Hong Kong health authorities will relax the eligibility criteria of a fee waiver mechanism at public hospitals, benefiting an extra 1.1 million patients starting in 2026. Under the reform of the public healthcare service subsidy model, non-urgent patients will pay HK$400 (US$52), double the current price of HK$180, at emergency departments, with the collected fees…
Hong Kong’s finance chief is considering raising government revenues by legalising basketball betting as part of measures to tackle the city’s close-to-HK$100 billion (US$12.9 billion) fiscal deficit, the Post has learned. Two days before Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget speech, an insider confirmed on Monday that authorities could allow the Hong Kong Jockey Club to expand…
Finance Minister Lan Foan has emphasised that fiscal efforts to support China’s technological advancement are a government priority, as many analysts predict that Beijing will raise this year’s fiscal deficit ratio to 4 per cent to bolster economic growth. In an article in the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Friday, Lan pledged that his…
On Thursday, stock markets in China and Hong Kong saw a downturn as investors grappled with the dual prospects of U.S. tariff hikes and anticipated fiscal stimulus measures from Beijing. By midday, the Shanghai Composite index dipped by 0.1% to 3,364.64, and the blue-chip CSI 300 index decreased by 0.22%. The consumer staples, real…
Global stock markets faced a downturn for the third straight session on Thursday, as recent U.S. economic data depicted a steady labor market while highlighting challenges in controlling inflation. The Labor Department reported a decline in initial unemployment claims, coming in below economists’ expectations at 217,000 for the last week. Inflation concerns mounted with…
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -China said on Saturday it will “significantly increase” government debt issuance to offer subsidies to people with low incomes, support the property market and replenish state banks’ capital as it pushes to revive sputtering economic growth. Finance Minister Lan Foan told a news conference there will be more “counter-cyclical measures” this year, but…