One month on, 6th-term HKSAR gov't earnestly addressing residents' concerns

HONG KONG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The sixth-term government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), inaugurated on July 1, has taken new measures to earnestly address local people's concerns and solve problems.

Over the past month, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee has led officials to work for promoting good governance. Measures were swiftly adopted to tackle issues such as housing, COVID-19 control, poverty alleviation and technological innovation.

On his first day in office, Lee launched social media accounts to strengthen communication with the public. To date, he has paid multiple visits to communities and attended many events organized by various associations and organizations, in efforts to strengthen ties with various sectors of the Hong Kong society and listen to voices from the grassroots.

During a Q&A session at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 6, Lee announced that the HKSAR government will be pragmatic and proactive in addressing the needs of the public, and the setting up of four working groups focusing on lifting underprivileged students out of intergenerational poverty and easing housing strain, among others.

On July 12, the steering committee on land and housing supply and task force on public housing projects convened their first meetings to discuss programs such as enhancing the supply of public housing in five years.

The public housing task force is required to submit preliminary proposals for accelerating the construction of public housing within 100 days of the new government taking office, in a bid to ensure earlier and easier access for Hong Kong residents to public housing.

Lee also suggested holding monthly meetings at the LegCo aimed at enhancing the communication between HKSAR government officials and legislators. The chief executive attended the first antechamber exchange session on July 13 together with six secretaries and deputy secretaries of the HKSAR government, setting a new precedent in the executive-legislature interactions.

Chan Yung, a LegCo member, said the new-term HKSAR government has performed its duties in a targeted, pragmatic and efficient manner, and the relevant measures have responded better to the concerns of the people.

Chan said he is confident that the executive authorities and the legislature will work closely together to bring more benefits to the Hong Kong people.

The HKSAR government has also taken the LegCo Subcommittee on Promoting Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a platform to enhance its efforts in introducing to lawmakers and the public how Hong Kong can take an active part in the development of the GBA, so as to better seize development opportunities from it and provide guidance for the Hong Kong people to live and the enterprises to grow in other GBA cities.

Building Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology center is one important policy direction of the new-term HKSAR government. Lee attended at least three related events in the first 15 days in office.

Lee said he attaches great importance to and will support the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, and that the HKSAR government will make every effort to boost the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong at full speed, and promote the integration and complementarity of the industrial chains of Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA to build a more flourishing innovation and technology ecosystem.

With the chief executive taking the lead, HKSAR government officials have been working at full tilt to solve major problems, improve governance and enhance development momentum for Hong Kong.

Alice Mak, secretary for home and youth affairs of the HKSAR government, has kept herself busy on youth work and will launch a blueprint for youth development to strengthen Hong Kong young people's sense of belonging to the country and create upward mobility opportunities for them.

In early July, in response to a surge in the number of north-bound passengers at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the HKSAR government promptly increased the rapid nucleic acid testing capacity at the port to facilitate testing and clearance for the passengers.

Lo Chung-mau, health secretary of the HKSAR government, visited Shenzhen Bay Control Point to learn about the testing procedure, and called for strengthening efforts to avoid prolonged waiting arising from clustering of travelers.

"We shall respond to the needs of the citizens as far as possible," Lo said.