https://www.scmp.com/rss/513813/feed Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will deliver his inaugural policy address on October 19, where he is expected to announce several “groundbreaking” measures, including on housing and talent. There will be immediate moves to boost the pandemic-pummelled economy as well as long-term policies to chart new growth. Revisit last year's policy address here. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A series of consultation sessions and visits across Hong Kong were launched on Monday to canvas public opinion in advance of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s second policy address in October. The government said that 30 sessions would be held across the city to gather opinions from resident to help the administration draft its blueprint for the next year. Lee “earnestly” appealed to the public to make their views known as part of the drafting process for the October 25 speech. “My team and I... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3229492/hong-kong-leader-lee-launches-public-consultation-help-inform-second-policy-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3229492/hong-kong-leader-lee-launches-public-consultation-help-inform-second-policy-address?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:15:47 +0000 Depression and stress from looking after her 87-year-old husband, who has dementia, keeps Hongkonger Pingping* awake at night. The 71-year-old has tended to him alone, day and night, for almost 30 years since he was diagnosed and his condition has deteriorated over the years. His memory was gone, he lost his temper easily, and picked quarrels with her at home and in public, drawing complaints from their neighbours in a public housing estate. He stayed in two care homes for more than a year but... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3213000/burden-love-hong-kong-carers-are-tired-stressed-and-need-more-support-families-struggle-cope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3213000/burden-love-hong-kong-carers-are-tired-stressed-and-need-more-support-families-struggle-cope?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2023 01:00:14 +0000 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. In the past two years, the local workforce shrank by about 140,000, as strict anti-epidemic measures fuelled an exodus. Now, a new scheme threatens to intensify Hong Kong’s brain drain. In his... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3212545/hong-kong-talent-trawl-why-pay-export-graduates-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3212545/hong-kong-talent-trawl-why-pay-export-graduates-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:30:16 +0000 The most important sentence in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget speech this year appears in paragraph 134: “Talents are the most important resources for growth.” Clearly this was a reminder rather than fresh insight, the same point having been made by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last autumn. The annual budget speech is one of the two occasions each year when the government sets out its thinking on economic and social development. It has two main tasks: to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3211402/hong-kong-budget-best-remedy-citys-ailing-economy-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3211402/hong-kong-budget-best-remedy-citys-ailing-economy-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:15:09 +0000 Six months into his office, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has lived up to his promise of leading the government in a “result-oriented” and “solution-driven” manner. After battling seemingly intractable challenges on multiple fronts, Lee has surpassed expectations, and won quiet respect and acceptance, thanks to his practical and down-to-earth work style. On taking over, Lee’s most pressing task was returning Hong Kong to normalcy after more than two years of one of the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205854/john-lee-made-2022-hong-kongs-year-action-and-reconnection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205854/john-lee-made-2022-hong-kongs-year-action-and-reconnection?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2023 22:45:07 +0000 Hong Kong social worker Yan Yuen, 34, struggles whenever she takes plastic bottles, toilet paper cores and takeaway boxes from her home in Sham Shui Po to the nearest recycling centre every three weeks. It takes her 15 minutes to walk from her 180 sq ft flat to the collection station in Fu Cheong Estate, bypassing two wet markets, several garages, a row of industrial buildings and a bustling thoroughfare on her way to the inconspicuous recycling centre. No recycling bin is available along her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204727/hongkongers-struggle-recycle-authorities-rush-remove-kerbside-bins-make-way-new-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204727/hongkongers-struggle-recycle-authorities-rush-remove-kerbside-bins-make-way-new-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 02:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s highly anticipated drive to recruit non-locally trained doctors has only attracted 65 applications, of which nine have been given an offer, according to the chairman of the Hospital Authority, who has pledged to “fight for every inch of ground” in the global quest for medical talent. The special registration scheme was launched after the government amended the Medical Registration Ordinance in October last year, allowing graduates of 50 non-local medical schools to practice in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3203487/very-unsatisfactory-only-65-overseas-doctors-apply-special-scheme-work-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3203487/very-unsatisfactory-only-65-overseas-doctors-apply-special-scheme-work-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:39:13 +0000 Hong