Hong Kong Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king has urged officials to respect lawmakers’ dissenting views amid a recent rise in government pushback, stressing that public policies “always have pros and cons”. Speaking at a media gathering on Tuesday, Lee said she had relayed lawmakers’ concerns to the government regarding officials’ recent rebuttals. She described…
Hong Kong’s finance chief has said the Middle East war has played only a limited role in driving up local inflation, noting the city’s service-based economy and stable energy supplies from mainland China have mitigated the effects of external shocks. Briefing the Legislative Council on Monday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the surge in…
The government’s investment arm achieved a double-digit internal rate of return last year, greater than many newly established venture capital funds, according to its CEO. “Many overseas funds have a J-curve performance, as they tend to suffer an initial loss before a gain,” said Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC). “But…
It’s that time of the year again – tax season, so don’t forget to fill out your return. It’s also the time of the year when the Hong Kong government decides on pay rises for its civil service staff of over 170,000. There’s a well-established system for deciding on pay rises. It includes the pay…
HSBC is targeting an increase in its Hong Kong client base to match the city’s population of 7.5 million, a goal to be driven mainly by international investors, according to its Hong Kong CEO Maggie Ng. Hong Kong has already seen almost 2 million new customers sign up to the HSBC Hong Kong office over…
Hong Kong’s finance chief has called for deeper cooperation and greater dialogue with Europe despite disagreements on some issues, saying engagement is crucial amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. Writing in his weekly blog on Sunday after a five-day trip to France, Belgium and Switzerland, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said European political and business leaders were…
The new industrial park under the Northern Metropolis megaproject has attracted strong global interest from companies in environmental and AI sectors, its chairman has said, with plans to provide international education and accommodation facilities. Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, the newly appointed chairman of the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company, also aims to have the park…
French investors are warming to Hong Kong again, the city’s finance chief has said, citing a “marked difference” in local perceptions compared with his last visit to Paris two years ago. The shift is driven by Hong Kong’s strong market performance and an improved geopolitical situation, especially following US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to…
Hong Kong authorities have allocated HK$5 billion (US$638 million) in funding for efforts to safeguard national security, bringing the total amount earmarked for this purpose to HK$18 billion over the past five years, an official document has revealed. The South China Morning Post’s check on the government’s general revenue expenditure accounts for the financial year…
Hundreds of Hongkongers, including prominent business and political figures, have attended a memorial service for Maisy Ho Chiu-ha, the daughter of late Hong Kong and Macau tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, remembering her as a low-profile philanthropist. Mourners dressed in black streamed into the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai on Sunday for Maisy…