Activities of the SME Service Centres

SME Service Centres' "4-in-1" Seminar Series

The Government consolidated the services of the four SMEs centres in October 2019 to provide “4-in-1” integrated services.  Theme of the “4-in-1” seminar series in the second half of 2022 is “New Normal of Business after Pandemic”, continued being co-organised by the four SMEs centres, with an aim to assisting enterprises to grasp business opportunities and expand new markets under the new normal by introducing the topics including digital transformation, the latest development of technological solutions, business transformation and Government funding schemes, etc.  The SME Centre of HKTDC would organise the following webinar under this seminar series on 6 December 2022.  Interested persons are welcome to register at the link below.  Admission is Free.

T-Box Workshop: Latest enhancement measures of Technology Voucher Programme (Webinar)

(This webinar will be held by the SME Centre of HKTDC on 6 December 2022)

"Technology Voucher Programme" (TVP), one of the funding schemes under the ITF of the Government, aims to support local enterprises/organisations in using technological services and solutions to improve productivity, or upgrade or transform their business processes.  This webinar will focus on TVP application tips, as well as introducing the “TVP ePROQ” Platform (https://tvp-eproq.hkpc.org/en/index.aspx) newly launched by the HKPC.

More details and registration (in Chinese only)

Promotional Flyer
 

TID / SUCCESS-supported Activities

I. Update on Foreign Source Income Exemption Regime (FSIE) (Webinar)

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 6 December 2022)

This webinar is organised by The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  The Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Taxation on Specified Foreign-sourced Income) Bill 2022 (the Amendment Bill) was gazetted on 28 October 2022 and introduced into the Legislative Council on 2 November 2022 to provide a new framework for Hong Kong’s FSIE regime with a view to bringing the regime into force from 1 January 2023.  The Amendment Bill aims to amend the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) to regard certain foreign-sourced income as arising in or derived from Hong Kong and to provide for relief against double taxation in respect of certain foreign-sourced income.  In this webinar, tax experts will explain the latest development of the FSIE, with a view to assisting Hong Kong entrepreneurs to understand the relevant implementation measures and prepare in advance.  (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)

More Details (in Chinese only)

II. BUD Fund Symposium 2022

(This activity will be live-streamed and held at HKPC Building in hybrid mode on 8 December 2022)

This activity is organised by the HKPC.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  This symposium will introduce the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund).  Experts knowledgeable in the markets of the Mainland and other economies covered under the BUD Fund are also invited to share the latest market business information and analysis.  Enterprises that have successfully applied for the BUD Fund will also share their experience.  (This activity will be conducted in Cantonese.)

More Details (in Chinese only)

III. Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence 2022

This award is jointly organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee, the Environmental Protection Department, the Advisory Council on the Environment, the Business Environment Council, The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, The Hong Kong Chinese Importers' & Exporters' Association, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the HKPC.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  The award aims to encourage organisations to implement environmental management, to measure organisations' performance on their commitment to environmental management, and to recognise organisations with excellence performance on environmental management.  The award is now open for application until 31 December 2022.

More Details
 

Workshop on "ASEAN Roadmap to Successful IP Commercialisation in a Knowledge-based Economy"

(This workshop will be live-streamed on 2 December 2022)

This workshop is organised by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Intellectual Property Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  Intellectual property (IP) commercialisation is a key driver of economic growth in a knowledge-based economy.  This workshop will highlight the best practices for enterprises in managing IP assets to enhance IP protection, research and development (R&D) capacity and technology transfer to enable effective commercialisation and drive the development of a creative and R&D based economy.  It will also cover how IP policies and measures could facilitate exploitation and commercialisation of IP.  (This workshop will be conducted in English.)

