Against the backdrop of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic and the developmental problems, whipping the governance into better shape has become an increasingly urgent task for every level of the administration in the Special Administrative Region. The sixth-term government aims at transforming its team of civil servants, which has been touted as a diligent functional group, into goal-achievers to win the hearts and minds of the city’s residents.
The word “governance” is originally derived from the verb “to govern”, meaning to steer, direct and rule. The meaning of governance is about setting rules and procedures for directing or running an organization. Hong Kong, after the double whammy of the 2019 civil unrest and COVID-19 pandemic, aspires to stimulate a round of new economic miracles buttressed by an effective governance system.
Achieving good governance has always been a key target of each administration of the special administrative region. Every chief executive pinned their hopes on good governance, and many scholars have started research on what constitutes a good governance model for Hong Kong and what can be improved for achieving better governance. Each chief executive has done their part, yet more efforts need to be made for better results.
The governance model suitable for Hong Kong is complex and multidimensional. But above all, there is a precondition for Hong Kong to achieve good governance: The process of decision-making should have these three elements: the inclusion and involvement of various private sectors, cooperative forms of governance modes, and building greater public trust.
“Government” is about the exercise of authority and ruling under the institutional arrangements; “governance” is about inclusion of broader communities, including private firms, non-governmental organizations and social associations. To achieve prosperity, Hong Kong needs a robust business community whose voices need to be heard, and its involvements need to be strengthened. To break the illusion that business elites have enjoyed a predominance in the political decision-making process and have failed to take public interests into consideration, the new administration should be more inclusive by involving various sectors in the process of decision-making for the sake of a closer partnership between public and private interests in solving collective problems.
One of the sectors that will deserve the government’s inclusion in formulating a better governance model is the vast professional community in Hong Kong. Equipped with professional knowledge and etiquette, members of this sector, especially young professionals, are good at devising institutional arrangements and providing professionalized opinions in terms of public policy. With no vested interests, the young professionals more ardently seek mutual interest for a wider political spectrum of society. To address the woes of residents, the government can enhance its ability to respond proactively and creatively to current problems and crises by engaging professional bodies and young people in the policy decision process. The principle of inclusion is of paramount importance for the current SAR government to adopt for achieving a better collaboration over the building of good governance under a public-private partnership.
Governance is a concept with various modes implementable in certain distinctive situations at different localities. Each mode intermingles and leads to different configurations or patterns amid the complexity of the environment and the institutional contexts that define interactions between public and private actors in the pursuit of their interests and goals. Hong Kong needs to figure out its unique governance mode that will regulate markets well and ensure standards while injecting the energy and motivation for further socioeconomic development. The government should take a more cooperative form of governance instead of having an inflexible top-down command model. Ultimately, good governance might take different forms, with public and private actors playing their distinctive but complementary roles. Governance can be taken as an end in itself or as a means to promote sustainable development in both social administration organs and society as a whole. In this regard, we must be mindful of the change of modes that suit the current timing, social atmosphere, and developmental stage.
Different contexts led to different processes and institutional arrangements that underpinned the role of the development stage for achieving a better governance. The Hong Kong SAR government should take a SWOT (i.e., strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis to review its strengths and weaknesses. The Worldwide Governance Indicators project aggregates data to find out the six dimensions of means of governance, including voice and accountability, public stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. We have a set of good traditions that contribute to governance efficiency, and that we should maintain to keep our competitive edge. We are zero-tolerant on corruption with a high-pay policy for officeholders, and the rule of law is still extremely treasured in our society. Now with the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, violence is no longer a worry for the public, and stability has been restored. Accountability and effectiveness have room for improvement, which are crucial to public trust. At the end of the day, public trust is where good governance should lead. Public trust cannot be gained overnight and will take a long time to strengthen. The government needs to start by communicating effectively with all stakeholders and show its sincerity to build a bridge of trust for better engagement.
Now, with the new administration in place, it is time for the government to embrace a new model of good governance with a public-private partnership to leverage the vast communities, including the young professionals, and be flexible to adjust the better governance mode for society. At the end of the day, trust must be obtained for the government to lead Hong Kong to stability and prosperity. Trust between the government and the citizens constitutes a crucial factor in boosting the governance capacity, which is essential for good governance.
The author, a radiologist, is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Coalition and a council member of the Chinese Young Entrepreneurs Association.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.