Hong Kong: Hong KongThe U.S. leader on Wednesday unveiled a new visa scheme to lure global talent, as the city seeks to stop a brain drain that has threatened its status as an international financial hub.
Chief Executive John Lee said new top talent pass scheme Will allow graduates from the world’s top universities and graduates from the world’s top universities to work or pursue opportunities in the city for two years, earning an annual salary of 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars (318,472) or more.
His bid to attract talent to Hong Kong comes as hundreds of thousands of residents have left the city in recent years, following the implementation of a tough national security law as well as strict COVID-19 entry Driven by ongoing political action and less freedom. restrictions that were in place for most of the pandemic.
Over the past two years, the city’s workforce has decreased by about 140,000 people, Lee said.
“We must be more proactive and aggressive in competing for enterprises and competing for talent,” Lee said during his first policy address on Wednesday. “In addition to actively nurturing and retaining local talent, the government will actively search for talent around the world.”
He also announced a raft of proposals – including tax exemptions and relaxed measures for hiring foreigners – to boost the city’s competitiveness, as its coronavirus restrictions dented the local economy and turned professionals away. Gave.
Processes will also be streamlined for companies to employ foreigners in designated occupations, with plans to set up a new task force to devise recruitment strategies and provide support for newcomers.
Lee, a former security chief Beijing Hong Kong’s lead is under pressure to reposition the city as a top business and financial hub, following an exodus of residents fearing that the departure of talent to rival cities such as Singapore and Dubai will continue.
According to government data in August, the city’s population in mid-2222 declined by 1.6% from a year earlier, falling by 113,200 inhabitants.
Singapore overtook Hong Kong in the rankings of global financial centers last month and in August announced a new visa that would allow skilled, high-earning foreign talent to work for multiple firms at the same time instead of a single employer. gives.
Chief Executive John Lee said new top talent pass scheme Will allow graduates from the world’s top universities and graduates from the world’s top universities to work or pursue opportunities in the city for two years, earning an annual salary of 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars (318,472) or more.
His bid to attract talent to Hong Kong comes as hundreds of thousands of residents have left the city in recent years, following the implementation of a tough national security law as well as strict COVID-19 entry Driven by ongoing political action and less freedom. restrictions that were in place for most of the pandemic.
Over the past two years, the city’s workforce has decreased by about 140,000 people, Lee said.
“We must be more proactive and aggressive in competing for enterprises and competing for talent,” Lee said during his first policy address on Wednesday. “In addition to actively nurturing and retaining local talent, the government will actively search for talent around the world.”
He also announced a raft of proposals – including tax exemptions and relaxed measures for hiring foreigners – to boost the city’s competitiveness, as its coronavirus restrictions dented the local economy and turned professionals away. Gave.
Processes will also be streamlined for companies to employ foreigners in designated occupations, with plans to set up a new task force to devise recruitment strategies and provide support for newcomers.
Lee, a former security chief Beijing Hong Kong’s lead is under pressure to reposition the city as a top business and financial hub, following an exodus of residents fearing that the departure of talent to rival cities such as Singapore and Dubai will continue.
According to government data in August, the city’s population in mid-2222 declined by 1.6% from a year earlier, falling by 113,200 inhabitants.
Singapore overtook Hong Kong in the rankings of global financial centers last month and in August announced a new visa that would allow skilled, high-earning foreign talent to work for multiple firms at the same time instead of a single employer. gives.