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 : A public consultation on a review of the patent system in Hong Kong was conducted earlier on. How much financial resources and manpower will the Administration deploy to the review and improvement of the existing patent system in Hong Kong? Asked by : Hon. WONG Ting-kwong Reply : Apart from using existing resources and manpower, we have since late 2011 employed two non-civil service contract solicitors to help handle the extra work generated by the review exercise. On our review of the patent system in Hong Kong, we have received over 70 written submissions from the public consultation exercise conducted between October and the end of December 2011. We are now examining the views received. We intend to announce the proposed way forward in the first half of 2012. Since the outcome of the review is not yet known, it would be difficult for us to estimate at this stage the amount of resources required beyond that. We will examine the financial resources and manpower requirements for the next stage of our work at an opportune time.
Question : For Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the provision for 2012-13 is $1.6 million (1.4%) higher than the revised estimate for 2011-12. It has indicated under this programme that its aim is to attract and assist overseas, Mainland and Taiwan companies to set up, retain and expand their operations in Hong Kong and to promote Hong Kong’s advantages as the leading international business location in Asia. The department also places emphasis on attracting companies with the potential to contribute to Hong Kong’s economic development, and encouraging them to locate their regional headquarters and strategic functions in Hong Kong to access opportunities on the Mainland and elsewhere in Asia. In this connection, would the Administration provide the following information: (a) A table showing the policies formulated and work done by InvestHK in the past 3 years with a view to attracting companies with the potential to contribute to Hong Kong’s economic development, and encouraging them to locate their regional headquarters and strategic functions in Hong Kong; (b) The numbers of regional headquarters established by foreign companies in Hong Kong in the past 3 years, and a breakdown showing the numbers of regional headquarters newly set up in Hong Kong and those re-located outside the territory; and (c) What new measures InvestHK will roll out in the coming year to attract and retain foreign direct investment and encourage foreign companies to locate their regional headquarters in Hong Kong, and the provision and manpower required for such measures. Asked by : Hon. CHAN Kin-por Reply : (a) In the past three years, InvestHK has conducted investment promotion visits in target cities overseas and in the Mainland to meet with companies in different sectors to encourage and assist them in setting up their business in Hong Kong or locating their regional headquarters and strategic functions to Hong Kong, in order to access the business opportunities in the Mainland and across Asia. From 2009 to 2011, InvestHK conducted over 5 000 meetings with target companies each year, including companies with sizeable international operations in key markets. Furthermore, InvestHK has organised various events to reach out to multinational companies to promote the advantages of Hong Kong as an ideal international business hub. InvestHK also provided aftercare support services to overseas and Mainland companies already established a presence in Hong Kong to assist them in expanding their Hong Kong business operations. (b) According to the results of the Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong Representing Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong conducted by the Census and Statistics Department in collaboration with InvestHK, the numbers of regional headquarters and regional offices of overseas, Mainland and Taiwan companies in Hong Kong in the past three years are as follows:
We do not have statistics on regional headquarters which have left Hong Kong. (c) In 2012-13, InvestHK will continue to strengthen its investment promotional efforts, with focus particularly on the Mainland, Taiwan and other key emerging markets. InvestHK will proactively approach companies with potential to expand globally, and will encourage and assist them in setting up their regional headquarters in Hong Kong. InvestHK will also continue to organise integrated marketing campaigns, with emphasis on target sectors and industries, to promote Hong Kong as a global financial centre and as a base for international business to oversee their regional operations. Through its enhanced representation in target emerging markets, InvestHK will step up its efforts to identify potential investors in these markets and assist them in establishing their regional operations in Hong Kong. For overseas and Mainland companies already set up in Hong Kong, InvestHK will strengthen its aftercare support services to help them expand their regional headquarters or regional offices. In 2012-13, the estimated expenditure of InvestHK for conducting investment promotion activities in various markets is around $41 million and would involve about 57 investment promotion staff in InvestHK.
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