GBA offers chance to join giant ‘sharing’ economy

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gives people in Hong Kong a chance to join a “sharing” economy on a grand scale — sharing with other centers in the large, fastgrowing region, delegates to the two sessions said in Beijing on Friday.

People in Hong Kong need to realize the importance of the GBA and not miss the opportunity the national development brings, the delegates said.

The GBA is “an important channel” for Hong Kong to integrate into the country’s rapid development, said Irons Sze Wing-wai, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body.

Local people in the city could easily participate in the grand plan given that language, culture and living habits in the region are similar, he added.

He made the remarks when meeting with the media in Beijing on Friday, along with two other Hong Kong delegates.

“At the present, many people are talking about the concept of ‘sharing’, like sharing economy. In fact, ‘sharing’ is also an important element in bay area cooperation.”

By sharing strengths and advantages with each other, GBA cities will enjoy mutual benefits and achieve complementary growth, Sze said.

He also urged the government to establish a special department to coordinate GBA-related matters to enhance efficiency.

David Wong Yau-kar, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, believes developing the GBA will help promote Hong Kong’s economy and ease its livelihood problems.

A shortage of land, housing and labor had forced Hong Kong’s development into a bottleneck, Wong noted.

Home prices in Hong Kong are among the highest in the world. A number of industries in the city struggle to hire workers. With an aging population, meanwhile, it is grappling with the challenge of offering sufficient nursing homes to the elderly.

“This is not only an economic issue, but also an issue concerning people’s lives,” Wong said.

Integration with the mainland through the GBA platform provides a solution to the problem, as more people in Hong Kong can work and live across the boundary and enjoy social services there, he said.

But to achieve that, greater efforts have to be made on further improving policies, such as on customs procedure and taxation, so people from Hong Kong can enjoy national treatment, he added.

“When we talk about Hong Kong’s development we should not merely focus on its own economic growth, but also look at the growth of regional economy,” noted Michael Ngai Ming-tak, another CPPCC National Committee member.

“Construction of the bay area will bring benefits both for Hong Kong and the whole region,” he said.