Chief Executive John Lee reviews 4 years in office in TVB interview

Chief Executive John Lee, after four years in office, expressed satisfaction with several achievements, including economic growth and shorter waiting times for public housing. Regarding whether he will seek re-election, he said it was too early to say.

Chief Executive John Lee will enter the final year of his term. In an exclusive interview with TVB News, he said that looking back on the past four years, he is satisfied with several achievements.

These include the economy "turning around," from a negative growth of 3.7% when he took office to a positive growth of 3.5% last year.

Tourist arrivals, imports and exports of goods, and consumer spending have all steadily increased.

He also indicated that several "long-standing" issues have been resolved, including legislation on ride-hailing services.

The introduction of Basic Housing Unit and Light Public Housing to address the issue of subdivided flats.

The waiting time for public housing has decreased from 6.1 years to 4.7 years, close to the expected target of 4.5 years.

Although many indicators are impressive, the "pain" of business transformation are not yet over. Chief Executive John Lee is optimistic about the future.

Lee said:

“I watch TV programs that introduce different areas' cuisine, and I really want to go, but whether I go once or continue to go depends on whether it's truly attractive.

Some restaurants have improved their business by using technology, including using artificial intelligence to ensure food is warm and to ensure its presentation meets requirements.

If I build good sports facilities and let all athletes exercise, some will always come in first, and some will always fall short of the top three. Therefore, the government is responsible for the overall environment, but self-reliance depends on each athlete, i.e., the actual operators.”

To better plan for future development and align with the national "15th Five-Year Plan," the government launched a public consultation on Hong Kong's five-year plan on Monday.

Past policies already had blueprints, so why is a five-year plan still needed?

Lee said: “We have always had long-term plans; we have blueprints for different sectors, such as the Northern Capital Development Blueprint, the Technology Development Blueprint, the Youth Development Blueprint, and the Road Development Blueprint. Many blueprints have inconsistent timeframes, some for five years, three years, eight years, and ten years. The advantage of the current five-year plan is that all plans are unified, with a five-year development goal, ensuring all development proceeds at the same pace and in the same direction.”