Submissions and Reports

The Chamber supports a multi-pronged and holistic approach to enhancing land supply for all purposes including housing. To this end, the Government should establish a single policy unit to oversee all land and housing related policies, map out a long-term, stable and reliable land supply plan with a clear deliverable timetable, and expedite and simplify the development process, as well as the town planning process.

Hong Kong’s iconic Central Harbourfront is of key importance to the city, therefore the Chamber believes that the highest price should not be the main criterion when determining who wins the tender for the development of Site 3. A “two-envelope” approach -- whereby design proposals are assessed before financial submissions are considered -- would help ensure that the development provides a pleasant environment for citizens while helping maximize the city’s appeal to tourists.

The Chamber supports the establishment of a Green Finance Certification Scheme although it believes enhancements should be made to the existing framework.

In view of Hong Kong’s strong economic performance and a positive outlook, HKGCC agrees that a moderate increase in SMW could be considered. Nevertheless, we should note that an excessive hike in the level of SMW could have a number of dire consequences. Therefore, attention should be given to a basket of factors such as the economic conditions, supply and demand, impact to businesses and cost of living, among others when reviewing SMW.

The Chamber welcomes the Government’s decision to launch a review of the Broadcasting Ordinance and Telecommunications Ordinance, although we are surprised that it has taken six years to carry out this review. We would therefore like to resubmit our previous proposals for the Government’s consideration and call on it to expedite the process of updating these two pieces of legislation through a holistic rather than narrow approach.

The Chamber submitted its proposals on facilitating Trade in Goods under Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) to Ministry of Commerce of PRC and Trade and Industry Department of HKSAR on 26 April 2018.

The Chamber has called on the SFC to carry out a comprehensive evaluation before implementing its proposals to amend the codes on takeovers and mergers and share buybacks.

The Chamber welcomes and supports the proposal to broaden capital market access in Hong Kong and to enhance the competitiveness of its listing regime by allowing the listing of companies with weighted voting rights. In addition to ensuring that the new listing conditions serve their intended purpose of attracting quality issuers from the emerging and innovative sectors, the Chamber also advocates fairness, investor protection and education.

In its response, the Chamber welcomed the proposal to promote wider options for customers and foster innovation in Hong Kong but also called for clarification in certain areas to ensure a level playing field for virtual and conventional banks.