Previous Announcements (since December 2007)

2013 Best SME's Partner Award
(18 June 2013)

The Companies Registry was awarded the "2013 Best SME's Partner Award". For more information, please refer to the "Events and Activities" section of this website.

Order to reduce levy rate of Business Registration Certificate
(24 May 2013)

The Business Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2013 which seeks to reduce the levy rate of the Business Registration Certificate, which finances the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund, was published in the gazette on 24 May 2013. For details, please refer to the website of Labour Department and the Frequently Asked Questions on Inland Revenue Department's website.

Reporting Correct Addresses in Specified Forms Filed with the Companies Registry
(4 February 2013)

The Companies Registry issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2013 on 1 February 2013 to remind companies and their officers of the statutory requirement of reporting correct addresses in specified forms which are filed with the Companies Registry. Please refer to the External Circular for details.

First batch of subsidiary legislation under the new Companies Ordinance to be gazetted on Friday
(31 January 2013)

The first batch of five pieces of subsidiary legislation for the implementation of the new Companies Ordinance will be gazetted this Friday (1 February).

For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 30 January 2013.

Companies Registry releases annual statistics for 2012
(14 January 2013)

The Companies Registry released its statistics for the year 2012 on 13 January 2013. Please refer to the press release in the 'Publications and Press Releases' section of this website for details.

Specification of Requirements under section 346(1) of the Companies Ordinance
(21 December 2012)

The Registrar of Companies has exercised the power conferred on her under section 346(1) of the Companies Ordinance (Ordinance) to specify the requirements for a document delivered in paper form and part of a document delivered in the form of CD-ROM or DVD-ROM to her for registration under the Ordinance. For details, please refer to the Notice published in the gazette today.

Best Service Award 2012-13
(20 December 2012)

The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the New Companies Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on "Change of Name of Local Companies (e-Submission)", which obtained the highest satisfaction score in our Best Service Survey conducted this year.

Best Counter Staff Award 2012-13
(20 December 2012)

The Best Counter Staff Award aims to encourage courtesy and efficiency in the delivery of service and compliment our counter staff for their excellent performance. Onsite customers were invited to vote during the award contest held in November 2012. We are pleased to announce the results of the award as follows:

Public Search Section

LI Wan-cheung

Document Management Section

CHAN Yue-kwan

New Companies and Charges & Liquidation Sections (as one group)

Ms LEUNG Shui-ping

For more information, please refer to the "Events and Activities" section of this website.

The new Companies Ordinance (No. 28 of 2012) – Abolition of nominal value of shares
(7 December 2012)

It is expected that the new Companies Ordinance ("the new CO") will come into operation in 2014 after enactment of all subsidiary legislation. One of the major changes that will be implemented upon commencement of the new CO is the abolition of nominal value of shares. The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 7/2012 to provide information on the abolition of nominal value of shares. Please refer to the External Circular for details.

Second Phase Consultation on the Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance
(2 November 2012)

A consultation paper on "Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance – Phase Two Consultation Document" was issued on 2 November 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 2 November 2012. The Consultation Document is available for download at the 'Publications and Press Releases' - 'Consultation Papers' section of this website.

You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 14 December 2012 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

Companies Registry Trading Fund Publishes 2011-12 Annual Report
(24 October 2012)

The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2011-12 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Publications and Press Releases" section of this website.

First Phase Consultation on the Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance
(28 September 2012)

A consultation paper on "Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance – Phase One Consultation Document" was issued on 28 September 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 28 September 2012. The Consultation Document is available for download in the 'Publications and Press Releases' - 'Consultation Papers' section of this website.

You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 9 November 2012 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

Standing Committee on Company Law Reform Twenty-Eighth Annual Report 2011/2012
(25 September 2012)

The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform Twenty-Eighth Annual Report 2011/2012 (the Annual Report) has been issued on 25 September 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 25 September 2012 in the 'Publication and Press Releases' section and the Annual Report in the 'Standing Committee on Company Law Reform' section of this website.

Electronic Submission of Annual Returns and Annual Return e-Reminder Service
(20 August 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 6/2012 to announce the launch of a new electronic service for submission of annual returns and the Annual Return e-Reminder Service at the e-Registry portal (www.eregistry.gov.hk) with effect from 20 August 2012. Please refer to the External Circular for details.

Gazettal of new Companies Ordinance
(10 August 2012)

The new Companies Ordinance was gazetted today.

For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 10 August 2012 in the 'Publications and Press Releases' section of this website.

New Companies Ordinance
(12 July 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 5/2012 to announce the passage of the Companies Bill by the Legislative Council on 12 July 2012. Please refer to the External Circular and the press release issued on 12 July 2012 for details.