Kong authorities are considering shortening the period between minimum wage reviews and making the process more efficient, the city’s labour minister has revealed, with the pay level set to rise in 2023 after a four-year freeze. Speaking to the Post exclusively, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said he would task the Minimum Wage Commission, the statutory body responsible for setting the hourly pay level, with looking into how the existing mechanism could be made more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3201123/hong-kong-may-adjust-review-period-minimum-wage-improve-efficiency-process-labour-chief-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3201123/hong-kong-may-adjust-review-period-minimum-wage-improve-efficiency-process-labour-chief-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2022 15:41:53 +0000 The average waiting time for a public rental flat in Hong Kong has dropped to 5.6 years, authorities have said, while the housing chief has expressed optimism that the minimum size of homes could be raised but cautioned any increase would only come later in the decade. The Housing Authority on Wednesday announced the wait time had fallen from six years, reaching levels last reported in September 2020, mainly due to the allocation of more than 10,000 rental flats in the third quarter. While the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200767/average-waiting-time-public-rental-flat-hong-kong-drops-56-years-housing-chief-says-future-homes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200767/average-waiting-time-public-rental-flat-hong-kong-drops-56-years-housing-chief-says-future-homes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader said on Sunday he was “satisfied” with his first overseas trip as chief executive as he spent the last day of the visit on a tour of some of Thailand’s biggest businesses in a bid to attract investment. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu signalled Hong Kong had entered a new period that had encouraged many to visit, despite the city’s remaining Covid-19 restrictions, as he prepared to leave Bangkok after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. Lee added the string... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3200321/john-lee-signals-satisfaction-results-first-overseas-trip-hong-kongs-leader-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3200321/john-lee-signals-satisfaction-results-first-overseas-trip-hong-kongs-leader-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Nov 2022 13:44:30 +0000 The fringes of Hong Kong’s country parks could be considered as possible housing plots, the city’s development minister has said, as she underlined the government’s commitment to the creation of a metropolis on reclaimed land off Lantau Island. Proposals to develop individual park sections would be studied at appropriate times, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho told a television programme on Sunday, but did not say when surveys would be carried out. The option was not included... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200287/fringes-hong-kongs-country-parks-earmarked-possible-housing-sites-minister-says-reiterating-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200287/fringes-hong-kongs-country-parks-earmarked-possible-housing-sites-minister-says-reiterating-support?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Nov 2022 06:45:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s education system made young people more egocentric, according to the city’s top government adviser who blamed it for recent industrial accidents and an incident that left a dancer critically injured at a concert by boy band Mirror. But New People’s Party lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, also the convenor of the city’s key decision-making body, the Executive Council, said she was delighted to see the government “righting the wrong” in the wake of the 2019 anti-government protests by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3200167/regina-ip-blames-hong-kong-education-system-industrial-accidents-mirror-concert-incident-and-making?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3200167/regina-ip-blames-hong-kong-education-system-industrial-accidents-mirror-concert-incident-and-making?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:20:14 +0000 A seasoned geriatrician and medical professor has been appointed as Hong Kong’s first commissioner for primary healthcare as the sector undergoes the biggest reforms in a decade with a shift in focus from hospital to community care. Dr Pang Fei-chau, a clinical associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine, took up the role on Monday weeks after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his maiden policy address that the government would publish a primary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3198698/geriatrics-specialist-dr-pang-fei-chau-picked-hong-kongs-first-commissioner-primary-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3198698/geriatrics-specialist-dr-pang-fei-chau-picked-hong-kongs-first-commissioner-primary-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:56:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s education minister has defended government rules for flag-raising ceremonies at schools, saying the measures were not intended to make pupils “suffer” but to instil a sense of identity and pride. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Sunday also conceded that some schools might not have understood the government’s intention when the institutions enacted the curriculum changes. “I believe our schools, teachers, and teaching force are very professional. But of course, there... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3198641/flag-raising-rules-hong-kong-schools-not-intended-make-pupils-suffer-foster-national-pride-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3198641/flag-raising-rules-hong-kong-schools-not-intended-make-pupils-suffer-foster-national-pride-education?