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Opinion | Policy address puts Hong Kong back in the race for global talent
- Comprehensive plans include a government-led recruitment drive, new and streamlined visa schemes and strikingly, a stamp duty refund
- But perks are not enough. Hong Kong’s innovation, technology and related industries must also grow to complement talent attraction schemes in the long run
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The global race to attract and retain talent has intensified in the last few years with the rapid development of the innovation and technology sector, which has come to be seen as a key driver of economic growth.
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Many developing countries have joined this race by rolling out measures and policies to lure talent with specialised knowledge and skills in an effort to jump-start their technology sector. Hong Kong, with its mature economy, cannot afford to lose out in this global battle for talent.
Hong Kong must maintain and enhance its supply of high-end talent and experienced, knowledgeable professionals. But we face tremendous challenges in maintaining our workforce, let alone retaining skilled labour and high-calibre professionals, due to our fast-ageing society, declining birth rate and increasing migration.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu acknowledged that Hong Kong’s workforce has shrunk by around 140,000 over the past two years. A recent survey by Our Hong Kong Foundation, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong found that over 70 per cent of mainland hi-tech professionals admitted to Hong Kong via the Technology Talent Admission Scheme did not plan to stay beyond five years. This is a dangerous sign of Hong Kong’s attractiveness, or lack thereof, in the race to lure and retain talent.
To tackle the talent crunch head on, Lee has unveiled several new initiatives, some of which are very decisive and targeted.
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For instance, he proposes setting up a special unit not only to formulate strategies to entice talent from the mainland and countries around the world, but also to offer them one-stop support services.
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