Exclusive | Lessons learned have helped to improve policy initiatives, Hong Kong leader John Lee says

Chief Executive John Lee tells Post that U-turn on controversial waste-charging scheme was a learning experience rather than a policy failure

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Chief Executive John Lee says he is satisfied with the performance of his governing team. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 11:30am, 27 Jun 2024Updated: 4:27pm, 29 Jun 2024

After two years in office as Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu says he has learned lessons on the job that have taught his administration to adjust or improve policy initiatives based on better understanding of public interest and acceptability.

In the case of the U-turn his government made in shelving plans to introduce a controversial household waste-charging scheme in the face of public confusion and concern about affordability and implementation, Lee told the Post in an exclusive interview that he saw it as a learning experience to make the right decision at the end of the day rather than a policy failure.

“You learn, I learn, right? And that is the way to make improvements,” he said. “And there is a Chinese saying, when three people get together, there is already a teacher.”

Lee said his administration had tried to develop the waste-charging scheme starting from “almost zero”, such as having to provide far more food waste-collection facilities at designated housing estates.

“I think the foundation [laid by previous administrations] was a very low and unfulfilled one … [trying to catch up fast] wasn’t enough. So we have to be realistic, and be able to appreciate the real situation, and then think of the right way to deal with it,” he said.