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‘Software’

Recommendation 4: Conduct economic reviews and formulate industrial policies

The absence of strategic economic reviews and industrial blueprints creates ambiguities in cross-department coordination within
the Government on policy support for local industries. This report suggests that the Government should carry out regular economic
review and devise policies to facilitate growth of our strategic industries, such as logistics. A clear economic strategy and industrial
blueprint will provide straightforward guidance for Hong Kong's strategic land use planning, so that the land demand of the city's
strategic industries can be fulfilled in a timely and organised manner.

Recommendation 5: Establish a statutory body for the development of strategic industries
The Government should establish a statutory body dedicated to the development of strategic industries such as logistics. While the
sector already has advisory bodies, they are mostly consultative in nature and lack the necessary resources and executive power
to implement suggestions put forward by the industry. A standalone statutory body with authority to manage industrial properties
and with its own independent financial resources will be much more flexible in spearheading the development of our strategic
industries. The new statutory body does not need to start from scratch. This report recommends that the Government may consider
upgrading or consolidating the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, Hong Kong Logistics Development Council, and Hong Kong
Trade Development Council into a strategic economic statutory body to look after the future development of the logistics and other
strategic industries.

Conclusion
The coronavirus pandemic and growing geopolitical tensions have transformed the overall picture, demanding new responses from our
logistics industry. In the face of the pandemic, the industry has shown strong resilience and adapted itself to offer reliable contingency
services arising from new e-commerce demands and the need for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals. In
preparation for the potential reshuffling of the global supply chain, we believe that now is the time for the Government to face up to
its responsibilities and act in a timely manner in the interests of society and industry. With an advanced, forward-looking industrial
blueprint and policy measures to guide and support the long-term growth of our strategic industries, Hong Kong will remain a
competitive, dynamic yet sustainable economy, one that the world can count on as a dependable partner in all areas of trade and
logistics.

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