Stall talk: Chief Executive Donald Tsang chats with a Sham Shui Po fishmonger.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang has assured the Government will build a conducive business environment, create more jobs and develop employment and training schemes for job seekers.

He made the pledge visiting Sham Shui Po today to better understand the provision of employment assistance services there, and improvements to community facilities.

At the YMCA Cheung Sha Wan Centre, where employment assistance programmes are provided, Mr Tsang met service users to garner views on work issues.

He encouraged them to enhance their competitiveness by using the centre's services. About 1,400 people have participated in programmes provided by the centre.

Unemployment challenge

"The programmes show how, in partnership with non-government organisations, the Government provides assistance to people to meet the challenge of unemployment," he said.

"Through the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and the Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme, for example, our youth can acquire not only useful vocational training, but also much-needed soft and inter-personal skills."

He also reassured that driving Hong Kong's economy ahead at full steam is a priority during his term in office. The Government will make job creation a key consideration in policy formulation.

2 schemes, 200 jobs

Mr Tsang also visited the Po On Road Public Library and Lai Kok Community Hall. The library is one of the five to be renovated, bringing 145 jobs.

Improvements to hall will begin early next year. The $12 million works cover improving the air-conditioning, lighting and sound systems, as well as stage and hall design. The project and two others will create 70 jobs.

"The library and community hall projects show how community facility improvement works can benefit our construction workers. We will see if it is possible to commit to more improvement projects of this kind," Mr Tsang said.