CE's address 'should focus on life quality issues'

The Business and Professional Federation of Hong Kong, or BPF, has called on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (CE) to direct his first Policy Address to quality of life issues - the things people are most concerned and to leave out much of the broad sweeping policy issues. The BPF called for short-term measures yielding immediate effect as well as goals for the mid and long-term.

The federation met CE on Monday to give him their suggestions for the January Policy Address. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, BPF Chairman David Wong said the government should maintain fiscal prudence without committing long-term public spending.

At the same time, he said, the government should adopt a more proactive attitude in promoting emerging industries with a view to provide more employment opportunities.

The BPF is particularly concerned with the housing and land supply issue. Singapore has a similar population density to Hong Kong, said Wong, but it has about 50 percent of its lands developed versus only 20 percent in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong therefore needs to review its land development policy," he commented. "For this reason, we support reclamation and development of North-East New Territories although they are controversial issues."

The first thing to do to increase housing supply is to increase land supply, he added. "We suggest the government works out a list of usable sites and the difficulties encountered in exploration and development for the public to know."

To cool the property market, the BPF supports the levy of the special stamp duty and buyer's stamp duty as short-term measures, but increasing housing supply should be the long-term measure.

On the poverty issue, Wong hoped the Legislative Council would approve the controversial Old Age Living Allowance as soon as possible to benefit the needy elderly. After this is approved, society will have a respite to study the more complicated issue of retirement protection.

BPF President David Akers-Jones, former acting governor and chief secretary of the colonial British Hong Kong government, grumbled that some sites on the land application list have been left idle for many years, saying the sites could have been used for residential and commercial purposes. He further criticized the Transport and Housing Bureau as not listening to the voices of the people for more flats.

On the question of the Old Age Living Allowance, Akers-Jones said it is necessary to retain the income/asset declaration mechanism. "People who want to remove the declaration system are irresponsible. I can't see why a man aged 85 like me living in a comfortable flat should get the money."

joseph@chinadailyhk.com