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Nov 2022 13:19:27 +0000 Brain drain. Skills shortage. Human capital deficit. It seems that not a day goes by without a mention of Hong Kong’s talent crunch. We have lost about 120,000 residents over the past 12 months – a record 1.6 per cent drop in the population and the third consecutive year of population outflow. Our working population has dipped by 6 per cent over four years to a near-decade low. Hong Kong is also facing structural demographic issues leading to a shrinking workforce. Our birth rate is among the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3198144/global-race-talent-heres-how-hong-kong-can-get-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3198144/global-race-talent-heres-how-hong-kong-can-get-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:15:13 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged in his first policy address to “build a better Hong Kong” amid local and global challenges such as the pandemic, a public housing shortage and geopolitical tensions. I trust he will not forget the climate threats that could equally make our lives miserable. In the past, former environment minister Wong Kam-sing would brief representatives from green groups, professional bodies and government committees on the government’s environmental measures. That... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197627/hong-kong-appears-no-closer-carbon-neutrality-2050-under-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197627/hong-kong-appears-no-closer-carbon-neutrality-2050-under-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:15:10 +0000 On October 19, Chief Executive John Lee delivered his first policy address after assuming office on July 1. The address closely followed the relaxation of a slew of Covid-19-related restrictions that had been in effect for well over two years. During this trying period, frustration has grown over loss of livelihood and missed opportunities. Hong Kong residents are therefore eager to learn more about the policies that aim to reanimate the city after being disconnected from the rest of the world... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197469/john-lees-plan-hong-kong-good-one-it-depends-strong-open-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197469/john-lees-plan-hong-kong-good-one-it-depends-strong-open-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 22:45:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s new primary care authority will avoid becoming a “toothless tiger” if it cuts red tape and empowers community nurses to do more for patients, former health chief Sophia Chan Siu-chee has said. Now a professor of nursing at the University of Hong Kong, she said officials aiming to transform the city’s health landscape must also act to woo nurses and retain talent. Last year alone, 2,600 nurses quit the public sector. Chan welcomed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s recent announcement... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197710/no-toothless-tiger-hong-kongs-new-primary-care-authority-must-cut-red-tape-get-more-nurses-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197710/no-toothless-tiger-hong-kongs-new-primary-care-authority-must-cut-red-tape-get-more-nurses-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 08:00:10 +0000 In his first policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said land and housing were the government’s top priority. This was also the case with his predecessors Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Leung Chun-ying. During the Asian financial crisis around 2000, as property prices in Hong Kong plummeted to record lows, the Hong Kong government stopped holding scheduled land auctions and developing new sites in order to stabilise property prices. However, after the economy recovered, this policy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197459/hong-kongs-housing-and-land-supply-john-lee-must-avoid-mistakes-past-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197459/hong-kongs-housing-and-land-supply-john-lee-must-avoid-mistakes-past-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 03:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s first policy address includes a section titled “drive development by transport infrastructure” in which he commits to taking forward three major road projects and three strategic railway projects, with the aim of building “a highly inter‑connected and accessible road network and rail system”. It is unfortunate, though, that the policy address does not look much further in seeking to improve mobility. It did not touch on cycling or other types of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3197394/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-should-have-mapped-route-more-car-free-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3197394/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-should-have-mapped-route-more-car-free-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 03:30:24 +0000 In his maiden policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled ambitious initiatives to “trawl the world for talent”, admitting that Hong Kong’s workforce had contracted by about 140,000 over the past two years. The proposed initiatives – setting up an Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, creating a Talents Service Unit, and launching a Top Talent Pass Scheme, among others – have been welcomed by some, but there are doubts whether measures such as special visas and stamp duty... