Coronavirus: switch to ‘0+3’ scheme right move, but much more needs to be done, leading Hong Kong business lobby says
- Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce praises end to hotel quarantine for arrivals but says all travel curbs must end and mainland border fully reopened
- Relaxation has come too late to make significant difference to companies’ bottom line or local economy before end of year, it warns
Another leading business chamber in Hong Kong has joined a chorus of calls for the government to quickly scrap its remaining Covid-19 pandemic curbs, saying that even the move to end hotel quarantine for arrivals has come too late to turn the economy around before the end of the year.
Releasing its proposal for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address next month, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce on Monday also pointed to a “crucial” need for the city to fully reopen its border with mainland China to help revive growth.
A recent survey by the 4,000-member chamber found almost 40 per cent of the firms interviewed felt frustrated with the local travel curbs and were either leaving or planning to do so.
“It is helpful to replace the ‘3+4’ with the ‘0+3’ scheme. But it does not solve all the problems. It is a big step towards the right direction but more needs to be done,” said the chamber’s chairwoman Betty Yuen So Siu-mai, referring to the government’s new measure adopted on Monday that ended hotel quarantine for inbound travellers and required just three days of home medical surveillance.
“We hope to be able to see ‘0+0’ very soon,” she said. “And more importantly, we hope to be able to reopen the border with the mainland because our economy is closely connected with it. Reconnecting with the rest of the world is the first step. And it is crucial that we be able to reconnect with the mainland.”
The same sentiment had been expressed by the new head of the American Chamber of Commerce, Eden Woon Yi-teng, who in a recent interview with the Post said Hong Kong needed to fully reopen its border to rejuvenate its economy, warning a bleak mood had enveloped residents.
The General Chamber of Commerce said that while it predicted business would start to improve following the easing of travel curbs, the relaxation had come too late to make a significant difference to companies’ bottom line or the local economy before January.