新民黨 十二周年黨慶 說好香港故事
日期︰2023 年 8 月 5 日
今年是香港回歸廿六周年,也是新民黨成立第十二周年。今天(5日)新民黨假香港會議展覽中心舉行十二周年黨慶典禮,邀請行政長官李家超先生、中聯辦副主任何靖先生、外交部駐港特派員公署署理特派員潘雲東先生、國安公署局長鄧建偉先生、政務司司長陳國基先生、財政司司長陳茂波先生、各副司長、多名政策局局長、行政會議成員、立法會議員、政府高級政務官員、區議員、公營機構高級管理人員、工商及多個專業界別翹楚、社團及地區組織領袖與代表,場內設近七十圍接待賓客,全場近九百人出席參與慶祝典禮,盛況空前。
典禮於下午四時三十分開始,奏唱國歌後,先由行政會議召集人、立法會議員暨新民黨主席葉劉淑儀女士致歡迎辭(附件一為致辭全文),她稱香港正處世界百年未有之大變局,在行政長官領導下,香港在經濟、房屋供應等多方面發展取得良好進展,邁向由治及興新階段,回顧了新民黨的工作,包括向世界說好香港故事、服務地區及培養人才等,希望市民繼續支持新民黨的工作。
然後是立法會議員暨新民黨副主席容海恩女士致謝辭(附件二為致辭全文),她感謝各界支持,讓新民黨在議會及地區工作順利進行,也寄望年底的區議會選舉,新民黨有年輕黨友能參與其中。
十二周年黨務興隆 社會和諧進步
葉太與容副主席致辭後,邀請行政長官李家超先生、何靖副主任、潘雲東署理特派員、鄧建偉局長、政務司司長陳國基先生、財政司司長陳茂波先生、立法會主席梁君彥先生,與新民黨副主席潘國山先生、陳家珮議員、李梓敬議員、何敬康議員,與各中央委員,在台上進行切蛋糕與祝酒儀式,祝賀新民黨黨務興隆,更上一層樓!也祝願香港再創高峰!
拍短片致賀 展現活力與祝福
台上儀式完成後,場內播放新民黨精心製作的慶祝短片,率先播出的短片,是新民黨積極「說好香港故事」,新民黨多位成員,在黨主席葉太帶領下,向西方媒體發聲,例如在不同外國媒體投稿、接受訪問,講出香港的真實情況,未來新民黨各成員將繼續堅定不屈,向世界說好香港故事。
新民黨立法會議員何敬康,除了積極向外界「說好香港故事」,他也喜歡歌唱。今天他即席獻唱一首《無限之城》,憑歌詞寄意,表達香港掌握新動向,無限新氣象,懷著理想,向未來翱翔的希望!他的歌聲獲全場熱烈掌聲支持!
兩位政助任嘉賓司儀 帶動全場氣氛
新民黨培育不少政治人才,其中兩位黨友——勞福局政治助理傅曉琳女士與創新科技及工業局局長政治助理廖添誠先生,今天特別擔任嘉賓司儀,介紹新民黨邀請民政及青年事務局局長麥美娟女士、陳家珮議員與多位社區發展主任一起拍攝短片,透過遊戲介紹特區政府完善地區治理與青年發展的工作。
副主席容海恩議員則與律政司副司長張國鈞先生拍攝短片,與年輕黨員一同進行「特別任務」,讓各位投入「飛躍灣區之旅」,認識大灣區的專業資格互認,共同融入大灣區建設。
新民黨非常感謝地區義工一直支持,默默付出,新民黨今天特別表揚傑出義工,李梓敬議員在台上與獲嘉許的傑出義工大合照,向他們表達謝意。
新民黨感謝各界人士的出席與支持,希望未來會延續服務香港的精神,也祝願香港更快融入國家發展大局,經濟社會等繼續平穩發展。至於今天的黨慶典禮活動至近下午五時三十分圓滿結束,全場氣氛熱烈歡樂。
葉劉淑儀12周年黨慶致辭
容海恩12 周年黨慶致辭
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Worst may be over for HK
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Regina Ip says the economy is bouncing back and Hong Kong has regained leading rankings in many global financial and competitiveness surveys, but the government must pursue technological and political innovation to see the city thrive
In the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong enters a world that is more perilous than ever, with US President Donald Trump threatening tariffs against key trading partners and intensifying technological competition with China. Comments from Chinese officials that there are “no winners” in a trade war drop strong hints that China would not hesitate to retaliate if it is targeted.
