Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words.Hong Kong is still marketed as a low-tax, global financial centre. However, if we listen to what people actually say about daily life – especially retirees struggling to afford household staples – the picture that emerges is quite different.Hong Kong has become more affordable through scale, competition and connectivity. The retail sector has grown more competitive since major mainland e-commerce platforms entered the city. More supply channels mean more choice, and more choice means less pricing power for any single seller.The result is not only lower costs for households but also a clearer signal to businesses: the city’s consumer ecosystem can adapt quickly when distribution and procurement become more efficient. However, affordability is not just a retail story. It is increasingly a workforce story.Hong Kong benefits from an inflow of students through overseas recruitment and mainland study pathways, as well as from talent schemes that help graduates transition into local employment. When more highly educated and skilled workers enter the pipeline, employers gain a broader base of talent, supporting hiring and improving productivity. This is how Hong Kong can convert openness into economic momentum: smoother talent matching, faster capability building and stronger long-term investment confidence.Finally, Hong Kong’s competitiveness needs a structural foundation. The Northern Metropolis offers that opportunity. By developing additional land for housing, offices and industrial buildings, the city can reduce the cost pressures that constrain both households and businesses. In a world where companies evaluate not only taxes and wages but also overhead, logistics and operational costs, land supply is an economic policy lever.Therefore, InvestHK should sharpen its message. Yes, the financial system and tax environment matter, but Hong Kong can now credibly promote a second brand of strength: a liveable, competitive city powered by rapid consumer supply, expanding talent pipelines and growing land for economic activity. If we package this narrative well, Hong Kong can attract more global partners – not just because it is convenient to do finance here, but because it is increasingly efficient to live and operate here.