Legislators raise questions on policy address in chief executive's Q&A session
發佈日期: 2025-09-18 21:46
TVB News
After delivering his fourth policy address yesterday, Chief Executive John Lee attended a Legislative Council Q&A session today and responded to lawmakers' questions.
Some legislators raised questions on the government's measures regarding local employment and labour importation.
Wearing his green tie designed for his fourth policy address, Chief Executive John Lee arrived at the Legislative Council for a question and answer session this morning.
Some lawmakers focused on local employment and labour importation after the CE said on Wednesday that employers must first recruit two local full-time waiters or waitresses and junior cooks before they can apply for an imported worker to fill one of those positions.
"The construction sector and the F&B (Food and Beverage) sector," said Edward Leung, DAB legislator from Hong Kong Island East. "They suffer from an unemployment rate of 7 percent. Will the chief executive consider a trigger system that when there is a certain percentage of unemployment of a specific sector, then the import scheme of labour will be suspended? It's very difficult to actually implement priority on local employees."
Lam Chin-sing, of the Election Committee, said: "In some sectors, the jobless rates even rose to 6 to 7 percent. For someone in his/her middle age, it's not at all easy for one to land as a cook. Will there be a ceiling for imported workers?"
Chief Executive John Lee said: "We have taken into account of a drop in the labour force and that issue is still with us. We will allow them to import labour, but we strongly object to abuse. That's why this time I have started with two occupations: service and junior cook. They account for about 50 percent of our labourers."
Another lawmaker asked about the government's new AI Efficacy Enhancement Team.
"Will the Chief Executive set a KPI or more than one KPI for this AI Efficacy Enhancement Team?" asked Starry Lee, DAB, of Kowloon Central.
John Lee replied: "I won't put any restrictions on this team. I do have requirements and requests. I do require the team to submit reports to me. The first report will be submitted to me within two months."
A total of 13 legislators spoke in the 90-minute question-and-answer session.
On a radio phone-in programme, a couple told the CE they are not qualified for subsidised housing because of their income, yet they find private housing too expensive.
The city leader said there used to be a sandwich class housing scheme for middle class people, but the government has to find land for such projects.
John Lee said his administration has not given up on the scheme, while pledging that the government wants to maintain stability in housing prices.
