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Following is a transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at a media session at the ground floor lobby, Main Wing, Central Government Offices today (November 15):
Last month, in my Policy Address, I told people of Hong Kong that the Commission on Strategic Development is our most important advisory body and I will expand its membership substantially by inviting talent from different fields to join the body.
Today, I am glad to announce that 153 members have accepted my invitation to join the Commission to serve until June 30, 2007. They are drawn from a broad cross-section of the community, including professionals, academics, business people, politicians and prominent labour and media personalities. We will publish the full membership list later today.
I have pledged that my administration belongs to the people and that it would govern with the "people-based" principle. I fully understand the public's aspirations to play a greater role in policy making. The members of the expanded Commission come from all sectors of the community. They will join the Government in exploring major issues relating to our long-term development. The Commission will be able to reflect and gauge more precisely a wide range of community views early in response to calls for new government initiatives.
With the enhanced role of the Commission, we will spend more time with the public in discussing preliminary policy ideas before we formulate a policy. Views are canvassed from the Commission not when a policy is made but during the early stage of policy formulation. When we eventually launch a policy, we will be confident that it will be more readily accepted by the public. The function of the Commission on Strategic Development may be like fermentation in the bread making process. If a baker wants to make a soft, fluffy loaf, he has to use good quality ingredients and all his skills and experience to bake the bread. But this is not enough. He should attach importance to the fermentation process – the chemical process that allows all ingredients to yield the best results. The Commission's work is similar to the fermentation process – it listens to what the community says and ensures the public's views are taken into consideration at an early stage of policy formulation. This process ensures our policies reflect what Hong Kong people want.
To improve operational efficiency, the Commission comprises four committees. They are on equal standing. The Executive Committee will focus on issues relating to the overall long-term strategies of the Hong Kong development; and the other three will focus on governance and political development, social development, and economic development. I shall personally chair the Executive Committee and the Committee on Governance and Political Development. The Chief Secretary for Administration will chair the Committee on Social Development and Quality of Life; and the Financial Secretary will chair the Committee on Economic Development and Economic Cooperation with the Mainland.
The Committee on Governance and Political Development will deliberate the hot issue of working out a roadmap for universal suffrage. I hope our discussions will lay a good foundation for our political infrastructure towards the goal of universal suffrage.
We shall start our work as soon as possible. The Executive Committee will meet on November 28. The Committee on Governance and Political Development will meet on November 29. The Committee on Social Development and Quality of Life will meet on December 1. The Committee on Economic Development and Economic Co-operation with the Mainland will meet on December 5.
(To be continued)
Ends/Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:10
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