The 2018 Policy Address carries my unswerving determination in leading Hong Kong to strive forward, Chief Executive Carrie Lam says. While there are many words, they serve just one purpose: rekindling hope for Hong Kong.

Mrs Lam made the statement when delivering her second Policy Address at the Legislative Council today.
 

She noted in the past year or so, she and her political team have taken a pragmatic approach to care, listen and act while being innovative, interactive and collaborative in implementing their policy initiatives proactively.

This approach has been used to enhance Hong Kong’s position as a financial centre, including the revision of listing regulations and application of financial technologies; and forge ahead the development of innovation and technology, such as the establishment of I&T clusters on healthcare technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics technologies. The outcomes of these initiatives have been remarkable.

Mrs Lam added these are testimonies to her belief when she was running for Chief Executive: “Hong Kong people are outstanding and our foundations are solid. As long as we stand united and remain focused, I have no doubt that we will scale new heights!”

The Chief Executive also acknowledged that there is no perfect solution and it would be difficult to forge an absolute consensus in the community, yet divergence of views should not become an obstacle to the Government leading Hong Kong to make progress and more importantly, it should never bring Hong Kong to a standstill.

She added the Government has spent a lot of effort on many rounds of public consultations, whether on land supply options or abolishing the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme’s “offsetting” arrangement, and that procrastination would only bring greater suffering to families and grassroots workers.

On the approach of “dealing with simple issues before the difficult ones” adopted by the Government in presenting many funding items to the LegCo after consultation with legislators of different parties, Mrs Lam said this has helped reduce confrontation in LegCo and contributed to the smooth passage of initiatives that benefit the economy and people’s livelihood.

She added the Government should act swiftly and boldly on matters which clearly serve the public interest.

In this Policy Address, she has proposed a total ban on electronic cigarettes to protect Hong Kong people’s health, actively promote primary healthcare services to change the present treatment-oriented healthcare system, and provide further resources for research and development - all of which are big strides towards clear objectives.

Mrs Lam noted such realisations stem from her experience as the Chief Executive and this may have added a personal touch to this year’s Policy Address, but in fact many parts of it also reflect the views presented by LegCo members and various sectors of the community.