Hong Kong’s leader has ruled out introducing a suspension mechanism for the city’s labour importation scheme or fining employers for abusing the policy, amid calls to further tighten labour rules to mitigate rising unemployment in some sectors.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday that the city was undergoing an economic transformation, but locals facing job challenges must also decide whether to take up new employment opportunities in this “period of choice”.

His remarks came days after he delivered his fourth policy address on Wednesday, in which he laid out measures to tighten labour import rules for only two catering roles: waiters and junior cooks.

But Lee brushed aside the idea on a television programme on Sunday, stressing the need to maintain flexibility on the policy while assuring the public that the government would “dynamically” adjust regulations when necessary.

“This is a period of transition and some businesses are really in need of help,” he said, explaining that the city’s economic transformation had led to the disruption and “shuffling” of certain businesses and difficulties for some local workers.