Government officials and legislators conducted in-depth discussions on topics including the development of tourism hotspots and the promotion of the silver economy during the 17th Ante Chamber Exchange Session on Wednesday. They also proposed improvements to the discussion mechanism to make the exchanges more focused.

When discussing the topic of the silver economy, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah said that two meetings had been held and in-depth research had been conducted. The authorities aim to introduce the first clear policy or plan during the first half of the year.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu proposed in his 2024 Policy Address the establishment of the Advisory Panel on Silver Economy, which is chaired by Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hing, and the panel held its first meeting in November.

Cheuk earlier said that the silver economy offers vast market and business opportunities, and that consumption by the elderly should be promoted. He added that industries should be developed to unleash the consumption power and labor capabilities of the elderly.

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He also said that strengthening job matching for the elderly could help alleviate labor shortages.

In terms of the development of the sports industry, legislator Vincent Cheng Wing-shun said that the traffic arrangements and crowd management for the test events at Kai Tak Sports Park had been commendable, though some minor issues, such as with the catering arrangements, still need to be addressed.

Cheng also said that this year will see numerous large-scale sports competitions and cultural arts events, adding that he hopes the authorities will better leverage the sports economy.

On tourism development, lawmaker Brave Chan Yung said that the authorities should use the public spaces on both sides of Victoria Harbour to host panda economy events during holiday periods to attract tourists from around the world.

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Attending the meeting for the first time since assuming office, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said she had heard many suggestions regarding the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 and the Kai Tak Sports Park, and added that she expects to see positive outcomes in the future.

Law also mentioned that she would listen to proposals on how to develop Hong Kong's beautiful straits and islands into tourist attractions, thereby providing additional popular tourism spots in Hong Kong.

Cheuk said during the press briefing after the session that the format of the next ante chamber exchange session would be optimized. Currently, the session is conducted in four or six groups. To make the discussions more focused, future exchange meetings will be organized into two groups based on respective panels of the Legislative Council.

Relevant bureau chiefs and chairpersons of the panels will preside over the group discussions. They will confirm topics prior to the meetings and summarize outcomes of the discussions to reporters after the meetings.

The LegCo greatly welcomes the optimization arrangement, Lawmaker Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, who is also the president of the LegCo, said, adding that it highlights the importance the government attaches to the panels and the significance of LegCo’s role in policy formulation.

Leung said he believes the new arrangement will enable legislators and panels to follow up on relevant topics more effectively.

Contact the writer at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com