Latest news with #JosephChan
HKFP
3 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong's legislature passes bill to increase airport departure tax to HK$200, effective from Oct 1
Hong Kong's airport departure tax will increase to HK$200 starting from October 1, after lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday to green light the raise. Out of 84 lawmakers who took part in the vote on the Air Passenger Departure Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025, 77 voted in favour. Two lawmakers voted against the bill while five abstained. The increase will see the city's airport departure tax for adults rise from the current HK$120 to HK$200, representing a 67 per cent hike. The tax is built into the cost of flight tickets, and those purchased before October 1 will not be affected. Joseph Chan, the acting secretary for financial services and the treasury, said in the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the tax hike is expected to bring the government an additional revenue of around HK$1.6 billion. He acknowledged that some lawmakers had expressed worry that the increase would weaken the competitiveness of the Hong Kong International Airport, but said the government has already struck a balance between increasing revenue and reducing the impact on passengers. The official added that the airport departure tax has not been increased in 22 years, and that the government believes a raise of HK$80 was affordable. Perry Yiu, a lawmaker for the tourism sector, was one of the two who voted against the bill. He criticised the government for rejecting the industry's proposal for a phased tax increase and halving the raise, adding that the higher tax would negatively affect the economy's recovery. Gary Zhang, a legislator who also voted down the bill, said the government did not provide a scientific analysis into the impact of the tax raise on different groups of passengers, especially those preferring budget airlines. Exemptions expanded Currently, passengers who arrive and depart Hong Kong within the same day are exempted from the airport departure tax. Chan said authorities are planning to extend the exemption to those departing within the next day, meaning those who stay in the city for less than 48 hours would not have to pay the tax, following lawmakers' suggestions. The government also plans to exempt those transiting through the airport after arriving via land or sea ports, a move to attract more passengers from the Greater Bay Area, Chan said. He said the government is drafting relevant subsidiary legislation and will submit it to the legislature 'as soon as possible' to allow the two exemptions to be implemented on October 1. 'I would like to emphasise that the two exemptions… are expected to significantly enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong International Airport for transit passengers, and these transit travellers will also drive… the hotel, dining, and retail sectors in Hong Kong,' Chan said in Cantonese.
RTHK
4 days ago
- Business
- RTHK
Legco passes bill to raise air passenger departure tax
Legco passes bill to raise air passenger departure tax An increase in the air passenger departure tax is expected to generate an extra HK$1.6 billion in government revenue per year. File photo: RTHK Lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill to raise the air passenger departure tax from the current HK$120 to HK$200 from October. The bill was supported by 77 lawmakers, while two voted against it and five abstained. Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan said the authorities earlier accepted a recommendation by lawmaker Perry Yiu that passengers who fly in and out of Hong Kong within 48 hours be exempt from the charge. But officials rejected Yiu's suggestion to only increase the departure tax to HK$160. Yiu, who is also an Airport Authority board member, said Hong Kong faces a lot of competition from other nearby airports. "With the three-runway system, the target is to serve 120 million passengers per year," he said. "It's a crucial time for Hong Kong to step up efforts to attract travellers and develop the tourism industry. Measures to raise the tax are contrary to this goal." Yiu voted against the bill. Other lawmakers who voted in favour described the tax increase as "reasonable" and "mild" when compared with fees at other airports. Frankie Yick, who represents the transport sector, urged the government to review the impact of the increased tax on the aviation sector, and roll out measures to enhance the airport's competitiveness. The increased duty is expected to raise an extra HK$1.6 billion for the government each year.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AsiaPay partners My Menu to improve digital dining experience
