Hong Kong’s largest labor union suggested on Monday that the upcoming 2026-27 Budget should be “people-centered” to strengthen the city’s alignment with national development plans.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions submitted its proposals at a meeting with Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.

The plan outlines 68 suggestions covering labor protection, educational support for grassroots families, childbirth, healthcare, talent development and business growth.

READ MORE: HK’s largest labor union hopes Budget will prioritize healthcare, local talent

Legislator and FTU President Stanley Ng Chau-pei said the federation hopes a “people-centered” budget would proactively align with the country’s development strategies by embracing new quality productive forces, investing more in cultivating talent, protecting labor rights protection, boosting jobs and refining livelihood policies.

The veteran unionist highlighted the special administrative region’s crucial alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), particularly in making Hong Kong an international innovation technology hub.

READ MORE: HK proposes balanced budget for fiscal consolidation with future investment

The SAR, he said, should actively nurture high-end industries, utilizing the Northern Metropolis as a platform.

However, he noted that the current workforce’s deficiency in skills requires industrial upgrading, such as those concerning emerging technologies, emphasizing the need for enhanced training initiatives.

The FTU also submitted the results of a survey it conducted late last month, with 5,097 of the interviewees aged 18 and above.

The poll showed that over 70 percent of the respondents prioritized health and medical spending as their primary concern in livelihood issues, with more than 70 percent of them calling for better cultivation of local talent.

ALSO READ: Business sector urges reforms to elevate Hong Kong as a top financial center

Lawmaker Joephy Chan Wing-yan said there’s a need to train more local e-commerce professionals.

Acknowledging the Chinese mainland’s mature and expansive cross-border e-commerce market, she proposed allowing residents to use the SAR government’s Continuing Education Fund for courses offered outside Hong Kong.

By leveraging the training resources across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Chan hopes that Hong Kong can better cultivate specialized, high-skilled cross-border e-commerce professionals.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com