Press Digest: Hong Kong - Nov 4

DTXS Silk Road Investment Holdings Co

04/11/2015 02:07

Nov 4 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in 
Hong Kong newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified 
these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.   
         
    SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST  
    - Beijing has pledged support for Hong Kong to play a bigger 
role in China's opening up to the world, according to its 13th 
five-year-plan. The document, released on Tuesday, stresses 
implementing in a comprehensive and accurate manner the 
principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people 
administering Hong Kong", and "a high degree of autonomy".(http://bit.ly/1SmxLp0) 
    - Property sales in Hong Kong slumped to a 19-month low in 
October, and analysts predict the worst is yet to come. The 
government, meanwhile, said it would continue to increase land 
supply. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said he would continue 
to increase land supply for residential flats and maintain 
restrictive measures on overseas buyers. (http://bit.ly/1LP41ig) 
    - Hong Kong employers are expected to offer staff pay rises 
averaging 3.8 percent next year, down from 4.3 percent they 
offered this year, according to a survey by the Institute of 
Human Resources Management. The biggest winners are expected to 
be in the construction sector with a 5.1 percent rise, followed 
by 4.8 percent for engineers and 4.4 percent for manufacturing 
workers. (http://bit.ly/1XNEGea) 
  
       
    THE STANDARD 
    - The Airport Authority is considering imposing a "noise 
fee" to encourage airlines to use low-noise aircraft that can 
take off and land overnight at Chek Lap Kok. Authority chief 
executive Fred Lam Tin-fuk made the disclosure at a meeting  
following up issues relating to the three-runway system. (http://bit.ly/1XNF5go) 
    - China's move to a two-child policy may mean fewer mainland 
women with mainland husbands coming to Hong Kong to give birth, 
said Mao Qun'an, spokesman for the National Health and Family 
Planning Commission. Hospital Authority data showed that 79 out 
of 197 pregnancies in emergency wards between January and 
September were from the mainland. (http://bit.ly/1KWFUKO) 
    - The average return from the Mandatory Provident Fund has 
turned positive, rising by 4.66 percent in October after five 
straight months of losses. But the overall net worth of the MPF 
stood at HK$5.61 trillion ($723.8 billion) as end-September, 
down by HK$59 billion from June 30. That means each of the MPF's 
2.78 million members Hong Kong's working population lost 
HK$20,000 in the third quarter. (http://bit.ly/1H5hO5l) 
  
            
    HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL  
    - Investment holding firm UDL Holdings Ltd  0620.HK  said it 
offered to issue 136 million new shares to existing shareholders 
in the ratio of two new shares for every five shares held, 
raising about HK$420 million ($54.2 million) to fund purchase of 
antique coins and Chinese Mao Tai wine as it built up inventory 
to develop online market focusing on art and collections. 
     
    For Chinese newspapers, see............... PRESS/CN    
($1 = 7.7504 Hong Kong dollars) 
 
 (Compiled by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Anand Basu) 
 ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com; +852 2843 6470; Reuters 
Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: PRESS DIGEST HONGKONG/