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"Greater Bay Area - Starting Line to a Bright Future" ceremony concludes successfully (with photos)
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     To mark the second anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Outline Development Plan), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government held a ceremony named "Greater Bay Area - Starting Line to a Bright Future" today (February 26) with a theme of youth development. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam; the Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhang Xin (via recorded video); the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui; the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit; and the Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission, Mr Lau Ming-wai, attended the ceremony.
 
     The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) is a key national development strategy. Through further deepening co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the objectives of the development of the Greater Bay Area are to promote co-ordinated economic development in the Greater Bay Area, leverage the complementary advantages of the three places, and develop an international first-class bay area for living, working and travelling. The Central Government promulgated the Outline Development Plan on February 18, 2019, which sets out the directions guiding the development of the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area is one of the most open and economically vibrant regions of the country. The HKSAR Government is committed to giving new impetus to the economic development of Hong Kong through participating in the the Greater Bay Area development. In order to encourage Hong Kong people to participate more proactively in the development of the Greater Bay Area, the HKSAR Government will also step up its publicity and promotional efforts.
 
     Mrs Lam said at the ceremony, "Young people are brimming with energy and vitality, and are full of hope and vision for their future. The Greater Bay Area provides a stage to realise their aspirations.
 
     "The HKSAR Government wishes to encourage Hong Kong young people to aim high and explore opportunities beyond Hong Kong, and unleash their potential on a bigger platform through starting a new business or pursuing a career of their interest in the Greater Bay Area. With the support from our society, I am very confident that Hong Kong young people will be able to seize the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area to realise their aspirations."
 
     Speaking via recorded video, the Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhang said, "The Greater Bay Area will be prosperous and strong when its young people thrive and flourish. President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to youth exchanges among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. At the grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in October last year, President Xi requested Guangdong to make full use of the major co-operation platforms among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to attract more young people from Hong Kong and Macao to study, work and live in the Mainland, so as to enhance wider exchanges and deeper integration among young people from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and to strengthen their sense of belonging to the motherland."
 
     Today's ceremony comprised four parts, namely:
 
Part one

     Mrs Lam and Mr Zhang (via recorded video) addressed the ceremony;

Part two

      "We Venture" launching ceremony to announce the list of funded organisations under both the "Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (Entrepreneurship Scheme) and the "Funding Scheme for Experiential Programmes at Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (Experiential Scheme) of the Youth Development Fund (YDF). Mrs Lam presented certificates to representatives of the funded organisations to recognise their contributions for supporting youth entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area. The two aforementioned schemes were rolled out under the YDF by the Youth Development Commission in the same year of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan. The Entrepreneurship Scheme aims at subsidising Hong Kong NGOs to provide start-up assistance and incubation services that befit the needs of young people who are about to start their businesses in Hong Kong and Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, and further helping them meet their initial capital needs, while the Experiential Scheme aims at subsidising short-term experiential programmes at the innovation and entrepreneurial bases in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, with a view to enriching Hong Kong young people's understanding of the innovation and entrepreneurial bases, as well as the relevant policies and supporting measures on innovation and entrepreneurship in the Mainland.
 
     A sharing session was conducted before the presentation of the certificates. Mr Cheung; Mr Tsui; Mr Lau; President of Hong Kong United Youth Association, Mr Lau Ka-keung; and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Timetable of the Tianhe Hong Kong and Macau Youth Association, Mr Andy Ng (via recorded video), shared with the audience the supporting measures for young entrepreneurs in the Greater Bay Area.
 
Part three

     Launching ceremony of the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme officiated by Mrs Lam, Mr Cheung, Dr Law, Mr Sit and six representatives from the employers participating in the scheme (namely Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, PricewaterhouseCoopers Hong Kong, Gold Peak Industries (Holdings) Limited, Sun Hung Kai Properties, and Rambo Chemicals (Hong Kong) Limited) and a representative from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. The scheme was announced last month (January 8). It is one of the measures promulgated by the Chief Executive in the 2020 Policy Address. It aims to encourage and support young people to work in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area and leverage the opportunities for career advancement. The scheme provides 2 000 places, including 700 places designated for innovation and technology posts. The response has been favourable, with about 1 400 vacancies received since the launching of the scheme last month; and
 
Part four

     The launching ceremony of the life record documentary "Starting Line at the Bay Area" was officiated by Mrs Lam, Mr Cheung and Mr Tsang. "Starting Line at the Bay Area" is a life record documentary produced by creative artist Mr Keith Chan featuring the life stories of ten Hong Kong people living in different Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area. The idea is to deepen the audience's understanding of the Greater Bay Area through the stories of their start-up businesses, their work, their life and their studies. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will carry on with its publicity efforts through different platforms to help the general public (especially the young people) and businesses better understand the opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area. The life record documentary "Starting Line at the Bay Area" will be broadcast on channel 81 every Sunday evening from February 28.
 
     For more details about the Outline Development Plan and the latest news on the Greater Bay Area, please visit the dedicated website (bayarea.gov.hk). The video recording of the ceremony will also be uploaded onto the dedicated Greater Bay Area website (www.bayarea.gov.hk/en/symposium/index.html).
 
Ends/Friday, February 26, 2021
Issued at HKT 21:59
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