Hong Kong is powerless to put brakes on a trade or tech war, but when it comes to troubles roiling the city, the worst might be over.
Top on the list is the controversy over national security. Although Hong Kong is constitutionally required to implement national security legislation, the national security law Beijing enacted for Hong Kong in 2020 sparked a spate of sanctions, travel warnings and a precipitous plunge in Hong Kong’s relationship with the West.
Nearly five years after the enactment of the law, Hong Kong could be close to turning the corner. “National security first” remains the government’s credo, but hints of change could be seen in Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung’s letter to The Wall Street Journal on comments former US vice-president Mike Pence made at a business conference in Hong Kong last month.
After complaining about Pence’s “despicable” attempt at “political manipulation”, Tang concluded by saying, “The above notwithstanding, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government always strengthens ties and exchanges with different countries, including the US.
“Indeed, despite political differences in recent years, Hong Kong and the US continue to enjoy mutually respectful and beneficial business and social ties. Our city will continue to serve as the most effective bridge linking our motherland with the rest of the world for years to come”. This is a significant change in tone portending a more nuanced strategy towards the city’s critics.
On the economic front, Hong Kong is on the mend. The stock market is bouncing back. According to Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, a pipeline of 100 companies are waiting to be listed. Visitor arrivals are up more than 30 per cent compared to 2023, and various schemes have helped to fill Hong Kong’s talent gap. In addition, Hong Kong has regained leading rankings in many international financial and competitiveness surveys.
The government has invested billions into research and innovation to jump-start its technological development. The high costs and many hurdles are to be expected given the late start. There are three areas the government must prioritise to catch up with global developments.
First, priority must be accorded to the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in and outside government. As AI applications thrive on open data and algorithms, the government should accelerate the implementation of its open data and cross-boundary data transfer policies agreed with the rest of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, to enable promising sectors such as healthcare and finance to flourish.
Second, to fortify Hong Kong’s position as a global financial centre, Hong Kong must not lose out in financial innovations, especially in digital finance. As the only part of China authorised to trade, invest and manage digital assets, Hong Kong should make full use of its mandate to play a greater role in stimulating the cryptocurrency industry.
One million cryptocurrency tokens are created every week, according to Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. The frenzy around cryptocurrency shows no sign of abating despite its risks. The government needs to push ahead with suitable relaxation of its regulatory regime to protect investors as well as attract more blockchain talent and cryptocurrency start-ups to Hong Kong.
Finally, innovation is not possible without the necessary talent. The government has tried to bring in talent with more diverse skills since the introduction of an accountability system for key government officials in 2002.
Yet despite further development through creating new positions of deputy directors of bureau and political assistants in 2008, the accountability system has failed to live up to expectations.
Part of the problem stems from the concession the government made to the civil service to preserve their grip on power when the accountability system was expanded in 2008. A 2007 consultation paper states squarely that the new deputy directors and political assistants “have no direct line of command vis-a-vis the permanent secretaries”. They were intended to assist bureau directors in the discharge of political duties, seen at that time as comprising mainly lobbying for legislative support, handling the media and attending events on behalf of bureau directors.
Because of this limitation, many deputy directors were unable to pick up more knowledge of government business or exert control over departments. Those who joined without the relevant professional knowledge or background were particularly weak and disadvantaged.
The world is changing so rapidly that more forward-thinking leaders with up-to-date technological know-how, international experience and political skills are necessary to assist the chief executive to implement reform and stay competitive. All governments need reinforcement and, from time to time, a shake-up.
