The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) welcomes the initiatives proposed by the Financial Secretary Mr Paul Chan in the Government's 2026-2027 budget to further consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre and support the Nation's development through mutual empowerment of finance and innovation.

“These pivotal measures outline a clear development path for the financial sector and will inject renewed growth momentum into Hong Kong as a world-leading global financial centre, attracting high-quality listings and global patient capital while boosting market efficiency,” said Dr Kelvin Wong, Chairman of the SFC.

The SFC will work closely with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) on a number of key initiatives to boost equity market vibrancy. These include enhancements of the weighted voting rights regime with a view to broadening the diversity of eligible companies, facilitation for initial public offerings by biotechnology and specialist technology companies and for secondary listings, a transition to T+1 settlement cycle, as well as taking forward board lot reforms. In addition, the SFC is working towards implementing the uncertificated securities market regime within this year.

On deepening Mainland-Hong Kong mutual market access, the SFC will collaborate with Mainland authorities to push forward the inclusion of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and renminbi counters into Stock Connect, as well as the launch of China Treasury bond futures contracts.

To support the future readiness of markets, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the SFC are proceeding with the legislative proposals for regulating virtual asset dealing and custodian service providers to complete Hong Kong's regulatory framework for digital assets (DA). The SFC also plans to further enhance DA market liquidity, expand product offerings for professional investors, and establish a Digital Asset Accelerator to help trading platforms in developing innovative projects.

The SFC's Chief Executive Officer Ms Julia Leung said: “In support of the Government's proposals, we will work tirelessly with our stakeholders to drive financial innovation, position Hong Kong as a leading global fixed income and currency (FIC) hub, and solidify the city's status as a premier asset and wealth management centre.”

To future-proof Hong Kong's FIC market infrastructure and facilitate renminbi internationalisation, the SFC is working to conduct a feasibility study for a regulated electronic trading platform to broaden FIC market participation. On the asset and wealth management front, the SFC welcomes the Government's proposal to waive stamp duty on non-residential property transfers into REITs seeking to list in Hong Kong, which will encourage new listings. In addition, to diversify fund distribution channels, the SFC will support HKEX in launching the next phase of the Integrated Fund Platform this year.

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