Company secretaries will keep their mainland counterparts up to date
In response to growing concern over poor corporate governance at H-share firms, Hong Kong's company secretaries are reaching out to their counterparts on the mainland to keep them abreast of the city's market regulations and listing rules.
Interest shown by the Hong Kong Institute of Company Secretaries (HKICS), a non-profit professional group, recognises the growing role played by H-share firms, which now account for a third of listed companies in Hong Kong.
'Most H-share company secretaries are still China-based,' said the institute's president, Neil McNamara, Jardine Matheson's group company secretary.
'These people have good qualifications but they do not necessarily have enough experience with the listing rules. The institute could help in this area.'
Mr McNamara said that, as Hong Kong's listing rules were getting more and more complicated, 'we will do what we can for the company secretary to meet stock exchange requirements'.
