ZIM CITY

Developing district economies Sunny days in Aberdeen harbour

Paul Zimmerman suggests how to develop district economies amidst the virus outbreak

In times of crises and job losses, a focus on developing our local economy is needed. Here is how.

Coronavirus is the masked chariot racer in ”Asterix and the Chariot Race’’. Eventually Asterix and his sidekick Obelix win out over the villain and his sidekick Bacillus (Latin term for bacteria!). This virus is not new. It is part of a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Virology scientists in Wuhan identified in 2005 a cluster of circulating bat virus with a potential for human emergence. This knowledge unfortunately did not translate into a clamp down on the exotic meat markets.

Hong Kong in 2003 overcame SARS which infected 1,755 and killed 299 locally. It is hard to predict what the final tally will be this time. With the hygiene efforts made by all, the epidemic will have been brought under control when the warm and humid weather returns. In the meantime, the focus is turning to the economy.

The outbreak comes at a time of intense struggle over the extradition bill and political reform; a trade war with the USA; markets stretched by decades of quantitative easing; and all time high rents. Especially small

businesses and freelancers are facing hard times. Many jobs have been lost and this will take a toll on people. A health crisis of a different kind is forming, just as damaging if not more so.

While our international finance industry keeps up, the local business stutters. We need to address this. Besides caring for medical and environmental hygiene, we need to stimulate the economy. It is the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau’s (CEDB) turn to do some heavy lifting. They have to go beyond finance, trade and tourism promotion. We need to identify drivers for jobs and grow the economy district by district. stratospheric. By increasing supply, more people can afford to enjoy Hong Kong’s great waters (1,500 square kilometres, 15 times our land mass), 800 kilometres of shorelines and some 280 islands. Similarly, CEDB can identify opportunities for new jobs in the other 17 districts. By doing so we not only overcome today’s challenges, we create a better city for tomorrow.

In the Southern District, besides the large employers such as the hospitals and Ocean Park, the biggest driver for jobs is Aberdeen Harbour. Fish trade, seafood restaurants, boat building and servicing, cruising and recreational boating employs many. Skills have been passed on through generations for more than 150 years. The simplest way to invest in growth is by expanding the typhoon shelter with new breakwaters further out. This will allow more vessels to be moored safe from inclement weather.

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.