Secure livelihoods a top priority

Hong Kong residents expressed the strongest support for giving priority to safeguarding local workers' employment among the initiatives outlined in this year's policy address, according to a survey conducted by Sing Tao Daily, the sister publication of The Standard.

Approximately 19 percent of the 7,400 respondents supported the measure to crack down on abuses of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme and to enforce stricter manning ratios for imported waitstaff and junior chefs.

Lam Chun-sing, chairman of the Legislative Council's Panel on Manpower, explained that certain employers had exploited the scheme by hiring imported labor for chef roles based on the total number of positions in a restaurant, instead of the specific roles applied for.

He believes the new arrangement, which calculates the allowed number of imported workers based on the posts being applied for, will close this loophole and enhance employment opportunities for local staff.

The survey also showed that around 15 percent of respondents supported "enhancing the public healthcare system" and "enhancing cancer prevention and screening" the most, while 14 percent gave their strongest support to "establishing the Heads of Department accountability system."

About 7 percent of respondents reported that they most supported "extending the claim period of additional child allowance for newborns to two years" and "expanding the application of artificial intelligence."

Meanwhile, about 14 percent expressed the most dissatisfaction with policies related to social welfare and healthcare, followed by housing and labor welfare, each at 12 percent. About 9 percent of those surveyed were most dissatisfied with the economic aspect.

Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu attributed the negative feedback on social welfare to the city's economic transition, which has not benefited all industries, coupled with reduced subsidies amid fiscal deficits.

Tang also believes that intangible factors such as social atmosphere and mental stress, alongside rising costs for medical consultations and medications following healthcare charge reforms, contributed to the public sentiment.

Furthermore, he emphasized the urgent need for medication system reform, noting that a large number of cancer patients face monthly costs ranging from HK$30,000 to HK$100,000.

The Hospital Authority's total drug expenditure also reached a record high of HK$13.1 billion in the 2023/24 fiscal year, a 166 percent increase over the past decade, posing a significant financial burden.

He expressed hope for accelerating the approval of high-quality mainland drugs, which would provide more affordable access for the patients.