​Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):

Question:
 
     To enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's logistics industry and support the logistics industry in nurturing more professional talents, the Government launched the Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers (the Pilot Scheme) in 2020 and the Professional Training on Smart and Green Logistics Scheme (the Training Scheme) in 2024, and enhanced the aforesaid two schemes in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Some members of the industry have relayed that the Government should consider further enhancing the two schemes in due course. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will further streamline the application process for the Pilot Scheme and expedite the vetting and approval of applications; if so, of the details;
 
(2) whether it will inject further funds into the Pilot Scheme and regularise the scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will further raise the funding ceiling for the Pilot Scheme following the enhancement measures in 2024, and extend the eligibility criteria for service providers from local suppliers to international suppliers; if so, the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) of the total number of logistics practitioners who have received funding to undertake courses since the launch of the Training Scheme, and the average amount of funding per approved application; whether the funding ceiling for the Training Scheme and the funding ratios for course fees will be raised; if so, the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(4) whether the authorities will collaborate with universities and vocational training organisations to design more specialised logistics-related training courses, so as to cover emerging technologies such as transport management and warehouse management systems, Robotic Process Automation, automated storage and retrieval system, and Internet of Things sensors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government attaches great importance to the development of Hong Kong's logistics industry and has all along been supporting and enhancing Hong Kong's position as an international logistics hub. To this end, the Government promulgated the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development in 2023, which sets out eight strategies and 24 action measures following five development directions, namely smart development, modernisation, green and sustainability, internationalisation and facilitation, to address the short, medium and long-term needs of the logistics industry, thereby achieving the goal of developing Hong Kong into a sustainable international smart logistics hub focusing on high-value goods and the e-commerce market.

     To support the upgrading and transformation of the logistics industry further, the Government launched the Professional Training on Smart and Green Logistics Scheme (PTSGLS) under the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund in February 2024, subsidising eligible logistics organisations and training/educational institutions to organise local training courses related to modern, smart and green logistics to support in-service practitioners in equipping themselves with up-to-date knowledge of smart and green logistics. We enhanced PTSGLS in October 2024 by extending its coverage to self-financed courses and allowing eligible logistics practitioners who have completed courses on the pre-approved course list to apply for reimbursement of 80 per cent of the course fees, with a maximum individual reimbursement cap of HK$30,000.

     The Government has also been running the "Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers" (Pilot Scheme) since 2020, and enhanced it in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The Pilot Scheme aims to subsidise third-party logistics service providers for applying logistics technology solutions, using services related to the application of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) technology, as well as participating in relevant thematic project-based training, with a maximum subsidy amount of HK$2 million per enterprise, so as to strengthen support for the logistics industry in pursuing digital transformation, adoption of smart logistics solutions and achievement of ESG indicators, thereby promoting the development of smart and green logistics in Hong Kong. In addition, to spur the use of logistics data platforms operated by the Government or public organisations so as to promote the digitalisation of the industry, the Government announced in the 2026-27 Budget that the Future Innovative Logistics Acceleration Scheme (FILAS) would be established under the Pilot Scheme. FILAS has been launched in June.
 
     The reply in response to Hon Jimmy Ng's question is as follows: 
 
(1) and (2) The Government has all along been committed to facilitating application of subsidies by the industry while ensuring prudent use of public funds. The current application procedures and required documents are mainly used to verify the eligibility of applicant enterprises and ensure the projects under application fall within the scope of the scheme. As the Secretariat of the Pilot Scheme, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) has been providing one-on-one advisory services and organising webinars to explain the scheme's details and successful cases, as well as operating a dedicated enquiry hotline and email, so as to help applicants understand the application process of the Pilot Scheme and hence to expedite the application handling process. The Government and the HKPC will review the operational arrangements of the Pilot Scheme continually.
 
     As regards the eligibility of service providers, the Pilot Scheme currently requires that service providers must be companies registered in Hong Kong, so as to ensure that logistics enterprises can receive timely and appropriate local installation and technical support services during project implementation. The Pilot Scheme does not impose any specific requirements on the place of origin of the solutions.

     On the funding ceiling, the Government enhanced the Pilot Scheme in 2024 by raising the cumulative funding ceiling per applicant enterprise from HK$1 million to HK$2 million. As of May 2026, among the 247 funded enterprises, only five (around 2 per cent) have reached the funding ceiling. It reflects that the current level of subsidy is generally able to meet the needs of logistics enterprises.
 
     The Government will continue to review the implementation and effectiveness of the Pilot Scheme, and will explore the feasibility of additional capital injection into and regularisation of the Pilot Scheme at a suitable juncture.

(3) and (4) As of May 2026, under PTSGLS, a total of 23 courses have been included in the pre-approved course list, and around 70 logistics practitioners have received subsidies for having completed relevant training courses. The average subsidy amount per approved application is approximately HK$6,200.

     Currently, PTSGLS covers a wide range of subsidised training courses, including such advanced logistics technologies as e-logistics, special cargo handling, digitalisation, blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, robotics and automation technology, cybersecurity and ESG. We have been proactively reaching out to relevant universities and vocational training institutions to encourage them to apply for inclusion of their relevant courses in the pre-approved course under PTSGLS. Going forward, we will continue to maintain liaison with relevant institutions and encourage them to provide diversified specialised training courses based on the latest industry developments, so as to respond to the industry's training needs in developing smart and green logistics. Meanwhile, we will review the effectiveness and arrangements of PTSGLS as appropriate to ensure that it continues to effectively support the industry's development.

Ends/Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:48

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