Print  Email Article  Favorite Font Size: 

About Hong Kong

Small Government
Hong Kong has a small and efficient government structure. Corporate and personal taxes are low and simple to calculate. The HKSAR Government is well known for its efficiency, transparency and fairness. It is ready to lend a helping hand to business people and companies under a long-established philosophy of ‘maximum help and minimum interference' for business.

Monetary System
The objective of Hong Kong's monetary policy is to maintain currency stability. Given the highly externally oriented nature of the economy, this objective is further defined as a stable external value for the Hong Kong dollar in terms of a linked exchange rate against the US dollar at the rate of $7.80 to US$1. This objective is achieved through the Linked Exchange Rate System introduced About Hong Kong in October 1983.

The Rule of Law
Hong Kong has a well-established and trusted legal system based on the common law. The rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people and those living here are founded upon the impartial rule of law, an independent judiciary, a comprehensive system of legal aid, and a free and active press. [ Judiciary ]

Airport
Hong Kong is a major international and regional aviation centre. The Hong Kong International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, is served by major international airlines that provide about 4 000 scheduled passenger services and 700 freight services weekly from Hong Kong to about 130 cities worldwide. When fully developed, the airport will be able to handle up to 87 million passengers and nine million tonnes of cargo a year. The Hong Kong International Airport has been named the world's best airport for the past five consecutive years in a survey conducted by British-based Skytrax Research.

Port
In 2004, Hong Kong handled 22 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of containers, making it the world's busiest container port. The nine container terminals at Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi are under the management of five operators. Covering an area of 270 hectares, the container terminals provide 24 berths with 8,530-metre frontage. The water depth of the Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi basin is 15.5 metres and the total handling capacity of the terminals is over 18 million TEUs per year. During 2004, some 35 900 ocean-going vessels and about 189,520 river trade vessels called at Hong Kong. About 221 million tonnes of cargo and 21.4 million passengers are shipped in these vessels.

To do a quick search, highlighting any word(s) then click Help!