Party attacks top-down five-year planning approach
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A political party on Wednesday submitted proposals during the government's public consultation on Hong Kong's five-year plan, arguing that past planning has been too top-down and detached from daily life. It called for the plan to be recast from broad vision statements into measurable commitments that the public can track and test over time
Key Points
- The party said the government has relied too heavily on an elite-led, top-down mindset it described as the “chief executive's will”, leaving planning disconnected from residents' everyday needs
- Party chairman Tik Chi-yuen said macro goals such as the Northern Metropolis, innovation and technology, finance, infrastructure and investment promotion are not enough on their own
- He said a credible plan must show how low-income families will ease living pressure, carers can stay in work, young people can find prospects, and elderly people can age with dignity
- The party proposed a five-year livelihood pledge table and an annual progress report with baselines, five-year targets and yearly milestones, backed by a red-yellow-green tracking system
- Under that mechanism, green would mean on schedule, yellow would require remedial explanations for delays, and red would require reasons, responsible bureaux and accountability arrangements for missed targets
Why It Matters
The proposals focus attention on whether the government's consultation will produce measurable policy benchmarks rather than broad development slogans. They also press officials to show how long-term planning will translate into concrete outcomes in poverty, care, disability support and public participation