Hong Kong entrepreneur Allan Zeman has endorsed the 2020 Policy Address, stating that it covers every part that needs addressing, including fighting the coronavirus, boosting the ailing economy, improving livelihoods and nurturing young talent.
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“For me, it’s very well-thought-out,” Zeman said, adding that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has touched on many problems and the methods outlined in her fourth Policy Address represent appropriate steps in the right direction.
It’s probably her best Policy Address she has given since she’s the chief executive. We can see she’s trying her best to bring the society together and bring trust back to Hong Kong.
Allan Zeman, Hong Kong entrepreneur
“It’s probably her best Policy Address she has given since she’s the chief executive. We can see she’s trying her best to bring the society together and bring trust back to Hong Kong,” he said.
The 2020 Policy Address was postponed to Wednesday from its original date on Oct 14, as Lam visited Beijing at the beginning of November for talks on some of the proposed content.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s most urgent matter now is to navigate through the pandemic. Lam said in her speech that the SAR government will spare no effort in achieving “zero infection” and resuming travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
Zeman said that the SAR government has responded to the general public’s demands and the central government’s requirements. It is important for Hong Kong to control the virus and open the boundary with the mainland, as the city is an export-oriented economy which cannot just rely on local consumption, he said.
Moreover, there are a lot of details given on how Hong Kong could better fit in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Zeman said.
To stimulate the city’s economy, Hong Kong’s role as an international financial, aviation and innovative hub has been highlighted in the Policy Address. And when consolidating Hong Kong’s status in these sectors, the city could also better participate in the Bay Area’s development, he said.
As an entrepreneur who has been in the trading business for 30 years, Zeman affirmed Hong Kong’s importance as an aviation hub.
Lam said she has made a series of recommendations including allowing the Airport Authority Hong Kong to buy shares and participate in Zhuhai Airport’s operation to deepen cooperation in building a globally competitive airport cluster in the Bay Area.
The move is said to ease the way for the Airport Authority Hong Kong to make strategic investments in Zhuhai Airport in the future.
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Welcoming the move, Zeman said it could help open up many new mainland cities that Hong Kong does not serve right now.
“With Dragon Air gone, Hong Kong International lacks routes to the mainland, while Zhuhai Airport serves many mainland cities. Thus, this kind of cooperation makes very good sense,” he said.
In addition, the SAR government will launch a funding program for youth entrepreneurship in the Bay Area and the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme to encourage enterprises in the Bay Area to recruit Hong Kong university graduates with subsidies.
Zeman expects the new funding program will encourage more youngsters to explore the Bay Area, particularly with its satisfactory salaries.
