Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Wednesday delivered his 2026-27 budget speech to the Legislative Council.

The theme of this year's budget is "Driving High-quality, Inclusive Growth with Innovation and Finance".

Chan started by saying that over the past year, favourable economic and capital market conditions have boosted tax revenues.

He said the government's enhanced fiscal consolidation programme has yielded tangible results, so Hong Kong's public finances have improved faster than expected.

Chan said annual operating accounts have returned to surplus, therefore, the government can increase support for the public, and small and medium-sized enterprises, to a reasonable extent.

He said the SAR will adopt innovative thinking to align with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, nurturing new productive forces tailored to local conditions.

Chan said the city must leverage its strengths to attract talent and empower enterprises to explore new markets.

He said he anticipates that Hong Kong's economy will maintain its positive momentum throughout this year.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden