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| The Chief Executive holds up copies of his Policy Address 2025 (Handout) |
Chief Executive John Lee has unveiled new initiatives to support ethnic minorities (EMs) during his policy address earlier today, underlining their vital role in Hong Kong society.
Among the new measures is the introduction of a pilot
project providing support and counseling services to EMS through a dedicated
service center; and a new interpretation and translation service to help them
cope with life in Hong Kong.
More EM care teams under the Home Affairs Department
will also be created, covering the North and Islands Districts, while a Youth
Network and a Women's Network will be set up in the 10 existing support service
centers.
To help EM job applicants, government departments
may also design job-oriented language tests to help them meet language proficiency
requirements. Recruitment information will be widely disseminated to attract EM
talents to the civil service.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
For students who do not speak Chinese CE Lee said
that learning materials for the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi Chinese Proficiency Test
will be extended to junior secondary levels starting in the 2026/27 school
year.
The government will also continue offering
after-school Chinese language courses and support cross-school teacher-learning
communities to enhance educational support.
Among the new measures announced by CE Lee are the
following:
1) A
series of new measures that will allow more public housing tenants to buy government-subsidized
flats, and enable those currently housed in government-subsidized flats to move
into the private property market
2) A
plan to transform Hong Kong into an international education hub by raising the
quota for non-local students at universities, developing universities of applied
sciences and speeding up the construction of a university town in the Northern
Metropolis
3)
The easing of property investment
requirements for its cash-for-residency scheme by keeping the maximum
residential property investment amount at $10 million, but lowers the
transaction price ceiling from $50 million to $30 million
4) Further
boost the birth rate by, among other things, extending the claim period for
additional child allowances for newborns from one year to two, or a total of
$260,000 incentive per child; setting up more child care centers and dedicated
counters for mothers-to-be seeking medical services,
and increasing the quota for assisted reproductive services from 1,100 to 1,500
treatment cycles in this financial year.
