Policy Address
Attracting Talents
Building up a Talent Pool
149. Confronted with the challenges brought by a rapidly ageing population and a declining fertility rate, Hong Kong will face a bottleneck in manpower supply. As a small economy, Hong Kong cannot meet the needs of economic development simply by nurturing local talents. We need to attract non-local talents more proactively to enrich our talent pool, promote high-end economic development and seize the development opportunities as provided under the 14th Five-Year Plan and in the GBA.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
150. Following the Government’s announcement last year to double the annual quota under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme to 2 000 in an attempt to expand the talent pool of Hong Kong, over 1 700 talents from more than a dozen of countries and regions were approved with a quota. I have decided to double the annual quota of the Scheme to 4 000 to attract talents from all over the world to work in Hong Kong.
Talent List
151. The first Talent List of Hong Kong was promulgated by the Government in 2018. Upon the completion of a review recently, we decide to add the new professions of “financial professionals in compliance in asset management” and “professionals in Environmental, Social and Governance” to the list. We will also expand the scope of some existing professions to include experts of “medical and healthcare sciences”, “microelectronics”, “integrated circuit design” and “arts technology” and refine the requirements on legal and dispute resolution professionals, with a view to complementing Hong Kong’s future policy direction to develop the key areas of finance, I&T, arts and culture, as well as dispute resolution services. In addition, through the network of our ETOs and Mainland Offices, we will assist relevant bureaux in attracting talents to work in Hong Kong.
Financial Services Talents
152. As an international financial centre with mutual access to the Mainland’s capital market, Hong Kong has a huge demand for financial services personnel. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will collaborate with the EDB and the LWB to explore the development of professional qualification standards under the Qualifications Framework for the Fintech sector, so as to provide a clearer and recognised professional development pathway for employers and practitioners in the industry. Meanwhile, more courses related to finance will be included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund to attract more talents to join the industry.
