The View | A Hong Kong in survival mode must also plan for new economic growth
- As the fifth wave recedes, both government and corporate sector must continue to help individuals and struggling businesses, but also prepare for the recovery
- Hong Kong also needs to shift from survival to investing in future growth, while still being prepared for the sixth wave
Hong Kong is slowly emerging from the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and the government has committed to relaxing some of the restrictions that have isolated us from the rest of the world. But despite the improved outlook, there is still much to be done.
Although we can justifiably hope that we have passed the turning point, many people and businesses are still struggling: their financial and personal resources are exhausted after more than two years of lockdowns and isolation, and they are weighed down by a still-uncertain future.
And the corporate sector has also stepped up. From the HK$43 million (US$4.5 million) in prizes donated by members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce to encourage people to get vaccinated; to the HK$170 million given by The Hongkong Bank Foundation; to the countless small business owners who have dipped into their savings to keep their staff employed, Hong Kong’s business sector has contributed generously to help our communities get through some of the toughest days the territory has known.
And we cannot afford to stop now. Despite the light on the horizon, many people and businesses are still suffering and will continue to struggle until we are fully back to normal.
The government, the commercial sector and communities need to continue to provide help, both to make sure that those the recovery has not reached are given the assistance they need, and to make sure that businesses have the resources they need for recovery and growth.
