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Hong Kong Pledges Targets to Tackle Issues From Housing to Rats
(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong’s leader has introduced some very specific key performance indicators to track his administration’s success in everything from housing supply to attracting talent.
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In his debut policy address to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee said the 110 indicators are important because they can bring about a “change in culture.”
Some of them measure large-scale goals, such as a target to get land ready for 72,000 private housing units over the next five years, and a plan to launch a visa scheme by the end of the year to lure highly paid workers. Others focus on more micro issues, such as tackling rat infestation and nurturing positive thinking among young people.
“How do we monitor the progress of the indicators? said Lee, a former police officer. “I’m sure legislators will do a part in panel meetings when discussing related issues. I’m sure these indicators will be reviewed.”
The practice of listing performance indicators to track government efficiency in Hong Kong started with the last British Governor Chris Patten, and was then followed by Tung Chee-hwa, the first chief executive under Chinese rule. But successors haven’t always continued with that process.
Here are some of the more unusual action points on the list:
Rat Riddance:
Lee’s goal is to at least halve the number of so-called rodent blackspots by end-2023, as part of efforts to improve environmental hygiene. The government earmarked some HK$87 million to step up rodent control measures in the 2022-2023 Budget.
In August, he tasked Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk to inspect hygiene and has pledged to have initial visible results in three months.
Annual Cultural Festival:
As part of efforts to promote international cultural exchanges, Lee’s government plans an annual Pop Culture Festival with over 20 programs starting 2023, with an aim to lure more than 140,000 participants. This ranks 43rd on the list.
Advance Hong Kong Stories:
Appearing 62nd on the list is a push to showcase Hong Kong in a positive light and counter narratives of Covid curbs and pro-democracy protests painted by “foreign powers.”
The proposal envisages no less than 3,200 visits by Hong Kong officials from mainland offices to Chinese authorities. The overseas Economic and Trade Offices in London, New York, Washington, Tokyo, Singapore and other places are tasked with paying at least 2,700 visits to host governments and organizations.
Positive Thinking
Following the 2019 protests, which turned violent at times, and the subsequent detention and prosecution of hundreds of young men and women, Lee’s administration plans to focus on this section of the population. Youth-led projects to nurture “positive thinking” are on the cards, targeting no less than 30,000 participants, including 6,000 by mid-2025.
The planned project -- 86th on the list of indicators -- aims to have 70% of the attendees develop a “positive outlook on life.”
Publicity Blitz on Security
The government plans to organize no less than 700 promotional activities, with at least 900,000 participants and a minimum of 25 million views via online publicity in 2024, in a bid to uphold the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law. This appears 104th on the list.
The enactment of legislation to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law, the clause to bring to life Hong Kong’s own security law, was mentioned in the body of the policy document, but came with no timeline or priority number attached.
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