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Chief Executive CY Leung
The current-term Government upholds the vision of “Developing the Economy & Improving People’s Livelihood”. We believe that only through economic development can we improve people’s livelihood and promote social harmony and inclusion.
The Heritage Foundation of the United States has rated Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy for 22 consecutive years. According to the Human Freedom Index 2016 published by the Cato Institute of the United States, Hong Kong has topped the ranking for six consecutive years. The index measures the state of freedom in 159 jurisdictions based on 79 indicators covering such areas as the rule of law, freedom of movement, civil liberties and economic freedom.
Over the past four years, Hong Kong’s economy has seen moderate growth and receding inflation. The Government maintains a sound fiscal position. The working population increased in total by 160,000 while the unemployment rate remained at a very low level. Apart from reinforcing the competitive edges of traditional industries, the Government also strives to promote the development of emerging industries.
Land and housing supply for the short and medium terms has increased significantly while medium and long-term planning is actively pursued. Many infrastructure projects are underway.
In the past four years, the Government has made full efforts to alleviate poverty, care for the elderly, support the disadvantaged and encourage employment. Over these four years, earnings for the employees in the lowest three income decile groups have increased by 5.2% after discounting inflation.
The number of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) cases has continued to drop and the poor population is shrinking. The Government has invested heavily in healthcare infrastructure.
Air quality in our city and water quality in Victoria Harbour have improved notably. Measures on climate change and waste management have been implemented progressively and important progress has been made in the protection and conservation of species and the rural environment.
The world’s political and economic landscapes are undergoing profound changes. China is playing an increasingly prominent and leading role in the global economy. Against this background, Hong Kong’s dual advantages of “one country” and “two systems” and its role as the “super-connector” are becoming more apparent.
Leveraging the National 13th Five-Year Plan and the Belt & Road Initiative, Hong Kong enjoys endless opportunities, as we excel in “what the country needs, and what Hong Kong is good at”.
The Government attaches great importance to the executive-legislative relationship, and seeks to work with all Members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of different political affiliations.
The community expects the executive authorities and the legislature to perform their respective functions and waste no time or opportunity in jointly promoting Hong Kong’s social and economic development.
Hong Kong is an inalienable part of our country. There is absolutely no room for independence or any form of separation. Under “one country, two systems”, every one of us has the obligation to fully comply with the Basic Law and safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
Chief Executive CY Leung made these remarks in his 2017 Policy Address on January 18.
