'Resignation Of AmCham Head A Wake-up Call For Govt'

An economics scholar on Wednesday said the resignation of the head of the American Chamber of Commerce should serve as a "wake-up call" for the SAR government.

Tara Joseph, who is currently in the US, told Reuters News Agency that she was quitting because she didn't feel she could appeal to the administration to ease its Covid-19 travel restrictions if she was undergoing quarantine herself.

Kevin Tsui, an associate professor at Clemson University in the US, said Hong Kong officials should rethink the requirement that people arriving in the territory spend up to 21 days in hotel quarantine.

"If other countries are doing the same thing, then we are not in a disadvantaged position," he told RTHK.

"But given the fact that other countries are trying to open up the borders, even countries like Singapore which is our competitor, that's an additional factor that makes foreign companies reconsider [whether] they should have their headquarters in Hong Kong."

Tsui said other places don't have such "rigid" quarantine requirements as Hong Kong, as long as travellers are vaccinated.

"I think it's kind of a wake-up call to Hong Kong that the government should pay attention to," Tsui said, noting that it's unclear how long the the city will adopt a "zero-Covid" strategy.

The government has said its priority is to resume quarantine-free travel with the mainland.

Meanwhile, AmCham has issued a statement thanking Joseph for her service and saying the board will launch a global search for a replacement.

"The Chamber was saddened to learn that Tara was stepping down, and appreciates her service and investment in the future of AmCham Hong Kong. A date has not been set; the chamber is grateful for Tara’s leadership and support of the transition into 2022," the statement said.