01 view
Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-02-25 06:30
Last update date: 2021-02-25 06:30
Financial Secretary Chen Maobo released the "Budget" on Wednesday (24th), with no surprise that the focus was on how to get Hong Kong out of the epidemic.
However, the epidemic will eventually pass. In addition to thinking about how to get out of the epidemic in the short term, the Hong Kong economy still faces many long-term external challenges, and industrial policies are needed to strengthen its strength.
Although the fiscal budget also has ink in the industry, the content is empty slogan, and the society has not been able to clearly grasp the government's policies.
As Chen Maobo said in his speech in the Legislative Council, China and the United States still have "a lot of deep-seated contradictions, and they will continue to maintain a pattern of continuous tension and fighting but not breaking." The Biden administration, which had been in office for more than a month, almost inherited its China policy The toughness of the Trump era and the Sino-US rivalry will still affect the global situation in the next decade or even decades.
In the face of an increasingly severe external environment, Hong Kong needs to find its own position not by a few empty words, but by industrial reforms and cultivate its core competitiveness in order to cope with the great changes unseen in a century.
Chen Maobo’s "Budget" speech also included a section on "The Orientation and Direction of Economic Development", discussing the impact and changes of the global situation, and pointed out that "the world is undergoing major changes that have not been seen in a century." "The center of economic gravity is moving from west to east." "Relocation" and put forward some directions for the long-term development of industries.
The Government has noticed that Hong Kong can no longer sit on its laurels and must have industrial reforms to improve competitiveness. This is the correct way of thinking.
However, most of these ideas are just directions, and the content is empty and failed to become policies.
Financial Secretary Chen Maobo pointed out that "the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century" and "the center of gravity of the economy is shifting from west to east."
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Just repeat the existing development
For example, the director mentioned six promising industries: finance, innovation and technology, green economy, air transportation, supply chain management, and professional services. However, in addition to the specific mention in the financial industry, the need to expand financial interconnection in the Mainland, using Hong Kong as a way to enter the mainland stock market In addition to launching more A-share-related financial products as a springboard, all other items lack effective policies.
For example, innovation and technology should be the top priority. Most of the content is to repeat existing achievements or continue existing policies. It is not seen that the government has a blueprint for the overall development of innovation and technology.
In the direction of the industry, Chen Maobo mentioned from time to time the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" and "One Belt One Road" that he would participate in. However, it did not show up specifically in the innovation and technology. He just explained the existing exchange plans and proposed proposals. Research funds in the Mainland can "cross the river" to Hong Kong.
Other parts, such as the air transport industry, seem to be just touting the Hong Kong air transport industry, and there is no new policy to speak of.
To be fair, the Budget has spent a lot of writing on industrial policies, reflecting the government's real intention that Hong Kong cannot afford to live on its own base. It is not the same as in the past, and it has finally made progress.
However, its content has never had a specific blueprint and vision, and Hong Kong's industrial and economic transformation has not seen a way out.
The government should step up its plans, especially in the financial industry, innovation and technology, and medical industry to explain specific plans, not just slogans.
[Budget] Unemployment loans are just a scratch
[Budget] austerity policies cannot be used to deal with financial difficulties and deflation
[Budget] How should the Financial Secretary invest in expenditure?
[Budget] Chen Maobo should talk to 81-year-old Granny Mai
2021 Budget Budget Creative Industries 01 Viewpoint