Financial Secretary Paul Chan, who is also the Honorary President of the Centre of Excellence for Major Project Leaders, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Project Delivery Capability Programme today to announce its official launch.

As one of the initiatives highlighted in the 2021-22 Budget, the programme provides systematic training for mid-tier managers in the Government to enhance their professional skills and uplift project delivery capability, with a view to ensuring more effective use of public resources.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan said a considerable number of capital works projects, including the Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow Vision, are in the pipeline.

He noted that the Government, taking such projects into account, must expand the infrastructure talent pool in order to ensure that public expectations can be met for project efficiency and delivery.

Over the next three years, the programme is expected to train about 100 senior professionals a year, from architects and engineers to surveyors and other industry specialists. These graduates will become the nucleus of the Government's project delivery team.

The finance chief also encouraged participants of the programme to seize the opportunity to broaden their professional skills and embrace an ownership mindset so as to enhance project delivery and build a flourishing and gratifying future for Hong Kong.