Smart move: Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Frederick Ma says the Companies Registry's new electronic search services will facilitate business and reduce costs.

Users around the world can enjoy online access to the most updated company information kept by the Companies Registry with the launch of its electronic search services.

Speaking at the official launch today, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Frederick Ma said the new services - under Phase One of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System - will facilitate business and reduce the cost of doing business in Hong Kong.

"By facilitating the public's access to corporate data, it enhances corporate transparency and thereby helps to strengthen overall corporate governance standards. This is important for strengthening Hong Kong's position as a major leading financial and business centre," Mr Ma said.

The new e-search services enable customers to have online access any time to current data of registered companies and more than 80 million pages of image records of documents registered and kept by the registry.

Since its soft launch on February 28, the e-search services have attracted over 800 registered online users including banking/financial institutions, solicitors firms, accountancy and secretarial firms, professional search companies and government departments.

Wide range of services available 

A range of free or user-pays search services are offered under the new system. Free searches include company name search and document index search. Image record Search is charged on a per-document basis. Online users can download imaged documents without having to go to the Companies Registry office.

Other user-pays searches include directors index search, company particulars search, register of charges search and register of disqualification orders search.

Customers can conduct searches online in English or Chinese any time, anywhere through the Cyber Search Centre or through a hyperlink on the Companies Registry's website. Customers can also conduct company searches at the Companies Registry's Public Search Centre, 13/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

Choice of payment methods developed

A choice of payment methods has been developed to suit different customers' needs. Unregistered online users can pay for each search by credit card or direct debit through an electronic payment gateway. Registered online users can enjoy a discount in search fees after opening an account with a fee of $500 a year.