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  <info>
    <title>Highlights | The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy
Address</title>
  </info>
  <section xml:id="highlights">
    <title>Highlights</title>
    <section xml:id="strengthen-our-governance-systems">
      <title>Strengthen our governance systems</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Establish the Heads of Department (HoD) Accountability
            System
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Render the accountability in policy formulation and
                implementation better articulated with each other
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Drive to establish effective management teams and
                operating systems
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Identify deficiencies, clarify responsibilities and take
                administrative or disciplinary actions as appropriate
                when issues arise
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Expand the functions of the Public Service Commission to
                conduct independent investigation of serious issues,
                widespread or repetitive systemic problems or matters
                related to the role of HoDs
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Conduct a study to develop a more rigorous performance
            appraisal system for civil servants
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set up an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Efficacy Enhancement
            Team led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration to
            co-ordinate, prioritise and steer government departments in
            applying technologies such as AI to promote reforms and
            improve efficacy
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="accelerate-the-development-of-the-northern-metropolis">
      <title>Accelerate the development of the Northern
      Metropolis</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Raise the level of decision-making by establishing the
            Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis chaired
            by the Chief Executive
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Remove barriers and ease restrictions to streamline the
            administrative workflows, embracing a new mind-set to adopt
            construction methods, materials and equipment from different
            jurisdictions
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Introduce dedicated legislation to empower the Government to
            devise simplified statutory procedures for accelerating the
            development of the Northern Metropolis
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="industry-development-and-reform">
      <title>Industry development and reform</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Formulate preferential policy packages to attract
            enterprises to set up in Hong Kong, thereby promoting
            industry development and investments
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Attract and develop new industrialisation-related industries
            such as aircraft recycling and new energy
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote the development of the life and health technology
            industry and set up the Hong Kong Centre for Medical
            Products Regulation, helping pharmaceutical companies bring
            innovative drugs to the markets
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote the development of the AI and data science
            industries, and expand the application of the AI in
            government services and business operations
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="consolidate-our-strengths-integrate-into-the-overall-national-development">
      <title>Consolidate our strengths Integrate into the overall
      national development</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            International Financial Centre
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Continuously strengthen the stock market by exploring
                shortening the stock settlement cycle to T+1, support
                China Concept Stock companies to return and choose Hong
                Kong as their preferred destination, etc.
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Establish a central clearing system for gold in Hong
                Kong and encourage more institutions to expand the gold
                storage facilities in Hong Kong
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Publish the Fixed Income and Currency Roadmap
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Introduce a new Renminbi (RMB) Business Facility to
                support the use of RMB in the real economy
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Formulate legislative proposals regarding the licensing
                regimes for digital asset dealing and custodian service
                providers
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Deepen co-operation with carbon markets in the
                Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to test out
                cross-boundary trade settlement
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Lower the transaction price threshold for residential
                property investment of the New Capital Investment
                Entrant Scheme from $50 million to $30 million
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            International Trade Centre
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Explore the signing of new investment agreements with
                Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Set up the Strategic Committee on Commodities
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Establish an Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala
                Lumpur and expand the ETO coverage to Latin America and
                Central Asia
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            International Shipping Centre
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Establish a &quot;rail-sea-land-river&quot; transport
                network to promote transport of cargoes from provinces
                and cities in the Mainland to international markets
                through Hong Kong
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Drive the development of high value-added maritime
                services
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            International Aviation Hub
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Expand the Airport City development and take forward the
                construction works of AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2 and the
                development of a yacht bay and its ancillary facilities
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Complete the construction of the permanent facility of
                the Hong Kong International Airport Dongguan Logistics
                Park in phases and commence the preliminary study for
                the Phase 2 development starting this year
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set up the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in
            Going Global to proactively attract Mainland enterprises to
            use Hong Kong in expanding their businesses overseas, and to
            formulate proposals for them
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Fully support the work of the International Organization for
            Mediation and promote Hong Kong's legal services
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="promote-the-integrated-development-of-education-technology-and-talents">
      <title>Promote the integrated development of education, technology
      and talents</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enhance the building of an international education hub by
            increasing the number of places for non-local students to
            study in Hong Kong on a self-financing basis and the
            provision of student hostels, thereby attracting more
            international teaching and research talents and students
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Strengthen efforts in cracking down on the unauthorised
            provision of Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
            Examination programmes or the operation of &quot;shell
            schools&quot;
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set aside $2 billion in the Quality Education Fund to
            support digital education in primary and secondary schools,
            and release the Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary
            and Secondary Schools in 2026
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Expedite the development of the third InnoHK research
            cluster, with the focus on sustainable development, energy,
            advanced manufacturing and materials
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote the development of a low-altitude economy ecosystem
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Formulate the Action Plan on Developing Low-altitude
                Economy
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Improve the civil aviation legislation and regulatory
                framework
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Enhance core infrastructure facilities
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Roll out the advanced &quot;Regulatory Sandbox 𝓧&quot;
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote intellectual property (IP) financing, valuation and
            protection to further boost IP trading
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote youth development
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Launch the Young Talent Training Programme to provide
                more opportunities for young people to participate in
                internships of international organisations and attend
                international conferences
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Organise about 100 youth activities on culture, arts,
                sports, etc. through the Youth Post hostel in Kai Tak in
                the coming five years
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="promote-the-integrated-development-of-culture-sports-and-tourism">
      <title>Promote the integrated development of culture, sports and
      tourism</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Develop a premium arts trading hub and deepen collaboration
            with Art Basel, consolidating Hong Kong's position as the
            exclusive host city in the region
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Commission the WestK Quay within this year and establish the
