Helpers urged to get vaccinated

The Labour Department today said it conducted operations at popular foreign domestic helper (FDH) gathering places on June 13 and 14 to remind them to comply with social distancing measures and urged them to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The operations were jointly conducted with Police, the Home Affairs Department and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, covering places including Tamar Park in Admiralty, Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, Central and Lai Chi Kok Park.

During the same period, the Labour Department also conducted inspections in these places to check whether the helpers had complied with the compulsory testing notice.

As at 3pm today, a total of 2,268 helpers were checked and the majority of them had complied with the compulsory testing notice. A compulsory testing order was issued for the 20 who did not comply with the notice.

There were 46 helpers whose testing or vaccination records required further verification and the department will follow up.

In view of the threat posed by the mutant strain, the Government appeals to all FDHs to get vaccinated to protect their own health and the health of their employers’ families and others.

Webinar promotes trade zones

The Government today held a webinar for Hong Kong enterprises which are interested in expanding their businesses in the Mainland’s overseas Economic & Trade Co-operation Zones in Malaysia and Thailand.

The webinar was organised by the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau’s Belt & Road Office and the Commercial Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It aims to enhance participants’ understanding of prevailing local investment policies, facilities and supporting services, as well as preferential terms of the zones concerned. 

Around 400 people registered to participate in today’s webinar which introduced the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park in Malaysia and the Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone in Thailand.

Commissioner for Belt & Road Denis Yip spoke at the webinar with Economic Affairs Department Deputy Director-General and Commercial Office of the Liaison Office Head Liu Yajun.

Mr Yip pointed out that many enterprises had been re-examining their modes of operation and production, and creating new business opportunities in the face of external challenges brought by the uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitical changes.

The Mainland’s overseas zones provide enterprises with an ideal entry point to the Belt & Road, he added.

Mr Yip noted the five zones identified in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia could represent a better fit for Hong Kong enterprises.

The bureau has been discussing with the Ministry of Commerce possible facilitation measures for Hong Kong enterprises and ways to help them develop their businesses in the zones on a pilot basis.

Ministry of Commerce Department of Outward Investment & Economic Cooperation Deputy Director General Li Yongjun introduced the overall situation of overseas zones.

The management of the two zones in Malaysia and Thailand briefed the participants on their state of play, while representatives of enterprises from the zones shared their local investment experiences.

The second webinar will be held on June 22 to introduce the three zones in Indonesia and Cambodia.

HK’s strengths highlighted to India

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages as an international financial centre to about 200 business leaders and senior company representatives from India at a webinar.

He also introduced the boundless opportunities the city can offer to the Indian business community.

India has an enormous market potential for the world and was Hong Kong’s ninth largest trading partner last year.

With the Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the two places having taken effect from 2018, Hong Kong’s competitive edge in a wide range of financial services can complement Indian companies’ business development strategies.

During the webinar, Mr Hui introduced Hong Kong’s institutional strengths that underline the city’s financial market resilience despite challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “The vigour and vibrancy of the Hong Kong economy is not only demonstrated by the remarkable economic recovery in the first quarter of this year, but also by the substantial initial public offering funds raised and continued capital inflow to our financial market.”

Mr Hui added that the International Monetary Fund’s report released last week reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre with a resilient financial system, sound macroeconomic and prudential policies, and robust regulatory and supervisory frameworks.

He also pointed out that the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has presented immense new opportunities for Hong Kong’s financial services sector, which has been serving effectively as a two-way gateway connecting the Mainland and international markets.

The cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Scheme to be launched soon will expand the financial sector’s customer base and boost Hong Kong’s role in managing the flow of capital in and out of the Mainland, the treasury chief noted.

Additionally, the Government has put in place a set of strategies, among which the fintech ecosystem will be nurtured with funding and policies.

Mr Hui welcomed Indian financial services companies including fintech startups to explore Hong Kong’s vast business potential and the composite advantages.

The webinar was co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Singapore and Invest Hong Kong. It received an overwhelming response from Indian companies from a wide array of sectors, including the financial services and consulting sectors.

HUB International Limited

Claudia Lin, Senior Vice President at HUB International Insurance
Services, is dedicated to helping businesses and entrepreneurs
from Asia—and especially the Greater China region (Mainland
China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) — to establish a presence and succeed
in the US. She also serves outbound US companies in global
insurance programs and risk management throughout the world.
Claudia has served Chinese and Chinese-American businesses
over the last 24 years from platforms in the insurance, legal and
consulting industries. She is fluently bicultural as well as bilingual
(Mandarin Chinese).


www.LinkedIn.com/in/claudialin2021
Claudia.Lin@hubinternational.com
www.hubinternational.com

HK stance on trade dispute explained

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today filed its first submission to a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel to consider the dispute raised by the city in respect to the violation of WTO rules by the US’ requirement on origin marking for Hong Kong products. The submission explains in detail that the US’ requirement, amongst others, unlawfully discriminates against goods of Hong Kong origin, and is inconsistent with multiple WTO covered agreements, including the Agreement on Rules of Origin, the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade 1994.

Click here for more details.

App update aids jab record retrieval

The updated LeaveHomeSafe mobile app lets users store their vaccination and testing records, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer announced today.

Under the vaccine bubble, there are more opportunities for citizens to present their COVID-19 vaccination records. The newly added Electronic Vaccination & Testing Record function in the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app’s version 2.0 allows users to scan and save the QR codes from their paper or electronic vaccination records for easy retrieval. The new function can also save electronic testing records.

Click here for more details

Revenue bill passage welcomed

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui welcomed the passage of the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 by the Legislative Council today. Mr Hui said: “The ordinance codifies the tax treatment with regard to qualifying amalgamations and the transfer or succession of specified assets, offering better clarity and certainty of the relevant matters.

“It would also provide the legal basis to enable more businesses to voluntarily file tax returns, including financial statements, electronically, with the ultimate goal of implementing electronic filing of profits tax returns through the Business Tax Portal.” Mr Hui noted the enhancement of the foreign tax deduction regime under the ordinance will reduce the tax liability of Hong Kong branches of foreign corporations, in particular foreign banks, and holders of intellectual property. It would help foster a more favourable business environment, particularly reinforcing Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a banking location and promoting the city as a research and development hub, he added. The ordinance will come into operation upon gazettal on June 11. Amendments in relation to foreign tax deduction will take effect from the year of assessment 2021/22.

CE addresses business community

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today addressed more than 200 members of the local and international business community at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce webinar under its 160th anniversary distinguished speakers series. Mrs Lam highlighted the tremendous opportunities presented by the 14th Five-Year Plan and encouraged businesses to contribute to and benefit from the national blueprint and action agenda. She took the webinar participants through the plan’s content that concerned Hong Kong, saying that the Hong Kong and Macau chapter contained, first and foremost, the fundamental principles that would contribute to the long-term prosperity and stability of the two special administrative regions.

Click here for more details.

New telecoms law to table LegCo

The Government will table the Telecommunications (Registration of SIM Cards) Regulation at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on June 9. The regulation, gazetted today, seeks to facilitate the prevention and detection of crimes involving the use of pre-paid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. The relevant real-name registration programme will launch on September 1. Telecommunications operators are required to put in place the registration infrastructure and back-end systems for real-name registration in around 180 days from that date.

The next phase will start on March 1 next year. For all new pre-paid SIM cards available for sale in the market and new SIM service plans effective from that date, real-name registration must be completed before activation. For existing pre-paid SIM card users, they have to finish real-name registration with operators in the 360-day grace period ending February 23, 2023.

Click here for more details.

Website Sponsors