Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13 Director of Bureau : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Session No. 12 File name : cedb(cit)- doc
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- Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13
Question : How much manpower and resources will be allocated in 2012-13 to assist Hong Kong enterprises in developing and promoting their brands, and how do they compare to the amount in 2011-12? Please advise the work to be undertaken in 2012-13 to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises in the Mainland and the overseas markets, and the related expenses incurred? Asked by : Hon. TAM Wai-ho, Samson Reply : The Trade and Industry Department (TID) has been dedicated to assisting Hong Kong enterprises in developing brands and exploring the Mainland and overseas markets. Its SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in marketing promotion activities; while the SME Development Fund (SDF) provides financial support to trade and industrial organisations, support organisations and professional bodies to carry out projects which enhance the competitiveness of SMEs in Hong Kong. The estimated expenditure of $299.6 million of the above-mentioned funds for 2012-13 is comparable to the revised estimated expenditure of $297.7 million for 2011-12. To assist Hong Kong enterprises in establishing their brands and enhancing their competitiveness in the Mainland and overseas markets, in 2012-13, we will strengthen our cooperation with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), local business associations and other relevant organisations and continue to organise seminars to help enterprises better understand brand development as well as strategies to explore the Mainland and overseas markets. TID will also disseminate practical reference information relevant to brand development through various channels (like brand promotion website). Expenses for organising seminars and maintaining the brand promotion website are covered by the recurrent expenditure of TID. To support Hong Kong enterprises, in particular SMEs, to capture the opportunities arising from the National 12th Five-Year Plan, the Chief Executive announced in the 2011 Policy Address a proposal to set up a dedicated fund of $1Â billion to encourage them to move up the value chain and explore and develop the Mainland market through developing brands, restructuring and upgrading their operations and promoting domestic sales in the Mainland. The fund would comprise two parts: (i) to provide funding support to individual Hong Kong companies to assist them in undertaking projects to develop brands, upgrade and restructure their business operations and promote sales in the Mainland market, so as to enhance their competitiveness and facilitate their business development in the Mainland market; and (ii) to provide funding support to non-profit distributing organisations for them to undertake large-scale projects which aim to assist Hong Kong enterprises in general or in specific sectors to develop brands, upgrade and restructure business operations and promote sales in the Mainland market, so as to enhance their competitiveness in the Mainland market. We have consulted the trade earlier and are finalising the operation details of the fund. We plan to seek the funding approval from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in April with a view to launching the fund by mid 2012.
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