Each year, the Chamber is asked by the government for our views on a dozen or so consultations. In addition, the Chamber sometimes takes positions on issues it believes the business community is concerned about and brings them to the attention of the government or the press.

Some members have asked how they can participate in this policy process, because they would like to have some input or offer their expertise and ideas on policy issues.

The most effective way is for members to join one of 26 Chamber special purpose committees (www.chamber.org.hk/about_the_chamber/committees_list.asp), which we use for policy and other purposes. When issues or consultations come up, the relevant committees are consulted. Their views and analysis are then either sent to the government or made public directly, or they may be forwarded to the General Committee if it is decided that it is of sufficient importance to get the blessing of the Chamber leadership.

Special purpose committees, under the leadership of a chairman who is a member of the Chamber, with the secretariat being a Chamber staff member, work hard analyzing positions and helping the Chamber form views. The SMEs will find the Chamber particularly useful in folding their wishes into a larger Chamber position, thereby giving them more credibility.

In special circumstances, ad hoc groups are set up. In recent years, the Chamber set up an ad hoc group to study China WTO and the impact on Hong Kong, and another one was set up to study corporate governance.

For the Policy Address submission and the Budget submission, many committees are consulted before the chief economist puts pen to paper. You might wish to know that our last Policy Address submission contributed to a great extent to the Chief Executive's Policy Address in early January.

Sometimes, the General Committee decides to tackle a certain issue, but usually a position will only be taken after deliberation and with the relevant special purpose committee input. If you read about the chairman or myself saying something in public, you can be assured that they are established positions approved by the General Committee.

Only in very unusual circumstances do we go out to the entire membership to get a policy position, because traditionally the committee system is the pillar of the Chamber's policy process and because many members do not want to be inundated with queries all the time.

Because of the diversity of Chamber membership, no Chamber view is going to be accepted by the entire membership, but you can be certain our published view was debated, analyzed, and thought to be the best for business in Hong Kong.

If you want to join in the Chamber policy process, please join a Chamber special purpose committee or express your desire to help on some specific issue. Of course, the ultimate participation in the Chamber is to be a member of the General Committee, which conducts an election every April at the AGM.