The Chamber fully supports the Government’s efforts to streamline statutory processes in the Northern Metropolis (NM) through the introduction of dedicated legislation. We regard the NM as a key pillar in shaping Hong Kong’s future and advancing its long-term, high-quality socio-economic development under the National 15th Five-Year Plan. As a flagship initiative, it will play an important strategic role in deepening Hong Kong’s integration with the Greater Bay Area, while reinforcing its position as an international financial and innovation hub.
We welcome the Government’s proposed measures, including those aimed at enhancing the efficiency of planning and land administration, accelerating construction timelines, and facilitating smoother business operations. At the same time, we highlight several additional priority areas for the Government’s consideration, including strengthening international awareness and investment promotion, expediting project delivery and enhancing governance, advancing innovation-ready infrastructure, leveraging AI to develop a smart metropolis, incorporating sustainability benchmarks, and cultivating and empowering next-generation talent and stakeholders. Our submission underscores the importance of a comprehensive framework that ensures long-term commercial sustainability, while appropriately balancing the interests of investors, operators, and end-users of the NM mega-project.