Youngsters gain support to serve as civil servants in GBA

Wallis Wang

Hong Kong and Macau youths are being encouraged to serve as civil servants in nine mainland cities within the Greater Bay Area.

This comes as the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress passed an ordinance on Wednesday that promotes the employment and entrepreneurship of young people from Hong Kong and Macau in these nine mainland GBA cities.

The ordinance will take effect on September 1.

It stipulates that "eligible young people from Hong Kong and Macau shall be promoted to apply for civil service jobs in the nine mainland cities.

"The authorities will also support state-owned enterprises, public institutions, and other employers in these cities to actively recruit Hong Kong and Macau youth, as well as enroll them in public programs to assist rural students, farmers and medical personnel."

Also, the ordinance encourages youngsters from the two SARs to join academic institutions in the mainland. It states that "relevant government departments should improve internship policies and enhance cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau to strengthen exchanges."

The ordinance additionally aims to address the challenges faced by young people from the two SARs when developing careers on the mainland. For instance, it mentions the need to "facilitate cross-border professional practice and help overcome difficulties in financing due to a lack of credit records and assets in the mainland," it said.

Furthermore, Guangdong authorities will coordinate entrepreneurial bases for Hong Kong and Macau youngsters to enhance their management and better facilitate talent development.

Currently, there are 84 such innovation and entrepreneurship bases in the nine mainland GBA cities, which have incubated more than 5,600 entrepreneurial projects.

The ordinance also provides for free employment and entrepreneurship services, as well as access to subsidized housing in the mainland, allowing Hong Kong and Macau youths to enjoy the same benefits as local residents.

Separately, in Hong Kong, the Secretary for Housing, Winnie Ho Wing-yin, has encouraged youngsters to start their own businesses by offering 10 rent-free stores at shopping malls over the next seven months.

Young Hongkongers aged 35 or below who are selected for this program can operate businesses at these stores without paying rent from October to April next year, and also receive assistance with basic shop renovation and marketing.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com