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Over 30 senior Mainland officials from some 20 Government departments/offices in Guangdong Province attended a forum today (July 8) to provide tips to Hong Kong companies on how to start a business in Guangdong Province under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).
The forum attracted more than 500 Hong Kong businessmen from about 400 companies. It covered all the 18 service sectors under CEPA.
Jointly organised by the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau and the Economic and Trade Commission of Guangdong Province, and supported by the Trade and Industry Department and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, the aim of the forum was to enhance the understanding of Hong Kong companies on how to enter the Mainland market so that they could leverage on the advantages provided by CEPA .
The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, and the Vice-director of the Economic and Trade Commission of Guangdong Province, Mr Wu Kai-li, gave the opening remarks at the forum.
At the plenary session, officials from Guangdong Province explained general application procedures and requirements for providing business services in Guangdong Province, including tax arrangements, and company registration procedures.
To enable more in-depth discussions on sector-specific issues, concurrent breakout sessions were held for the 18 service sectors under CEPA after the plenary session. Responsible Mainland officials were available to address questions from the participants.
Pamphlets containing useful information on CEPA and how to start a business in Guangdong Province were distributed at the forum.
Ends/Thursday, July 8, 2004
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