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Releasing Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan on the same day as the annual Policy Address will help the public understand how the two blueprints are connected, enhancing policy awareness and allowing people to make better use of the new policy concepts, lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu said on Thursday.
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His remarks came after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu recently announced that both documents will be released on September 16.
Speaking on a radio program, Tang said an early announcement of the Policy Address would give lawmakers more time to explain policy details to the public.
He highlighted innovation and technology development in the Five-Year Plan, urging the government to set key performance indicators (KPIs), such as setting research and development (R&D) expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product, and the proportion of gerontechnology in R&D, to provide clearer direction for the market.
Tang also called on the government to establish a building maintenance authority to act as an agent for property owners receiving repair orders. He said professional engineering consultants are crucial in managing building repairs, as property owners often lack technical expertise – an issue that can lead to low-bid selections and inadvertently allow problematic contractors to win contracts.
On the same program, lawmaker Peter Douglas Koon said that seniors could represent 30 to 40 percent of the population in the future. He urged the Policy Address to place greater emphasis on elderly welfare, housing, healthcare, and the silver economy.
He also proposed building housing units modeled on the Hong Kong Housing Society’s Senior Citizen Residences Scheme to offer residents greater independence alongside on-site medical and dental services.
