Greg So: Trying to Leave on Good Terms -- Not

Commerce minister Greg So when he announced HKTV did not get a license

Outgoing Commerce and Economic Development minister Greg So Kam-leung has revealed that HKTV should have gotten a free-to-air license four years ago, and that he almost cried when when he had to announce the government's "collective decision" which resulted in 300 people in the broadcast industry out of work.

In 2013, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his advisers rejected the application by outspoken businessman Ricky Wong Wai-kay for the broadcast license due to a "basket of factors" -- which are still unknown to this day.

So claims at the time he felt HKTV should have a TV license

"At the time I suggested three licenses should be granted because I believe in competition," So said on a RTHK program on Monday. Only i-Cable's Fantastic TV and PCCW's HK Television Entertainment Company were awarded licenses.

"I tried my best to convince the members at the Executive Council meeting, but I also had to respect the collective decision," he added. "I was trying not to cry when announcing the news [as some 300 people would lose their jobs]," he said.

Are we supposed to feel sympathy for So? Does he want the public to think he was the only rational person in the room but no one was listening or that he was out-voted?

When he was asked about his feelings over implementing a decision he did not believe in, So said: "It was part of my responsibilities... I had to explain to the public. This is the spirit of accountability system."

How about more like, I had to go along with it, otherwise I'd probably be sacked?

Why was So not questioned about the food truck debacle?

So also talked about Uber and its ongoing legalization problems in Hong Kong. He suggested that perhaps the government's regulations were perhaps not accommodating enough for this sharing economy trend.

"If its business model does not contradict the objectives behind our legislation, shouldn't we consider amending the law to allow better development for a sharing economy?" he asked.

Guess that hot potato will be passed onto chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's administration to handle come July 1.

However, during the RTHK program, did no one challenge So on the abysmal failure of the food truck initiative? Last week the government finally admitted that perhaps some of the locations weren't good for customers. Hello?! We could have told you that!

He should have been raked over the coals for this half-baked idea that got worse and worse.

But perhaps this topic was one he insisted on refusing to talk about, though he was keen on getting the sympathy vote from the public.

Sorry Mr So -- can't have it both ways.

Mickey Mouse Gets the Last Laugh

Disneyland has the upper hand in negotiations with Hong Kong

Hong Kong taxpayers are left holding the bag yet again thanks to Disneyland managing to bully us into shelling out HK$5.45 billion for an extension to the amusement park.

That's because the Hong Kong government is the biggest shareholder and was somehow unable to negotiate a fairer deal when Disneyland had a "take-it-or-leave-it" ultimatum.

Even lawmakers of all stripes felt the government should have gotten a better deal. They must be terrible negotiators.

The lawmakers said if the government was going to finance half of Disneyland's six-year renovation, it should be subject to better shareholding, financing and management arrangements with the entertainment corporation. But on Tuesday the Legislative Council's finance committee approved the funding by 30 to 24 votes.

Commerce minister Greg So says we did the best we could...

Pan-democrats had tried to filibuster, but after five months of bickering and lobbying, the government's funding application was passed.

"I am delighted that the finance committee approved the expansion plan," said Commerce Secretary Greg So Kam-leung. "We have gone through a lot of analysis. We have also pushed very hard in the negotiation. We believe that this package is really the best package that we can achieve."

Does anyone believe him?

Meanwhile Disneyland released a statement saying it was "grateful" to secure Legco support.

The HK$10.9 billion expansion project, with the other half financially covered by Disneyland, will start next year, and will have themed zones based on the animation hit Frozen, and Marvel superhero films, as well as a revamp of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Many believe the partnership between the Hong Kong government and Disneyland is unequal, because the latter receives millions of dollars in royalties and management fees even though the park continues to lose money.

How about spending $5.45 billion on social housing instead?

Before the final vote, pro-establishment lawmakers rejected more than 40 motions by the pan-democrats, including requests to disclose more of the theme park's financial figures, give more discounts to Hong Kong people, as well as review further economic benefits to Hong Kong.

"We are very disappointed. I am sure it won't be the last time that Disneyland asks for money from Legco," says Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, accusing those who approved the funding of ignoring public concerns.

Why is the government spending so much money on a money-losing proposition? One financial columnist even boldly suggested the Disneyland site should be bulldozed and made way for social housing. The infrastructure is already there!

The HK$5.45 billion could be better used in so many other ways, like revamping the education system and helping underprivileged children get the extra resources they need to have a decent education so that they can have a leg up in life.

That money could also be used for social housing, to build or convert brown sites into affordable housing for people so they don't have to live in subdivided flats.

But this isn't the foresight of the government, whose priority seems to be solely focused on tourists and not on the livelihoods of its own people.

Disneyland may like to describe itself to be the happiest place on earth, but not for Hong Kong taxpayers.

