etc. Political Appointments System In 2008, the Tsang administration introduced the Political Appointments System, by superseding the Principal Officials Accountability System (POAS) and inserting two layers of politically appointed officials below the secretaries, who are political appointees. The appointees' foreign nationalities, experience and remuneration levels, and transparency of the selection process were widely criticism by the public, which led to Tsang to offer a public apology, saying: "With hindsight, I admit the arrangements in this regard did not fully meet public expectations, and I apologise for the controversy this has caused." The controversy became the turning point of the popularity of the Tsang government. A poll showed Tsang's popularity declining sharply following the three-week row over the introduction of the Political Appointments System; his disapproval rating rose from 18% to a record 24%, while his approval rating declined from 66% to 60.8% in the space of three weeks. His approval/disapproval rating continued to deteriorate, and stood at 39/41% as at late August 2008. 2008–10 financial crisis After 2008 global financial crisis which led to the steep rise in unemployment especially among the banking and finance industries, Tsang announced on 8 December 2008 to create 60,000 jobs in 2009 by speeding up infrastructure projects and a ten-fold increase in its loan guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Tsang government also quickly formed a Task Force on Economic Challenges to deal with the crisis. Tsang came up with six economic sectors to explore with the recommendations of the Task Force in his 2009–10 policy address: (1) testing and certification, (2) medical services, (3) innovation and technology, (4) cultural and creative industries, (5) environmental industry, and (6) educational services. The government pledged to provide more concrete support in those sectors and called them as the "new economic pillars". After a year of negative record of GDP growth rate, the Hong Kong economy recovered quickly from 2010, despite the poverty population keep growing under Tsang tenure. Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link In 2009, the government proposal of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong section sparked concerns over the significant cost escalations compared to estimates made one year previously, the conservation of the Choi Yuen village and the increasing Mainland–Hong Kong integration. The government's plan drew more than 10,000 people protesting against the construction of the rail link in late 2009 and early 2010. Despite the controversy and strong opposition from