Chief Executive John Lee on Sunday said investment in the Northern Metropolis would bring long-term benefits to the public, stressing that such spending would pay off for citizens.

Speaking on a TVB programme about his Policy Address, Lee said the government would speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis, but acknowledged there are bottlenecks, including funding.

He called for more market participation in the project.

He added that despite the government’s fiscal deficit, it must continue to push ahead with large-scale developments.

He cited the Science Park as an example.

“If we didn’t invest, then there wouldn’t be a Science Park here allowing us to have today’s innovation and technology development. So these investments have returns, and the dividends will also go back to the citizens,” he said.

Asked how the government would ensure the Northern Metropolis does not become just another property project, Lee said the government has the final say on land use.

“Agree or not, the power rests with me. For housing units, we will be very strict. For industries, it’s different — industries are measured by value. If a production line creates, for example, 5,000 jobs, I can calculate the income per worker, the economic impact on upstream and downstream sectors — I have experts for that. When I approve a piece of land for a project, of course the decision rests with me,” he said.