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197276/hunt-global-talent-dont-forget-hong-kongs-own-overseas-students-and-local-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197276/hunt-global-talent-dont-forget-hong-kongs-own-overseas-students-and-local-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2022 22:45:09 +0000 As the Hong Kong government begins a new chapter in its quest to provide affordable housing, many young families may have cause to be hopeful that their home ownership dreams will soon come true – with a helping hand from the private sector. This is because Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is launching a pilot scheme on private developer participation in subsidised housing, as announced in his policy address, a decision expected to open the door for up to 4,000 families to buy quality homes at... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197180/developers-must-answer-john-lees-call-private-subsidised-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3197180/developers-must-answer-john-lees-call-private-subsidised-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2022 01:15:13 +0000 Hong Kong has talked a lot about reform of its healthcare system since colonial times. The latest proposal features in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address – testament to the fact that much more remains to be achieved. That is not for want of urgency. As Lee said, the “dire consequences” of over-reliance on stressed public hospitals over the years have become more evident, and “we need to change”. The centrepiece of Lee’s plan is a new primary healthcare authority to shift... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3197351/change-culture-key-reforming-archaic-healthcare-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3197351/change-culture-key-reforming-archaic-healthcare-system?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 20:30:49 +0000 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. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his first policy address last week, proposing a series of measures to develop the economy and improve people’s livelihoods. In particular, I am pleased... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3197040/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-shows-he-wants-hear-voices-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3197040/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-shows-he-wants-hear-voices-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 06:30:13 +0000 Significant firms and sovereign fund leaders in the Middle East have expressed interest in listing and investment opportunities in Hong Kong, according to the city’s finance chief on a visit to the region. The Hong Kong stock exchange was reaching out to Saudi oil giant Aramco, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told the Post on Monday in an exclusive interview from Bahrain, travelling overseas just days after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu promised an aggressive global campaign to attract... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3197104/middle-eastern-firms-and-sovereign-funds-interested-hong-kong-listing-opportunities-finance-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3197104/middle-eastern-firms-and-sovereign-funds-interested-hong-kong-listing-opportunities-finance-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:10:47 +0000 Major business chambers in Hong Kong have reported an increase in membership as more people either return to the city or explore local opportunities for growth following the relaxation of Covid-19 travel curbs, striking a note of optimism over the city’s push to re-engage with the wider world. But the heads of the American, European and Australian chambers of commerce cautioned on Monday that the government needed to target a wide array of global talent to revive the city’s fortunes and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3197097/major-business-groups-hong-kong-report-membership-boost-companies-return-branch-out-following-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3197097/major-business-groups-hong-kong-report-membership-boost-companies-return-branch-out-following-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 14:08:40 +0000 The Hong Kong government will prioritise the construction of the Tseung Kwan O rail line extension over the other five major infrastructure projects floated in the city leader’s policy blueprint. But Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung, who revealed the priorities on Monday, said authorities did not have any timeline for when these mega projects would be completed for now. “We would like to see what residents think about those projects, because they know what is really needed,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3197020/hong-kong-authorities-prioritise-tseung-kwan-o-rail-lines-extension-over-other-mega-projects-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3197020/hong-kong-authorities-prioritise-tseung-kwan-o-rail-lines-extension-over-other-mega-projects-no?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 06:32:02 +0000 Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s first policy address set out almost 200 performance indicators for the government, with many concerning land and housing, but it is the Labour and Welfare Bureau that has the most tasks to tackle, a check by the Post has found. The chief executive had 29 indicators related to solving the city’s pressing public and private housing needs and they were shared between two bureaus, Development and Housing. The Labour and Welfare Bureau was handed most of the 24... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3196942/housing-hong-kong-leader-john-lees-priority-labour-and-welfare-bureau-gets-most-targets-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3196942/housing-hong-kong-leader-john-lees-priority-labour-and-welfare-bureau-gets-most-targets-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:14 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has got off to a good start, judging by the reaction to his policy address. Gone are the days of interruptions, ejections and the hurling of objects at the podium. Those chamber theatrics were replaced with a round of applause and signals of support from legislative councillors. Beijing’s own applause followed closely, in the form of press releases issued by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing and the central government liaison office in the city,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196809/john-lees-policy-address-needs-proper-evaluation-not-just-praise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196809/john-lees-policy-address-needs-proper-evaluation-not-just-praise?