Small and Medium Enterprises Committee (SMEC)

SMEC's Work/Activities

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee (SMEC) and the Shenzhen Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government led a delegation to Shenzhen on 1 November 2023 to help Hong Kong SMEs and members of the industrial and commercial sectors learn about the latest development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, especially in Qianhai. The delegation was led by the SMEC Chairman, Mr Michael Hui and the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Ms Maggie Wong. The delegation comprises around 60 participants, including members of the SMEC, Programme Management Committee of the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales, Vetting Committee of the Trade and Industrial Organisation Support Fund and the Customer Liaison Group for SMEs under the Trade and Industry Department; as well as representatives of Hong Kong's major trade and industrial organisations and SME associations. For details, please refer to the press release.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee invited the Labour and Welfare Bureau and its appointed agent, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Limited, to conduct a consultation session on "2023 Manpower Projection" with representatives of SME associations on 27 September 2023. Participants shared their insights and exchanged views on the manpower requirements of SMEs in the coming five years, taking into account the impact of various influencing factors on the future manpower trends such as technological advancement, ageing population, and integration with the Mainland, etc. The manpower projection exercise will provide an empirical basis for the Government to formulate appropriate strategies to meet the needs of Hong Kong's future developments.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee conducted a webinar on "Case sharing and support services for Hong Kong SMEs in tapping the Greater Bay Area (GBA) market" on 7 January 2022 to enhance SMEs' understanding of the business opportunities and challenges in developing the GBA market. Over 60 representatives from major Hong Kong chambers of commerce and SME associations joined the engagement session. At the event, representatives from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council introduced the support services provided to Hong Kong enterprises through its GoGBA one-stop platform. Besides, two industry representatives who have successfully entered the GBA market also shared their experience in doing business in the GBA and exchanged views with the participants.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee and the Working Group on Industrial, Commercial and Professional Sectors (ICPWG) under the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee led a delegation to Guangzhou on 13 June 2019 to help Hong Kong small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and professionals learn about the latest developments and investment opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, especially Guangzhou. The delegation was led by the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Ms Salina Yan; the SMEC Chairman, Mr Michael Hui; and the ICPWG Convenor, Mrs Clarie Lo. Over 60 participants, including SMEC members, ICPWG members and representatives of Hong Kong's major trade and industrial organisations, professional bodies and SME associations, joined the visit. For details, please refer to the press release.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee met with local SME associations on 21 November 2018 to exchange views on the latest Fintech development in Hong Kong. Representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority were invited to introduce the recently launched Fintech initiatives, including Faster Payment System, Virtual Banking and Common QR Code.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee and the Trade and Industry Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region led a Hong Kong small and medium enterprises (SMEs) delegation to Nansha on 24 November 2017 to help Hong Kong SMEs learn about the latest developments and investment opportunities in Nansha.  For more details, please refer to the press release. 

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee jointly organised a Briefing cum Networking Session on "Bank Account Opening and Maintenance for SMEs and Start-up Companies" with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on 23 June 2017.  At the briefing, representatives from banks shared with participants practical aspects related to bank account opening and maintenance, the changing international landscape and regulatory requirements, and various improvement measures introduced by banks.  A networking session was carried out after the briefing to facilitate exchange between the banking sector and participants.  Over 100 representatives from 39 major Hong Kong Chambers of Commerce, professional bodies, SME associations, Hong Kong Association of Banks and representatives from 20 banks attended the event.  For more information on bank account opening and maintenance procedures in Hong Kong, please visit HKMA's dedicated webpage.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee met with local SME associations on 20 May 2016 to exchange views on "The development of a Trade Single Window in Hong Kong".  Representatives from Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and Customs and Excise Department were invited to introduce the plan.  A written summary (Chinese only) on the discussion was then passed to relevant Government Bureaux/ Departments for reference.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee (SMEC) and the Guangdong Economic and Trade Office (GDETO) co-organised a Delegation visit to the "Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone", and "Shekou Area of Shenzhen of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone" on 7 September 2015.  The Delegation was led by the SMEC Chairman Dr Johnathan CHOI, Director-General of Trade and Industry, and Director of GDETO.  There were over 50 participants coming from the SMEC, major Hong Kong Chambers of Commerce and SME associations.  The Delegation was received by the Qianhai Authority and the authority of the "Shekou Area of Shenzhen of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone".  It visited the Qianhai Exhibition Hall, Qianhai Enterprise Dream Park and the Shekou Network Valley.  Participants also had an exchange with representatives of the Qianhai Authority to understand the latest development and business opportunities of Qianhai, and experiences of Hong Kong enterprises in developing these businesses in Qianhai.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee met with local SME associations on 16 July 2015 to exchange views on "the support required by Hong Kong SMEs in developing e-Commerce and applications of Information Technology".  A written discussion summary (Chinese only) was then passed to relevant Government Bureaux/ Departments for reference.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee conducted the "Hong Kong – Qianhai Seminar on the Opportunities to Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises brought by the Development of Qianhai" on 28 April 2015.  At the Seminar, the Director-General of the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen, Mr. Zhang Bei, and other representatives introduced the investment policies and preferential treatment of Qianhai, things to note for investing in Qianhai, as well as the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, to over 100 representatives from around 40 local SME organisations, major business associations, trade and industrial organisations and professional bodies.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee invited Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) to attend the SMEC Meeting on 16 April 2015 to exchange views on "De facto relationship similar to marriage" under Discrimination Law Review.  A written summary (Chinese only) on the discussion was then passed to EOC for reference.
• Dr Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, attended the Joint Reception for World SME Expo and Inno Design Tech Expo 10th Anniversary held in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 4 December 2014 as Guest of Honour.

• Dr Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, GBS, JP, the Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, attended the APEC SME Business Forum 2014 held in Nanjing on 2 September 2014 as a keynote speaker.

• Members of the Small and Medium Enterprises Committee attended a consultation symposium organised by the Standard Working Hours Committee on 15 May 2014 to reflect the views of local SMEs on standard working hours.

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Committee met with local SME organisations on 2 May 2014 to exchange views on standard working hours. A written summary (Chinese only) reflecting the views of local SMEs on standard working hours was then passed to the Standard Working Hours Committee for reference.