Yau hints at GBA visas for businessmen

Foreign businessmen visiting Hong Kong may be issued multiple-entry visas that will also allow them to visit the Greater Bay Area, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah said.

Revealing this on the radio yesterday, Yau said the government aim is to make it convenient for foreigners doing business in the SAR to access the GBA.

A multiple visa is just one of the options under study so that foreign businessmen need not apply for a visa each time they go to the GBA, he said.

Yau said that after 300 companies have committed to setting up offices in Hong Kong, the government hopes the number will increase to at least 1,100 by 2025 or earlier. The government will also negotiate more free trade and investment agreements with Europe, the United States, Middle East and ASEAN countries.

"If someone is only in Hong Kong for a few days and needs to enter mainland China once, it may not be very convenient for them to apply for a visa each time," Yau said.

"The aim is to allow [them] multiple entries," he added.

Meanwhile, Yau said that while the mainland offers a vast market, many mainlanders come to the SAR for shopping. The government, he said, will organize Hong Kong shopping festivals on mainland e-commerce platforms to promote popular Hong Kong brands.

These shopping festivals could be held during holidays such as the Lantern Festival. The city's customs would look at how to support cross-border e-commerce, including streamlined electronic customs clearance.

In another speech at the Hong Kong Food Carnival on Saturday, Yau said the business community's response to the Policy Address has been positive.

Yau believed government-led activities including "Happy Hong Kong" and "Night Vibes Hong Kong," as well as some large international events, have revitalized local consumption and boosted the retail sector.

He said that the total sales value of the retail industry increased 20 percent for the first eight months, stressing that local consumption would continue to be a major driving force for economic growth.

toby.ng@singtaonewscorp.com