More Details

Please click here for registration
 

The 5th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intellectual Property Trade Expo and International Geographical Indications Products Trade Expo

(This event will be live-streamed and held at Knowledge City International Convention and Exhibition Center in hybrid mode from 9 to 11 December 2022)

The event is co-organised by the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), The People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality, the Intellectual Property Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.  With the theme “Building an Intellectual Property Rights Power and a New Development Pattern”, the event includes the Geographical Indication Product Exhibition Hall, the Intellectual Property Trade Exhibition Hall, the Greater Bay Area Forum and the Special Events, covering patents, trade marks, copyright and geographical indications.

More Details
 

Benchmarking Your Quality Practices against the 2022 HKMA Quality Award Winners (Webinar)

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 15 December 2022)

This webinar is organised by The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA).  In this webinar, 2022 HKMA Quality Award winners will share their experience in developing and maintaining a strong quality culture within their organisations with a view to providing new perspectives in quality management.  Participants may benchmark the quality practices of their own campaigns against some of Hong Kong’s excellent organisations.  (Admission fee is required.  This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)

More Details
 

Inland Revenue Department moving to Kai Tak by phases in late 2022/early 2023
Past and Future Exhibition (19/12/2022 - 31/1/2023)

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD), currently accommodated in Revenue Tower, Wanchai, will be relocated to the Inland Revenue Centre at 5 Concorde Road, Kai Tak, Kowloon by phases in late 2022/early 2023.  The Inland Revenue Centre, a new dedicated building for the IRD is located at Kai Tak Development Area adjacent to the Trade and Industry Tower and MTR Kai Tak Station and has a site area of about 9,832m2 with a number of environmental-friendly, energy-saving facilities and greening designs incorporated into its design as well as various public-friendly facilities.

Besides, to mark the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of HKSAR as well as the 75th Anniversary of the IRD, IRD will hold the "Past and Future Exhibition" from 19 December 2022 to 31 January 2023 on G/F of Inland Revenue Centre, presenting a tour to the past, present and future of IRD.  All members of the public are welcome.

For details of the relocation of IRD as well as the exhibition, please visit IRD website (https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/abo/relocate.htm) or call 24-hour Interactive Enquiry Service Hotline 187 8088.
 

Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme accepts applications until 18 January 2023

The Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD) launched the 12th-round funding exercise under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS) on 23 November 2022.

The ACDFS provides funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to four objectives, namely capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector; programme/content development; audience building; and arts education.  Over 160 successful applications have received funding in the previous 11 rounds to implement large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives that cover various art forms and practices including performing arts, visual/media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, community arts, arts education/appreciation/promotion and arts administration.  The "Arts Technology" category, has been introduced since the 10th-round of the ACDFS with a view to supporting proposals that aim to promote the convergence of arts and technology in the creation of novel presentation, curation and audience experiences.  Applicants are encouraged to manifest their artistic vision and aspiration through the use of technology in a creative manner.

The assessment criteria for applications include artistic/professional merit, creativity and originality, impact on the arts sector and the community, technical feasibility of the proposed initiatives/activities, capacity in financial planning and management, and the management ability of the applicant and the project team.

The ACDFS will continue to provide two types of grants, namely Springboard Grants and Project Grants.  Springboard Grants are matching grants that support arts groups in their overall development, elevating them to a higher level of professional operation.  The minimum amount of pledged income or sponsorship of arts groups for matching is $1 million, of which not less than $250,000 has to come from non-government sponsorships and/or private donations.  A 200 per cent matching grant up to a maximum amount of $4 million may be provided over a maximum of two years.  To further facilitate the growth of arts groups, successful applicants with proven performance may apply for a second Springboard Grant up to a maximum amount of $5.5 million with a funding period of three years at most.  Upon completion of the second Springboard Grant, the arts group would be admitted as Graduated Springboard Grantee eligible for applying for the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme.

Project Grants are direct grants which provide successful applicants with funding support up to a ceiling of $3 million to organise large-scale and impactful projects, which may require a longer duration for implementation. 

