Lionel Leong visits SMEs in need of revitalization

Revitalization works are necessary to keep the aging neighborhoods economically alive and developed, according to some shopkeepers from the northern, central and three-lamps districts, They divulged these views to Lionel Leong, Secretary for Economy and Finance, as he visited the districts recently.
The shop owners from the four neighborhoods demanded for the government to put in more effort towards revamping the old facilities, optimizing traffic plans and their supporting measures, as well as curbing soaring rents across the different areas – issues that they believed were behind the stores’ shrinking customer base and sales decreases.
After the visits, the secretary held a talk with representatives from different sectors and organizations, exchanging opinions on how to rejuvenate the neighborhoods’ sluggish economy in response to the city’s new economic transition. Some expressed concerns with the possible rental issues for stores following economic revitalization, while others welcomed the idea to resuscitate old areas, the latter of whom assumed that the stores and shops in a revitalized neighborhood might enjoy robust sales despite the increased rents.
Lionel Leong said that the districts’ economic development could facilitate the city’s move towards the goal of appropriate economic diversity, and also make society more balanced. Through solving economic plights in certain neighborhoods, the city’s featured old brands and shops would find space to thrive, he argued.