Leung Chun-ying prepares final policy address before 2017 election campaign begins
GARY.CHEUNG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 12 January, 2016, 2:29am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 12 January, 2016, 2:33am
Initiatives to promote the development of technology and implementing free kindergarten education will be among the highlights of Leung Chun-ying’s fourth policy address to be unveiled tomorrow. Leung is also expected to set up a HK$500 million fund to promote sustainable development of agriculture in the city.
Initiatives to promote the development of technology and implementing free kindergarten education will be among the highlights of Leung Chun-ying’s fourth policy address to be unveiled tomorrow.
A government source said the chief executive would announce some one-off measures to boost the development of innovation and technology, such as establishment of a HK$500 million matching fund to entice overseas venture capital firms to provide funding for technology start-ups.
Leung will also spell out measures to promote “re-industrialisation”in Hong Kong, a vision emphasised by Secretary for innovation and technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung earlier.
The minister said earlier Hong Kong would undergo “re-industrialisation” with land to be used for “smart production” to create job opportunities for Hongkongers.
The chief executive will also highlight the importance of seizing the opportunities arising from the country’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy, a push to drive cooperation among Eurasian countries along the ancient Silk Road trading route.
Leung is also expected to set up a HK$500 million fund to promote sustainable development of agriculture in the city.
“But members of the public should not have big expectations of the chief executive rolling out costly initiatives in the forthcoming policy address as he had announced his major promises in his first two policy blueprints,” the source said.
“It’s usually for an administration to announce its major initiatives in the first half of its tenure,” the source said. “Now it’s time for implementing the initiatives already announced.”
He will not make a decision on how to lower bosses’ withdrawals from the Mandatory Provident Fund to offset employees’ long-service or severance pay as a six-month consultation on the issue, ending in June, is underway.
Leung’s forthcoming policy speech is seen as a make-or-break blueprint - his last chance to announce and execute a full year of initiatives.
If he seeks re-election, by next January he would be expected to be in full campaign mode for his last policy address as it would be just two months before the vote.
A source familiar with the situation said parents of about 70 per cent of children in non-profit kindergartens will not have to pay tuition charges - a sharp increase from the current 17 per cent- with a free kindergarten policy to be unveiled tomorrow .
According to a survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme, 91 per cent of 1,013 respondents polled from January 4 to 6 said Leung should tackle housing problems in the upcoming address.
That was followed by 85 per cent who chose medical policy and 81 per cent who selected economic development. Sixty-eight per cent chose “political development.”
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1900003/policy-address-promises-free-kindergarten-and-re