            WestK Academy to provide professional training
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Introduce market-based business models into designated
            facilities of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department,
            including leasing out museum venues on their closing days
            for commercial use
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote prime yacht tourism by providing additional yacht
            berths and enhancing amenities for visiting yachts, such as
            improving immigration clearance procedures
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Provide a half-rate certification fee subsidy, capped at
            $5,000, for restaurants that have acquired Halal
            certification to promote Muslim tourism
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            A multi-year partnership arrangement has been reached with
            the golf tour LIV Golf to attract top players to compete in
            Hong Kong
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="support-the-local-economy-and-strengthen-labour-protection">
      <title>Support the local economy and strengthen labour
      protection</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Earmark an additional $30 billion in the next two to three
            years to increase expenditure on works projects to support
            the local construction industry
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Support small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Extend the application period for the 80% Guarantee
                Products under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme for
                two years and the principal moratorium arrangement for
                one year
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Reduce water and sewage charges for non-domestic
                accounts by 50%, subject to a monthly ceiling of $10,000
                and $5,000 respectively per account; reduce the trade
                effluent surcharge by 50%; and waive the licence fees
                for hawkers, food businesses, agriculture and fisheries
                industries, liquor licences, etc. for one year
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Streamline the restaurant licensing regime and expedite
                the approval process of applications for outside seating
                accommodation of restaurants
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Inject $1.43 billion into the BUD Fund and expand its
                geographical scope
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Set up the &quot;Economic and Trade Express&quot; to
                assist local SMEs in exploring business opportunities
                overseas
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote a pet-friendly culture by introducing a licensing
            arrangement to allow operators to let dogs enter their food
            premises
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Ensure the employment priority of local workers and enhance
            the eligibility requirements for importing
            waiters/waitresses and junior cooks under the Enhanced
            Supplementary Labour Scheme
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enhance actions to combat illegal employment, strengthen
            intelligence collection and inter-departmental joint
            enforcement operations
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Improve the work injury compensation mechanism for digital
            platform workers through legislation to protect those
            providing food and goods delivery services, etc.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="create-land-for-housing-development-and-enhance-commuting-convenience">
      <title>Create land for housing development and enhance commuting
      convenience</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Overall public housing production in the next five years to
            reach 189 000 units, about 80% higher than the figure at the
            start of the current-term Government
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Complete 30 000 Light Public Housing units by the first half
            of 2027, with the Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised
            Rental Housing moving closer to the target of 4.5 years in
            2026-27
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enrich the housing ladder
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Increase the ratio of quotas between Green Form and
                White Form to 50:50
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Increase the quota of the White Form Secondary Market
                Scheme by 1 000 to 7 000, with half of the additional
                quota allocated to young family and one-person
                applicants below 40
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Relax the alienation restriction period of new flats for
                sale to 10 years
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Introduce a pilot scheme to allow eligible owners of
                subsidised sale flats to let their flats to White Form
                applicants after paying relevant fees
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Improve the efficiency of land production and reduce
            construction costs
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Take forward urban renewal with a new mind-set, including
            suitably increasing the plot ratio of private redevelopment
            projects for areas with more pressing redevelopment need,
            and allowing the increased plot ratio to be transferred to
            other districts
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Strive for early passage of the legislation on regulating
            ride-hailing services to safeguard the public's travel
            safety
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="deepen-reform-of-the-healthcare-system">
      <title>Deepen reform of the healthcare system</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enhance public healthcare services, including taking forward
            the work on setting up Stroke Centres and Integrated
            Cardiovascular Diseases Centres
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Shorten the waiting time for stable new case bookings in the
            specialty of Surgery by about 10 weeks
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enhance the overall ophthalmology service and set up a new
            high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Enhance the preventive screening and care services of family
            medicine clinics, increase their service capacity, and
            regularise their current extended service hours
            progressively
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Launch the Chronic Disease Co-care Platform to conduct
            hepatitis B screening on a pilot basis
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Commence the operation of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of
            Hong Kong in phases and publish the Chinese Medicine
            Development Blueprint within this year
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote mental health by rolling out measures covering
            prevention, identification, intervention and treatment
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section xml:id="promote-social-development-for-a-caring-and-inclusive-society">
      <title>Promote social development for a caring and inclusive
      society</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Continue our work on targeted poverty alleviation
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Enhance the Strive and Rise Programme
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Inject $180 million to the Child Development Fund to
                reduce inter-generational poverty
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Set up six additional Community Living Rooms
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Provide time-limited cash incentives, on a pilot basis,
                for households leaving the Comprehensive Social Security
                Assistance Scheme and eligible for receiving the Working
                Family Allowance to promote self-reliance
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Care for the elderly
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Increase 700 new subsidised residential care service
                places, 4 000 Community Care Service Vouchers for the
                Elderly and 1 000 Residential Care Service Vouchers for
                the Elderly
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Set up three new Neighbourhood Elderly Centres
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Increase the number of Mainland residential care homes
                for the elderly participating in the Residential Care
                Services Scheme in Guangdong to 24 and the number of
                cities covered to eight
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Earmark an annual recurrent expenditure of $500 million to
            roll out a series of measures to enhance support for carers
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Establish a Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies to
            formulate relevant policies, covering areas such as elderly
            care, healthcare, housing, culture and leisure,
            gerontechnology, and promoting the further development of
            silver economy
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Promote fertility
          </para>
          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Starting from the year of assessment 2026/27, extend the
                claim period of additional child allowance for newborns
                to the first two years following childbirth
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Set up 15 new aided child care centres in the next three
                years to provide approximately 1 500 day care places for
                children aged between birth and three years old
              </para>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <para>
                Increase the service quota for assisted reproductive
                services under the Hospital Authority to 1 500
              </para>
            </listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set up two additional ethnic minority (EM) Care Teams and
            one additional Interpretation and Translation Service Centre
            for EMs to strengthen support for EMs
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
  </section>
</article>
