In last year’s policy address, incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam unveiled a plan to restructure several government policy bureaus. She proposed breaking up the present Transport and Housing Bureau, enlarging the current Innovation and Technology Bureau to become the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and forming a brand new Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau.
Chief Executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu has expressed his support for this restructuring plan, in addition to proposing to add three deputy secretaries in administration, justice and finance.
Explaining the scheme last year, Lam said her idea was to allow the relevant bureaus to focus more sharply on policy and to meet “social expectations”. Indeed, to many people, some of the proposed revamps are long overdue.
An obvious example is the Transport and Housing Bureau. To many, myself included, transport and housing look rather disparate. It is more logical for the Development Bureau to merge with a housing bureau, tying in land procurement with housing and urban development.
A housing estate in Ngau Tau Kok earmarked for redevelopment. Photo: May Tse
The rationale for any government restructuring, like ordinary corporate restructuring, is to save costs, consolidate resources, streamline workload, raise efficiency and allow for more focus on new products. These factors are relevant, but not critical.
To me, two often-overlooked factors that drive department restructuring are the ability to create synergy and to promote the cross-fertilisation of industries which at first glance might not seem complementary but could certainly be so. Establishing a Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau is a salient example.
I wholeheartedly support the creation of such a bureau; it serves as a concrete recognition of the role each of these sectors plays in Hong Kong’s social and economic development.
Hong Kong’s dynamic arts and culture sector is thriving, with dozens of museums and performing venues, and many local and international art galleries. The sector is growing in prominence, with the Hong Kong Palace Museum soon to open at the West Kowloon Cultural District, one of the world’s largest arts and culture development projects. This landmark is a direct reflection of the central government’s pledge in its 14th five-year plan to support Hong Kong’s development into a hub for cross-border and international arts and cultural exchange.
With construction almost complete, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is expected to open this year. Photo: Nora Tam
The new bureau will also be in a better position to coordinate with relevant athletic associations and sports groups, and to consolidate and manage resources to support the city’s athletes, who have delivered remarkable performances in recent years. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, fencer Cheung Ka-long made history for Hong Kong by winning its second gold medal. Siobhan Haughey picked up two silver medals in swimming, a first for Hong Kong’s swimmers.
Tourism is one of Hong Kong’s pillar industries, employing thousands of people. Had it not been for Covid-19, the sector would have continued to contribute strongly towards economic growth. This proposed new bureau could play a key role in reinvigorating the battered industry after the pandemic.
However, the most profound change that I foresee is the synergy that a Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau can create between these three sectors. For example, sports tourism is now recognised as a highly lucrative area within the tourism sector. This explains why many countries are eager to host major international sporting events such as the Fifa World Cup and Rugby World Cup.
Cultural tourism, too, is a rapidly growing market, contributing to heritage preservation and catering to the interests of a new generation of travellers.
Nonetheless, any overhaul of governmental structure must ultimately benefit society and the economy. I would suggest that the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau work closely with another new bureau in the making, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, to foster synergy. Nowadays, rarely can any industry sector avoid using technology, be it education or medicine, entertainment or the arts. In sports, athletes have embraced virtual reality training, while non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have transformed the arts world.
This restructuring will undoubtedly bring about a wave of opportunities for arts, culture, sports and technology to coalesce for the benefit of Hong Kong.
Ken Chu is group chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group and a national committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