Food Trucks Prove a Tough Business

Food truck locations focus on tourists than locals for business

Looks like food trucks in Hong Kong aren't working out as well as the government had hoped.

The 12 food trucks -- one dropped out before it even started -- were not allowed to stray from its location, were not allowed to adjust the menu, and had to draw a lottery for where they would next be, which meant they could be back in the same place due to their own bad luck instead of being evenly rotated around eight sites.

But now it seems there is an easing of the food truck restrictions with two more locations, Science Park in Sha Tin and AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport when there are events held there.

Yesterday Greg So sampled some food truck dishes

"Some of these venues, in certain time periods, have very little business. So we want to enrich the program, by giving them [the operators] more choices," says commerce minister Greg So Kam-leung, who was sampling food at the most popular food truck destination just outside Disneyland. It's popular because people don't want to pay the exorbitant prices inside the theme park.

The least popular sites are at Ocean Park, Salisbury Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui, Central Harbourfront and Energizing Kowloon East in Kwun Tong.

So reported that daily revenue from the 12 food trucks ranged from HK$3,000 to HK$25,000. As a result, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau decided to allow operators in locations with slow business to go to other locations for a short period of time. In addition, food trucks at Kowloon East could go to Tsim Sha Tsui in the evenings.

Science Park is expected to have 250,000 visitors next year, while AsiaWorld-Expo is booked for 66 days a year.

"We think these two locations are worth a try," So said.

Is this grilled squid a dish that can be eaten as a street food?

But lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said adding new tourist sites just repeated previous mistakes.

"The scheme should focus on residents and encourage small businesses instead of giving tourists priority," he said.

Last month, Capital Cafe quit the food truck business before it even started, citing concerns over the profitability of the scheme, blaming costs and government requirements.

We tend to agree with Kwok. Having visited many of the food trucks myself for a story and seen the situation, the food trucks are just a gimmick, instead of what they are really meant to be -- a platform for chefs to try new culinary ideas and create snacks or food that are easy to eat while standing on the street.

Some dishes were hard to eat standing up or consume using one hand, or they were just too bizarre like fish maw soup. Who buys such a product from a food truck? Many featured pineapple buns made into hamburgers. It's novel, but does it actually taste good? (not really). And price-wise they were hardly value for money.

It's another government scheme that has no imagination and not well thought-out either, as the restrictions are just ridiculous. The whole point of food trucks is having several together in one spot for consumers to choose what they want to eat. And the food trucks should be able to move around to whatever locations will bring them business.

Why not food trucks in Causeway Bay like Victoria Park or on a pedestrian-only street in Central to catch the office crowd?

But the government doesn't seem to understand that...

Arthur Li Dismisses John Tsang as CE

Arthur Li says John Tsang isn't the best person to be the leader of Hong Kong

Arthur Li Kwok-cheung can't help himself from bad mouthing Chief Executive candidate John Tsang Chun-wah.

The professor who is an Executive Council member of Hong Kong and a delegate of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, says Tsang gives the public the impression he is a "gentle and nice guy", but that the city's next leader had to be more than that, adding that Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor fits the bill.

"Carrie is extremely hands on, very dedicated and will tackle problems. She will not shy away from difficulties. John is a very nice person, he will sit back, relax and let you get on with it," explained Li.

Li says Carrie Lam is more diligent at getting the work done

He said having a laid-back management style was the worst thing for Hong Kong, which is facing stiff competition from Singapore, Shenzhen and Shanghai.

"Executive Council members have worked with [Lam and Tsang] for a number of years and have seen how they performed. I do not think a single Exco member is supporting Tsang," said Li in Beijing.

Li cited examples of how issues were handled by Tsang, such as HKTV not getting its free-to-air license, Cable TV is shutting down, and how the recently debuted food trucks in the city aren't working out well. "It's disaster after disaster after disaster," he said.

While Tsang came up with the idea of having food trucks in Hong Kong, it was Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung who implemented it, but less than a month in, some operators are complaining about the locations and the lack of customers. One operator has already decided to quit even before rolling out his food truck, despite having paid for it.

John Tsang came up with the idea of food trucks in HK

However, Tsang has said in a previous interview that teamwork and mutual trust are important.

"I rely on my people to do things because... the people you appoint are the people you should trust," he said. "If you don't trust them, why appoint them? And if you appoint them, but you still don't trust them, there must be an issue in your judgment."

Interesting that Li is so outspoken and critical of Tsang -- is he a proxy for Leung Chun-ying, whom Li supported in 2012? For his loyalty, Li was rewarded with an appointment to the governing board of the University of Hong Kong, a move that was strongly criticized by academics in the institution.

May we also add he is the younger brother of David Li Kwok-po, chairman of BEA Bank, and they are the grandsons of the bank's co-founder, Li Koon-chun.

