In the Bulletin

From the Chairman

From the Director

Legco Report

Letters
To the Chamber

Cover Story
E-commerce Coming of Age

Special Feature
Banking on the Power of 'e'

Business
Egypt Striving to Become IT Hub

WTO Watch
Chamber Welcomes PNTR Vote 

iPerkin
Growth Hits 12.5% in First Half

Q&A
Esquel Group Chairman Marjorie Yang

Programmes
Mission to Xiamen

SME Week

Cashing in on Your Green Initiatives 

Businesses Must Back SAR's Asian Games Bid

e-Chamber
Doing Business Anywhere

Dodging the Pitfalls of E-commerce

Member Profile
Sam Seng Winery

ARCHIVES
2000 Issues
1999 Issues

the bulletin


Working plan for the future

In the new legislative year beginning this October, I am delighted to have been re-elected Chamber Legco representative and will continue to work for the business community by shaping Hong Kong as the best place for doing business. My work will focus on finding ways to improve the economy and increase the stability of Hong Kong as a prosperous international city. To achieve these goals, I have set out a four-prong platform which I think Hong Kong should follow if it is to develop into a world-class, international city.

Uphold our free economy, promote business opportunities
Although Hong Kong is emerging from a recession, across-the-board recovery has yet to come, and many companies are still facing difficulties. I will push the government for immediate action to improve the business environment, including streamlining business registration procedures and reduce government fees on business-related services. To raise the competitiveness of Hong Kong businesses globally, I will also urge the government to develop Hong Kong's IT infrastructure and enhance external promotional efforts to attract foreign funds.

Many in the academic field feel SMEs are the backbone of our economy, and as such a thriving SME sector is conducive to the economy as a whole. However, these small-sized firms, which make up the majority of Hong Kong businesses, are still striving to survive. As your Chamber Legco representative, I will ask the government to provide more assistance to SMEs, particularly in areas of finance, information flow, technical support and market development.

Improve ExCo-LegCo relations for greater government accountability
Government policy, having a decisive influence on social stability and economic development, will become the focus of my attention in the current legislative year. In the past three years following the return of sovereignty, appalling errors have been committed by the government in a series of incidents. These include, among others, the chaotic opening of the new airport, the bird flu panic and the HOS piling scam. Unfortunately, no one was held responsible for the fallacy because they were shielded by the controversial "collective accountability system".

To raise the accountability of civil servants, the government should uphold the discipline of civil servants, appoint high-ranking officials on contract terms, adopt a ministerial system, and improve the relationship between the Executive and Legislative Council. The ExCo should also be re-structured so that more talented people can enter the decision-making body of the government.

Reshape the educational policy to nurture new talent
Education is the key that drives an economy towards long-term economic development. For an international city like Hong Kong, it is particularly important to maintain a good language standard, especially in English. As there are signs that the English standard of Hong Kong people has fallen in recent years, I will prompt the government to allocate more resources to stop this decline.

The education system should also be revamped to sharpen the skills of Hong Kong citizens and help them compete against global economies. We should focus on developing the creativity and analytical power of students, as well as enhancing their IT knowledge. These efforts can pave the way for Hong Kong to build a technologically advanced commercial sector which will benefit the SAR economy.

Stop pollution, create a greener lifestyle
Environmental protection is crucial for Hong Kong to maintain its position as an international city. In the previous legislative term, I solicited other council members' support to pressure the government to address air pollution problems, which have yielded positive results. In addition to air pollution, more attention will be paid to water pollution, cross-boundary pollution, environmental protection industries and urban greening campaigns. I will urge the government to offer more money to these works.

Without your support and opinions, the tasks mentioned above cannot be accomplished. During my four-year term in office, you are most welcome to send me your valuable opinions to help me create a better business environment for Hong Kong.

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