Policy Address

Set up Dedicated Teams for Attracting Businesses and Talents to Strengthen Promotion in the Mainland and Overseas

32. The Government will expand the functions of Mainland Offices and overseas ETOs. A total of 17 offices will each set up a Dedicated Team for Attracting Businesses and Talents. They will proactively reach out to target enterprises and talents, liaise with the world's top 100 universities and promote related schemes. They will also strengthen links with Hong Kong people studying or working in the Mainland or overseas, encouraging them to return to Hong Kong.

Project Manpower Requirement for Supporting the Economy

33. Many sectors in Hong Kong are facing manpower shortages. Relevant bureaux will listen to the views of the sectors and put forward solutions having regard to the situation of individual sectors. For example, on the premise that local workers' priority for employment will be safeguarded, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will launch a special scheme next year to allow the importation of care workers for residential care homes for the elderly (RCHE) and residential care homes for persons with disabilities on an appropriate scale, relax the ratio of care workers to be imported and streamline vetting procedures for applications, with a view to assisting the sector in enhancing service quality. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Transport and Logistics Bureau will review the labour shortage situation in the construction and transport sectors respectively to draw up relevant solutions.

34. The LWB will commence a new round of manpower projections to help the Government formulate appropriate strategies to address the overall manpower demand. We will enhance the methodology, including shortening the projection period from 10 years previously to 5 years to reflect the trends in our economic and labour markets in a more timely manner. Key findings will be available in 2024.