Last month I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet some of my fellow members at two Chamber events: our 160+1 Anniversary Dinner and the “Meet the Chairman” reception a couple of weeks earlier. Although I became Chairman in May, we have had to wait for Covid-related rules to be relaxed before we could organize such events.
Both of these events were extremely successful, but due to the ongoing restrictions we had to limit the number of people who could join those gatherings. Despite this, it was still a step in the right direction and gives hope that I will be able to meet more of you in the near future.
When speaking with members at the events last month, I emphasized my key priorities as Chairman going forward. The first, of course, is to fully reopen the borders with a return to quarantine-free travel. Last month, the Chief Executive announced the end of mandatory hotel quarantine for incoming visitors with the 0+3 plan, which allows them to monitor themselves for three days under home medical surveillance. This is very welcome news, and we hope the Government will also relax local social-distancing restrictions to allow normal activities in the catering, retail, conference and services sectors.
Once we have gone the final mile and are back on the road to normality, we will need to launch an intensive campaign to tell the Hong Kong story. We all know that there are many misconceptions and ill-informed opinions about life here. Unfortunately, Hong Kong’s delayed resumption of reopening the borders has given fuel to critics of the city. I hope all of our members will join me in spreading this message to your international and Mainland contacts.
Another priority will be to ensure that our members can access the fantastic opportunities across the border, particularly in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Chamber has continued to keep members up-to-date with the latest GBA developments, helping Hong Kong businesses to understand the complex and evolving legislation, tax rules and incentives in different cities. Going forward, HKGCC will continue to use our connections with Mainland officials and businesspeople working in the GBA to ensure we are ready to take advantage of the latest developments.
Finally, we know that businesses face many challenges in the current environment, from Covid-related issues to long-term hurdles and bottlenecks. Through our dedicated committees, we are focused on listening to the key concerns of our members, and brainstorming with industry and policy experts so we can propose the best solutions to the Government.
Moving forward, we will need your ideas, suggestions and involvement so the Chamber can do its utmost to represent and advocate on behalf of you, the Hong Kong business community.
Betty Yuen
chairman@chamber.org.hk