It’s that time of year when we take stock and look back at what we have accomplished over the past 12 months. And I am happy to report that, despite the Covid-related restrictions, the Chamber remained productive. As always, we worked tirelessly to lobby the Government to support businesses and ease Covid restrictions, and provided timely input through over 20 policy submissions – forefront among them being the Budget and Policy Address – as well as consultations and proposals. The Chamber also organized over 380 events, including webinars and online training workshops, for our members.
While many of our submissions were related to regulatory changes, we also provided updates to the Government on the findings of our surveys of members to drive home the hardships businesses were facing. Notable among these was our survey on the worrying brain drain and a survey targeted specifically on travel and quarantine restrictions.
Despite curbs dictating that many events had to be conducted virtually, we held 12 in-person meetings with Consuls General, met with government officials, and also hosted a special luncheon for Chief Executive John Lee, who discussed his inaugural Policy Address with members.
Special mention must be made of our 160+1 anniversary celebration in September. The business community and dignitaries came together to mark the Chamber’s 161st birthday. Even though the 120 guests at the banquet had to adhere to Covid regulations, it was a memorable evening with fantastic entertainment, albeit virtual.
It was disappointing to hear that the “0+3” quarantine period for visitors is unlikely to be removed for the near future. Many Hong Kong companies are literally dying to get back to business, and the world wants to get back to doing business with us.
The Chamber also stepped up its youth-focused projects, including business competitions for third-level students. The Pitch Perfect Programme, run by our Young Executives Club, provided training and mentorships for students. And the Business-School Partnership Programme continues to be integral to the Chamber’s student community work.
We also are proud to have done a lot to help those in need, with regular activities organized by our Women Executives Club, such as the HKGCC Community Project with SoCO, which raised donations worth HK$644,000. Also this year, we were delighted that the Good Citizen Award was held in August, though the one in January was cancelled due to the fifth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the award, and we will be making plans to celebrate the amazing milestone.
In 2023, we also plan to restart the Hong Kong Business Summit, overseas business missions, and programmes to relaunch Hong Kong. We hope these will help members gain insights into the uncertainties of the pandemic. In relation to this, we have just launched the Chamber’s Data Dashboard, which you can access on our website. The purpose of the dashboard is to consolidate available data, allowing firms to make timely changes to their business strategies.
December is also the month for membership renewal. I hope you have found our services beneficial, as we continue to serve you to the best of our abilities. I wish all our readers a merry Christmas and a new year that brings prosperity and growth.
George Leung
[email protected]