Former chief executive of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Li Xiaojia, received an exclusive interview with the media earlier, and proposed that Hong Kong could be divided into two parts: the north and the south in the future.
He believes that the southern part can follow the development model of the current local system, while the northern part can establish a new development method by enacting the "Northern Special Administrative Region Law" because "it is very, very difficult to do new things with the old framework, and it will give people who don't want to do things. A perfect excuse for inaction", so as to further achieve "One Hong Kong, Two Systems" without shaking "One Country, Two Systems" and the common law system.
On the other hand, Li Xiaojia also proposed that the future development of the "Northern Metropolis" should be promoted in a "big government" model, especially in a highly realistic way, including the abandonment of individual ones that would seriously affect development and restrict the re-allocation of resources. The existing system of China and some of the excellent mainland systems are absorbed, and its "good things" are brought in in the new framework.
Although Li Xiaojia did not put forward any specific suggestions on the content and measures of the "Northern Special Administrative Region Act" this time, he pointed out that following the old law may not help increase the pace of development, but his thinking is correct.
After the development of the entire northern metropolitan area is completed, the total number of residential units will reach 905,000 to 926,000.
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The lack of new laws to promote the development of the north
In October this year, the Hong Kong government proposed ten key action directions in the "Northern Metropolis Development Strategy". Among them, only the relatively short ninth item "Reform administrative mechanisms and work processes" really involves the implementation of procedural arrangements. It only said that "a high-level government agency can be considered" to lead related projects, and "a rolling ten-year construction schedule for the northern metropolitan area". Both are strictly speaking not a new framework.
Just as "Starting Kowloon East" used to have a dedicated office, but in recent years, the environmental protection connection system project has been shelved, the traffic problem in Kwun Tong has worsened, and Kai Tak's commercial land has been converted to residential buildings. It does not mean that things can go smoothly.
As for the so-called 10-year "rolling" progress plan, the authorities now have a "Long Term Housing Strategy" and a 10-year housing construction target that have never been met. It can be seen that formulating such a plan can also not guarantee that it will help advance the development speed, but may also lead to the target. Constantly "rolling" backwards.
Following the old rules, it is difficult to hope to break through
In addition, this year’s Policy Address has repeatedly mentioned the need to streamline legal procedures for land development. The specific approach is that the Development Bureau’s Streamlined Development Control Steering Group will take the lead in reviewing existing urban planning, land resumption, and environmental impacts. The goal of laws and regulations on assessment and road engineering is to propose amendments to the Legislative Council for deliberation within next year.
Although this effort to "compress" lengthy procedures is worthy of recognition, minor repairs and supplements under the old system have always had its limitations, and it may be difficult to achieve a major breakthrough in the speed of development.
For example, people often criticize that the planning procedures in the Town Planning Ordinance require multiple public consultations to waste time. In fact, the current procedures cannot last for more than 9 without the permission of the Chief Executive. Months, so the time saved by continuing to forcefully "compress" will not grow much.
On the contrary, many of the time-wasting links are outside the statutory procedures, such as the bidding process and internal administration. The impact of amending the existing laws alone may have little effect on them.
Since the reform and opening up of the mainland, the provinces and cities in the mainland have divided multiple "development zones" for different functions such as promoting economic technology, high-tech industries, etc., and often set up special local laws and regulations on "development zone" affairs, making the same province and city In fact, there will be differences in administrative systems and development models within and outside the "development zone".
If the "Northern Metropolitan Area" really wants to introduce a "Northern Special Zone Law", in fact, it might consider referring to the practice of the "Development Zones" in the Mainland.
Long-term vision does not mean that you can wait for a day without specific goals to be long in the northern metropolitan area. The start of the northern ecologically worthy conservation policy should be implemented.