Innovation waits for no one
Updated: 2015-07-22 07:53
By Chan Tak-leung(HK Edition)
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Chan Tak-leung writes that the legislators blocking the ITB need to realize how out of step they are with the developed world and stop sabotaging the city's future
Hong Kong people suffered yet another disappointment last week as the Legislative Council's Finance Committee failed to agree on the funding for the establishment of the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) - despite the fact that the committee had been allocated extra time in order to complete debates on funding requests for various projects.
Whether Hong Kong will eventually get its ITB will have to wait until October when the LegCo returns after the summer recess. There are still uncertainties, as "pan-democrat" legislators may continue their filibustering tactics when the Finance Committee meets. Their opposition, however, was not because Hong Kong does not need the ITB to lead and support its growth in innovation and technology. It was out of sheer spite toward Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who made the creation of the ITB one of the priorities for his administration when he took office in 2012.
"Time waits for no one" is an age-old saying we are all familiar with. In the field of innovation and technology the saying rings particularly true, as further delays in this field will only hinder economic growth for the city and diminish Hong Kong's ability to compete in the global market. It will also send the wrong signal to local and overseas investors, innovators and young people who want to capitalize on the opportunities that such investment and support would create.
I thought legislators, like members of parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom or senators and representatives in the United States Congress, were supposed to get themselves elected in order to serve the best interests of their electorates by monitoring the executive arm of government. However, "pan-democrat" legislators in Hong Kong's LegCo are hell-bent on blocking any innovative policies put forward by the government. It seems they are now left with only one word in their vocabulary when they attend meetings - and that is "NO".
One can look around the global stage and find little, if anything, similar to what Hong Kong's "pan-democrat" legislators are doing - opposing the government proposals continuously and consistently for no apparent reason. They are not paying any due regard to the well-being of the city and the citizens who elected them into the legislature in the first place.
To illustrate the point, let us examine how important innovation and technology is for the US. While the global success of Silicon Valley since the 1980s is self-evident, the Office of Science and Technology Policy was established by Congress as long ago as 1976 to advise successive presidents. The current incumbent in the White House emphasized this field only last year when he said, "We know the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy of tomorrow." In 2015, President Barack Obama earmarked $135.4 billion out of the federal budget for research and development alone.
Similarly in Britain, a Technology Strategy Board (now known as Innovate UK) was established in 2007 by the Labour government. Two years later, it merged two departments into the current Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), with one single and determined objective - to build Britain's capabilities to compete in the global market. Despite the change of leadership in 2010, the Conservative-led government continued to invest in innovation and technology. It funded the setting up of Tech City UK, a non-profit organization providing a direct line between businesses and government over the last five years.
Britain's innovation and technology sector has capitalized on its proximity to Europe and delivered higher productivity, and created jobs and exports as a result. Over the last five years alone, the sector has contributed over 7 billion pounds (about HK$85 billion) of extra value to the economy and created over 35,000 jobs.
Hong Kong, with its prime and enviable location in East Asia, could certainly benefit from a thriving innovation and technology sector. I am confident that the new ITB, once established, will bring the government, industry, academia and research sectors together to generate much-needed economic growth for the city.
Let us hope our legislators will pay more attention to the future and our next generation when they return from their summer break. Differences between the executive and the legislative arms in the governance of Hong Kong can only be resolved by better mutual understanding and dialogue. Is it not true that, as parents, we explain the pros and cons of certain actions to our children rather than saying "no" to them in blanket fashion? Likewise, for our "pan-democrat" legislators, please bear in mind that there are always two sides to a coin. Do give "yes" your serious and unbiased consideration from time to time. It is quite easy to do. Just bear in mind the well-being of the electorate and the future of the city that we love for a change.
The author is director of the Chinese in Britain Forum. He was the first-ever Chinese British citizen to be elected mayor of the Greater London Borough of Redbridge (2009-10) and served as a member of the city council for over 10 years.
(HK Edition 07/22/2015 page9)