There's an acronym which we Hongkongers will be hearing more often in the days to come - "ICT" - which stands for Information and Communications Technology. This will be the creative driving force behind the Innovation and Technology Bureau, the new government bureau proposed by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in his latest Policy Address.

But there is a most worrying aspect to this cutting-edge government initiative, a vital point that forced Leung to add this rider to his proposal - "I earnestly hope that it will receive support from this council."

Yes, we will be looking to the Legislative Council for quick approval of the new bureau, necessary in maintaining Hong Kong's vibrant economy. It will ensure Hong Kong keeps itself abreast with the dizzying pace of the ICT world and various creative and technological industries.

But for this to become a reality we need legislators to stop playing politics. It must not become another game of "political football" which some lawmakers seem to enjoy playing in order to extract the maximum political capital.

The fact is ICT has become one of Hong Kong's key industries. For it to remain a dynamic industry we must start by identifying the most suitable person to head it. He or she must have the right vision and inspiring personality to attract like-minded professionals and entrepreneurs to our shores.

The scope of our involvement in ICT is already far wider than many realize. For example, as far back as 2006 we launched the ICT Awards to promote innovation and excellence among local ICT experts and businesses.

Last year we staged our first International IT Fest, which was a runaway success, attracting more than 46,000 participants and winning accolades from leading professionals in the industry.

On top of that, for some years now our ICT sector has been contributing enormous sums of money to our economy.

Another important function hosted here was the Microsoft CityNext Forum Series that was co-organized with the Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong. It cast the spotlight on our longer life expectancy by showing how the lives of our "silver citizens" can be enriched through innovative ICT applications.

We echo the words of Nicholas Brooke, chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, who said on this page a few days ago: "The new bureau must ensure the momentum achieved (in innovation and technology) is sustained and enhanced to protect Hong Kong's competitiveness and long-term prosperity." We also subscribe to the government's rationale when it said "promoting innovation and technology development can provide wider employment opportunities for our young people", and may we add, ensuring our continued relevance in the global economic community.

If we need more encouragement, just remember what Bill Gates said about innovation: "Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time."

(HK Edition 04/10/2014 page9)