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The Government would continue to assist Hong Kong manufacturers meet the challenges arising from the Mainland・s policy adjustments, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, said at the seventh meeting of the Task Force to Support the Processing Trade today (September 26).
This was the first meeting convened by the task force since Mrs Lau assumed the post of Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.
Mrs Lau said the Government was aware that Hong Kong-owned enterprises were facing tough challenges arising from the policy adjustments and new measures on the Mainland as well as other economic factors.
：Since the task force was established last year, a lot of work has been done through meetings or other channels. We have provided the trade with the latest information on the policies and measures at both central and provincial government levels, and reflected to the relevant authorities the views and suggestions collected from the trade,； she said.
Mrs Lau said that after these efforts, the Mainland authorities had a better understanding of the difficulties faced by the trade and had subsequently put in place a series of relief measures.
These included allowing enterprises to fulfil the standing book deposit requirement by bank guarantees to alleviate their cash flow pressure; permitting enterprises to carry over their original imported equipment to new companies; the Guangdong province's issuing of guidelines to implement "restructuring without halting production"; and adjusting the export tax rebate of products such as textiles and garments from 11% to 13%.
：To encourage Hong Kong factories to relocate their operations, the Government and related organisations have arranged visits to a number of reception sites for the processing trade designated by the Ministry of Commerce, including Chenzhou in Hunan, Ganzhou in Jiangxi, Wuhan in Hubei and Nanning in Guangxi. This enabled entrepreneurs to reflect directly their needs and concerns to the local government.；
During today・s meeting, Mrs Lau also briefed task force members about her visit to Beijing last week, where she met officials of various ministries to exchange views on the Central Government・s latest policy direction on processing trade.
She also briefed members on other matters including the outcome of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference; measures taken by the Guangdong Province to assist enterprises in upgrading, restructuring and relocation within the province; new measures offered by Ganzhou, Jiangxi to attract relocations; and progress of the "Transform, Upgrade and Relocate for a New Horizon" (TURN) initiative co-organised by the Government and the Hong Kong Productivity Council.
Since the launch of the TURN initiative in mid-June this year, a series of seminars catering for the needs of different sectors have already been conducted in Hong Kong and Guangdong with more than 2,500 participants. Ten new services and products to assist the trade to restructure, upgrade and relocate have been developed in collaboration with various organisations and chambers of commerce.
In the light of the Mainland's policy adjustments on processing trade, the Task Force to Support the Processing Trade was set up in July last year to discuss measures to assist Hong Kong-owned enterprises with manufacturing operations in the Mainland to adapt to the Mainland・s policy adjustments and promote restructuring, upgrading and relocating with a view to strengthening their competitiveness.
Ends/Friday, September 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:26
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