Exemptions For Merchants Mooted

The Government will roll out a scheme soon to exempt businesspeople with manufacturing activities on the Mainland from the compulsory quarantine, provided they have a genuine need to make cross-boundary trips.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau made the statement today following the gazettal of the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong (Amendment) (No.2) Regulation 2020.

One of the amendments broadened the exemption of persons from the compulsory quarantine arrangement, including those whose travel is necessary for purposes relating to manufacturing operations, business activities or the provision of professional services in the interest of Hong Kong's economic development.

“Such activities are essential for Hong Kong’s ongoing development, but of course, we need to strike a balance between making sure that the epidemic will not come back through this travelling, but at the same time facilitating legitimate reasons for crossing the boundary.

“So that is why we need a scheme, which we will open for applications, so that such persons would be able to come through the boundary with certain conditions attached to it.”

He added that it was too early to unveil details of the application process.

“For instance, the scheme that my bureau will roll out would cover Hong Kong businesses that have a production line in the Mainland, so I am talking about Hong Kong companies which have such an operation to start with.

“Secondly, people who apply for the scheme would need to demonstrate there is a genuine need for them to cross the boundary for their activities.

“Thirdly, they must be the owners of or the authorised persons of the company and also they need to satisfy that when coming back, they would need to be subjected to medical surveillance.”