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 : The Hong Kong Trade Development Council organised 36 and 35 fairs in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Was any of these targeted at small enterprises (with fewer than 50 employees)? If yes, what are the details? If no, what are the reasons? Will the Administration study with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council the feasibility of providing small enterprises with subvention so that they have a chance to join a fair and a platform to promote sales? If yes, what are the details? If no, what are the reasons? Asked by : Hon. LAM Tai-fai Reply : Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have all along been the focus of the services of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and are encouraged to participate in its exhibitions. Every year, TDC organises two special events for start-ups and SMEs, namely the HKTDC Entrepreneur Day in May and the World SME Expo in December, to provide various business support services for them. TDC also introduces new measures and arrangements from time to time, taking into account market demand and the economic situation, to support start-ups and SMEs to participate in fairs. For example, “Economy Booth” with smaller booth size and “Cubic Showcase” for product display with company information were introduced in November 2010 to enable new enterprises with less resource to participate and promote their products in international fairs. More than 250 SMEs have benefited from this new initiative. Depending on the market reactions, TDC will continue to provide these type of services. In recent years, TDC also set up designated zones for SMEs in some of its fairs, such as the creation of a SME publishers’ zone in the Hong Kong Book Fair since 2000, as well as an SME exhibition area, which allows SMEs to promote their merchandise at an affordable rates, in the Better Living Expo staged at the Asia-World Expo in 2011.
Question : In 2012-13, the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch will continue to work with the Trade and Industry Department to finalise implementation details of the five-year dedicated fund to support Hong Kong enterprises in developing their brands, upgrading and restructuring their operations and promoting sales in the Mainland domestic market, and seek funding approval from the Finance Committee with a view to launching the fund in mid 2012. In this connection, would the Government inform this Committee of the implementation details of the fund, the estimated amount of the fund for application by enterprises every year, and when the Government will review the programme? Will the Government consider setting up a permanent dedicated fund to replace the time-limited one? If yes, what are the details? If not, what are the reasons? Asked by : Hon Lam Tai-fai Reply : To support Hong Kong enterprises, in particular small and medium enterprises, to capture the opportunities arising from the National 12th Five-Year Plan, the Chief Executive announced in the 2011-12 Policy Address a proposal to set up a dedicated fund of $1 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 funding approval from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in April with a view to launching the fund by mid 2012. We will review the use and effectiveness of the fund in due course after the launch of the fund.
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