By Dr. Kevin Lau
From the end of this year, elderly residents will be able to keep their JoyYou Card—Hong Kong's concessionary travel pass for seniors—in their mobile phones, and hop on a bus or train with a single tap. The arrangement is simple, the convenience immediate; it looks like nothing more than a small improvement to daily life. Yet there is more to it than meets the eye. It is one of the 25 livelihood measures in the Policy Address delivered by the Chief Executive on September 16 this year, and a telling footnote to the "livelihood-oriented" philosophy of Hong Kong's first-ever five-year plan. A small card, a grand chess game—it deserves a closer look.
Consider first the shape of the board. The five-year plan and the Policy Address were unveiled on the same day, and the Chief Executive has made clear that the two are "inextricably related": the plan sets the direction, the Policy Address drives implementation, and the Budget provides the resource backing—three documents interlocking into a single governing framework. The plan sets out 22 major indicators—five "binding" ones and 17 "anticipatory" ones—supplemented by 83 work indicators, amounting to 105 goals in total. Failure to meet a binding target carries accountability. One such target is the provision of 900 hectares of "spade-ready" land in the Northern Metropolis within five years—a concrete expression of the sincerity of accountable governance.
Consider next the strategy of play. The plan rests on seven principles, of which the twin approach of "an effective market and a capable government" has drawn the most attention. The Chief Executive has stressed that the five-year plan will retain Hong Kong's capitalist core and give full play to the advantages of the free market "without distorting Hong Kong"; long-term planning, he noted, is common practice around the world and does not amount to a planned economy. The point could not be clearer: government acts to make up for what the market cannot do, not to replace the market. The plan's 22 indicators bear this out—real GDP growth kept within a reasonable range, air cargo throughput holding its world-leading position, the city's standing as a global financial centre maintained at third place worldwide, and the ratio of innovation and research expenditure to GDP raised to 3 per cent after 2030. Each is about building the stage and widening the road for the market, never about elbowing the market aside. The five major development opportunities—a 30 per cent increase in funded research postgraduate places at the Northern Metropolis University Town, the accelerated building of an international gold trading market, the fostering of the low-altitude economy, among others—follow the same logic: to attract talent and businesses and to deepen international cooperation.
The underlying colour of this chess game, however, remains people's livelihoods. "Remaining committed to a livelihood-oriented approach" stands among the seven principles, and the Policy Address's 25 livelihood measures span education, healthcare, housing and welfare. The allowance for carers from low-income families will rise to HK$3,300 per month; "community dining halls" will serve affordable, nutritious meals to those in need; the waiting time for subsidised rental housing will be cut to 4.5 years by next year; and a free digital-education resource platform equipped with AI large language models will be introduced. Like the mobile JoyYou Card, these are grounded, tangible and accessible policies—deeds that people can actually feel. These figures are not slogans; they are commitments in black and white.
Reportedly, the mobile card requires authentication through the "iAM Smart" platform; its cost is borne by Octopus rather than the public purse; and cardholders choose either the physical card or the mobile version—with the freedom to change their minds later. Care shows in the details: technology is the means; inclusion is the end. The Policy Address also mentions exploring the use of the JoyYou Card platform to push vaccination and community-service information to the elderly, while travel records can be uploaded in real time to help police locate missing seniors. A travel card thus becomes a gateway connecting elderly residents to the social support network. From a card to a plan, from the everyday to a vision, Hong Kong is making its moves with a pragmatic, step-by-step posture.
One card taps out security for the elderly; one plan taps out confidence for Hong Kong. A joyful, carefree life—just one tap away. May every move in this grand game come alive.
The author is the Founding Convenor of the Hong Kong Global Youth Professional Advocacy Action, a specialist in radiology, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong, and an adviser of the Our Hong Kong Foundation.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Kevin Lau:
Opinion | When policy is within reach, people-centered governance becomes real
Opinion | Building a family-friendly HK: Child welfare at the heart of the five-year plan
Opinion | From a single hub to a connected system: HK's new mandate in Asian innovation
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