【明報專訊】THE NEW BUDGET, which has just been released, cannot be said to have many wow factors. It was prepared with the guiding principles being "supporting enterprises, safeguarding jobs, stabilising the economy, strengthening livelihoods". However, the budget seems to be primarily focused on addressing acute problems and boosting innovation and technology. Many current livelihood issues of Hong Kong, such as healthcare and elderly services, are affected by the shortage of land and manpower. They cannot be solved immediately just by spending money. The new budget is inclined to tackle the symptoms rather than the root causes. To what extent the short-term palliative measures will be effective depends on whether government departments and the Hospital Authority can make the best use of resources.