John Lee says he led successful cultural change in govt, with more than 200 KPIs met

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday that he has sucessfully reformed the culture of the government to have everyone work as a results-oriented team, and the over-200 KPIs he set for them has been achieved.

Speaking in an interview with the South China Morning Post marking his two years in office, the Hong Kong leader said the most important job for a chief executive is to ensure that the administration is on the right track and doing things in the right direction.

He, however, acknowledged some blunders, including the postponement of the unpopular waste-charging scheme – which he said was a policy his administration inherited from the previous government, adding that he is trying his best to improve upon.

When asked how he intended to prevent Hong Kong from further sanctions, Lee said “building a strong team” is what he could do to ensure the city can protect itself and win support from allies.

He noted that the world is not monopolized by one or two countries, with the world shared by almost 200 countries holds a lot of new opportunities for Hong Kong to capitalize on.

Meanwhile, Lee confirmed he would join this year’s Apec leaders’ summit held in Peru.

He said places like Asean, Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries as well as Peru are full of investment and business potential. He also singled out the South American nation as an emerging market less ensnared by geopolitical rivalry.

Lee, who is currently subject to US sanctions, did not participate in last year's APEC meetings in San Francisco, citing "scheduling conflicts." In his absence, Hong Kong was represented by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.