Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region to outfit an office, driven by increased labour costs, a shortage of contractors and strict building standards, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The city had the highest average fit-out cost at US$2,029 per square metre – ahead of Tokyo (US$1,994) and Taipei (US$1,593)…
Hong Kong sees itself as a modern, well-governed, global city that moves with the times. On finance, education, legal services and logistics, that self-image holds. But when considering the green transition, particularly transport electrification, the gap between rhetoric and reality is increasingly hard to ignore. Nowhere is this more evident than in electrifying the taxi…
Less than half of Hong Kong employees feel happy at work, a survey has found, ranking the city’s workplace happiness the lowest among eight Asia-Pacific economies, including Singapore. Recruitment platform Jobsdb on Friday released its survey of 1,020 local workers. The poll also found that 44 per cent of local respondents reported burnout at work…
A new government committee tasked with reviewing Hong Kong’s tax policies will consider updating them to allow for levies on the virtual asset sector and selected emerging industries, while providing incentives to attract business and investment, the South China Morning Post has learned. The SCMP learned of the development on Wednesday as experts called for…
Hong Kong should increase funding for university research to position itself as a global education hub, a leading academic has said, citing a growing trend of students choosing Asian destinations for higher studies. Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, president of Chinese University, which is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Conference and Exhibition,…
Standard Chartered Bank, one of Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks, reported a 16 per cent profit jump for 2025, as strong wealth management growth helped it weather rising bad debt from the city’s commercial real estate slump. The London-based bank, which generates much of its revenue from Asia, reported an underlying pre-tax profit of US$7.9…
Hong Kong’s sports minister has expressed regret over her social media post about the former coach of the men’s football team made after their stinging loss to Singapore in an Asian Cup qualifying match last year, vowing to be “more careful” with her comments. Speaking on a radio show on Tuesday evening, Secretary for Culture,…
As a long-time observer of Hong Kong affairs – and someone who cares deeply about the city – I have often felt that external debates about Hong Kong have been louder than careful assessments of how the city is actually evolving. Since the implementation of the national security law, discussion of Hong Kong has often…
As Hong Kong, mainland China and several other Asian markets usher in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, the region’s commercial real estate sector is expected to draw increased cross-border capital, with certain segments set to outperform as mega-deals make a comeback, analysts said. Asia-Pacific was set to be a focus among global investors,…
Dozens of diners flocked to an 80-year-old cha chaan teng in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai to get a last taste of its famous egg tarts and milk tea before the restaurant shuts its doors next month. Honolulu Coffee Shop was packed during lunch hour on Friday, with long, snaking queues of patrons waiting outside along…