Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce holds inaugural meeting

The meeting discussed the latest developments of the Northern Metropolis and the related financial services needs.  Highlights of the discussion include:

• Key near-term Northern Metropolis projects and opportunities: The DEVB and ITIB presented on the key development projects and financing needs of the Northern Metropolis over the next three years. These include, among others, the four land parcels in Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the first pilot area under large-scale land disposal in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, which are both currently under tender.  Such information will enable banks to actively participate in the development of the Northern Metropolis, assisting them in better formulating business plans and allocating resources to support the projects through various means such as syndicated lending, bond underwriting and other ancillary financial services.
• Financing for diverse development models: Given that the Northern Metropolis projects will adopt a diverse range of development models (e.g. large-scale land disposal and the establishment of industry park companies to adopt more public-private partnership approaches), the scales, financing tenors, scopes, operating models and durations of these projects may differ from those of conventional development projects. The participating banks in the Taskforce undertook to offer financing solutions that are tailored to individual projects, and with the aim of helping to accelerate the development of industries in the Northern Metropolis and attracting upstream and downstream enterprises to establish footholds. 
• Supporting sustainable development in the Northern Metropolis: The participating banks in the Taskforce committed to referencing the Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines (Guidelines)¹ as well as the HKMA’s Sustainable Finance Action Agenda² to offer sustainable finance solutions for Northern Metropolis projects that meet the Guidelines and international green and sustainable finance standards. This aims to support the co-existence of development and conservation in the Northern Metropolis while strengthening the climate resilience of the banking sector.

As the development of the Northern Metropolis progresses across multiple fronts, the Taskforce will continue to explore more practical financing solutions in the future.  The Taskforce will collaborate closely with the Government and relevant stakeholders to expedite the implementation of projects in the Northern Metropolis, providing solid support for economic development.

Background

Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce

The Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce was jointly established by the HKMA and HKAB in April 2026 to strengthen the banking sector’s communication and collaboration with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and other stakeholders and exploring ways to actively support the Northern Metropolis development through financing.  The Taskforce comprises representatives from the HKMA, HKAB and 21 banks that possess experience in large-scale project financing. The Chinese Banking Association of Hong Kong and the Infrastructure Financing and Securitisation Unit of the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited participate as observers.