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Task Force on Service Promotion
The Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, today (Wednesday) reported on progress made by the Task Force on Services Promotion which he set up in August
last year.
"Markets and enterprise have already made Hong Kong a regional and global service centre in the premier league of service providers, and the challenge now is to compete and to rise within the premier league," he said in presenting his Budget to the Legislative Council.
"Standing still is simply not an option, and the Government will play its part in supporting the market momentum already created by the private sector."
He said the Government's aim had been to identify ways in which it could facilitate the success of the services sector.
"Our aim has not been, and never will be, to direct development, to 'pick winners' or to second-guess markets and entrepreneurs," he said.
"To ensure that the Task Force is kept close to business realities, I have set up an Ad Hoc Group with prominent business leaders, professionals and academics to provide us with their input.
"And to expand the range of outside views and contributions, a symposium will be organised jointly with the major trade and industrial associations on March 12 to discuss specific issues confronting the services sector."
Mr Tsang said among the Budget documents published today was the first concrete outcome from the Task Force's work. This new document, The Services Sector: Support and Promotion, set out:
an eight-point "Framework for Action". This describes the strategic thrust of the Government's support for this sector;
and 14 individual "Action Agendas". They describe the current performance of key service sectors. They state the Government's current commitments to them and outline the directions for future policy. They also set out the principal initiatives taken by the private sector and the major challenges that lie ahead.