While a sweeping, Trump-style Department of Government Efficiency might be counterproductive, an appropriate dose of creative disruption at this critical time would do the government much good.
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香港發展醫療產業有優勢嗎?(二)/ Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 2)
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我在去年12 月到泰國旅遊, 同行的年輕人在旅遊途中進行了一次體檢。她在Instagram 上看到泰國康民國際醫院(Bumrungrad International Hospital)的資訊,說是設備完善的龍頭醫院,體檢套餐只需約22,300 泰銖(大約5000 港元),相比起香港同類的體檢大約要花費13,000 港元,泰國便宜得多,因此,「旅遊體檢」在泰國相當受歡迎。
泰國康民國際醫院是由我的行會前同僚陳智思先生的家族經營。體檢當天,他安排醫院同事帶我參觀這家佔地70,262 平方米的醫院,分別提供門診、住院治療、專科及手術等不同服務。我留意到,這家醫院的顧客來自世界各地。為了便利來自世界各地的顧客,醫院僱用了超過100 位專職國際語言的翻譯人員,並且與泰國移民局合作,每周都會有官員到醫院為持有醫生醫療證明的病人和家屬辦理簽證延期。膳食方面,醫院提供各種菜式,醫院附近亦有不少清真餐廳供中東顧客選擇。
回說香港,香港因為土地昂貴,難以興建像泰國康民國際醫院那樣的大型醫院。雖然特區政府曾於2009 年預留4 幅土地用於發展私營醫院,但也只有兩幅土地成功建成港怡醫院及香港中文大學醫院。
中文大學醫院行政總裁馮康醫生曾向我表示,他期望該院能夠提供廣大市民可負擔的中價醫療服務,藉以減輕公營醫療體系的負擔。聽起來這是很好的模式,可是新冠疫情對該院構成沉重的財政壓力,3 年來求診人數低迷。在醫療成本高、使用率低的困局下,中文大學醫院至今未能向特區政府償還數十億的貸款,可見要在土地供應不足、營運成本昂貴的香港發展醫療產業,相當困難。
Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 2)
During my trip to Thailand in December last year, one of the young people in my group underwent a medical check-up while traveling. She came across information about Bumrungrad International Hospital on Instagram, describing it as a well-equipped leading hospital where a medical check-up package costs only about 22,300 Thai Baht (approximately 5,000 Hong Kong dollars), which is much cheaper compared to similar check-ups in Hong Kong, which cost around 13,000 Hong Kong dollars. Therefore, "tourist check-ups" are quite popular in Thailand.
Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand is operated by the family of my former colleague, Mr. Bernatd Charnwut Chan. On the day of the check-up, he arranged for a hospital staff member to give me a tour of this hospital spanning 70,262 square meters, offering various services such as outpatient care, inpatient treatment, specialties, and surgeries. I noticed that the hospital's clientele comes from all over the world. To facilitate customers from around the globe, the hospital employs over 100 full-time international language translators and collaborates with the Thai Immigration Bureau, with officials visiting the hospital weekly to assist patients and their families holding medical certificates with visa extensions. Regarding meals, the hospital offers a variety of dishes, and there are also many Halal restaurants near the hospital for Middle Eastern customers to choose from.
Speaking of Hong Kong, due to expensive land prices, it is challenging to build large hospitals like Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand. Although the SAR government reserved four plots of land in 2009 for the development of private hospitals, only two plots have been successfully developed into Hong Kong Baptist Hospital and the Chinese University Hospital.
Dr. Fung Hong, the CEO of the Chinese University Hospital, once told me that he hopes the hospital can provide affordable mid-priced medical services to the general public to alleviate the burden on the public healthcare system. While this sounds like a good model, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant financial pressure on the hospital, with low patient numbers over the past three years. In the face of high medical costs and low utilization rates, the Chinese University Hospital has yet to repay the tens of billions in loans to the SAR government. It is evident that developing the medical industry in Hong Kong, with limited land supply and high operating costs, is quite challenging.
