Speech by CS at Hong Kong Talent Engage Office Opening Ceremony (30.10.2023)
30.10.2023

Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Hong Kong Talent Engage Office Opening Ceremony today (October 30): 尊敬的葉劉淑儀議員（行政會議非官守議員召集人、立法會議員）、各位嘉賓、各位朋友、各位同事︰ 大家好。今日很開心與大家共聚一堂，出席「香港人才服務辦公室」開幕禮。 香港過去雖然經歷了「黑暴」和世紀疫情，但憑着自身深厚根基，在「一國兩制」下集結中國優勢和環球優勢，作為人才之都的地位依然穩固。 為了增強香港發展動能，本屆政府大膽創新，制定出一系列「搶人才」措施，包括去年年底成立「人才服務窗口」線上平台、新設「高端人才通行證計劃」，並就多項現行人才入境計劃「拆牆鬆綁」，主動積極從世界各地吸納人才來港。 我們的成績有目共睹。今年首九個月，各項輸入人才計劃已共收到約十六萬宗申請，當中超過十萬宗獲批。約六萬名人才至今已獲批簽證來港，數字遠超我們所定的KPI（績效指標），即每年引入至少三萬五千名人才。 隨着越來越多的人才來港，行政長官在上星期發表任內第二份《施政報告》，宣布成立實體「人才服務辦公室」。辦公室今日正式投入運作，正正是我們着力「搶人才、留人才」的另一個里程碑。 辦公室將會本着協助人才在香港長線發展為工作目標，針對不同人才群組制定招攬和宣傳策略，並與政府內地和海外辦事處轄下的「招商引才專組」合作，積極對外推廣香港，吸引更多人才來港大展拳腳。 辦公室亦會主動招攬合作夥伴，透過線上線下活動和服務，為有意來港又或剛抵埗的人才，在生活、工作、子女教育等各方面作出適切支援，讓他們更好適應香港環境。 環顧全球，人才爭奪戰依然激烈。今年《施政報告》再下一城，繼續全力貫徹「搶人才、留人才」，多項措施包括擴大「高端人才通行證計劃」大學名單、放寬簽證 ，以至為外來人才的置業印花稅實施「先免後徵」措施等。 我充滿信心，「香港人才服務辦公室」連同各項「搶人才、留人才」措施，將有助引領香港成為國際人才樞紐，為國家高質量發展作出新貢獻。 Now, may I say a few words in English. Today's opening of the Hong Kong Talent Engage office marks a new milestone of the current-term Hong Kong Government's all-out effort to attract talent from around the world. Our effort made last year includes not only enhancement to various existing talent admission schemes, but also a newly introduced Top Talent Pass Scheme that targets high-income professionals and graduates from top-notch universities. Our effort further includes the launch of an online platform for Hong Kong Talent Engage to facilitate talent's understanding of our city, and enrolment for their interested admission schemes. The results so far have been very encouraging. In the first nine months since our new measures were introduced, we received some 160 000 applications in total under our various talent admission schemes. Over 100 000 of the applications have been approved, and around 60 000 talents have got their visas approved to come to Hong Kong. In other words, we have far exceeded our KPI (key performance indicator) of drawing at least 35 000 talents per year. As the Chief Executive announced in his second Policy Address last week, the Hong Kong Government will open the physical office of Hong Kong Talent Engage. That is alongside some other new measures, like expanding the coverage of universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, in a bid to further expand Hong Kong's talent pool. Our Hong Kong Talent Engage office will launch publicity, and offer "one-stop-shop" support, to attract talent and facilitate their settlement, together with their family members, in our city. The office will also partner with different organisations, as well as the Dedicated Teams for Attracting Businesses and Talents under the Government's Mainland and overseas offices, to get the needed information and services for the incoming talent. I have every confidence that, together with our various targeted measures, the Hong Kong Talent Engage office will help strengthen our city's status as an international talent hub and, in turn, contribute to the motherland's high-quality development. On that note, I wish you all the best of business, and health, in the year to come. Thank you. Ends/Monday, October 30, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:50 NNNN