Tourists take photos of a performer at the Wan Chai waterfront in Hong Kong, July 8, 2023. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

The Liberal Party said this year’s Policy Address should emphasize boosting the city’s once-bustling nightlife and luring more high-end overseas professionals, with the goal of accelerating the city’s economic recovery and maintaining its competitiveness.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will release his second Policy Address on Oct 25, and several political parties have submitted their suggestions to Lee. On Sunday, Lee held the first District Forum for this year’s Policy Address, to directly collect opinions from local residents. A similar activity is expected to be held on Sunday.

Hailing the government’s Top Talent Pass Scheme, Liberal Party Chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan called for a complete exemption of the Buyer’s Stamp Duty to further lure professionals

Liberal Party Chairman Peter Shiu Ka-fai said that the protracted COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected Hong Kong’s nightlife and reduced Chinese mainland visitors’ incentive to stay in the city overnight.

READ MORE: HK eyes radical move to revive once thriving nightlife scene

Shiu suggested establishing regular specialty markets in suitable areas and opening night markets in locations such as the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the West Kowloon Cultural District.

In the long term, the government could consider establishing large-scale night markets similar to those in Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan region, Shui said. Officials could also encourage various industries to jointly boost the night economy by, for example, introducing discounted prices for midnight movie screenings, he said.

He added that the catering industry has limited manpower, resulting in late openings or early closures, and the government should study measures to address the issue to support nighttime activities.

Regarding the conflicting interests between night markets and other restaurants that need to pay the rent, Shiu said that what night markets offer are more than food; they can also encompass exhibitions, performances, etc.

The goal of these measures is to encourage people to go out at night, which will also help drive consumption in the catering industry, he added.

The party also stressed the importance of attracting more overseas professionals to ease the city’s shortage.

Hailing the government’s Top Talent Pass Scheme, Liberal Party Chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan called for a complete exemption of the Buyer’s Stamp Duty to further lure professionals.

He also suggested that the property market’s harsh measures should be completely canceled to stabilize the property market and increase residents’ consumption power.

Party Vice-Chairman Michael Lee Chun-keung proposed attracting more high-end medical professionals to Hong Kong to alleviate the city’s shortage in this area. He said these professionals could provide services on infertility treatment and prenatal consultations to cater to the needs of society, especially of high-income families.

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau told a radio program on Sunday that an increasing number of young doctors have left public hospitals and transitioned to private practice.

He also shared the development of the government’s overseas recruitment of medical talents in the United Kingdom and Australia, disclosing that the first batch of recruited foreign doctors is expected to practice in Hong Kong in September.

READ MORE: Survey: 75% of HK enterprises face talent shortage

To reduce the livelihood burden of local residents and boost their willingness of having children, the party advised the authority to offer tax deductions related to hiring foreign domestic helpers, which would benefit the over 300,000 households in Hong Kong that hire helpers.

They said that the tax deduction could be based on the minimum wage of foreign domestic helpers, which is HK$4,730 ($604). The deductible amount for employers should be set at HK$56,760, helpers’ minimum annual salary.

The party explained that this proposal aims to encourage young families to hire foreign domestic helpers after the families have children, and to release more of the city’s female labor force into the job market.