The public is most eager for the government to enhance economic performance, according to the survey.
The survey, which included seven questions to gauge public satisfaction with the government, asked residents to identify areas where government performance needed improvement and allowed multiple responses.
It revealed that 20 percent of respondents believe the current administration should prioritize improving the economy. Health care and land/housing policies followed closely, at 16 and 12 percent, respectively, while labor welfare and transportation each netted 8 percent.
Another question explored desired public measures, with answers ranging from renewed consumption vouchers to stimulate the economy and attracting high-end tourists, to reinstating a one-off student grant of HK$2,500 and enhancing elderly health-care services.
Peter Shiu Ka-fai, Liberal Party chairman and retail-sector lawmaker, attributed the sector’s slump to changing tourist behavior, local spending decline, and cross-border e-commerce.
He urged retailers to offer unique products like collectible Labubu figures, saying originality is key. “Sell items that can only be found in Hong Kong,” he said.
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate has risen to 3.5 percent, with that in the retail sector nearing 5 percent. Meanwhile, complaints about poor service attitudes have grown.
Shiu noted that businesses, pressured by wage growth and stagnant revenue, are cutting staff – and overworking those who remain. He called for landlords to lower rents.
Economist Terence Chong Tai-leung from Chinese University of Hong Kong argued that the city’s economy is not in a dire situation, citing GDP growth, global competitiveness, and low inflation.
Chong said retail struggles mirror global trends and expects the fiscal deficit to be temporary. He also downplayed concerns surrounding bond issuance, adding that stable jobs, rising wages, and falling property prices benefit workers.
Lawmaker Kitson Yang Wing-kit praised government action against public housing abuse and pushed for more subsidized homes to help tenants transition to homeownership.
(Staff reporter)
