Latest news with #non-HongKong
RTHK
5 days ago
- Business
- RTHK
DSE candidates face 4pc rise in fees for 2026 exams
DSE candidates face 4pc rise in fees for 2026 exams The HKEAA says fees and charges are going up to optimise use of resources and maintain its long-term stability. File photo: RTHK The exams body on Friday announced a 4 percent increase in fees for the 2026 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) exams and the introduction of a new fees structure for private candidates. According to the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), the fees for school candidates for key language and other subjects have been raised by HK$30 and HK$20 each respectively. For a candidate taking six subjects – two language and four other subjects – the total fees will amount to HK3,630. The HKEAA stated that the hike is similar to previous years and remains at a relatively moderate level, with the adjustment taking into account various factors. For private candidates, a flat fee of HK$595 will be charged and there will be a new two-tier fees structure depending on their residency status. Candidates who are non-Hong Kong permanent residents are required to pay HK$1,377 for each language subject and HK$1,119 for each additional subject, HK$600 more when compared with that for local residents. For non-permanent residents who are under 18 years old and sitting the exam for the first time, there will be a new special entry fee of HK$2,000 per person. That would mean examination fees of more than HK$9,800 for those taking four core subjects and two electives. The HKEAA said the fees and charges had been revised to optimise the use of resources and maintain the long-term financial stability of the body. "There has been a notable increase in the number of private candidates in recent years. Some of these candidates, holding non-HKDSE qualifications, are required to submit Special Entry applications, which necessitate substantial manpower and resources from the authority to carefully vet each case," it said. "Additional examination centres and personnel have also been arranged to accommodate the growing number of private candidates, further increasing the operational costs of the HKDSE."
Business Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Link CEO George Hongchoy to retire after 16 years at company
[SINGAPORE] The group CEO of Link Asset Management Ltd, George Hongchoy, plans to step down before the end of June 2026. Hongchoy has held the CEO position for 16 years and will stay on in the role while it searches for a successor, said the property firm in a press release on Tuesday (Jul 22). Link manages the largest real estate investment trust (Reit) in Asia and will mark 20 years since it launched its initial public offering (IPO) in November 2005. According to its website, it holds a total portfolio value of HK$226 billion (S$37 billion) across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has assets in the retail, car park, office, and logistics sectors. The firm is up 32.2 per cent so far in 2025 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has a market capitalisation of HK$112 billion. Hongchoy was appointed CEO of Link in May 2010, after having joined the company as its chief financial officer in January 2009. He has also been a member of the CNBC ESG council since April 2021 and formerly worked in the investment banking, financial consulting and accounting sectors. Prior to joining Link, Hongchoy was the managing director and head of DBS Asia Capital. He also was the director, head of diversified industries of NM Rothschild & Sons for a year and managing director of investment banking at JPMorgan Securities (Asia Pacific) from 1992 to 2002. Link Reit was considering a Singapore IPO of its non-Hong Kong and China assets, according to a Bloomberg report last month. It currently owns Jurong Point, Swing By @ Thomson Plaza (which occupies Levels 1 and 3 of the mall) and provides asset and property management for the retail mall AMK Hub, according to its website.
Business Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Link Reit CEO George Hongchoy to retire after 16 years at company
[SINGAPORE] The group CEO of Link Asset Management Limited, George Hongchoy, plans to step down before the end of June 2026. Hongchoy has held the CEO position for 16 years and will stay on in the role while it searches for a successor, said the property firm in a press release on Tuesday (Jul 22). Link manages the largest real estate investment trust (Reit) in Asia and will mark 20 years since it launched its initial public offering (IPO) in November 2005. According to its website, it holds a total portfolio value of HK$226 billion across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has assets in the retail, car park, office, and logistics sectors. The firm is up 32.2 per cent so far in 2025 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has a market capitalisation of HK$112 billion. Hongchoy was appointed CEO of Link in May 2010, after having joined the company as its chief financial officer in January 2009. He has also been a member of the CNBC ESG council since April 2021 and formerly worked in the investment banking, financial consulting and accounting sectors. Prior to joining Link, Hongchoy was the managing director and head of DBS Asia Capital. He also was the director, head of diversified industries of N M Rothschild & Sons for a year and managing director of investment banking at JPMorgan Securities (Asia Pacific) from 1992 to 2002. Link Reit was considering a Singapore IPO of its non-Hong Kong and China assets, according to a Bloomberg report last month. It currently owns Jurong Point, Swing By @ Thomson Plaza (which occupies Levels 1 and 3 of the mall) and provides asset and property management for the retail mall AMK Hub, according to its website.
