SMEs Urged to Seize Domestic Sales Opportunities in East China’s Second-tier Cities

Riding on the success of the “China Domestic Sales Support Program for SME” last year, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Hong Kong Association of International Co-operation of Small & Medium Enterprises today (7 July 2011) launch a new Program to help Hong Kong SMEs take advantage of the domestic sales opportunities under the National 12th Five-Year Plan and a rapidly growing high-speed rail network.

Addressing a seminar under the “East China’s Second-tier Cities Domestic Sales Support Program for SMEs”, Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC, said, “In the 12th Five-Year Plan, expanding domestic demand and increasing household income are among the main foci. The boom private sector in East China has an important bearing on the domestic market. Together with an affluent population, the consumer market there is already growing rapidly. Moreover, the launch of the high-speed rail service between Beijing and Shanghai in June further fuelled the development of this market.”

“HKPC has been helping local SMEs upgrade and transform their business. Through this Program, we aim to enhance support to SMEs to open up the domestic sales market. These include the provision of first-hand information on government policies, industry trend and local development of the East China market; identifying the best ways for SMEs to kick-start domestic sales; and assistance on business operation improvement,” she added.

Funded by the SME Development Fund of the Trade and Industry Department of the HKSAR Government again, the 14-month Program will include a study on how Hong Kong firms can win over consumers in East China’s second-tier cities through the introduction of technology and innovative product design. There will also be a comprehensive study on five East China cities - Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo and Hefei. These findings will be disseminated to local businesses through experience sharing forums, workshops and publication of the “China Domestic Sales Guidebook – East China”.

At the seminar today, Ms Zhao Lei, Director (Investment group), Commercial Office of Economic Affairs Department, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; and Ms Joyce Tam, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs, Shanghai, HKSAR Government, joined local and Mainland academics and industry representative to share their insights on domestic sales opportunities in East China.

For more information about the Program, please contact Tina Ng or Teddy Leung of HKPC’s Business Management Division at tel.: (852) 2788 5651 / (852) 2788 5819 or email: tinang@hkpc.org / teddyleung@hkpc.org.

For other media enquiries, please contact Felix Chan of HKPC’s Corporate Communications Division at tel.: (852) 2788 5036 or email: felixchan@hkpc.org.

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Mr Jonathan Ho
General Manager
Corporate Communications
Hong Kong Productivity Council
Tel: (852) 2788 6390
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: jonathanho@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org


7 July 2011

Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC (front row, third from right); Mr Ng Man-kwong, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of International Co-operation of Small & Medium Enterprises (front row, fourth from right); Ms Zhao Lei, Director (Investment group), Commercial Office of Economic Affairs Department, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front row, fourth from left); and Ms Joyce Tam, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs, Shanghai, HKSAR Government (front row, third from left), posed for a group photo with the seminar’s guest speakers and HKPC experts