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 22:45:13 +0000 Converting makeshift facilities built during Hong Kong’s fifth coronavirus wave into transitional flats is not “cost-effective”, the city’s leader has said, citing the vast amount of refurbishment work required. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday also said his administration was not currently considering building homes on the edges of country parks, calling it “controversial” and unattractive given the easier development available using other sources of land he proposed during his maiden... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196950/converting-makeshift-coronavirus-facilities-transitional-housing-not-cost-effective-hong-kongs-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196950/converting-makeshift-coronavirus-facilities-transitional-housing-not-cost-effective-hong-kongs-john?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 09:02:35 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance minister has insisted it is “inevitable” for the city to shift from its long-held “big market, small government” economic stance to one that can better combine a capable administration and an efficient market amid underinvestment in turbulent times. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday said authorities were working “at full speed” to formulate institutional arrangements and the governance structure for the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), which was announced... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196947/inevitable-hong-kong-shift-big-market-small-government-combining-capable-governance-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196947/inevitable-hong-kong-shift-big-market-small-government-combining-capable-governance-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 06:43:19 +0000 The global race to attract and retain talent has intensified in the last few years with the rapid development of the innovation and technology sector, which has come to be seen as a key driver of economic growth. Many developing countries have joined this race by rolling out measures and policies to lure talent with specialised knowledge and skills in an effort to jump-start their technology sector. Hong Kong, with its mature economy, cannot afford to lose out in this global battle for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3196644/policy-address-puts-hong-kong-back-race-global-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3196644/policy-address-puts-hong-kong-back-race-global-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 05:30:08 +0000 There is so much material in this year’s policy address worth discussing in depth that it is difficult to know where to begin. One theme that emerges is the government’s desire to play a more proactive role in economic development. For example, there is the proposal to create a Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited to invest in strategic industries and attract and support businesses. This is a major departure from past practice and a step in the direction of the Singapore model of guided... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196806/redevelopment-hong-kongs-older-buildings-must-be-handled-fairly-or-we-risk-social-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196806/redevelopment-hong-kongs-older-buildings-must-be-handled-fairly-or-we-risk-social-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 03:30:23 +0000 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. I watched in earnest to see if there would be any mention of protection measures against sea level rises induced by climate change in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s three-hour speech. Well, I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3196675/how-does-john-lee-intend-defend-hong-kong-against-rising-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3196675/how-does-john-lee-intend-defend-hong-kong-against-rising-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 03:30:20 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s first policy address comes with a big price tag, but Hong Kong is fortunate to be able to afford it. A budget deficit is expected, perhaps as much as HK$100 billion (US$12.7 billion) for the current financial year according to the government’s projections. Even so, the government has considerable reserves to pay for the projects in the policy address without saddling society with debt. There are few economies that can do this right now. Hong Kong will have many... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196727/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-projects-could-give-city-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196727/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-projects-could-give-city-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 01:30:11 +0000 Hong Kong civil servant Michael Lam* knew this year’s policy address was different when some of his staff gathered around him soon after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu spoke on Wednesday. The head of a professional department said his subordinates were anxious to have details about the new “reward and punishment system” for civil servants. “It has been very difficult to fire civil servants, but it seems that will not be the case in the future,” he said. “Some colleagues are worried the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196883/hong-kong-civil-servants-fear-john-lees-reward-and-punishment-review-will-make-it-easier-sack-errant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196883/hong-kong-civil-servants-fear-john-lees-reward-and-punishment-review-will-make-it-easier-sack-errant?