The current SAR government has launched more than 100 public consultations, such as free television program licenses, voluntary health insurance schemes, amendments to the Copyright Ordinance, and retirement protection. However, many consultations have not only failed to gain the support and trust of the general public and young people , and even caused social controversy. A recent related study by the Youth Entrepreneurship Research Center found that many young people interviewed believed that the process of decision-makers handling consultation opinions was extremely opaque. Opinions submitted by citizens seemed to fall into a "black hole", receiving no interactive response from the government. It is also easy for the public to feel that "public opinion is not taken seriously".
The biggest role of public consultation is to absorb public opinion; and young people have a negative impression of the government's public consultation, which may involve many reasons, among which trust in consultation work is very important. Reflected from the above research, some young people are eager for consultation to bring interaction and feel that their opinions are valued. They believe that even if their opinions are not adopted, the most important thing is to be able to communicate with decision-makers through consultation, thus reflecting the importance they attach to public opinion. However, in recent years, when the government consults on some important issues, no matter what questions the public raises, the government's responses are like a tape recorder repeating its position. Not only is there a lack of interactive communication, but it is also easy for people to feel that the government has a predetermined orientation and has no room to accept other opinions. opinions, thereby questioning decision-makers’ respect for public opinion.
The consultation method is inappropriate
In addition, with today's advanced information technology, the SAR government has not been able to make full use of the advantages of technological networks to systematically and effectively communicate information such as consultation work, results or reports to the public. In addition, different bureaux or departments currently store consultation information and information in different locations on their respective web pages, such as "Latest News", "Policy Focus", "Publications and News Releases" or "Consultation Documents", etc., making it difficult for the general public to search. . These situations not only hinder the public's understanding of the content of the consultation, but also deepen the perception that public opinion has fallen into a "black hole" with no end in sight.
In terms of collecting opinions, the SAR government currently still mainly relies on traditional methods, whose convenience or interactive functions are questionable and far behind the convenience achieved by technological networks. This not only fails to meet the expression methods commonly used by the new generation, but also fails to achieve objective and rational discussions. At the same time, it is easy to miss the opportunity to listen to opinions. For example, in early February, the Civil Engineering and Development Department began conducting consultations on "construction of pedestrian walkways under bridges in the Eastern District Corridor." Members of the public can download a questionnaire and fill it in to the consulting company. If the authorities can make good use of information technology to collect questionnaires online and submit them in real time, it will help change the image of public consultation as just a "public relations show".
Establish a one-stop platform for consultation
Interactive communication is the basis for building relationships and partnerships. The SAR government should seriously develop more timely information dissemination and opinion collection methods, such as setting up a one-stop public consultation platform, distributing information through a single dedicated window, and collecting public opinions in a centralized manner. This will not only facilitate the reading of citizens and young people, but also Help promote public-private exchanges and enhance operational transparency.
In his "Policy Address" released at the beginning of the year, the Chief Executive mentioned that the SAR government would conduct public consultations on a number of issues, including Lantau development, standard working hours and underground space development. We hope that the SAR government can show greater determination and courage to improve and play a positive role in public consultation.
Youth IDEAS
Pan Xuezhi (member), Zhang Jingyun (researcher)
