Arya News - The local five-year plan will be unveiled at a session in the Legislative Council, immediately followed by the release of the fifth and final Policy Address of John Lee Ka-chiu`s current term as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region`s Chief Executive.
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will release its first-ever five-year plan and annual Policy Address on Sept 16, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Wednesday, after visiting grassroots families and community services to garner views on governance.
The local five-year plan will be unveiled at a session in the Legislative Council, immediately followed by the release of the fifth and final Policy Address of Lee’s current term as chief executive, he said.
Lee said that his administration decided to roll out the two policy road maps at the same time because the general public may not yet fully understand how the five-year plan and the Policy Address are supposed to work in concert.
Presenting both documents side by side will allow residents to see the picture in full, including the five-year plan’s broad direction for the city’s economic and social development over the next five years, and granular measures in the new Policy Address and key priorities for the year ahead.
“I aim to help the public better understand the close interconnection between the two documents,” Lee said. “The two (documents) are inextricably related.”
A news conference will be held on the afternoon of Sept 16 to give the public a detailed rundown of the measures in the two policy blueprints, Lee said, adding that he will attend a television forum that evening.
Lee will also attend an interactive question-and-answer session with LegCo lawmakers the following day.
Earlier Wednesday, Lee — accompanied by Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau and Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen — went to Un Chau Estate in Cheung Sha Wan. The officials visited residents’ homes, talked with them, and toured a self-financing model elderly center. Lee also tried out a fitness bicycle in the estate’s public area.
Lee said one of the residents they met was an elderly woman who had recently been hospitalized for pneumonia and, after her release, had arranged to have her chest X-ray follow-up at a day-procedure center. Lee said she praised the center’s comfortable environment and short waiting times, which not only eased her recovery but also reduced the burden on her family.
“Enabling seniors to live healthy and with dignity in their familiar communities is a key direction of the government’s eldercare policy,” Lee said, adding that his team will continue to integrate medical care, rehabilitation, community support and technology to lighten the load on both older adults and their caregivers.
After leaving Un Chau Estate, Lee inspected the 1823 call center, a service provided by the Digital Policy Office to handle government-related public inquiries and complaints, where he observed a newly launched program that uses artificial intelligence and visualization to integrate case data, helping departments identify trends and risks.
Summarizing his visit, Lee said his administration is committed to turning policy blueprints into tangible results that drive the economy and improve livelihoods.
Lee said that through community visits and genuine exchanges, his team had gained insights into residents’ needs and expectations, pledging that the administration will continue listening to all sectors to address public concerns and deliver real benefits.
A 45-year-old Un Chau Estate resident who identified herself as Nana welcomed the government’s decision to release the two documents together, saying that it will allow people to compare the differences and understand how they complement each other.
Nana’s main concern is the employment rate. She said that the import of nonlocal labor and technological advancements both have had a certain impact on local workers’ job opportunities, which has affected social morale, and she hopes the government will address this issue by providing more employment opportunities.
Another elderly resident, surnamed Cheung, said she hopes the new Policy Address will offer older adults additional subsidies for healthcare.