Protest Taking A Toll On HK Businesses: Expert

An economic expert warned on Friday that the business atmosphere in Hong Kong is being affected as the polarised society begins targeting companies and commercial products as a part of their campaign.

Anti-extradition bill protesters are now pressing advertisers to pull commercials from the city's biggest free-to-air broadcaster TVB – which critics say has sided with the government and run biased reports on recent protests.

Several companies have already said they will stop placing ads on TVB due to public concerns over the station's editorial decisions.

But some of these brands have come under pressure from their mainland franchises which are worried that the decisions taken in Hong Kong will affect businesses across the border.

Economist Andy Kwan said because the government has not responded to the protesters, the rift is widening.

Kwan, who is a director at the ACE Centre for Business and Economic Research in Hong Kong, said media companies will bear the brunt of it as their businesses are vastly exposed to the current campaign.

But he told RTHK's Priscilla Ng that other sectors like banking and consumer products also being dragged into the controversy and this has never happened before.