Blog

Meeting the “Young Financial Secretaries”

A gist of the blog:

The Budget for the coming financial year will be announced on 28 February next year. Recently, I have been meeting with stakeholders of different sectors to learn more about their expectations on the Budget. Among those consultation sessions, I think the most interesting one is the session with the group of “Young Financial Secretaries”, who are secondary students participating in the “Young Financial Planners” project organised by the Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong. These “Young FS” have proposed to me a host of suggestions on land and housing, education, elderly and healthcare services, environmental protection as well as smart city development, all of which are of concern to the community.

I have shared with them some of my thoughts on the policymaking process and the challenges of public administration, such as how to pursue our aspirations while taking into account the social and legal considerations in the real world. For instance, while there is much contention and misunderstanding on Government’s efforts in increasing land supply, the Government is committed to take forward these measures and plans. What is most important is the full support of the society. Only if we all work together, the land supply initiatives can be implemented fruitfully and the longstanding problem of housing and property market can be tackled timely.

December 17, 2017