Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the government restructuring plan, suggesting that the policy bureaus should be split from 13 and merged into 15, including the addition of culture, sports and tourism bureaus.
According to the document submitted by the government to the Legislative Council, the original government structure map listed the Policy Innovation and Coordination Office (PICO), but the proposed restructured structure map states that "the Policy Innovation and Coordination Office is not listed here. Organization Chart", arousing speculation from the outside world.
Government sources pointed out that the PICO reports directly to the Chief Executive, and the government will not make any proposals on the PICO at this time. The future direction will be decided by the next Chief Executive. If the next Chief Executive deems appropriate, it can be changed to the "Development and Reform Policy Unit".
The Innovation Office was accused of failing to exert the function of the heart and war room
In October 2017, in the first "Policy Address", Carrie Lam proposed to reorganize the Central Policy Group into the Innovation Office to coordinate important cross-departmental policies, allow young people to directly participate in the formulation of public policies, etc., and recruit young people at higher salaries to engage in policy research and project coordination. Work can be said to be Lam Cheng's "child".
The first director of the Innovation Office was Carrie Lam's "love general" Fung Cheng Shuk-yi, who has now been transferred to the chief executive officer of the West Kowloon Authority.
In the turmoil of the amendment bill in 2019, the government was criticized for abandoning the Central Policy Unit, belittling its function as a “pulse gauge” in society, and the Innovation Office failed to play its role as a war room.
Liu Zhaojia advocates setting up a department to focus on policy research
Liu Zhaojia, vice-chairman of the National Association for Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said that the restructuring reflects the government's desire to be more proactive and focus on promoting people's livelihood, the economy, and further integration with the mainland. Comprehensively research issues and propose policy options.
Liu Zhaojia pointed out that in response to past experience and work needs, the government should have a group of people who focus on political, policy and strategic research.
He pointed out that the government needs to strengthen cooperation with the mainland and participate in the national five-year plan. In addition, the external environment is becoming more and more complicated, and the situation in East Asia, such as the Taiwan Strait, will be turbulent in the next few years. The international situation, as well as a better grasp of public opinion and the establishment of an overall development strategy, require a lot of research work.
He said that each policy bureau needs to strengthen its policy research capacity, and the government also needs someone to comprehensively study issues from the perspective of the overall situation, and provide opinions and policy proposals.
▼The current government structure chart and the government organization chart according to the reorganization proposal▼
Liu Zhaojia said that the government hopes to be more active, and no matter the external situation, public opinion, policy direction, etc., a lot of research work is needed.
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