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香港發展醫療產業有優勢嗎?(一)/ Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 1)
文章
香港目前的經濟增長未如理想,政府去年10 月公布,2024 年首三季合計的本地生產總值較2023 年同期僅實質上升2.6%;而近日財政司長則公開表示,財政赤字近1000 億元,有專家指出,若非計入發行了1300 億的債券,財赤其實達2300 億。
經濟學家經常提及推動本港經濟有「三頭馬車」(即出口、消費額、整體投資),雖然香港整體的貨物出口量及整體投資開支都有所增長,但消費額卻持續下跌。要實現收支平衡,特區政府既需採取果斷措施「滅赤」,也要妥善運用現有資源推動經濟發展,刺激消費,特區政府大力推動盛事經濟及爭取中央重新啟動內地居民「一簽多行」,的確令人流有所增長。
1997 年,香港遇上亞洲金融風暴,經濟低迷,特區政府一度考慮推動醫療產業來刺激經濟。2009 年,特區政府更把醫療產業納入「六大優勢產業」,但多年來未見有顯著的實際發展。
理論上,香港是有條件發展醫療產業的。香港中文大學和香港大學的醫學院均於全球醫學領域享有較高名次(排名28 及31);同時擁有不少研發專家和人才;在一些專科領域,香港的診治技術更是世界一流。
2009 年,特區政府預留4 幅分別位於黃竹坑、將軍澳、大埔及大嶼山的土地用於發展私營醫院。其中,位於黃竹坑的港怡醫院及在馬料水的香港中文大學醫院均已落成並投入服務。不過,香港中文大學醫院因營運收益未如理想,已向特區政府申請延遲償還政府貸款。
我的行會同僚陳智思曾向我提及,他的家族在泰國經營的泰國康民醫院(Bumrungrad International Hospital),相當成功,有「泰版養和醫院」之稱。他認為香港缺乏土地及醫護人手,較難像泰國那樣發展醫療產業。至於泰國為何能蓬勃發展醫療產業,讓我們下回分解。
Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 1)
Hong Kong's current economic growth has not been as ideal. The government announced last October that the GDP value for the first three quarters of 2024 had only increased by 2.6% compared to the same period in 2023. Recently, the Financial Secretary publicly stated that the fiscal deficit is close to 100 billion Hong Kong dollars. Experts have pointed out that if the issuance of 130 billion in bonds is not taken into account, the actual deficit would be 230 billion.
Economists often mention the three pillars for driving the local economy, namely exports, consumption, and overall investment. While Hong Kong has seen growth in both total merchandise exports and overall investment spending, consumption has continued to decline. To achieve fiscal balance, the SAR government needs to take decisive measures to address the deficit and effectively utilize existing resources to drive economic development and stimulate consumption. The SAR government is vigorously promoting event-based economics and striving for the re-initiation of the "multiple entry permit" for mainland residents, which has indeed led to an increase in visitor numbers.
In 1997, Hong Kong faced the Asian financial crisis, which led to an economic downturn. The SAR government once considered promoting the medical industry to stimulate the economy. In 2009, the SAR government even included the medical industry in the "six major advantageous industries," but there has been no significant practical development over the years.
In theory, Hong Kong has the conditions to develop the medical industry. The medical schools at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong both enjoy high rankings in the global medical field (28th and 31st, respectively). Hong Kong also has many research and development experts and talents, and in some specialized fields, its diagnostic and treatment techniques are world-class.
In 2009, the SAR government reserved four plots of land in Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po, and Lantau Island for the development of private hospitals. Among them, the the Gleneagles Hospital in Wong Chuk Hang and the Chinese University Hospital in Ma Liu Shui have been completed and put into service. However, the Chinese University Hospital has applied to the SAR government for a delay in repaying government loans due to lower-than-expected operational revenue.
My colleague, Bernard Charnwut Chan, once mentioned to me that his family operates the Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand, which is quite successful and known as the "Thai version of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital." He believes that Hong Kong lacks land and healthcare personnel, making it more challenging to develop the medical industry like Thailand. As for why Thailand has been able to thrive in developing the medical industry, let's delve into that next time.
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