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The Council for Sustainable Development has put forward its recommendations on the way forward for a sustainable population policy for Hong Kong.
Releasing the Council's Report on the Public Engagement Process on Population Policy today (June 29), the Convenor of the Council's Support Group on Population Policy, Professor Wong Siu-lun, said that 24 detailed recommendations on the way forward under four aspects - "quality of life", "declining fertility rate", "manpower" and "ageing population" – had been put forward for the Government's consideration in formulating a long-term strategy for Hong Kong's population policy.
These four aspects were the four broad categories of stakeholder concerns expressed during the engagement process conducted last year.
Professor Wong said that the recommendations touched upon wide-ranging issues under the aegis of the population policy, which included but not limited to the provision of more open space and recreational outlets as well as the development of culture and the arts to enhance the population's quality of life; financial incentives and other supportive measures to promote parenthood; continued enhancement of the current retraining programmes and relevant talent admission schemes to nurture a quality manpower for Hong Kong; and the promotion of healthy and active ageing.
The council launched the Invitation and Response document entitled "Enhancing Population Potential for a Sustainable Future" in June, 2006.
During the engagement period in the second half of 2006, the council organised 24 engagement events to involve more than 1,700 members of the public in dynamic discussions on the population policy for Hong Kong. In addition, the roving exhibitions that toured 10 public locations also attracted another 20,000 visitors during the period.
The partner organisations for this engagement process included the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Professional Green Building Council, the Hong Kong Family Planning Association, the Roundtable, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the Business Environment Council.
"We are glad to have received more than 3,000 responses from a wide spectrum of the community during the engagement process," Prof Wong said.
The council earlier engaged the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Public Policy Research Institute to provide an objective and independent analysis of the stakeholder views gathered in this engagement process. The council has drawn up its observations and recommendations on the basis of this independent analysis.
In the light of the council report, a government spokesman said the Government would consider the recommendations therein in its formulation of a long-term strategy on population policy.
The report is available on the Sustainable Development Strategy website (www.susdev.org.hk/archive/en/councilreport) for public information.
Ends/Friday, June 29, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:10
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