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

     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�官守議員�集人�立法會議員）���嘉賓���朋�����事︰
 
　　大家好。今日很開心與大家共�一堂，出席「香港人��務辦公室�開幕禮。
 
　　香港�去雖然經歷了「黑暴�和世紀疫情，但憑�自身深厚根基，在「一國兩制�下集�中國優勢和環�優勢，作為人�之都的地��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「�人��措施，包括去年年底�立「人��務窗��線上平��新設「高端人�通行證計劃�，並就多項�行人�入境計劃「拆牆鬆��，主動�極從世界�地��人�來港。
 
　　我們的�績有目共�。今年首�個月，�項輸入人�計劃已共收到約�六�宗申請，當中超���宗�批。約六��人�至今已�批簽證來港，數字�超我們所定的KPI（績效指標），��年引入至少三�五��人�。
 
　　隨�越來越多的人�來港，行政長官在上星期發表任內第二份《施政報告》，宣布�立實體「人��務辦公室�。辦公室今日正�投入�作，正正是我們�力「�人��留人��的�一個里程碑。
 
　　辦公室將會本��助人�在香港長線發展為工作目標，����人�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�專組��作，�極�外推廣香港，�引更多人�來港大展拳腳。
 
　　辦公室亦會主動招攬�作夥伴，��線上線下活動和�務，為有�來港�或剛抵埗的人�，在生活�工作��女教育等�方�作出�切支�，讓他們更好�應香港環境。
 
　　環顧全�，人�爭奪戰�然激烈。今年《施政報告》�下一城，繼續全力貫徹「�人��留人��，多項措施包括擴大「高端人�通行證計劃�大學�單�放寬簽證 ，以至為外來人�的置業�花稅實施「先�後徵�措施等。
 
　　我充滿信心，「香港人��務辦公室�連��項「�人��留人��措施，將有助引領香港�為國際人�樞�，為國家高質�發展作出新貢�。
 
     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.