'Budget To Help HK Recover After Three-year Marathon'

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said the challenge he faces with the government's next budget is striking a balance between ensuring economic development and maintaining healthy public finances.

Writing on his blog, Chan said he hopes the budget will lead Hong Kong along a path of recovery, describing the SAR as having run a "marathon" over the past three years due to the pandemic.

The finance chief noted that the Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday was the first huge sports event of the year, adding that there will be more international events to come, including the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in March.

Chan said even though the border has fully reopened, there is still a big difference in the number of tourists arriving here, compared to before the pandemic.

But he said international events will attract increasing numbers of overseas and mainland visitors, which will benefit the hospitality, catering and retail sectors.

Chan will deliver his budget speech on February 22.

Last month, he said the policy direction will change as Hong Kong enters a post-pandemic era, with recent spending to stabilise the economy giving way to investing for the future.