, tax deductions for businesses that invest in research and development (R&D) and the expansion of conference space in a prime area of Hong Kong were announced by the city’s leader on Wednesday, as she seeks to diversify the economy and draw more investors from abroad. In announcing these measures in her maiden policy address on Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor offered an optimistic view on the city’s growth, saying that she expected it to be higher... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2114944/carrie-lam-says-tax-breaks-profits-and-rd-among-measures-keep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2114944/carrie-lam-says-tax-breaks-profits-and-rd-among-measures-keep?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:03:21 +0000