Consultation begins on HK's first 5-year plan

The government has kicked off the two-month public consultation for the city's first five-year plan. Among the highlights are the accelerated development of the Northern Metropolis and improvement of public livelihood.

(CE John Lee: I'm leading the government to draft Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan which is closely related to you and me.)

Chief Executive John Lee has filmed this promotional video for the city's first Five-Year Plan.

(CE John Lee: I welcome your views. Let's shape the blueprint for the next five years together.)

The blue-covered consultation document for the five-year blueprint comes in six parts with around 30 pages in total.

The first chapter focuses on accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis where a new IT hub and a university town will be built near Shenzhen just across the border.

The second chapter on the economy, finance and trade.

The chapter on people's livelihood and social development encompass education, healthcare, housing, social welfare, labour and elderly care while "ensuring fiscal prudence and sustainability."

The remaining parts focus on integrated development of culture, sports and tourism, green living, IT and industry, as well as the development of regional cooperation.

Meeting the press, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse says the blueprint will echo with and serve the national development plan while upholding the city's free-market economy.

JANICE TSE: "Through this, we will better align ourselves with and serve national development, as well as seize the new opportunities. The Hong Kong Five-Year Plan is strategic, forward-looking and operable. The first Five-Year Plan matters a lot to everyone in Hong Kong. We look forward to ideas from all walks of life to build consensus on Hong Kong's vision for the future."

The consultation will last two months.

Residents can submit opinions about the plan via a website, email or letters.

Officials aim to announce a finalised plan in the third quarter.

When asked if the blueprint will overlap with the annual Policy Address and Budget, authorities say the Five-Year Plan serves as a top strategic-level framework so the Policy Address and Budget will help advance the key development priorities and vision set out under the Five-Year Plan.

While the government says there won't be too many KPIs for Hong Kong's 5-Year Plan -- at least for now, Lau Siu-kai, a national think tank consultant, says more concrete project objectives can be in place such as changes in the city's industrial composition and GDP per capita over the long term.

LAU SIU-KAI: "We need in the future some concrete items, some concrete projects and there may be some concrete results, some concrete actions to materialize the policy direction as specified in the policy consultation document."

The consultation document for Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan is also available at the government's dedicated website with hard copies distributed at designated locations.

The government will hold activities to tap views from residents, politicians and industries.