Regarding privately organized commercial events in Hong Kong, Holden Chow, Vice Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, stated today (Sept. 13) on a radio program that, taking the recent hot air balloon festival incident as an example, the government should learn from the experience.
"If issues are identified during the approval process, they should be halted early, and the organizers should not be allowed to continue promotions, allowing the situation to escalate."
He believes the incident has impacted Hong Kong's overall image. While many excellent events have been held, and the activities at the Kai Tak Sports Park have been a boost, such a stain should not be caused by a single incident.
Lo Wai-kwok, Chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, believes that the government should both participate in and manage event activities effectively. On one hand, it should "dismantle barriers and relax restrictions" to enhance market freedom, but it should also be "foresighted." Regarding the hot air balloon festival's failure to obtain safety approval for passenger flights, Lo said that if coordination had been done earlier, such an awkward situation could have been avoided.
Additionally, Peter Shiu, Chairman of the Liberal Party, noted that the government's strategy has shifted, with large-scale events now being evaluated based on actual economic benefits and their impact on the economy, which he believes is the right direction. He hopes the government will strengthen its oversight of event activities to "prevent them from becoming a joke."
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