Annual Report 2014-15

8 FHKI Annual Report 2014-15 Back in Hong Kong, we lobbied hard on a number of labour issues which will have significant impact on operating costs and our competitiveness. We maintain strong objection against any proposal to legislate on standard working hours. At the same time, we proposed pragmatic solutions to tackle the problem of long working hours faced by a limited number of people in the work force. As the FHKI’s representative in the Labour Advisory Board, I floated the proposal of making it mandatory for employers and employees to enter into employment contracts with specific provisions on the hours of work, overtime arrangements and compensation for overtime if any. As regards the Mandatory Provident Fund, we disagreed with the Government’s proposal of introducing an automatic adjustment mechanism for the minimum and maximum relevant income levels. We opine that all pertinent factors including the latest economic environment should be considered before an adjustment decision is made. We have been lobbying the Government to facilitate the development of high value added industries in Hong Kong and to render more support to R&D. We are pleased that the Government has adopted a number of our recommendations, such as increasing the funding support for R&D activities of private companies. On our part, the Technology Development Committee under the FHKI has been organising networking and matching sessions amongst industrialists, technology providers and start-ups. The FHKI continues its good track record in promoting sustainable development and the green economy. During the year, a series of seminars, luncheons and factory visits on “Low-carbon manufacturing” and “Sustainable Development” were held in Hong Kong and the PRD region to encourage industries to implement environmental projects. A record high of 232 manufacturing companies participated in the Hang Seng – PRD Environmental Awards under the Triple- One programme last year. With funding support from the Environmental Protection Department, the FHKI set up Hong Kong Pavilions in the IE Expo in Shanghai and the Eco Expo Asia in Hong Kong, held respectively in May and October 2014. While the Mainland has been the key focus on our radar, we have not overlooked overseas countries which are potential markets as well as destinations for relocation of operations. In March this year, the FHKI hosted a cocktail reception for our international partners in Hong Kong, including consulates and foreign chambers of commerce, to reaffirm our partnership and explore future collaborations. During the past two years, I have led missions to Japan, Dubai, Istanbul, Moscow, Lodz and Warsaw to explore potential markets, opportunities for overseas investment and other forms of cooperation such as licensing and technology transfer. The above is a summary of the huge amount of work we have completed last year, and this cannot be done without the staunch support of my deputies – Ir Daniel Cheng, Willy Lin, Jimmy Kwok, Eric Yim and Dr Daniel Yip, as well as the General Committee. I would like to thank them all for their invaluable advice and support. I would also like to express my appreciation for the work of the Secretariat. Hong Kong is now at a crossroad. With the unfortunate development of the constitutional reform package being voted down in LegCo, Hong Kong should put aside political arguments for now and concentrate on economic and livelihood issues so as to forge social harmony and progress. Political stability and a favourable business environment are vital to sustaining Hong Kong’s competitiveness, and economic progress is a prerequisite for improving people’s livelihood. To promote sustainable economic development, it is important to open up new horizons such as high value added industries, rather than sticking with the existing over reliance on a few service industries. I am confident that the FHKI will continue to play a leading role in contributing to the future betterment of Hong Kong. Stanley Lau Chairman 30 June 2015 Chairman’s statement 主席報告