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OpinionComment
Ken Chu
Ken Chu

Opinion | Hong Kong’s government restructuring can achieve more than efficiency and cost-saving

  • An overlooked benefit of the overhaul is the ability to create synergy and to promote the cross-fertilisation of industries
  • There are ample opportunities for arts, culture, sports and technology, for example, to coalesce for the benefit of Hong Kong

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The M+ museum, the latest addition to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, on April 13. Photo: Felix Wong
Ken Chu
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.
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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
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.

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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.
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