The 12th-round funding exercise under the ACDFS is open for application from 23 November 2022 and will close at 6pm on 18 January 2023.  Applications can be submitted online, by post or by hand.  The Guide to Application and relevant materials have been uploaded to the website of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (https://www.cstb.gov.hk/en/acdfs.html).  Representatives of successful applicants will be invited to share in two sessions of briefing on 2 and 6 December 2022, respectively at the Hong Kong Central Library and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.  Details can be found on the above website.  The application results are expected to be released around June 2023.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202211/23/P2022112200409.htm.

Support Programme for Employees with Disabilities accepts applications all year round

To support the employment of persons with disabilities, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) launched the Support Programme for Employees with Disabilities (SPED) in June 2013 to provide employers of persons with disabilities with a one-off subsidy for each employee with disabilities for procurement of assistive devices and/or workplace modifications.  The programme, which aims to assist employees with disabilities in discharging their duties in the workplace and enhance their work efficiency, is open for applications all year round.

A wide range of assistive devices and workplace modifications which cater for the special needs of employees with disabilities at the workplace may be considered for support.  Examples include computer accessories or adaptive equipment, optical magnifying devices, hearing and assistive devices, Braille products and handrails.  The maximum support level for the SPED is $40,000 for each employee with disabilities.

The Po Leung Kuk has been commissioned to serve as the SPED Administrator.  It assists in administering and promoting the SPED, providing advisory services and following up on the progress of the subsidised programmes.  It also prepares assessments on the applications and makes recommendations to the Committee on the SPED set up by the SWD for consideration.

Employers may apply for a subsidy under the SPED through nomination by the following referring organisations:

1. non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating SWD-subvented vocational rehabilitation services;
2. NGOs running training courses for persons with disabilities or persons recovering from work injuries with the funding support of the Employees Retraining Board;
3. the Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department;
4. the Vocational Training Council; or
5. the SPED Administrator (Po Leung Kuk).

Public consultation on free trade agreement with Peru until 24 December 2022

The Government launched on 24 November 2022 a one-month public consultation on negotiation of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru.  Members of the public are welcome to offer their views by 24 December 2022.

Hong Kong and Peru will commence FTA negotiation in January 2023, covering subjects such as trade in goods, services, investment, electronic commerce, and small and medium-sized enterprises.  The consultation aims to solicit views on areas of interest to the Hong Kong business community in the Peruvian market.  The relevant consultation document is now available at https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/aboutus/noticeboard/peru_agreement.html for reference.

Hong Kong has so far signed eight FTAs with the Mainland of China, New Zealand, the member states of the European Free Trade Association (i.e. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), Chile, Macao, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Georgia and Australia.  In addition to pursuing an FTA with Peru, Hong Kong has been actively seeking to accede to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and engaging in exploratory talks with other potential FTA or investment agreement partners.

Members of the public may provide their views in writing on the issues set out in the consultation document on or before 24 December 2022 via:

Email: fta@tid.gov.hk
Fax: 2789 9761
Mail: Trade and Industry Department, Room 1415, 14/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202211/24/P2022112200515.htm.
 

Trade consultation on enhancing aircraft leasing preferential tax regime until 19 December 2022

The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) launched a trade consultation on proposals to enhance the aircraft leasing preferential tax regime on 22 November 2022.  All stakeholders are welcome to provide their views by 19 December 2022.

The regime was introduced in 2017 to provide global industry players with competitive profits tax concessions in Hong Kong as compared to those of other places.  Since then, a number of major industry players from the Mainland and overseas have set up their subsidiaries or operating arms in Hong Kong.

In view of the rapid market changes over the past few years, and taking into account the international tax reform spearheaded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on base erosion and profit shifting (commonly known as BEPS 2.0), the Government plans to introduce a series of enhancement measures for the regime with a view to enhancing the competitiveness of Hong Kong.  The proposals put forth by the Government are categorised as follows:

1. Provision of tax deduction in respect of the acquisition cost of aircraft;
2. Expansion of the scope and coverage of lease and aircraft leasing activities;
3. Deduction of interest payable on money raised to finance the acquisition of aircraft;
4. Introduction of a threshold requirement to comply with OECD requirements; and
5. Specification of the leasing model involving the use of a bare trust.

