In his Budget the Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, announced a broad range of measures to diversify Hong Kong’s economy, grasp regional and global opportunities and promote innovation and technology (I&T).

Mr Chan announced that Hong Kong has a fiscal surplus of HK$138 billion, and the fiscal reserves are expected to reach HK$1,092 billion by 31 March 2018. About 40% of the surplus will be shared with the community through one-off concessionary measures, tax breaks and tax rebates and the remainder will be used for improving services and investing for the future.

On the economy, Mr Chan reported that Hong Kong had sustained notable expansion throughout 2017, with the economy growing by 3.8% for the year as a whole, up from 2.1% in 2016 and higher than both last year’s Budget forecast and the average trend growth rate of 2.9 per cent over the decade from 2007 to 2016. The GDP per capita of Hong Kong has now reached US$46,000, and is among the highest in the world. Exports turned stronger amid increased global growth momentum and domestic demand was likewise robust, thanks to favourable labour market conditions and upbeat economic sentiment. Mr Chan said he was cautiously optimistic about Hong Kong’s economic prospects in the near term, predicting GDP growth of between 3 and 4 per cent for 2018.

Read the complete article HERE

Statssekretær Roy Angelvik fra Nærings- og Fiskeridepartementet hilste fra Departementet og gratulerte vår handelskammer for snart 30 års arbeid for å fremme handelsforbindelsene mellom Norge og Hong Kong.
Ms. Priscilla To, Director General Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London og William Chui, Regiondirektør for Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Frankfurt understreket hvilke fordeler Hong Kong tilbyr for norske bedrifter som etablerer seg der for å arbeide mot Kina og Sørøst-Asia.
Direktør Erik Vitanza, Snøhetta beskrev Snøhettas nye og spennende prosjekt i Hong Kong.
Arne Hjeltnes , som er en kjenner av Hong Kong fra sin tid som fiskeriutsending der og ikke minst i fra TV serien, ”Gutta på Tur” i Hong Kong sist høst, fortalte på humoristisk måte hva Hong Kong har å by på.
Til slutt , men ikke minst viktig beskrev sjeføkonom Harald Magnus Andreassen, Sparebank 1, Markets de gode økonomiske utsiktene for Hong og Kina.

Bilder fra seminaret og mottagelsen etterpå under: Det første bildet viser: fra venstre: William Chiu, Regional director HKTDC, Cathrine G. Jahnsen, Vise president NHKCC, Einar Steen-Olsen, President i NHKCC, Ms. Priscilla To, Director General, Hong Kong London Economic and Trade Office og Roy Angelvik, statssekretær NFD.