There probably aren't many people on the fence who need to be swayed in this three-horse race -- people on the Election Committee pretty much know who they are voting for. Maybe Hong Kong people want an easy-going guy?

Hong Kong Copy Cat

Commerce Secretary Greg So announced a big shopping day on July 1

The Hong Kong government really has no idea how to stimulate the economy.

Its latest brilliant notion?

Go shopping.

July 1 this year is the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong back to China, and how best to celebrate than to have a shopping day similar to China's Singles Day on November 11.

Prices and discounts will involve the numbers 7 and 1

While the one on the mainland is mostly online, the one in Hong Kong will be online and offline, and even better, discounts or prices will involve the numbers "7" and "1" in honour of July 1. So there can be items that are HK$710, or 71 percent off, HK$71 or just 71 items available.

Groan.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung explained the idea was inspired by e-commerce giant Alibaba's annual super sale day on November 11.

In China, Singles Day is the biggest shopping event in the world, last year setting a record at US$17.8 billion, beating the 2015 record of US$14.3 billion.

So said the government would help facilitate bringing offline and online sales together, and Hong Kong's shopping event would last between three to seven days.

Singles Day is a boon for China -- will it be for HK too?

If this is the best strategy our government has for improving our economy, it just reveals its pathetic short-term thinking.

We're also all in big trouble because it also means the government is not determined to protect the environment in terms of recycling or reducing waste, which actually has the potential to be an innovative way to boost our economy...

Getting Closer to Food Trucks in Hong Kong

The 16 winners of the cooking competition with Gregory So (in white)

Food trucks in Hong Kong are one step closer to reality after a cook-off was held yesterday at the Chinese Culinary Institute in Pokfulam.

Fifty-one applicants presented their signature dishes to nine judges, many of whom are celebrity chefs, and from there 16 winners were chosen.

What was strange was that the whole process was opaque -- the media wasn't allowed to watch the actually cooking and taste the food, nor did they taste the winning entries either.

Reporters were only shown pictures of the dishes, photographed against dark backgrounds, as if to make them look cooler, but instead made them look less like food truck food.

So wore a chef jacket, but boasts no culinary skills

At the press conference, Gregory So Kam-leung, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development wore a chef's jacket, even though he professed to not have a sophisticated enough palate to judge the applicants' food...

However, six judges came on stage and commented on the winning dishes, some of them making them sound more delicious than they looked. One example from Tan Sing Cafe was a pineapple bun "hamburger", complete with a patty, lettuce, tomato and fried egg.

Another was a whole grilled squid on a bed of greens. It immediately made me think of "chao yao yu", which means deep-fried squid, or the Cantonese slang for "being sacked".

One winning dish from Mitsu Company featured fried rice (also with a fried egg on top), served on a plate that looked like an artist's palette, and on the edge were small containers to hold several different sauces. How was that dish, called "sakura shrimp umami sauce fried rice" supposed to work in a real food truck situation? Does that mean diners have to eat the dish on the plate near the food truck and then return the dish afterwards?

We also wondered about a fish maw soup -- how much was that going to cost? And isn't fish maw expensive?

When reporters talked to some of the winners, they admitted they didn't expect this food truck venture to make much money; they looked at it as an opportunity to be pioneers in this field in Hong Kong and saw it as a way to gain more experience in the food industry.

One successful applicant, Raymond Chu Wai-man, was a chef in the UK for 17 to 18 years, and when he heard Hong Kong was starting a food truck culture, he specifically came back to his hometown to try to get a food truck license.

He'll be selling a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches and real fruit smoothies to go with them.

Turns out only a few were big players, and they weren't even Maxim's, Cafe de Coral or even Butcher's Club. However a subsidiary of Chee Kei, a famous wonton noodle chain won, as well as Beef & Liberty, best known for its burgers and its winner was the slow-cooked pulled pork burger which is already on its menu.

Winning the food test doesn't mean the 16 successful applicants will automatically get food truck licenses -- they still have to individually apply and comply with the requirements of each of the departments involved.

Seems like a lot of hoop jumping for the applicants, while legislation hasn't caught up with the demand for food trucks in the city.

Isn't that like putting the cart before the horse?

The last thing the government should do is leave these 16 winners in a lurch if laws aren't in place to help foster this fledgling industry. They really have invested a lot of time and effort into this project.

In the meantime, what about also boosting our local food culture of dai pai dongs? They're an even more interesting food attraction than food trucks, no?

HK Financial Secretary Promotes Tourism

John Tsang (right) with some fencing students at La Salle College

Tourism is down in Hong Kong, with hotels offering cut rates on rooms -- even Disneyland is slashing its room rates in half -- and there are lots of shopping incentives -- if you have the money to spend.

To pitch in and do his part, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah is starring in a new mildly amusing video encouraging people to visit the city.

It starts off in his alma mater La Salle College where he is a fencing coach -- who knew Tsang was a fencer! -- and then he asks a group of students if they are talking about him.

