The Legislative Council is ready to collect public opinions along six directions on Hong Kong's first five-year plan, aiming to submit feedback by the first half of this year, according to House Committee chairman and chief coordinator of LegCo Ronick Chan Chun-ying.
This came after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the public consultation would begin as early as this quarter, with the plan expected to be completed within the year.
Speaking ahead of the Executive Council meeting, Lee revealed that a collaborative executive-led mechanism has been established to jointly work on the drafting.
In response to Sing Tao Daily, the sister publication of The Standard, Chan confirmed a subcommittee on Hong Kong’s Work to Actively Dovetail with the National 15th Five-Year Plan has been set up earlier, which will be chaired by another chief coordinator Stanley Ng Chau-pei.
Notably, six sub-groups have been formed, targeting different areas including the international financial center, Northern Metropolis development and regional integration.
Chan noted the LegCo will work in a division of labour with the government, where lawmakers will consult relevant stakeholders before submitting their findings to the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau for analysis.
When the framework is ready for public consultation, he indicated that the lawmakers will help collect public feedback for revision, after which the final proposal will be submitted to LegCo for approval.
The five-year plan, he added, must respond to society's diverse needs, stay grounded and boost policy effectiveness.
He suggested Hong Kong should build on its own strengths, proactively contribute and integrate into the nation’s overall development, achieving shared prosperity for both the city and the country.
With only eight months remaining, Chan anticipated that each process would take roughly two months, allowing enough time to compile feedback by the first half of the year so authorities can draft the plan and still leave room for public consultation.
