The new term of Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU) Expert Group held its first plenary meeting on Wednesday to voice their professional views and suggestions for the CE’s Policy Address, the third in John Lee Ka-chiu’s tenure, to boost economic performance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  

The CEPU, established in 2022, was deemed to be the city’s brain, a “think tank of think tanks” to improve the effectiveness of governance. The purpose of the plenary session was to solicit proposals and suggestions for the Policy Address from the city's foremost leaders and experts.

The CEPU, with its insightful views covering various trades and professions, has played a key role in policy research and studies, according to the source of the government.

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Many of the policies put forward in last year’s Policy Address, such as building Hong Kong into an international tertiary education hub and promoting the establishment of the University of Applied Sciences, are the brainchild of CEPU members.

Nick Chan Hiu-fung, a lawyer and director of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, envisaged Hong Kong entrepreneurs’ rushing to Asian countries to ride the wave of “Asia Rising”. Reshaping the supply chain and improving professional services across different jurisdictions should be included in the Policy Address, Chan said.

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It was believed that all experts’ views would be “carefully studied” and collated for a comprehensive Policy Address.