The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (March 1) welcomed the eight policy measures introduced by the Central Government for taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She said such measures could facilitate Hong Kong residents to develop, work and reside in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, as well as strengthen the convenient flow of people and goods within the Greater Bay Area.
 
     These measures include the method for calculating "183 days" for paying individual income tax on the Mainland (that is, any stay of less than 24 hours on the Mainland will not count as a day of presence); providing tax relief by municipal governments to non-Mainland (including Hong Kong) high-end talents and talents in short supply tax by offsetting the tax differential between the two places; supporting the open recruitment of Hong Kong and Macao residents by public institutions in the Greater Bay Area; encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in the nine Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area by the youth of Hong Kong and Macao; supporting higher education institutions and scientific research institutes from Hong Kong and Macao to participate in projects under Guangdong technology programmes; introducing immigration facilitation reform pilots schemes in the Greater Bay Area, facilitating vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao entering and exiting Mainland ports; and expanding the implementation scope of the connection with the Speedy Customs Clearance between Customs administrations.
 
     Mrs Lam said that since the signing of the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Greater Bay Area by the National Development and Reform Commission and the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on July 1, 2017, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has kept in close contact with relevant central ministries and the governments of Guangdong and Macao to jointly draw up and introduce policy measures for the development of the Greater Bay Area.
     
     Policy bureaux and departments of the HKSAR Government have also made great efforts in keeping close contact with various sectors of the community to gauge their views on ways to effectively take forward the development of the Greater Bay Area and measures needed to facilitate Hong Kong people to work, study and reside on the Mainland so that the measures introduced would better suit the needs of the community and the people of Hong Kong.
 
     Mrs Lam said, "the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area promulgated by the Central Government on February 18 set out the directions guiding the development of the Greater Bay Area.  It also signified the development of the Greater Bay Area had entered into a stage of its full fledged implementation."
 
     Mrs Lam said that the policy measures currently introduced covered a wide range of areas raised by the HKSAR Government. We would follow up with the relevant ministries and the Guangdong Provincial Government in a practical manner to implement relevant policies, and continue to enhance liaison and engagement with relevant Mainland ministries and various sectors of the Hong Kong community. We would also take a proactive role in the development of the Greater Bay Area for more facilitation measures be introduced for Hong Kong people who live and work in the Greater Bay Area.
 
     Mrs Lam, in her capacity as a member, attended this afternoon the second plenary meeting of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area convened by the Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Han Zheng, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, sat in on the meeting as working staff.
 
     At today's meeting, the Leading Group reviewed the progress made in 2018 in taking forward the development of the Greater Bay Area, and discussed the priority areas of work for 2019.
 
     At the meeting, Mrs Lam reported the HKSAR Government's progress in developing an international innovation and technology hub in 2018. She said that based on last year's solid foundations, the HKSAR Government will continue to cooperate with relevant parties including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Guangdong Provincial Government to implement various initiatives.
 

Ends/Friday, March 1, 2019
Issued at HKT 21:52

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