The Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) of the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) on 17 December 2025 announced the publication of guides to guesthouse and food business licence applications in countryside areas, which provides guidance for individuals interested in operating guesthouses or food business premises in countryside areas to apply for relevant licences.

A spokesperson for the CCO said, "Many countryside villages in the New Territories offer both natural scenery and rich cultural heritage, and many members of the public pay visits to these areas during weekends and holidays. However, the number of guesthouses and food business premises currently operating in countryside areas is limited, as the process of licence applications can be challenging, given matters such as land and planning are involved. To assist individuals who are interested in operating guesthouses or food business premises in the countryside areas, the Government has set up an interdepartmental Task Force on Guesthouse and Food Business Licences in Countryside Areas. The Task Force has enhanced and rationalised the implementation details and steps of the relevant processes and formulated a series of streamlined measures covering planning, land, and licensing matters, taking into account the uniqueness of the rural settings. The CCO has compiled these measures into the guides, listing out key points-to-note in the process of licence applications, and providing contact information of the relevant departments."

The streamlined measures put forward by the Government include:

• Based on the requirements of the relevant statutory Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs), for New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs) constructed by virtue of the Buildings Ordinance (Application to the New Territories) Ordinance within the land use zone of "Village Type Development", including those NTEHs built after 1961, operating a food business on their ground floor is always permitted, without the need to apply for planning permission. Villagers may commence business upon obtaining a valid licence;
• For existing Old Village Houses (OVHs) eligible for guesthouse/food business licence applications, Short Term Tenancy (STT) rental and Short Term Waiver (STW) fees arising from encroachment on government land or breach of lease conditions will only begin to accrue from the date when the business licence is issued, and the payment of a one-off administrative fee for applying STT and STW is waived;
• A series of templates and checklists for tackling town planning and land matters have been prepared to help villagers and operators better understand the licensing requirements and procedures, thereby saving costs and time;
• A "Third party certification" template and prescribed form for certifying OVHs' structural stability have been prepared; and
• A new mechanism has been established to assess existing septic tanks systems of relevant premises through "third party certification", obviating the need to construct new ones.

Since the formulation of the above streamlined measures, there have been guesthouses, a takeaway shop and a restaurant located in Lai Chi Wo, Yim Tin Tsai and Kuk Po respectively, having been granted relevant business licences. The Government will continue to facilitate the trade by further simplifying the food business licensing regime and expediting the approval process for applications for outdoor seating areas of restaurants, with a view to implementing the measures stipulated in the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address. 

The guides have been uploaded to the CCO website (cco.gov.hk/en/licensing).

Guide to Guesthouse Licence Application in Countryside Areas
www.eeb.gov.hk/sites/default/files/conservation/files/Full_GH_licensing_guide_en.pdf.

Guide to Food Business Licence Application in Countryside Areas
www.eeb.gov.hk/sites/default/files/conservation/files/Full_FB_licensing_guide_en.pdf.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/17/P2025121700504.htm.

The Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform, initiated by the Department of Justice (DoJ) with support of the CEDB, was officially launched on 13 December 2025, marking a new stage of collaborative support by Hong Kong's professional services for Mainland enterprises going global.

The Platform was established under the steer of the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, to implement the initiative set out in the Policy Address. It is clearly stated in the Policy Address that Hong Kong should strengthen its role as a platform for enterprises going global, in which the Deputy Secretary for Justice is tasked to promote Hong Kong's legal services and to collaborate with other professional service sectors, such as accounting and finance, to support Mainland enterprises wishing to expand overseas.

The ceremony were attended by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau; Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC Mr Patrick Lau; representatives from local and overseas chambers of commerce, and professionals from the legal, financial and accounting sectors.

In his opening remarks at the launch ceremony, Dr Cheung stated that successful overseas expansion is often underpinned by high-quality professional services in fields such as law, finance, and accountancy. Renowned for their international outlook, uncompromising professional standards, and nuanced understanding of both Chinese and global contexts, Hong Kong's professional services sectors can provide Mainland enterprises with comprehensive support. Since the establishment of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (GoGlobal Task Force), many Mainland enterprises have expressed a strong desire to use Hong Kong as a "launchpad" for global expansion.

Dr Cheung continued that to provide effective support for Mainland enterprises going global, professional services must have both breadth and depth. That is an extensive pool of specialised and precise professional services providers tailored to the industry types and target markets of enterprises venturing overseas, with diverse choices of professional services providers suitable for businesses of all sizes. As such, the Platform is established to achieve two main objectives:

(1) To collaborate with the HKTDC in building a deeper and broader cross-professional services platform, enabling enterprises to enjoy a customised, bespoke experience. The Platform will provide useful references to Mainland enterprises by co-ordinating and integrating information related to Hong Kong's professional services, including their success stories in supporting Mainland enterprises expanding overseas. The Platform will also consolidate and publish lists of relevant professional services providers supporting overseas expansion, facilitating precise connections between Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong's professional services；

(2) To enhance the understanding of and to co-ordinate Hong Kong's professional services to efficiently meet the specific needs of Mainland enterprises expanding overseas. A few days before the launch ceremony, Dr Cheung led a delegation of over 40 representatives from cross-professional sectors to exchange views with representatives from around 70 enterprises and industry associations in Qianhai, Shenzhen. Satisfactory results were achieved.

