Business Facilitation Advisory Committee (BFAC)

Introduction

The Government is committed to maintaining Hong Kong's favourable business environment. The Financial Secretary set up the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee (BFAC) in January 2006 to take forward the business facilitation efforts of the former Economic and Employment Council (EEC) and the EEC Sub-group on Business Facilitation. The BFAC advises and reports to the Financial Secretary the development and implementation of programmes and measures to facilitate business, and reviews government regulations and procedures impacting on business. The BFAC also provides steering to the work of Task Forces set up to conduct regulatory reviews on specific business sectors. The BFAC is currently chaired by a non-official member from the business community. The non-official members include businessmen, academics, professionals and Legislative Councillors. The official members are drawn from relevant Bureaux.

Terms of Reference

• Advise and report to the Financial Secretary the development and implementation of programmes and measures to facilitate business;
  
  
• Develop and oversee a programme to review government regulations and procedures impacting on business, with the aims of eliminating outdated or burdensome regulations on business, enhancing the quality of delivery and business-friendliness of government services to facilitate business operations and development, and reducing regulatory impact and compliance cost to the business sector;
  
  
• Set up and steer Task Forces to take forward the regulatory reviews or other business facilitation initiatives; and
  
  
• Examine other relevant areas to facilitate business as appropriate.
  
  

Membership

Chairman (Non-official) : Mr Anthony Nightingale, SBS, JP Deputy Chairman  (Non-official) : Hon Emily Lau, JP Non-official Members : Mr Richard Au-Yeung Miss Florence Chan Hon Tommy Cheung, SBS, JP Mr Oscar Chow Mr Philip Fan Dr Aron Harilela Mr Dennis Kwok Ms Angela Lee, BBS, JP Mr Leung Kam-leung Mr Jack Maisano Ms Caroline Mak Mr Raj Sital Motwani, BBS, JP Mr Eddie Ng, JP Prof Raymond So Mr Joseph Wong Mr Stephen Yip, MH, JP Mr Yu Pang-chun, SBS, JP Dr Allan Zeman, GBS, JP Official Members : Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce & Industry) 1 Deputy Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) 1 Deputy Secretary for Food and Health (Food) Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs (1) Head, Efficiency Unit Government Economist Co-opted Members : Mr David Chan, representative of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Mr Lo Foo-cheung, JP, representative of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong Mr Cliff Sun, BBS, JP, representative of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Mr Alex Fong, representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Papers for Meeting

2006 2007 2008

2006 Date Paper Download 14 Feburary 2006 (1st meeting) Agenda : First Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 1/06 : Report on Business Facilitation Work PDF BFAC Paper 2/06 : Concerns and Proposals from the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry PDF 26 June 2006 (2nd meeting) Agenda: Second Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 3/06: Administration's Response to the Concerns and Proposals from the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry PDF BFAC Paper 4/06: Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 5/06: Report on the Consultancy Study on Private Certification of Building Submissions PDF BFAC Paper 6/06: Report on the Review of Licensing Requirements for Places of Public Entertainment (Theme Parks and Family Amusement Centres) PDF BFAC Paper 7/06: Report on the Consultancy Study on Review of Application and Inspection of Plumbing Installations in New Buildings PDF 9 November 2006 (3rd meeting) Agenda : Third Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 8/06 : Follow-up Actions in Response to the Concerns and Proposals from the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry PDF BFAC Paper 9/06 : Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 10/06 : Common Views of Some Business Sectors on Hong Kong's Licensing System PDF 2007 6 March 2007 (4th meeting) Agenda: Fourth Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 1/07: Improvements Made to the Pharmaceutical Product Registration System PDF BFAC Paper 2/07: Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 3/07: Private Certification of Building Submissions PDF BFAC Paper 4/07: Review of Lease Modification and Land Exchange Applications PDF BFAC Paper 5/07: Report on the Consultancy Study on Review of Application and Inspection of Plumbing Installations in New Buildings PDF BFAC Paper 6/07: Launch of the " Be the Smart Regulator" Programme to Improve the Licensing System and Business Environment of Hong Kong PDF 25 July 2007 (5th meeting) Agenda : Fifth Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 7/07 : International Schools' Expansion Efforts in Hong Kong PDF BFAC Paper 8/07 : Regulatory Issues Related to the Change of Usage of Vacant Industrial Premises PDF BFAC Paper 9/07 : Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 10/07 : Report on the Progress of the "Be the Smart Regulator" Programme PDF 1 November 2007 (6th meeting) Agenda: Sixth Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 11/07: Administration's Responses to the Recommendations of a Study on "International Schools' Expansion Efforts in Hong Kong" PDF BFAC Paper 12/07: Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 13/07: Report on the Progress of the "Be the Smart Regulator" Programme – October 2007 Update" PDF BFAC Paper IN 1/07 : World Bank's Study Report on "Doing Business 2008" PDF 2008 25 February 2008 (7th meeting) Agenda: Seventh Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper 1/08: Report on the Work of the Task Forces PDF BFAC Paper 1/08 (1): Report on the Work of the Pre-construction Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 1/08 (2): Report on the Work of the Town Planning Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 1/08 (3): Report on the Work of the Retail Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 1/08 (4): Report on the Work of the Food Business Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 2/08: Report on the Progress of the "Be the Smart Regulator" Programme – February 2008 Update PDF 23 June 2008 (8th meeting) Agenda: Eighth Meeting of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee PDF BFAC Paper IN 1/08 Expressions of Interest for Allocation of Greenfield Sites and Vacant/to-be-vacated School Premises for International School Development PDF BFAC Paper 3/08(1) Report on the work of the Pre-construction Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 3/08(2) Report on the work of the Retail Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 3/08(3) Report on the work of the Food Business Task Force PDF BFAC Paper 4/08 Trade Effluent Surcharge Scheme – Reassessment of generic chemical oxygen demand values PDF BFAC Paper 5/08 Report on the progress of the“Be the Smart Regulator” Programme– June 2008 update PDF