Government gazetted regulations on reduction of water and sewage charges for non-domestic accounts

The Government published in the Gazette on 18 November 2022 the Waterworks (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2022 and the Sewage Services (Sewage Charge) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2022 to give effect to the extension of the existing reduction of the water and sewage charges for non-domestic accounts as announced in the Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address.  The measures aim to provide relief to the businesses concerned and it is expected that about 250 000 non-domestic users will benefit.

The measures are to extend the 75 per cent reduction of the water and sewage charges for non-domestic accounts for eight months from 1 December 2022 to 31 July 2023, subject to a monthly cap of $20,000 and $12,500 respectively for each meter covered by a water bill.  The regulations were tabled at the Legislative Council on 23 November 2022 for negative vetting.

The estimated Government revenue foregone for extending the reduction of water and sewage charges for non-domestic accounts is about $440 million and $240 million respectively.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202211/18/P2022111800260.htm.
 

Strategic Purchasing Office established

The Health Bureau announced on 21 November 2022 the establishment of the Strategic Purchasing Office and appointment of Dr Cheung Wai-lun as the Director of the Strategic Purchasing Office, in addition to his own duties as the Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, on a temporary basis.

“The Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address” put forward the plan to set up the Strategic Purchasing Office for co-ordinating the primary healthcare services to be provided to citizens through the private healthcare sector.  The setting up of the Office echoes the upcoming Primary Healthcare Blueprint in offering members of the public comprehensive, sustainable and people-centric primary healthcare services in the community.

The Strategic Purchasing Office will formulate and implement strategic purchasing service programmes in line with health policies to foster integrated healthcare and maximise health benefits.  Moreover, it will develop and roll out a common platform to facilitate integrated purchasing of healthcare services from the private sector with a view to optimising the healthcare system.

Dr Cheung Wai-lun will take up the post of Director of the Strategic Purchasing Office in addition to his own duties on a temporary basis.  Dr Cheung has a great wealth of experience in administration and management.  He will lead the setting up of the Strategic Purchasing Office and the preparation work for launching strategic purchasing, including identifying and recruiting a suitable candidate to assume the post of Director and lead the Strategic Purchasing Office in the long run.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202211/21/P2022112100228.htm.

Support Measures relating to Liquidity

Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund)

The TID rolled out enhancements to the BUD Fund on 7 November 2022.

The cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise of the BUD Fund has been raised from $6 million to $7 million and the maximum number of approved projects per enterprise has been increased from 60 to 70.

The HKPC as the BUD Fund implementation partner regularly organises seminars/webinars in order to enhance enterprises’ understanding of the BUD Fund.  For more details of the BUD Fund, please visit its website (https://www.bud.hkpc.org/en) or contact the HKPC at 2788 6088. 
 

Corruption Prevention Advisory Service (CPAS) of ICAC

A good governance system is vital for SMEs' effective operation, and can help sustain their company image and hence counterparts' confidence in doing business with them.  The Corruption Prevention Department of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched the Corruption Prevention Advisory Service (CPAS).  The CPAS is a specialised unit dedicated to providing tailor-made, free and confidential corruption prevention advice on system control in common business areas such as procurement and staff administration.  Enterprises can access its user-friendly web portal (https://cpas.icac.hk/EN/) for details of the services and to get timely and useful resources on corruption prevention such as staff code of conduct, corruption prevention guides and tools, case studies, quick tips and red flags.

To receive regular updates on corruption prevention, please click here to subscribe to the CPAS e-news.
 

Free IP Consultation Service

The Intellectual Property Department (IPD), supported by the Law Society of Hong Kong, now provides FREE One-On-One IP Consultation Service for SMEs.  To obtain more information and/or apply for the Service, please visit IPD's dedicated website "Hong Kong - The IP Trading Hub": https://www.ip.gov.hk/en/free-ip-consultation-service-highlights.html.