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


Reply Serial No.




CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY TO
INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION


CEDB(CIT)127







Question Serial No.







2312




Head :

152 Government Secretariat:

Commerce and Economic

Development Bureau (Commerce,

Industry and Tourism Branch)



Subhead (No. & title) :







Programme :

(2) Commerce and Industry




Controlling Officer :

Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
(Commerce, Industry and Tourism)







Director of Bureau :

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development









Question :
Will the Government review the dedicated fund to assess its effectiveness? If the outcome proves to be positive, will the fund be sustained on an ongoing basis?

Asked by : Hon. WONG Ting-kwong

Reply :
To support Hong Kong enterprises, in particular the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), 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.




Signature










Name in block letters

Andrew HY WONG







Post Title

Permanent Secretary for Commerce and
Economic Development
(Commerce, Industry and Tourism)







Date

29.2.2012





Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13


Reply Serial No.




CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY TO
INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION


CEDB(CIT)128







Question Serial No.







2313




Head :

152 Government Secretariat:

Commerce and Economic

Development Bureau (Commerce,

Industry and Tourism Branch)



Subhead (No. & title) :







Programme :

(2) Commerce and Industry




Controlling Officer :

Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
(Commerce, Industry and Tourism)







Director of Bureau :

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development








Question :
With regard to promoting co-operation between Hong Kong and Taiwan on trade, investment and tourism matters, what are the specific work plans? What is the percentage of expenditure involved? Has it increased in comparison with that in the past?
Asked by : Hon. WONG Ting-kwong
Reply :

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to actively promote co-operation with Taiwan in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. Relevant work would include –




  • On trade promotion, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Taipei Office will continue to promote Hong Kong’s services industries. HKTDC will encourage Taiwan brands to co-operate with Hong Kong companies, and to leverage on Hong Kong’s services platform to tap overseas and Mainland markets together. In 2012-13, HKTDC will continue to promote trade and business co-operation between Hong Kong and Taiwan by means of different programmes such as organising trade fairs, outbound missions, symposiums, seminars, roadshows and business matching activities, etc. The estimated budget of HKTDC for trade promotion in Taiwan in 2012-13 is about $6 million, which is comparable to the estimated expenditure in 2011-12.




  • On investment promotion, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) will continue to step up its promotional efforts in Taiwan, which include organising various programmes, to encourage and assist Taiwan companies to set up or expand their business in Hong Kong. In 2012-13, through its new investment promotion unit in the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taiwan, InvestHK will reach out proactively to a wide spectrum of Taiwan companies and conduct investment promotion visits in different cities in Taiwan. InvestHK will also maintain close liaison with the Taiwan business community and representatives of Taiwan business associations in Hong Kong and provide them with the necessary support. The estimated budget of InvestHK for investment promotion in Taiwan in 2012-13 is about $1.1 million, while the estimated expenditure in 2011-12 is about $1 million.



  • On tourism, Taiwan is Hong Kong’s second largest source market. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) established an official office in Taipei in September 2011, which would further strengthen HKTB’s presence and its promotion work in Taiwan, and deepen the exchanges and collaboration between the travel trade of the two places. In 2012-13, HKTB will continue its efforts in carrying out active promotion work in the Taiwan market. It will target at family and young visitor segments to attract more overnight vacation visitors to Hong Kong, and will step up its promotion work in the second-tier cities in Taiwan (such as Taichung and Kaohsiung). The estimated marketing budget of HKTB for Taiwan in 2012-13 is about $11.7 million, while the estimated expenditure in 2011-12 is about $11 million.

Moreover, the Government will continue to, through the platform of “Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council” and “Hong Kong – Taiwan Business Co-operation Committee” of Hong Kong, and the “Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council” and “Economic Co-operation Committee” of Taiwan, enhance multi-faceted and in-depth exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan and strengthen bilateral economic co-operation, with a view to promoting economic and trade development of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.




Signature










Name in block letters

Andrew HY WONG







Post Title

Permanent Secretary for Commerce and
Economic Development
(Commerce, Industry and Tourism)







Date

29.2.2012


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