Huge potential: Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang welcomes the new Mainland investment facilitation policy.

The Government will provide a series of new services including a one-stop service assisting Mainland investors, especially those companies looking to expand overseas by making use of Hong Kong as a platform, Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang says.

Mr Tsang  said the Government welcomes the Ministry of Commerce's decision to carry out a facilitation policy for Mainland enterprises to invest in Hong Kong.

Under the new policy, he said, Mainland enterprises are allowed to have more freedom in making the decision to invest in Hong Kong and Macau based on commercial considerations.

He said trade investment facilitation is an important leg of CEPA and the new policy is an important step in encouraging Mainland enterprises to invest in Hong Kong.

One-Stop Service initiative offers free services

Under the One-Stop Service initiative, the following tailored services will be available to Mainland investors, free-of-charge:

* Invest Hong Kong Hotline: A nation-wide, toll-free investment hotline to handle enquiries from Mainland enterprises about investing in Hong Kong.

* Investment Service Centre: A new service centre, located at the head office of Invest Hong Kong in Pacific Place, has been set up to provide assistance to Mainland enterprises, including consultation and the most up-to-date information about regulations and procedures of setting up business in Hong Kong.

* Invest Hong Kong Guidebook: The department will provide the Mainland enterprises with an information kit containing most current information about the investment environment in Hong Kong, including setting up procedures, funding schemes, visa requirements and taxation.

* Step-by-step Guide: Invest Hong Kong, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce, will jointly produce a step-by-step guide to set out the approval procedures for Mainland enterprises to invest in Hong Kong.

To introduce the Invest Hong Kong One-Stop Service to Mainland investors, the Department has developed a dedicated leaflet in simplified Chinese, outlining the services offered.

The leaflet will be distributed to investors at various business and investment promotion events held in the Mainland and Hong Kong.

TDC to enhance its Mainland services

Mr Tsang said the Hong Kong Trade Development Council front will, through its network of 11 offices in the Mainland, enhance its services to help Mainland companies to use Hong Kong as a trade and service platform to reach out to international markets.

It will invite study missions of Mainland enterprises to Hong Kong. In the next six months, it aims to bring around 20 missions from the Mainland.

In November alone, it is expected that more than 30 business delegations, recruited through the help of provincial and city governments, will attend the World SME Expo in Hong Kong.

30 promotional events scheduled for next six months

It will also actively promote the Hong Kong platform in all major activities in the mainland, including seminars, roadshows, exhibitions and workshops at the TDC CEPA centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

In the next six months, at least 30 promotion events have been scheduled, Mr Tsang added.