Business Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Link Reit CEO George Hongchoy retires after 16 years at company
[SINGAPORE] The group CEO of Link Asset Management Limited, George Hongchoy, plans to step down before the end of June 2026. Hongchoy has held the CEO position for 16 years and will stay on in the role while it searches for a successor, said the property firm in a press release on Tuesday (Jul 22). Link manages the largest real estate investment trust (Reit) in Asia and will mark 20 years since it launched its initial public offering (IPO) in November 2005. According to its website, it holds a total portfolio value of HK$226 billion across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has assets in the retail, car parks, office, and logistics sectors. The firm is up 32.2 per cent so far in 2025 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has a market capitalisation of HK$112 billion. Hongchoy was appointed CEO of Link in May 2010, having joined the company as its chief financial officer in January 2009. He has also been a member of the CNBC ESG council since April 2021 and formerly worked in the investment banking, financial consulting and accounting sectors. Prior to joining Link, Hongchoy was the managing director and head of DBS Asia Capital. He also was the director, head of diversified industries of N M Rothschild & Sons for a year and managing director of investment banking at JPMorgan Securities (Asia Pacific) from 1992 to 2002. Link Reit was considering a Singapore IPO of its non-Hong Kong and China assets, according to a Bloomberg report last month. It currently owns Jurong Point, Swing By @ Thomson Plaza (which occupies Levels 1 and 3 of the mall) and provides asset and property management for the retail mall AMK Hub, according to its website.
HKFP
18-07-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Official data show record-high company registration figures in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has logged record-high company registration figures, with close to 1.5 million local firms registered in the city as of June, according to the latest official data. The number of non-Hong Kong companies registered under the Companies Ordinance and opening offices in the city had also reached an all-time high of 15,509 by the end of June, the Companies Registry (CR) said on Friday. In the first half of this year, Hong Kong saw 84,293 newly registered local firms and 761 overseas companies set up a place of business in the city, the latest CR figures show. Close to 50,000 local companies deregistered, and 378 non-Hong Kong firms ceased to operate in the city over the same period, according to an HKFP tally based on the figures. The CR attributed the increase in company registrations to two amendments made to the Companies Ordinance in the first half of this year, which the government says aim at facilitating local business and attracting overseas enterprises and investments. The first amendment, effective April 17, has facilitated listed companies incorporated in Hong Kong to hold or sell the shares they have bought back from the market. The second amendment, effective May 23, has offered non-Hong Kong corporations a streamlined route to re-domicile in the city. Hong Kong has launched a drive to attract international business amid global trade uncertainty triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff wars. Last month, Chief Executive John Lee likened the city's economic outreach efforts to 'chasing a girl.' Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries are Hong Kong's priority for deepening trade ties as the city is attempting to reduce its reliance on the US market, he said in the interview with the South China Morning Post. The CR did not provide a breakdown of the origins of the non-Hong Kong companies that have set up shop in the city. Unemployment figures Meanwhile, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) said on Thursday that Hong Kong's latest unemployment rate stood at 3.5 per cent in the April to June period, while the underemployment rate also remained unchanged at 1.4 per cent. The number of unemployed persons was 136,200 in the April to June period, up 400 from the March to May period. Increases in the unemployment rate were mainly seen in the construction sector and the food and beverage sector, the C&SD said in a press release. The construction sector logged a 6.8 per cent unemployment rate in April to June – up 0.5 per cent from the March to May period. The latest figure for the food and beverage sector was 6 per cent – up 0.3 per cent from the previous period. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said that 'various industries in Hong Kong are undergoing transition,' but 'the continued expansion of the Hong Kong economy should provide support to the labour market.'
