Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced today (6th) the last "Policy Address" during his term of office, proposing the restructuring of the government.
In addition to the possibility of adding a deputy secretary to take charge of the development of New Territories North, the Policy Bureau has also made many reorganization proposals, including the addition of a culture, sports and tourism bureau, and the spin-off of the Transport and Housing Bureau.
The reorganization plan has not yet been finalized, and Lam Cheng also emphasized that it is only "to attract jade", but since Lam has the above preliminary suggestions, it shows that the government has a certain amount of draft in mind.
According to Carrie Lam’s suggestion, this article uses the current government team as an example to analyze which bureau will be the winner and loser.
Among them, the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Development, which is currently headed by Qiu Tenghua, may face "major cuts in power"?
▼Chief Executive Carrie Lam's policy address 2021 lazy bag▼
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The new deputy director will lead the development of the "Northern Metropolis" and "Lantau Tomorrow"
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor mentioned in the "Policy Address" that in order to effectively implement the construction of the northern metropolis, the SAR government must upgrade high-level supervision, strengthen cross-bureau and cross-departmental collaboration, formulate performance indicators to facilitate supervision, and closely liaise with the Shenzhen government to jointly promote related projects. "One of the possibilities is that the next government will set up the position of Deputy Secretary, responsible for leading large-scale regional development including the "Northern Metropolis" and "Lantau Tomorrow Vision"."
As for the Policy Bureau, Lam Cheng made five preliminary suggestions:
1. Establish the Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism to unify the creative industries and tourism currently dispersed in the Bureau of Civil Affairs and the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Development, and promote the development of Hong Kong into a center for cultural and artistic exchanges between China and foreign countries;
2. Separate the Transport and Housing Bureau so that these two policy areas can receive more focused high-level leadership. In particular, the newly established Transport Bureau can focus on handling transportation infrastructure, public transportation services, and traffic management issues that are closely related to people’s livelihood. Promote the development of the logistics industry, and consolidate and enhance the status of Hong Kong as an international shipping center and an international aviation hub;
3. To study whether the demolition of the Housing Bureau and the Development Bureau, which is responsible for land development and public works, have room for rationalization in order to speed up the supply of housing land;
4. Expand the Bureau of Innovation and Technology into the Bureau of Innovation, Technology and Industry, changing the perception of Hong Kong's "industrial decline" and highlighting the development of Hong Kong's reindustrialization driven by innovation and technology;
5. Reorganize the Bureau of Home Affairs as the Bureau of Youth and District Affairs, strengthen the district-based approach to solve regional issues that citizens care about daily, and provide a one-stop platform for the promotion and support of youth development.
▼ 10.6 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor reads the policy address 2021▼
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Winner No. 1: New Deputy Director
Although the "Policy Address" does not explicitly mention which secretary the "new deputy secretary" belongs to, the political circles generally expect a greater chance of being subordinate to the Secretary for Home Affairs.
As we all know, the current Chief Secretary for Administration, Li Jia, is beyond the police system. His military attache has a strong color. His expertise is in areas such as public security and national security. People's livelihood policies and specific planning details may not be his best.
Therefore, the deputy director who leads the cross-departmental planning work will likely be "on his own" in the future, handling two large-scale development projects and helping Li Jiachao's work to be lightened.
Among them, New Territories North is a key place for Hong Kong's future development of "Beijing Innovation and Technology" and integration into the overall development of the country. This deputy director has a long way to go.
Of course, there is no news yet, so who is the deputy director?
However, it is necessary to coordinate cross-departmental work and coordinate such a large-scale plan that is related to the development of Hong Kong in the next few decades. It is necessary to have a certain "state of the river" and to be familiar with land and urban planning. I believe there are not many candidates.
Winner No. 2: Innovation and Technology Bureau
Lam Cheng suggested that the Bureau of Innovation and Technology should be expanded into the Bureau of Innovation, Technology and Industry to change Hong Kong's perception of "industrial decline" and highlight the development of Hong Kong's re-industrialization driven by innovation and technology.
According to this logical inference, the Trade and Industry Department, at least the industrial sector, may be transferred to the Innovation and Technology Bureau in the future, and the scope of the Innovation and Technology Bureau's concurrent management will increase.
The "Policy Address" proposes to be determined to establish a more complete innovation and technology ecosystem, so that "re-industrialization" takes root in Hong Kong and complements the development of innovation and technology in Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area. International Innovation and Technology Center under the Five Planning Outline.
The report also contains a large number of new development plans for innovation and technology, such as the expansion of the science and technology park; it is recommended to consider the establishment of a landmark innovation and technology facility comparable to the Cyberport in a place separated from Shenzhen’s Qianhai Bay; Lam Cheng even stated clearly that Xintian Technology The park aims to "build Hong Kong's Silicon Valley".
In this context, the Innovation and Technology Council is equivalent to the "number one" in the new engine of Hong Kong's economic development in the future.
▼ Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's Policy Address 2021 Highlights▼
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Winner No. 3: The new "Civil Affairs Bureau"
Lam Cheng also proposed to set up a "Cultural Sports and Tourism Bureau" to unify the creative industries and tourism of the Cultural Affairs, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau currently dispersed in the Home Affairs Bureau; reorganize the Home Affairs Bureau into the "Youth and District Affairs Bureau" , To strengthen the district-based approach to solve the regional issues that citizens care about daily, and to provide a one-stop platform for promoting and supporting youth development.
At first glance, the functions of the Home Affairs Bureau have been reduced after the reorganization, but in fact, the Home Affairs Bureau has to manage quite a few areas in the past, including the Home Affairs Department, the Information Services Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong District Council, Property Management Industry Regulatory Authority, Consumer Council, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, Civic Education Commission, etc.
In the future, the new policy bureau will be able to focus on politically sensitive tasks such as district administration and youth development, and its political role will become more important.
Regarding this point, I believe I have a deep understanding of the recent "successful rectification" of the democratic-led district councils and the Secretary for Home Affairs Xu Yingwei, who has been sworn by district councillors.
Just as Lam Cheng mentioned in the press conference, the Civil Affairs Bureau is responsible for rural affairs, religion, and ethnic minorities. It basically represents the government's contacts with the citizens. In fact, there are many and important tasks.
Among them, the government hopes to develop ancestral halls and straighten out the development of New Territories North. The Civil Affairs Bureau will need representatives to contact the rural affiliation, so the role is also very important.
▼Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's Policy Address 2021 Attachment Full View▼
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Potential loser: Bureau of Commerce and Economics
According to the government website, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau’s function is to "enhance Hong Kong’s status as an excellent international trade and business center, formulating and coordinating various economic, commercial and industrial policies through its Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch and Communications and Creative Industries Branch. ".
One of the important tasks of the Bureau of Commerce and Economics is to promote the tourism industry, including two theme parks and the previously promoted "tourism bubble".
According to Carrie Lam’s suggestion, creative industries and tourism will be transferred to the Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which means that the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Affairs will no longer be responsible for tourism-related work; Radio Hong Kong, currently under the Bureau of Commerce and Economic Affairs, will "actively participate in the promotion of the Constitution" in the future. Work with the "Basic Law" involves ideology and has the opportunity to be transferred to the Cultural Affairs Bureau; as mentioned above, the Trade and Industry Department will be transferred to the Innovation and Technology Bureau.
If the government structure changes, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau's powers may be greatly reduced.
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