GOV'T TO TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES TO ADDRESS HOUSING PROBLEM
The housing problem has always been a concern for Hong Kong people as well as the SAR government.
Lam said land supply and demand is the crux of the problem; when supply is running short, the government should focus on demand management to avoid speculation on property.
In the long run, more should be done on land supply as Hong Kong, a free economy and international commercial hub, should not keep people outside, and it should welcome inflow of investment, she said.
In the future, the government will put more emphasis on land supply as this is of vital significance for housing supply, Lam said.
According to statistics, Hong Kong has about 1,100 square kilometers of land, only 26 percent of which has been developed so far.
Lam said housing is a quite important and pressing problem for Hong Kong people, so any policy in this regard should be studied carefully.
She noted she has proposed a series of measures, including setting up a task force to invite people from all walks of life to review the sources of land supply from a comprehensive and macro perspective.
Government officials should not be scared of proposing new ideas, so long as they are good for Hong Kong and good for the people here. What should be scared of is lacking innovation impetus to change the status quo, she said.
BETTER EDUCATION, MORE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
On education, Lam envisioned the next generation in Hong Kong being educated into a generation having national identity, loving Hong Kong and possessing a world view.
Lam proposed in her campaign platform an annual increase of 5 billion HK dollars (643.4 million U.S. dollars) in the government's recurrent spending on education.
However, she pointed out that taking pains to improve the educational system, including schools, teachers, curriculum design and assessment system, is even more important than increasing expenditure.
Hong Kong needs to streamline its education system and reduce pressure in a comprehensive way, she said.
"The goal of education should be to foster young people's motivation for exploring new fields and develop their capabilities to pursue innovation."
Besides assisting the young people in their education, career and getting on the property ladder, Lam also called for offering them more opportunities to participate in policy discussion and formulation.
She urged heads of departments of the SAR government to get in direct touch with young people and listen to their views on government policies and social issues.
She also proposed to include more youth into the government's various advisory commissions.
Lam has pledged to establish a high-level youth development commission to supervise the formulation and implementation of policies for youth development.
At the end of the interview, Lam, the first female chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR, said she hopes her election victory will encourage more women to actively participate in Hong Kong's public affairs.
