Premier Smith Successfully Concludes First Day in Hong Kong

September 8, 2014, Hong Kong - Premier and Minister for Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE and his delegation successfully concluded their first full-day of a week-long trip to Hong Kong during a commemorative visit to the Asia Pacific Region.

To foster engaging and deepening relationships with Hong Kong, the home of the Asia Pacific representative - BVI House Asia - Premier Smith and his delegation, today, met with leading governmental officials.

The team met with Mr. John Tsang Chun-wah, GBM, JP, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, to discuss the continuing evolution of offshore centres in Asia and other crucial issues related to offshore and midshore financial centres. The delegation also met with Mr. Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Director of Immigration of Hong Kong, to share views on immigration issues as they affect the BVI and Hong Kong.

In addition, Premier Smith was interviewed by top international, regional and local media covering English and Chinese publications, including the Financial Times, International New York Times, South China Morning Post, Bloomberg TV, Xinhua, and Caixin.

Premier Smith’s live interview with Bloomberg TV appeared on the morning show, ‘On the Move Asia’, a weekday daily business program focusing on top global political, business and economic news.

Premier Smith arrived in Hong Kong on September 7, accompanied by a delegation representing the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Premier's Office, the BVI International Finance Centre (IFC), and the BVI Tourist Board. Justice Edward Bannister from the BVI Commercial Court also attended.

Premier Smith and his delegation are looking forward to the rest of the week which will be filled with productive meetings with government representatives, industry practitioners and business audiences across the Pearl River Delta region.

The visit coincides with the first anniversary of the opening of BVI House Asia in Hong Kong and the 30th anniversary of the International Business Companies (IBC) Act – the innovative piece of legislation which has positioned the Virgin Islands as a leading global financial services jurisdiction.

The BVI has been working with Asian businesses and professionals for 30 years and has become the jurisdiction of choice for corporates, joint ventures and all forms of wealth management by Asian clients.

BVI House Asia is the representative office of the Government of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, BVI House Asia was established in September 2013 to support and expand the strong relationship that the BVI has had with the Asia Pacific region for over 25 years.

With a focus on financial services, BVI House Asia provides a wide range of services to Asian businesses, such as asset protection, property holding, financial management, trading, copyrighting, bespoke trust services and investment business.

The BVI is among the largest corporate registers in the world and is lauded for its efficient time to market, competitive incorporation fees, and strong and innovative legal system. Drawing on its deep experience in the region and mature infrastructure in Asia, BVI House Asia is committed to building effective, trusted and responsible relationships with its clients, business partners and vested third parties.

For more information about BVI House Asia, please visit: www.bvihouseasia.com.hk.