Policy address: government's key measures on Northern Metropolis
發佈日期: 2025-09-17 20:22
TVB News
A major focus of this year's policy address is the Northern Metropolis. Jacky Lin takes a closer look at the key measures.
The Northern Metropolis -- Hong Kong's next economic powerhouse as envisioned by the government.
In Chief Executive John Lee's latest policy address, a whole chapter was devoted to spelling out ways to accelerate the "new development engine" of the city.
Lee says although construction works have been turbocharged over the past three years, the resources needed are substantial.
Lee announced he will chair a Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to oversee the progress.
There will be three specialised working groups, each led by a senior official.
One group, to be helmed by Financial Secretary Paul Chan, will come up with development and operation models for different industrial parks there, while reviewing systems including public-private partnership models, financing schemes and tendering mechanisms.
Dedicated companies or statutory or non-statutory bodies will be set up for the industrial parks.
Lee stressed management will not be concentrated in a single company. He says introducing competition serves the city's best interests.
Another working group will focus on the university town construction in the Northern Metropolis, led by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan. It's understood that the Hung Shui Kiu University Town will expand from its originally planned 5 hectares to 9 hectares.
A dedicated project supervision office will be established under another group under the deputy financial secretary to enhance coordination and oversight of the approval processes.
A phased development model will be introduced in pilot zones, allowing early construction and operation of retail, entertainment and exhibition facilities.
The government aims to enact dedicated legislation for the Northern Metropolis to simplify statutory procedures.
They include establishing a park company with earmarked funding, setting out special arrangements for cross-boundary flows in designated areas, and attracting research, innovation and manufacturing based in the area.
The government also plans to relax the land-use rules, with development parameters fine-tuned, and land resumption and compensation procedures streamlined -- all designed to speed up the region's transformation.
But will such "dedicated legislation" create a "special zone"?
Lee says most laws, such as criminal law, still apply in the Northern Metropolis.
Sources say public consultation on the dedicated legislation will begin next year, with submission to the Legislative Council expected around the middle of 2026.
