Policy Address

7. To strengthen governance, I will establish an accountability system for Heads of Department (HoDs) by systematising and institutionalising their responsibility for their departments, and enhance the appraisal system for civil servants so that a culture of continuous improvement can take root. I will also set up the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team to drive technological reform, co-ordinating and steering government departments in the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and in the re-engineering of outdated workflows. Meanwhile, I will promote the development of AI+ with strong emphasis on safety risk prevention, and implement AI government services and facilitate the wide-scale application and development of AI across different sectors in the society to boost overall efficiency. I will also put into practice the philosophy of better integration of "an efficient market" with "a capable government", and introduce market-based business model to enhance the services of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

8. This Policy Address concludes with the most extensive chapter concerning people's livelihood. It encompasses nine critical areas which are essential to the well-being of the community, covering land and housing, transport, healthcare, social welfare, labour protection and a caring and inclusive society, under which include continuously increasing public housing supply to enrich the housing ladder; creating land for large development projects, promoting long-term economic development and addressing housing needs while increasing government land reserve; continuing healthcare reform; implementing 11 measures to support local economy, continuing the work on targeted poverty alleviation, promoting the principle of "ageing in place as the core, with institutional care as back-up", supporting and protecting workers, and establishing the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies to meet the challenges brought by ageing. These demonstrates my commitment to placing people's livelihood at the heart of governance. Indeed, economic development ultimately serves the well-being of our people, enabling them to enjoy better quality of life.

9. I would like to thank the public for their valuable opinions during the consultation exercise, and for their broad support of my policy directions and strategies. This Policy Address will elaborate on our policy objectives, key measures and key performance indicators (KPIs). A Supplement offering more details on the policy measures and related matters has also been compiled.