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 00:30:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has said his administration will not attempt to dissuade others of their political views but would use “action” to elaborate on the government’s policy rationale as part of a wider effort to reach out to the city’s youth. “Hong Kong is a diverse city and it’s normal for people to have different political views … Politics is like religion, when you believe in something it’s unrealistic to persuade you into changing your views,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told a radio... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196904/hong-kongs-john-lee-says-he-wont-try-change-peoples-political-views-pledges-action-reach-out-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3196904/hong-kongs-john-lee-says-he-wont-try-change-peoples-political-views-pledges-action-reach-out-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 12:44:17 +0000 Hong Kong kindergartens in areas with too few children will be offered 10 new sites to move to, as the city’s falling number of births contributed to the closure of 20 preschools. The first eight months of this year saw only 21,895 registered births, 16 per cent fewer than the 26,027 over the same period last year, the latest official data showed. If the trend continues, 2022 could see the lowest number of babies born since data became available in 1961. Last year’s 37,000 registered births were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3196838/hong-kong-dishes-out-incentives-struggling-preschools-falling-births-impact-enrolment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3196838/hong-kong-dishes-out-incentives-struggling-preschools-falling-births-impact-enrolment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 04:00:18 +0000 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. Declining standards of English proficiency among university graduates is a common complaint by employers in Hong Kong. This is not groundless as the local senior secondary school curriculum mainly... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3196533/how-hong-kong-can-boost-its-english-speaking-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3196533/how-hong-kong-can-boost-its-english-speaking-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 03:30:08 +0000 The new embrace of interventionist strategies for the economy as set out in the policy address of Hong Kong’s leader this week signals the end of a long-held “big market, small government” stance, according to observers who welcome it as a “long overdue” move to inject new stimulus into a Covid-battered economy. They said it was also important to take such action, seen by many as following in Singapore’s well-trodden path, given the trend towards deglobalisation that would hamper the easy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196749/hong-kong-finally-ending-its-love-affair-big-market-small-government-analysts-ask-if-it-ready-make?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196749/hong-kong-finally-ending-its-love-affair-big-market-small-government-analysts-ask-if-it-ready-make?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:30:16 +0000 After years of turbulence, the city is keen to show the world it is back. The message is not only echoed far and wide as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu defends the city’s achievements in his first policy address, but is also underpinned by a series of promotional campaigns overseas. With international tensions running high and perceptions often misleading, the Hong Kong story will not be an easy sell. The mission begins with a high-stakes visit by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po to the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196862/happy-ending-needed-sale-hong-kong-story-wider-world-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196862/happy-ending-needed-sale-hong-kong-story-wider-world-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 23:30:10 +0000 Future transport infrastructure projects in Hong Kong could be funded by means other than direct government investment, including by issuing bonds or private sector partnerships, officials said on Friday Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung also said that whether the city sole’s rail operator, the MTR Corporation, would operate proposed railway links set out in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address, would require careful consideration. In his policy blueprint on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3196849/future-hong-kong-transport-projects-could-be-funded-issuing-bonds-or-built-through-public-private?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3196849/future-hong-kong-transport-projects-could-be-funded-issuing-bonds-or-built-through-public-private?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:59:03 +0000 Civil servants and volunteers will go from door to door to sign up Hong Kong’s elderly in public housing estates in three districts for Covid-19 jabs from Saturday as part of a renewed push to vaccinate high-risk groups which include a free flu shot outreach programme for secondary school students. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed the measures on Friday in a follow-up press briefing on the policy address, as officials confirmed overseas attendees of the coming Global Financial Leaders’... