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Moving steadily forward

The Appropriation Bill 2019 was passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo) last week. We express our gratitude to LegCo Members for their support, allowing various Budget initiatives to be implemented as soon as possible. Examples of these initiatives include the provision of an extra allowance to recipients of Old Age Allowance, Old Age Living Allowance, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance payments, Disability Allowance, the Working Family Allowance and Work Incentive Transport Subsidy, which is equal to one month of standard rate of the respective payment. We shall endeavour to make the payment by end of June and around 1.5 million elderly and grass-root citizens are expected to benefit.

Moreover, a one-off grant of $2,500 will be provided to around 360,000 students in need. The examinations fees for school candidates sitting for the 2020 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination will be paid by the Government, benefitting around 46,000 candidates and alleviating the burden of the families concerned. Tax relief measures and the waiving of business registration fees are expected to benefit our middle class wage earners and small and medium enterprises.

This is the second Budget of the current-term Government. The whole process, from preparation, consultation and study, to announcement and passage by LegCo, spanned across a period of nearly ten months. Every step involved is not easy. It requires the effort of a dedicated team which listened attentively to the views expressed by the community, with the interests of the general public in mind and the will to take an extra step. It is our objective to make best use of the public resources to provide better service to the people.

However, for some important issues, such as housing, healthcare, education and the development of innovation and technology, we need to proceed in a pragmatic and sustainable manner, so as to ensure that the policy initiatives would suitably meet the needs of our society. All these require continuing exchange and discussion within and beyond the Government, engaging relevant stakeholders to identify major issues and formulate the best solutions. Facing the changes in the global political and economic landscape as well as changes in our society, it is important for us to gauge the pulse accurately and stay agile.

Macro-economic changes would affect Government’s revenue and our consideration in resource allocation. If our economy is facing downward pressure, we should step up our supporting measures. In the first quarter of this year, our economy expanded modestly by 0.6% showing clear sign of slower growth momentum since last year. While some have already expressed concern over the decelerating trend of our economy, I believe we need to observe the development in this complicated and volatile external environment further in order to tell.

The US-China trade conflict and the negotiation are still ever-changing. While the worry on trade war has yet to ease, the fear of conflict on the technology front is already brewing in the market. We should therefore pay attention to how far these developments will affect the global supply chain and its structure, and the growth momentum of both the US and China. Furthermore, we should stay vigilant for the rising geopolitical risks worldwide as they may further dampen investment and affect the flow of capital.

The Government has been closely monitoring the changes in the macro-economic environment and the market outlook, as well as their implications on Hong Kong’s economy. When necessary, we will introduce appropriate measures to support enterprises and safeguard jobs. We shall spare no effort in maintaining Hong Kong’s excellent business environment and international competitiveness so that our city can progress steadily.

Recently a lot of questions have been raised by the society and the business sector on the proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance (FOO). Some of these questions are originated from a lack of understanding if not misunderstanding (e.g. the amended FOO would not be applied to alleged offences committed outside Hong Kong which are not considered criminal offences in Hong Kong. Moreover, the amendments have put in place appropriate safeguards, setting out “No Surrender under EIGHT conditions” (remark)); while some other questions are concerned about the application and implementation details of the FOO. The Government is now stepping up its efforts to explain and clarify the amendments. To address the concern of the public, adjustment on the proposal has been made by the Government by removing nine offences from the FOO. If there are other constructive and feasible suggestions which are not in contrary to the objective of the amendments, the Government will give them due consideration.

I hope the community can understand that the objective of the proposed amendments is to ensure no offenders would be able to avoid trial by hiding in Hong Kong and to make Hong Kong safer. The proposed amendments have made reference to the guidelines and model prescribed by the United Nations. The FOO contains various substantive and procedural safeguards on human rights and the standards adopted in the mechanism are in line with the common practice in juridical assistance. All surrender requests will be scrutinised by both the executive authority and the judiciary. The alleged offender can also apply for judicial review at different stages and can seek legal aid if necessary. In the past four decades or so, the overall crime rate of Hong Kong has been declining steadily. This safe living environment which we enjoy today is indeed hard-earned and depends on our every effort in crime fighting.

Remark: “No Surrender under EIGHT conditions” – (1) No surrender if the “double criminality” principle is not complied with (i.e. it must be an offence in both places); (2) No surrender for offences of a political character; (3) No surrender for prosecutions on account of race, religion, nationality or political opinions; (4) No surrender for any conviction made in the absence of a trial; (5) No “double jeopardy” (i.e. no prosecution if a person has been previously acquitted or convicted of the same offence); (6) No surrender if charges go beyond the surrender order; (7) No re-surrender to a third party (i.e. the surrendered person will not be surrendered to a third jurisdiction); (8) No surrender if the offence attracts the death penalty.

May 19, 2019