They reply they talking about Hong Kong and one asks the senior official in a Cantonese pun, "Sir, would you tai sou?" which means "shave", referring to his moustache.

He doesn't miss a beat and instead says, "No, but I'll definitely tai show", or "watch a show".

Groan.

Then the video continues much like any other tourism video with flashy nightlife scenes, mouthwatering food, verdant hills, famous landmarks and so on.

Should we be impressed? Amused? Proud?

Just seems weird the Financial Secretary would do this, but then again practically everyone else in the administration is mired in mini scandals (Paul Chan Mo-po, Gregory So Kam-yuen), or burned out (Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor).

Then again Tsang is the one trying to promote his food truck idea too which is somewhat touristy...

Creative Food Carts in Causeway Bay

Gregory So (right) seeing what it's like to operate a food truck in Australia

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah fantasized about Hong Kong having food trucks in the city, and then his colleague, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung estimated it would take HK$600,000 (US$77,102) in start-up costs, and only 12 of them would be in six tourist spots.

As expected the media and the public ridiculed these government officials for being completely out of touch with the concept of food trucks, how they would be regulated, and that the prohibitive costs would result in only big restaurant groups operating them.

One creative food cart served mini egg waffles to customers

So today some creative designers and hawker groups came out to Causeway Bay to show what they could do -- at a fraction of the cost.

It was their way of sending a message to the government to diversify its food truck offerings and lower start-up costs.

There were 10 small hawker carts, serving snacks like mini egg waffles, Chinese pudding and glutinous rice balls covered in desiccated coconut. The carts were added to old bicycles or small vans, with the construction costs ranging from HK$1,500 to HK$100,000 -- well below So's suggestion of HK$600,000.

"The purpose of the show is to demonstrate that cheaper food trucks could also be unique and artistic, while meeting hygiene requirements," said Chan Ka-hing, who designed some of the food carts.

Another designer, Niles Mak, pointed out the smaller carts would be better because they wouldn't block traffic, compared to a regular food truck.

John Tsang was inspired by the movie Chef to have food trucks

So how about it, Mr So and Mr Tsang? Why not encourage local hawkers to set up shop around town and not necessarily tourist-specific sites, and while we're at it, why not help dai pai dong stalls to flourish in the city?

Electoral Reform Push: Strike 2

Dr Ko Wing-man loses his temper when arguing with a senior yesterday

Oh boy. More senior Hong Kong officials with egg on their faces.

It's a tough job having to sell electoral reforms and encountering dissent along the way.

After Chief Secretary Carrie Lam last week, the latest victim was Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man, who visited a public housing estate in Ngau Tau Kok yesterday.

Last weekend's bus tours were not working, so this week officials made unannounced community visits.

Ko spoke to a boy about the electoral reform and said, "I hope you will support us", when a senior came up to Ko and yelled, "Can 1,200 people represent the whole of Hong Kong?" The man then turned away.

He was referring to the nominating committee that would choose the two or three candidates who would run for chief executive in 2017.

Ko went after him and said, "Mister, don't go. I don't like people who come shouting and leave right away."

The man did stop and criticized Ko for "fooling the children". The proposed election system would only produce undesirable candidates like a "white-haired witch", he said.

"I disagree with you. the words you use are a bit of an insult," Ko shot back. "It's fine for you to have your own ideals, but you shouldn't impose them on all other Hong Kong people."

"That's exactly what you're doing!" the senior retorted.

The war of words continued with the old man insisting Ko was cheating and the doctor shouted back, "Objection!"

Ko then went left with his colleagues.

Considered one of the more popular government officials, Ko later addressed the media, saying, "To be frank, I'm just an ordinary person. I only hope there's room for discussion. I was unable to control my emotions. I hope the public will understand I have tried my best."

Our observations so far have seen many seniors who are picking up the mantle to actively protest against the government's push on its (or rather Beijing's) version of "universal suffrage". One directly confronted Chief Secretary Lam last week at a Federation of Trade Unions event, and then yesterday's incident with Ko.

Perhaps we can add here that Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung addressed diners in a restaurant and an old man began to vomit. So didn't hesitate to help by handing him a plate.

For Ko to say he's "an ordinary person" immediately sparks frustration and eye-ball rolling by Hong Kong citizens, much like Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah likening himself to being in the middle class, as they like to drink coffee and watch French movies...

They aren't going to get any sympathy points.

Most telling is Ko's wish, that "I only hope there's room for discussion". What discussion? Has the Hong Kong government really taken into account people's opinions of what they want universal suffrage to look like?

Instead of an earnest attempt to give the appearance of listening to the people, this public relations exercise appears to be a desperate campaign to indoctrinate the public on the government's version of electoral reform.

And unfortunately for Leung Chun-ying's administration, it's not working...