People-oriented and quietly efficient governance
1 July 2018
Today marks the 21st anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is an occasion that fills me with joy. Over the past 21 years, with the staunch support of the country and concerted efforts of the community, we have overcome a number of challenges and accomplished an extraordinary journey that witnesses the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle as well as our solid, steady progress on various economic and social fronts.
The current-term Government has just completed its first year of office. It has been an eventful and fulfilling year to the Administration, though not without its fair share of tests and trials. As a pragmatic and proactive government, we remain steadfast, progressive, responsive, compassionate and down-to-earth in our commitment to serve the community and propel Hong Kong forward as an Asia’s metropolis.
The political appointees and the civil service have worked as a team in the past year to take forward over 250 new initiatives set out in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address. New thinking in governance is applied to innovate policies. With the motto of “we care, we listen, we act” and the stress on interaction and collaboration, we have been moving forward in a humble, proactive and inclusive manner to address the community’s aspirations and needs.
It is unlikely for anyone to understand what is going on in the world just by sitting in Tamar Government Headquarters all day long. Our ruling team is therefore constantly reaching out through periodic district visits and in-depth dialogues with district councilors to keep our feet on the ground, so to speak, about local issues and grassroots needs. Enhanced transparency is essential for the Government to appreciate people’s views and wishes.
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| The public engagement forum on 3 February 2018 on the establishment of the Commission on Children. |
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| The first meeting of the Youth Development Commission on 24 April 2018. |
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| The first meeting of the Commission on Children on 28 June 2018. |
For my part, as the Chief Secretary for Administration, I am working on strengthening the co-ordination and alignment across bureaux and departments in policy formulation with new thinking in order to improve governance efficiency. The Commission on Children, the Youth Development Commission, the Human Resources Planning Commission and the Steering Committee on Ethnic Minorities, all chaired by me, have started operation.
These high-level panels represent the four major spheres of work in nurturing the young and promoting upward social mobility. The Government takes full responsibility for policy-making. To cultivate our human capital, we will co-ordinate the holistic planning, alignment and implementation of work relating to children, youth, ethnic minorities and manpower development.
I have been working in the Government for more than four decades. Many of my previous postings are related to children’s welfare or services. When I was District Officer of the North District in the 1980s, I made a number of local visits to understand the needs of children as they grew and developed. When I became Commissioner for Labour in 1999 at a time of high unemployment, I launched the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme to help young people enter the labour market. Then as Director of Education I helped refine the education system and enhance education quality. In 2007, I took up the post of the Secretary for Labour and Welfare. Mindful of the interests of disadvantaged children, I put forward an array of policy measures to support grassroots families and children’s development.
Today, as Chairman of the Commission on Children, I will promote children’s well-being with a proactive and holistic approach. Children are the future of society and they deserve the best care from us. They are always close to my heart, no matter what capacity I am in.
Children’s growth and development is one of the priorities for the current-term Government. In her 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced the setting up of a Commission on Children to amalgamate the efforts made by relevant bureaux, departments and child concern groups, and focus on addressing children’s issues as they grow and develop.
The first meeting of the Commission on Children was held last week (on 28 June) to discuss, inter alia, the structure and operation mode of the Commission and explore future work priorities. In addition, members provided their views on the regularisation and possible improvements to the Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services, and the Consultancy Study on the Long-term Development of Child Care Services.
The Commission on Children is an ongoing, representative and high-level body adopting an action-oriented and responsive approach in driving the work for the benefits of children. I believe that it will perform the co-ordinating role in cross-bureau and cross-department collaboration, and maximise our efforts in promoting children’s growth and development in Hong Kong.
