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Independent Innovation
25. Our traditional pillar industries continue to leverage on the development of our country on all fronts and to meet globalised competition. To consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international centre for financial services, trade and shipping, we need to upgrade our local economic infrastructure gearing it to support independently innovative and high value-added industries. The Government accepts the responsibility to create favourable conditions for this to happen, covering information technology, technology, cultural and creative industries.
Information Technology Industry
26. Hong Kong's success lies in the convergence of talent, capital, logistical support and information. In turn, this has created a thriving and vibrant city, full of energetic people. The Government will set a good example by promoting the application of information technology. In terms of e-Government, we will provide more user-friendly integrated public services through a one-stop portal.
27. Hong Kong is a forerunner in promoting media convergence with a single platform supporting telephony, broadcasting and Internet access services (triple-play). Media convergence technology and business models are rapidly developing. To tie in with the transformation of traditional telecommunications services into integrated information services, we consulted the public early this year on the reform of the regulatory regime and proposed merging the functions of the Office of the Telecommunications Authority and the Broadcasting Authority to form a new Communications Authority. We aim to adopt a regulatory framework to promote innovation and competition to a level on par with advanced international standards. Consumers stand to gain in these developments. We are prepared to introduce legislation in the 2006-07 legislative year to effect the establishment of the new Communications Authority. The application of new wireless communication technologies has also spread rapidly and widely. We will carry out public consultation by the end of 2006 on the policy of radio spectrum management. We aim to ensure, through market forces, more flexible and effective utilisation of the radio spectrum as a public resource, facilitating technological advance and the evolution of new business models.
Application of Technology
28. Future competition in global production will come down to technology and design. The application of innovative technology can enhance product functions, whilst design can help promote original brand name development as well as sales. The Government is keen to invest in research infrastructure and manpower development, and to promote design. We also encourage collaboration between business and research institutes to conduct joint applied research, enhance the technological level of industries and develop high value-added products.
29. With funding support from the Government's Innovation and Technology Fund, research and development centres have been set up in the fields of information communications technologies, logistics and supply chain management, automotive parts and accessory systems, nanotechnology and advanced materials, textiles and clothing. These are areas where Hong Kong has a comparative advantage. In addition, we have established an Integrated Circuit Design and Development Support Centre at the Science Park, as well as the Digital Media Centre and the Wireless Development Centre at the Cyberport. The SAR Government will earmark $100 million over five years for the Hong Kong Design Centre to further assist our trades and industries to make full use of their designs and build their brand names.
Cultural and Creative Industries
30. The presence of cultural and creative industries is indispensable in a world-class financial and trade centre. Hong Kong's popular cultural industries have always been in a leading position: music, film and television dramas are favourites of Chinese markets around the world. Our film industry is one of our most important creative industries and enjoys a high reputation regionally and internationally. CEPA has opened up new opportunities for our film industry to tap into that huge market and to capitalise on the resources of the Mainland. With appropriate assistance from the Government, the industry is poised to scale new heights. We will rationalise the framework of government and public organisations for film industry development and support. The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT) will co-ordinate the relevant policy, planning and activities, including manpower training, Mainland and overseas promotion, and filming support. We will set up a Hong Kong Film Development Council, which will include members of the film industry, to support the SCIT. I understand that the Film Development Committee established last year has commissioned a strategic study which proposes that the Government should help resolve some of the problems faced by the film industry, especially budding or small and medium sized film makers. The Government will seriously consider the proposals.
City of Culture and Arts
31. To develop cultural and creative industries, we need to attract worldwide creative talent to Hong Kong. To this end, we need to offer not just the prospect of development but also a city with the appropriate cultural atmosphere. Hong Kong is a vibrant city with a diversified and liberal cultural life, where the East and West meet. At present, Hong Kong has more than 1 000 performing arts groups that annually stage over 10 000 performances of great variety. The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Committee on Performing Arts and will introduce a Venue Partnership Scheme covering the performance venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The scheme will foster the partnership between venue operators and performing arts groups, help develop venue-based arts promotion strategies, broaden the audience base, facilitate sponsorship, and encourage community involvement in arts development. The Government will identify new performance venues to support the development of traditional Chinese and other performing arts. We will also inject $40 million into the Arts and Sport Development Fund to buttress support for the cultural sector.
32. On the sports development front, Hong Kong is now uniquely presented with a golden opportunity. The 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events are to be staged in Hong Kong. This demonstrates our country's trust in and support for us. We will also host the East Asian Games in 2009. It is the SAR Government's strategy in sports development to promote sports in the community, to develop elite sports, and to make Hong Kong a major location for international sports events. To achieve this aim, a multi-purpose stadium complex fully equipped for international events has been included in the Southeast Kowloon Development Plan. The Government has also earmarked funding to embark on the redevelopment of the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide world-class training facilities for local athletes. We will allocate an additional $70 million in recurrent expenditure to provide comprehensive support for our elite athletes and to enable the National Sports Associations to intensify their participation in community activities and the School Sports Programme.
Flow of Talents
33. To sustain Hong Kong's economic development, one of our fundamental policies has been to attract talent from around the world. Over the past three years, more than 11 000 talented people from the Mainland have come to work in Hong Kong under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. In June this year, we also introduced the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme to allow talented people meeting certain criteria to settle in Hong Kong without having to secure an offer of local employment beforehand. Since its inception, we have received hundreds of applications. A deep pool of talent will boost our economic development and create more jobs. To attract talent from around the world, including the Mainland, to participate in Hong Kong's development, we must adopt a more open-minded and proactive approach. The Government will continue to review the situation and fine-tune policy to expand the pool of human capital so essential to Hong Kong's sustainable development.
(To be continued)
Ends/Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:29
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