As you can imagine, the SARS epidemic has had a great effect on Chamber operations and services. Almost all our visiting speakers, whether from China or from overseas, have cancelled their speaking engagements with us these couple of months. We have not been receiving any visiting business delegations either since a few weeks ago. And our trips overseas have also been postponed. It does not appear that there will be normality in our programs for a little while longer.

However, this does not mean there are no programs and services for our members. Luckily, Hong Kong is an international city with a great wealth of knowledgeable and experienced people, and we are still tapping into them to do programs. In fact, during the past month, our programs have been very well attended, with people wanting still to get more information and wanting to do "business as usual" as much as possible. For the attendees, we try to provide as clean an environment as possible by sanitising the conference room in United Centre before and after each program; by covering the microphones with wraps; and by providing masks for those who want them. Many people feel that work and life cannot stop even as we struggle to get a handle on the disease, and we will continue to provide programs for those who want them.

In recognition of the hardship you are all in, the Chamber is providing a 25 percent "SARS Relief" discount on all programs and many Chamber services in May, June and July to our members. For CO users, we are offering a 20 percent discount during this same three-month period. Some of the e-services are even offered for free to members. This is just one small way that we are trying to help you out (see page 15 for a complete discount list.)

What we are also very busy doing is communicating our members' concerns and wishes to the government during this crisis. We were overwhelmed with the response we received a few weeks ago when we went out to you for suggestions that we can submit to the government. One staff member who read through your emails, faxes, and letters said she was really moved by the concern you all exhibited for Hong Kong and your anguish and hope that things can be better. Many of the ideas contained in almost 200 inputs from you over a 48-hour period went into a submission to the government that you can read on page 18 of this month's Bulletin. Those that the government has not adopted, we will continue to push on your behalf. Please continue to give us ideas, since this is bound to be a long battle with SARS.