To support and promote the work of the Platform, the DoJ will establish the Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global, consisting of Mainland and Hong Kong experts from the legal, financial, accounting as well as business sectors to provide professional strategic advice.

Dr Cheung also noted that connecting and matching Mainland enterprises with Hong Kong's professional services is a common goal of the GoGlobal Task Force and the Platform. The Platform will serve as a hub that brings together Hong Kong's cross-sector professional services as the main force to support enterprises going global. It will promote and support the professional services sectors, empowering them to better respond to the needs for professional services of Mainland enterprises. Meanwhile, the GoGlobal Task Force of the CEDB will directly engage with Mainland enterprises, serving as the pivotal point of contact for Mainland enterprises using Hong Kong as a "launchpad" to go global. The Task Force and the Platform are closely interlinked and complement each other. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Yau said that as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, Hong Kong possesses unique advantages. The city can assist Mainland enterprises in expanding their businesses overseas and addressing various challenges and difficulties they may encounter when going global, such as cross-border capital management, risk management, laws and regulations, cultural differences and talent recruitment. With its world-class and highly internationalised professional services, particularly the excellent legal services, Hong Kong is the best partner for Mainland enterprises going global. 

Mr Yau noted that the steering committee for the GoGlobal Task Force is finalising the task force's overall direction, including identifying target enterprises, organising various promotional activities in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and establishing a cross-sector service platform by the HKTDC. The Platform will bring together Hong Kong professional services providers from different sectors to facilitate suitable matching with Mainland enterprises based on their needs. 

He added that the Government will also leverage this service platform to bring more business opportunities for Hong Kong's professional services providers, with a view to further enhancing the influence of Hong Kong's professional services in the Chinese Mainland and overseas, and injecting momentum into Hong Kong's economic development.

At the launch ceremony, Dr Cheung released the inaugural edition of the "Collection of Success Stories: Hong Kong's Professional Services Supporting Chinese Mainland Enterprises Going Global" (bilingual in Chinese and English), which includes over 50 success stories spanning various professional domains, including legal, finance, accounting, and dispute resolution, covering different industries and investment locations such as the emerging markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Middle East and Africa. The publication has been uploaded to the DoJ's website.

Meanwhile, three experts from the legal, financial, and accounting sectors shared their practical experiences on how they successfully assisted enterprises in expanding overseas markets.

During the launch ceremony, a DoJ's promotional video was also presented, in which Dr Cheung, together with the President of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Mr Stephen Law, and the Head of Global Issuer Services of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Mr Johnson Chui, jointly promote the advantages of Hong Kong's professional services in supporting Mainland enterprises to go global, emphasising Hong Kong's dual function as a "super connector" and "value-adder" in materialising the mission of "Go Global, Choose Hong Kong". The promotional video will be uploaded to various social media platforms.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/13/P2025121300409.htm.
 

Arrangements for registered Chinese medicine practitioners referring patients to services provided by allied health professionals taking effect

The new round of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Funding Scheme under the ICH Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department is open for application from 10 December 2025.

The funding scheme consists of the Community-driven Projects 2025 and the Partnership Projects 2025, and is inviting applications from local organisations and individuals with relevant experience. The objectives of the ICH Funding Scheme are to strengthen the safeguarding, research, education, promotion and transmission of local ICH items; to engage the participation of the community in safeguarding local ICH; and to enhance public awareness, understanding and respect with regard to local ICH.

The scope of support of the Community-driven Projects 2025 covers projects related to the items in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong. For the Partnership Projects 2025, applications are invited for three projects, namely ICH Event Calendar on Traditional Festivals and Rituals; ICH Creation; and Survey and Research for Enriching the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.

The Guide to Application and application forms for the ICH Funding Scheme are available on the website of the ICH Office (www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/ich_funding_scheme_application.html). Applicants can submit the completed application forms and relevant supporting documents in person to the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre (located at the Sam Tung Uk Museum, 2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan, New Territories), or submit application documents via the website of GovHK (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/lcs118/en/). The deadline for application is noon on 27 January 2026. For enquiries, please contact the ICH Office at 2267 1971.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/10/P2025121000222.htm.

For more recent news, please visit the "What's New" web page of the SUCCESS Website or the "News" web page of the SME Link.

Support Measures relating to Liquidity

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

To support enterprises to develop the markets of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through electronic commerce (e-commerce) business, the geographical coverage of “E-commerce Easy” was expanded to the 10 ASEAN countries in March 2025.

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

【Deception Is Illegal  Apply for Funding Truthfully】

We have recently referred suspected fraud cases under the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) to the Police and arrests have been made.

The TID reviews all applications to ensure strict compliance with the Guide to Application and the relevant procedures in order to ensure proper use of public money. Any suspected provision of false information will be followed up on accordingly. It is the responsibility of an applicant enterprise to complete an Application Form timely and truthfully and to provide all genuine supporting documents. The TID will take administrative measures as deemed appropriate on party(ies) to an application for any malpractice unearthed in the application process. Serious cases will be referred to the law enforcement agencies for further action.

It is an offence in law to obtain property/pecuniary advantage by deception or assisting persons to obtain property/pecuniary advantage. Any person who does so may be liable to legal proceedings. Applicant enterprises are urged not to violate the law. 

Enquiry
Tel: 2398 5127
Email: emf_enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Website: https://emf.tid.gov.hk