HONG KONG, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A previously announced
dedicated office for nurturing creative industries under the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will come in the middle of this year, a
senior official said Wednesday.
Delivering an annual budget speech, Financial
Secretary John Tsang said the office will integrate existing government
resources to effectively support the sector.
Tsang said he will earmark 300 million HK dollars
(38.5 million U.S. dollars) for the development of local creative industries
other than the film and design industries, which were currently supported
through the Film Development Fund and the Design Smart Initiative, respectively.
Hong Kong has been trying to promote the development
of creative industries in recent years, with Hong Kong design galleries at the
airport and other places.
The creative industry-related establishments in Hong
Kong, totaling some 32,000 nowadays, contributed over 60 billion HK dollars (7.7
billion U.S. dollars) annually to Hong Kong's gross domestic product, Tsang
said.
Tsang said Hong Kong as a pluralistic international
metropolis offered fertile ground for the growth of creative industries.
The HKSAR government will, amongst others, nurture
more local talent and incorporate the elements of design and creativity into
education.
Efforts will also be made to promote digital
entertainment and expand markets for Hong Kong films in the Chinese mainland as
well as Southeast Asia, he said.
Hong Kong's participation in the 2010 World Expo in
Shanghai will be a particularly good opportunity to promote the updated Brand
Hong Kong and demonstrate the quality of life and the characteristics of
innovative city in the city, he added.
Tsang even invited a renowned local cartoonist to
produce the comic "Tomorrow - Future for Today" to promote the HKSAR government
budget for fiscal year 2009-2010.
"I have signaled (HKSAR) government's commitment to
making use of local creative industries and to greater public participation," he
said.
