HSBC welcomes the various additional relief measures mentioned by the Financial Secretary in the 2022-23 Budget and related initiatives to strengthen Hong Kong as an international financial centre.
Lin Huihong, chief executive of HSBC Hong Kong, said that even though Hong Kong's economy has been hit hard by the epidemic, the fundamental factors are still strong, and it is believed that there will be a strong rebound after the epidemic.
The measures just announced in the Budget are expected to help businesses and communities get out of the haze of the epidemic.
I am especially pleased to see the support for SMEs, which are not only an important pillar of Hong Kong's economy, but also the most affected group in the past two years.
Since the launch of the "100% Guaranteed Personal Loan Scheme", "SME Financing Guarantee Scheme - 100% Guaranteed Concessional Loan", and "Pre-approved Interest Repayment Non-Principal Repayment Scheme", remarkable results have been achieved.
Of course, the government's measures alone are not enough, and the help of the banking industry must also be combined.
Since February 2020, HSBC has relieved the financial pressure of commercial customers through various measures, providing liquidity of over HK$315 billion.
Lin Huihong pointed out that in response to the development of the capital market, it is believed that measures such as further expanding the interconnected asset classes, promoting the development of green finance, issuing longer-term government bonds to establish a yield curve, and strengthening the status of the offshore RMB center will not only enrich capital. product variety in the market and attract more issuers, institutional and retail investors, thereby strengthening Hong Kong's position as an international financial centre.
She said: "We welcome the establishment of the 'Greater Bay Area Investment Fund' by the authorities to invest in projects of strategic development significance in the region. In fact, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has developed into one of the largest economies in the world, and it is imperative to strengthen the Connect and seize more development opportunities. We are committed to working with customers to find more business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.”
