Author Archives: hksar gov

     Below are the remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, on the closure of Ocean Empire Food Shop at a media session after attending a radio programme today morning (May 10):
 
Reporter: What is the Labour Department’s current plan of action regarding the unpaid wages and severance payment owed to former employees of Ocean Empire Food Shop? What steps are the Labour Department taking to ensure these contributions are recovered and paid to the workers? The second question is, what steps are the Government taking to strengthen employment protection and prevent similar situations to recur in future? Thank you. 
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Right now our top priority is to help the 100 or so workers, local or imported, to get what they should get under the law, i.e. their unpaid salaries, unpaid leave as well as severance payment. We are helping them to apply for support under the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund against insolvency and wage default. It takes a bit of time, but they don’t have to worry. Right now, under the Fund, be it unpaid salaries, unpaid leave as well as severance payment, there is a well-established mechanism for them to get back money that is owed to them. We are working closely with the employers because with their help, it could speed up the whole process. In Hong Kong we have very elaborated labour laws providing much needed and necessary protection for our workers, and such protection applies to both local and imported workers. 
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.) read more

     Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (May 10) that the Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, will embark on a series of visits to Istanbul, Türkiye; Budapest, Hungary; and Cairo, Egypt, some of the key economies along the Belt and Road, to strengthen economic ties and promote Hong Kong as the premier gateway for businesses to expand into the Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region.
      
     Ms Lau said, “Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a global financial hub and Asia’s business launch pad make it the perfect partner for enterprises from Türkiye, Hungary and Egypt in expanding into the Mainland, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets, and further in Asia and beyond. Anchored in the Belt and Road Initiative, we look forward to fostering collaboration and showcasing how Hong Kong can drive their success across the region.”
      
     She added that Hong Kong offers unmatched access to the Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region through initiatives such as the Greater Bay Area and its Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN. The city’s business-friendly environment, free capital movement and a robust innovation and technology ecosystem hosting nearly 10 000 companies from overseas and the Mainland, and close to 4 700 start-ups, empowers businesses to innovate and grow.
      
     Ms Lau will arrive in Istanbul tomorrow (May 11, Istanbul time) to engage with Turkish companies from various sectors which are interested in using Hong Kong as a springboard to grow across the Asia-Pacific region. She will speak at different events, including an Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Business Seminar, a Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye Business Seminar, and meet with Turkish media to highlight Hong Kong’s business-friendly environment, which includes a low and simple tax regime, free capital flow, and a common law system under the “one country, two systems” principle.
      
     In 2024, Türkiye was Hong Kong’s 30th largest trading partner, with bilateral merchandise trade between the two places amounting to HK$16.6 billion. The Hong Kong–Türkiye comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement signed in 2024 enhances tax certainty, facilitating cross-border transactions.
      
     Since Türkiye’s inclusion in Hong Kong’s Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales has supported Hong Kong companies expanding into the Turkish market. To further strengthen bilateral business ties, InvestHK set up a second office in Izmir in January 2025 to promote opportunities that Hong Kong offers to Turkish corporates seeking regional expansion. 
      
     On May 13 (Budapest time), Ms Lau will arrive in Budapest to meet major Hungarian companies keen on using Hong Kong as a regional hub for Asia-Pacific expansion. She will meet with media to update them on Hong Kong’s latest business environment and opportunities. Ms Lau will also attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference in Hungary.
      
     In 2024, Hungary was Hong Kong’s 33rd largest trading partner and around 9.4 per cent (HK$9.4 billion) of the total merchandise trade between Hungary and the Mainland routed through Hong Kong. Hong Kong serves as a gateway for Hungarian businesses targeting Asian markets, leveraging its role as “super connector” under the Belt and Road Initiative, while Hungary benefits from Hong Kong’s open investment environment. Hungarian manufacturing, technology, and healthtech companies can tap Hong Kong’s vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem, backed by global capital and world-class universities, to grow in ASEAN and China’s Greater Bay Area.
      
     On May 17 (Cairo time), Ms Lau will visit Cairo to connect with global Egyptian businesses eager to establish operations in Hong Kong to seize Asia-Pacific opportunities. She will also attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference in Cairo.
      
     In 2023, InvestHK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones of the Arab Republic of Egypt, pledging mutual co-operation on investment promotion exchanges and support. In 2024, bilateral merchandise trade between Hong Kong and Egypt amounted to HK$2.1 billion, up 5.4 per cent over 2023.

  

     The Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong Social Service has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (May 10), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, was invited to meet with the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; and relevant senior officials, today (May 9) to deliberate on the findings and analyses of the investigation by the Office of The Ombudsman into the Government’s regulation of occupational safety and health in the construction industry and exchange views on strengthening departmental management systems and reinforcing performance accountability.  
      
     The Ombudsman said, “I must, once again, express my gratitude to the Chief Executive for his recognition of our work.  I am also very grateful that he has announced earlier that the Chief Secretary for Administration will lead a working group to conduct in-depth reviews of recommendations in the direct investigation operation reports issued by the Office of The Ombudsman to ensure that government departments will actively follow up on the recommendations from these investigations.  I am also grateful for the Chief Secretary for Administration’s invitation to this meeting.  During our meeting today, we had an in-depth and focused deliberation on my Office’s investigation findings as regards the Government’s regulation of occupational safety and health in the construction industry, and a candid discussion on the bottlenecks and challenges.  We also had a thorough exchange of views on ways to strengthen departmental management systems and reinforce performance accountability.  I am pleased to learn that the working group led by the Chief Secretary for Administration will monitor relevant departments’ follow-up actions to ensure full implementation of our recommendations.  I am also pleased to note that the Labour Department and the Buildings Department have been actively following up the recommendations of our report and commenced various work including enhancing effectiveness of enforcement and expediting the processing of cases omitted earlier.  The current-term Government is committed and determined to strengthen departmental management systems, reinforce performance accountability among departmental managerial staff, and enhance public service management and efficiency, demonstrating its devotion and dedication to fostering good governance.  My Office will give full support and co-operation in enhancing the effectiveness of public administration to ensure high-quality and efficient public services.”