The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s inaugural five-year plan could be unveiled as early as the end of the third quarter, months ahead of the year-end target previously estimated, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.

In a recent interview with local media, Lee said that “the sooner the plan can be released, the better”. The plan will serve as a blueprint for the city’s future development.

Lee’s latest remarks followed his earlier announcement that the government will kick off a two-month public consultation on the plan next Monday.

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“The drafting progress had been better than anticipated,” Lee told reporters, which he credited to a “hardworking” administration, “strong” social cooperation, and the city’s lawmakers, who — under a dedicated joint research and consultation mechanism — had “made good preparation”.

In late May, members of the SAR’s Legislative Council submitted to Lee a consolidated report of their findings and policy suggestions, after hearing the views of over 4,000 people across different industrial sectors and the wider community.

READ MORE: Public consultations for HK’s 5-year plan to start

Lee said that the authorities had conducted “thorough research” into how Chinese mainland cities craft their local five-year plans.

They looked at cities including those in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and others further afield, including Shanghai — the “financial hub and open city” which Lee described as “most comparable” to Hong Kong.

Macao, which has already completed two local five-year plans — its first in 2016 — was also used as a reference, he added.

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Hong Kong officials have made clear that the plan is aimed at further aligning the city’s growth over the next five years with the broader national objectives charted in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the country’s socioeconomic roadmap.

According to Lee, the plan will be anchored by a “people-based” orientation and goals to better integrate an active government with an efficient market, and is expected to enhance governance effectiveness for the administration.

It will also set out measures to further consolidate Hong Kong’s vanguard position in international finance, shipping, trade, technology and innovation.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com