Submissions and Reports

The Chamber does not support the proposals as set out in the consultation paper mainly because there is insufficient evidence to show that there will be net gains from doing so.

The Chamber’s response to the Government’s proposed amendments to the Companies Ordinance and its subsidiary legislations is as given in the attached paper.

In its submission on retirement protection, the Chamber has expressed support for directing our finite resources to helping the less well-off including the poor elderly in Hong Kong. This would necessarily entail a means-tested approach to determine eligibility. The Chamber has also called for a wholistic review of the MPF system to enhance this very important retirement pillar. Mere focus on the MPF’s offsetting mechanism would be too narrow and of limited use to be effective.

The Chamber supports the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association’s application for a Block Exemption Order with respect to Vessel Sharing Agreements (VSAs) under the Competition Ordinance. The Chamber also supports the exemption of Voluntary Discussion Agreements (VDAs) if it can be shown that any harm this may bring is clearly outweighed by efficiencies, which benefit Hong Kong.

The Chamber has not formed a conclusion on the proposal to introduce Third Party Funding for Arbitration in Hong Kong but have set out views by members for consideration by the Law Reform Commission on the issue.

The Chamber responded to a consultation paper on the arbitrability of IPRs by highlighting certain aspects of the proposals that warranted government’s attention.

The Chamber does not oppose the Government’s intent to reform the Patents Bill but is concerned about the lack of concrete evidence as to the advantages arising from the proposed legislative changes.

The Chamber has expressed concerns about the Proposed Implementation of Section 33 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and urged the Government to give these its serious consideration.

The Chamber is pleased to see the Government take action in addressing payment disputes that have been plaguing the construction industry for years.