Hong Kong's 5-year plan sees over 2,500 submissions

Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Secretary Janice Tse says the government has so far received over 2,500 public submissions for Hong Kong's inaugural 5-year plan. She made the comment not long after the plan's two-month public consultation, launched on June 15, passed its halfway mark.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme on Saturday, Tse said more than 30 consultation sessions had also been held, with about one-third of them being led by Chief Executive John Lee.

"Many of them offered opinions on areas covered in the six major parts of the public consultation document. We have used artificial intelligence to separate them.

“Nearly 1,200 of the submissions were on people’s livelihoods, but there were also submissions on the Northern Metropolis as well as innovation and technology.”

Tse said the development blueprint would definitely be people-oriented and that the government hopes it will ultimately convince the public that their lives can only get better and make the SAR an ideal place to live and work.

But she also stressed the necessity for infrastructure development, given its close connection to social development and direct impact on people’s livelihoods.

For instance, Tse said that by laying out a blueprint for the Northern Metropolis and the university town, individuals, investors, and companies will have a clear idea of where opportunities lie.

Infrastructure improvements made as part of the Northern Metropolis and university town developments will also foster progress in areas such as talent, education, and employment opportunities, she said.

It, she stressed, is a “fallacy” to think that Hong Kong will, by setting out a development blueprint, lose its impetus as a free-market economy, as the plan only offers directional and strategic guidance for the next five years.

While the government takes the lead and supports the economy, the free market still has ample room for development, she said.

Following the resignation of Election Committee lawmaker William Wong, Tse said discussions are underway between the government and the Electoral Affairs Commission on whether a by-election will be held.

“A Legislative Council seat is important. But is it urgent? We also need to take into consideration other factors and priorities,” she said, citing elections to be held for the Election Committee subsector on November 22 and for the Chief Executive and the district councils next year.

If a by-election for Legco has to be held, the government also needs to consider the feasibility in terms of time and cost-effectiveness.

Tse said the commission believes that holding the by-election at this stage seems too rushed.

Edited by Robert Kemp ...