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196846/coronavirus-hong-kong-renewed-push-vaccinate-elderly-and-other-high-risk-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196846/coronavirus-hong-kong-renewed-push-vaccinate-elderly-and-other-high-risk-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:56:00 +0000 Hong Kong singers and stars from the 1960s to 1990s golden age of entertainment will be celebrated in a planned Pop Culture Festival designed to attract “pilgrims” from abroad as well as residents, senior officials have said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Friday said the spotlight was turned on the stars of yesteryear rather than modern pop acts because the earlier generation had made a lasting mark in mainland China, the rest of Asia and beyond and could... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196824/golden-years-hong-kong-music-be-spotlighted-attract-overseas-fans-and-encourage-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196824/golden-years-hong-kong-music-be-spotlighted-attract-overseas-fans-and-encourage-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:20:33 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s newly announced policies are not adequate for the development of the biotech industry, with participants and experts urging the government to do more if it wants to build the city into a leading hub. Their suggestions included building a self-sustained ecosystem, enriching the talent pool and smoothing parts of the supply chain among others. Experts also suggested taking a holistic approach to advance one of the key innovative industries, as Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3196791/hong-kongs-biotech-sector-needs-more-measures-flourish-john-lees-policies-fall-short-say-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3196791/hong-kongs-biotech-sector-needs-more-measures-flourish-john-lees-policies-fall-short-say-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 10:06:53 +0000 Hong Kong’s financial secretary is embarking on a series of high-profile visits to the Middle East on a mission to seek investment opportunities in new regions and carve a path to recovery for an economy battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Paul Chan Mo-po will lead a delegation to Bahrain on Saturday, after which they will head to Saudi Arabia to attend an international conference, the Future Investment Initiative, to be held from Tuesday to Thursday and run by a think tank under the Public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196742/hunt-investment-middle-east-hong-kong-finance-chief-lead-delegation-bahrain-and-saudi-arabia-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196742/hunt-investment-middle-east-hong-kong-finance-chief-lead-delegation-bahrain-and-saudi-arabia-part?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 10:05:18 +0000 Rolin Zhou, a Shanghai native who has been studying and working in Hong Kong for three years, was planning to buy a flat valued at as much as HK$6.5 million in the city when news reports a week ago said the government might relax the heavy stamp duties non-locals must pay on property transactions. But her hope was dashed on Wednesday. In his first policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced a refund of the extra stamp duty eligible non-locals pay when buying Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3196708/hong-kong-property-market-let-down-john-lees-policy-address-looks-finance-chief-easing-policies-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3196708/hong-kong-property-market-let-down-john-lees-policy-address-looks-finance-chief-easing-policies-next?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 03:00:49 +0000 When Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu took office earlier this year, he was faced with a Hong Kong in dire need of repair and restoration. Two years of stringent quarantine restrictions, a pandemic-battered economy and escalating geopolitical tensions meant Lee’s administration could not simply rest on existing virtues. The city that had always benefited from being China’s gateway to the world – and the world’s entry point into the 1.4-billion-people economy – faced challenges that were not... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196594/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-promising-start-city-needs-transformative-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196594/hong-kong-leaders-policy-address-promising-start-city-needs-transformative-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 01:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has rolled out a slew of measures to woo global talent but Covid-19 restrictions and the high cost of living are two major hurdles that may prevent them from remaining in the city. Hwang Eun-hee, an undergraduate from South Korea at the University of Hong Kong, plans to stay in the city to continue her studies after graduation this year, to gain permanent residency after fulfilling the requirement to live here for seven years. “I don’t want to give up my permanent residency... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196682/hong-kong-rolls-out-measures-attract-new-talent-can-it-entice-those-already-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3196682/hong-kong-rolls-out-measures-attract-new-talent-can-it-entice-those-already-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 01:00:13 +0000 Hong Kong needs to be fighting fit and focused for its entry into the global talent war. It involves more than undoing negative perceptions of life in the city shaped by anti-government social unrest in 2019 and compounded by the isolation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, leading to an exodus. That will test the special talent unit to be headed by the financial secretary and announced by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address. It is good that the city has taken the initiative to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196687/hong-kongs-hunt-global-talent-must-not-overlook-home-grown-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196687/hong-kongs-hunt-global-talent-must-not-overlook-home-grown-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 23:15:11 +0000