Launch of Company Search Mobile Service
(11 June 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 4/2012 to announce the launch of the new Company Search Mobile Service for conducting company searches at www.mobile-cr.gov.hk on 11 June 2012. Please refer to the External Circular and the press release issued on 10 June 2012 for details.

Abolition of capital duty from 1 June 2012
(14 May 2012)

The Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 to abolish capital duty currently levied on Hong Kong companies under the Companies Ordinance will come into operation on 1 June 2012. Please refer to the press release issued on 13 May 2012 for details.

Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012
(11 May 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2012 to announce that, with effect from 1 June 2012, the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 for the abolition of capital duty currently levied on local companies will come into operation. The external circular is available in the "Publications and Press Releases" section of this website.

Launch of Electronic Forms relating to Share Capital and Reserve Directors
(7 May 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2012 to announce the launch of new services on 7 May 2012 for submission of six electronic forms relating to share capital and reserve directors at the e-Registry portal. The external circular is available in the "Publications and Press Releases" section of this website.

The Hong Kong ICT Awards 2012: Best Public Service Application Award
(3 April 2012)

The Companies Registry has been awarded the Best Public Service Application (Transformation) Gold Award for its 'e-Registry - E-Incorporation and One-stop Service for Company Incorporation and Business Registration' in the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2012.For more information, please refer to "Events and Activities" section of this website.

Upsurge of Applications for Company Incorporation
(3 April 2012)

Since 2 April 2012, the number of applications for company incorporation and business registration lodged with the Registry has increased drastically.This has a significant impact on the services delivered by the Registry and entails longer processing time or queuing time.Hence, we may not be able to meet our standard performance pledges for our services.

In this connection, we would appreciate your assistance and strongly recommend that you consider using the electronic services at our "e-Registry" (www.eregistry.gov.hk) to incorporate companies and file specified forms electronically:-

• For straight-forward incorporation applications, the electronic certificates of incorporation and business registration certificates can be issued within 1 hour.
• For specified forms reporting changes of company names, changes of registered office addresses and changes of directors or secretaries and their particulars (i.e. Forms NC2, R1, D2A, D2B, and D4), the forms can be registered within 24 hours.

For paper submission, you may deposit your documents and cheques into the Drop-in box at our Public Service Hall on the 14th floor of Queensway Government Offices to save queuing time. The Registry will issue official receipts or acknowledgement slips to the document presenters by post.

For enquiries, please contact our Customer Services Manager, Ms Agnes Wong, at 2867 4570.

Waiver of Business Registration Fees for companies 2012-13
(29 March 2012)

The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of an application for company incorporation and business registration made in the period from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.

The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of a non-Hong Kong company that commences business between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.

Applicants are still required to pay the levies for the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund.

For details on the waiver of business registration fees, please visit the website of the Inland Revenue Department (www.ird.gov.hk).

New Performance Targets
(21 March 2012)

Starting from 1 April 2012, electronic Certificates of Incorporation and Certificates of Change of Name will be available for download within an hour after online submission of relevant documents through the e-Registry.

With effect from 1 April 2012, new target standards are set for the electronic services provided at the e-Registry, namely, electronic incorporation, electronic filing of changes of names of local companies and specified forms relating to changes of registered office addresses and changes of particulars of directors and secretaries. Specified forms R1, D2A, D2B and D4 which are submitted online can be registered within 24 hours. Please refer to our Performance Pledge 2012 in the 'About Us' – 'Performance Pledges' section of this website.

Order to abolish capital duty gazetted
(16 March 2012)

The Government published in the Gazette today the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 (the Order) to abolish capital duty currently levied on Hong Kong companies that have a share capital under the Companies Ordinance. Subject to the necessary legislative process, the Order will come into operation on 1 June 2012. Please refer to the Order and press release issued on 16 March 2012 for details.

Fraudulent Websites
(14 March 2012)

The Companies Registry (the Registry) wishes to alert members of the public to the following websites which resemble the official website of the Registry and our Cyber Search Centre.

"http://company-registry.com/hkcr/index.html" and

"http://company-registry.com/HKGSCX/index.html"

The Registry has no connection with the above websites. You are advised not to click any links in the fraudulent websites.

The Police, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre are taking follow up actions on the matter.

Please access the Registry's official websites through the following addresses for our electronic services :

The Registry's official website: www.cr.gov.hk

Cyber Search Centre: www.icris.cr.gov.hk

e-Registry: www.eregistry.gov.hk

Electronic Submission of Specified Forms and Paper Submission of Appointment/Cessation of Registered Agents
(20 February 2012)

The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2012 to announce the launch of new services on 20 February 2012 for electronic submission of four commonly filed specified forms at the e-Registry portal and paper submission of appointment/cessation of registered agents. The external circular is available in the "Publications and Press Releases" section of this website.