AsiaPay has partnered My Menu to improve the digital dining experience for restaurants and hotels across Asia. The partnership is designed to transform payment processing and guest interactions in the hospitality sector. It offers an integrated solution that combines AsiaPay's secure payment processing with an innovative digital ordering system from My Menu. This development comes as the hospitality sector increasingly adopts digital methods to streamline operations and enhance customer service. AsiaPay CEO Joseph Chan stated: "Our mission has always been to provide businesses with innovative integrated and secure digital payment solution. Partnering with My Menu allows us to extend this capability to the hospitality industry that readily enhances both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction." With the integration of My Menu's interactive digital menus, guests can effortlessly browse menus, place orders and complete payments using their mobile devices, all within a single digital platform provided by AsiaPay. The integration also enables secure transactions, increased revenue potential through smart upselling, and improved operational efficiency by automating order-taking and payment processing. My Menu CEO and founder Abhishek Bose added: "This partnership is a game-changer for hotels and restaurants catering to the growing [number of] Asian traveller[s]. 'With AsiaPay's expertise in digital payments, we are able to offer guests the freedom to use their local digital wallets such as AliPay, GCash, LinePay, GrabPay and numerous other local wallets, ensuring your guests experience seamless frictionless online payments, just like what they are used to at home." Established in 2000 and based in Hong Kong, AsiaPay provides expert e-payment solutions and local support through its 17 offices across Asia Pacific: Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. My Menu, which debuted in 2018, is now a worldwide digital menu platform, with adoption in more than 4,200 restaurants and 500 hotels across 70 countries. "AsiaPay partners My Menu to improve digital dining experience" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AsiaPay and My Menu Announce Partnership to Elevate Digital Dining Experience for Hotels and Restaurants
HONG KONG, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading digital payment solution provider AsiaPay and cutting-edge digital menu platform My Menu are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the way hotels and restaurants handle payments and guest interactions. This collaboration combines AsiaPay's secure and seamless payment processing with My Menu's innovative digital ordering solution, offering hospitality businesses in Asia a more efficient and engaging way to serve their guests. As the hospitality industry continues to embrace digital transformation, this partnership brings a fully integrated solution that allows restaurants and hotels to streamline operations, enhance guest convenience, and drive more revenue. With My Menu's interactive digital menus, guests can browse menus, place orders, and now, thanks to AsiaPay, make fast and secure payments directly from their mobile devices. "Our mission has always been to provide businesses with innovative integrated and secure digital payment solution," said Joseph Chan CEO at AsiaPay. "Partnering with My Menu allows us to extend this capability to the hospitality industry that readily enhances both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction." With this integration, hotels and restaurants benefit from: Frictionless guest experience – Guests can seamlessly browse, order, and pay in one smooth digital journey. Secure and reliable transaction – trusted payment solution ensure transactions are fast and secure. Increased revenue potential – Digital menus with smart upselling features and seamless payments encourage higher spending. Operational efficiency – Improve service speed by automating order-taking and payment processing. "This partnership is a game-changer for hotels and restaurants catering to the growing Asian traveller," said Abhishek Bose at My Menu. "With AsiaPay's expertise in digital payments, we are able to offer guests the freedom to use their local digital wallets such as AliPay, GCash, LinePay, GrabPay and numerous other local wallets ensuring your guests experience seamless frictionless online payments, just like what they are used to at home." The partnership between AsiaPay and My Menu is now live and available for hospitality businesses looking to modernize their digital ordering and payment experience. For more information, visit and About AsiaPay Founded in 2000, AsiaPay, a premier digital payment service and technology solution provider, strives to bring advanced, secure, integrated, and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks, corporations, and e-Businesses in the worldwide market, covering an array of international credit card, debit card, prepaid card, net banking, eWallet, and QR code payment, as well as cash collection. Headquartered in Hong Kong, AsiaPay also offers its professional ePayment solution consultancy and quality local service support in its 17 offices across the Asia Pacific region including Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and India. For more information, please visit About My Menu Since its launch in 2018, My Menu has established itself as the world's most advanced digital menu platform. My Menu is trusted by the best brands in the industry; currently running in 4200+ restaurants and 500+ hotels across 70 countries. My Menu has evolved from a digital menu solution to a comprehensive platform that boosts sales, increases efficiency while reducing costs and enhancing the guests' experience. It is a simple yet powerful tool to help streamline operations and support sustainability in the hospitality industry. Its key features include: menu customization, online ordering, dish pairing recommendations, promotions, loyalty programs, CRM capabilities, multiple language options, nutrition and carbon emissions information, digital stamp cards, digital gift cards, table reservations, gamification and more. For more information, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE AsiaPay Sign in to access your portfolio
