CE welcomes bay area measures

March 1, 2019

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

As far as the measures that would bring benefit to Hong Kong and Macau residents, I am very pleased that at the second plenary meeting this afternoon, the leading group under the chairmanship of Vice Premier of the State Council Han Zheng has endorsed a total of eight very concrete measures, and these are the first batch of measures that we are ready to announce. I can assure you that in the year 2019 there will be other measures that will be announced with the same objective in mind. 

Each and every of these eight measures will bring benefits to the people of Hong Kong, whether it is in the definition of this '183' days, now it is very clear that for sort of day return trips into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, since it does not last longer than 24 hours, it is not a day in the definition of the tax policy. So Hong Kong people, whether they are scientists, researchers, teachers or entrepreneurs, will feel more comfortable to cross the border to do work in the Greater Bay Area. Another tax measure is to provide tax subsidies so that for those talents who are being invited to work in the Greater Bay Area, they do not need to pay the higher personal tax in the Mainland.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam welcomed the eight policy measures introduced by the Central Government for taking forward the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development.

Speaking to the media after attending the second plenary meeting of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area today, Mrs Lam said the measures will benefit Hong Kong and Macau residents.

“I am very pleased that at the second plenary meeting this afternoon, the leading group under the chairmanship of Vice Premier of the State Council Han Zheng has endorsed a total of eight very concrete measures, and these are the first batch of measures that we are ready to announce. I can assure you that in the year 2019 there will be other measures that will be announced with the same objective in mind.”

One of the measures is the method for calculating "183 days" for paying individual income tax on the Mainland. Any stay of less than 24 hours on the Mainland will not count as a day of presence.

Another measure provides tax relief by municipal governments to non-Mainland (including Hong Kong) high-end talents and talents in short supply by offsetting the tax differential between the two places.

Other measures include supporting the open recruitment of Hong Kong and Macau residents by public institutions in the bay area; encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in the nine Mainland cities of the bay area by the youth of Hong Kong and Macau; and supporting higher education institutions and scientific research institutes from Hong Kong and Macau to participate in projects under Guangdong technology programmes.

There are also measures to introduce immigration facilitation reform pilot schemes in the bay area, facilitate vehicles from Hong Kong and Macau entering and exiting Mainland ports, and expand the implementation scope of the connection with the Speedy Customs Clearance between customs administrations.

Mrs Lam said such measures could facilitate Hong Kong residents to develop, work and reside in the Mainland cities of the bay area, as well as strengthen the convenient flow of people and goods.

The measures cover a wide range of areas raised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the Chief Executive said, adding the HKSAR Government will follow up with relevant ministries and the Guangdong Provincial Government to implement the related policies.