Hong Kong’s largest political party pledged an all-out effort to reach out to people from different sectors, political viewpoints and social strata for views and suggestions, as it seeks to promote overarching reform in the political system, judiciary and society.
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said on Thursday that the priority is a shakeup within the government to achieve efficient and effective governance.
Since the city needs to undergo reforms in various aspects, it should first start with the government, which is responsible for policymaking and implementation
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
This is imperative to reform Hong Kong and solve its deep-rooted social problems, Lee said in a group interview. “Hong Kong cannot go far if it continues to live on the fat of the land,” she said.
Lee said the city’s months-long social unrest in 2019 was a trigger point for the DAB to call for reform, but added that it’s not the only reason.
Thanks to the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the city, which was hit hard by street violence in 2019, has since regained stability, and so now is a good time to tackle the problems and inefficiencies that have not been addressed since the city returned to the motherland in 1997, Lee said.
“Since the city needs to undergo reforms in various aspects, it should first start with the government, which is responsible for policymaking and implementation,” she said.
The pandemic controls over the past year showcase the need for improvement in the government’s efficiency, Lee said.
Earlier, the DAB urged the government to overhaul its apparatus, administrative management and civil service system.
Lee said the government need to eliminate bureaucratic rigidity in the civil service system. “The city’s civil servants should have a stronger can-do spirit,” she said.
She estimated that the DAB will need six months to a year to collect views and suggestions over governance reforms and then to formulate concrete proposals.
Meanwhile, the party will keep communicating with the government, Lee said, adding that she hopes the government bureaus and departments can offer support and heed the suggestions.
The appeal to overhauling the redistribution system is another focus. The DAB also urged the government to review the city’s current tax system and plug loopholes in social welfare system to narrow the income inequality between the rich and poor.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong’s Gini coefficient in 2016 reached 0.539, the second-highest in the world, behind New York City. The Gini coefficient measures a society’s wealth inequality with a rating of zero to 1; the higher the number, the greater the inequality.
“It’s inevitable that reforms will affect some groups’ interests,” Lee said, adding that the DAB will listen to views of all stakeholders.
The party also appealed to the government to make an all-out effort to reclaim land and simplify the vetting and approval procedures of land development to solve the city’s acute land shortage and housing issue.
In addition to calling for social reforms, the DAB also pledged to cultivate young professionals and bring new blood to the city’s political sector and the governance team.
Lee said the party will further expand its internal talent pool by attracting more young professionals.
