Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce was founded on 29 May 1861, just 20 years after the foundation of the Colony of Hong Kong with Alexander Perceval of British owned trading conglomerate Jardine, Matheson & Co as its first chairman.[2] The original membership consisted of 62 companies.[3]

At that inaugural meeting, the Chamber's role was stated to be:

"... to watch over and protect the general interests of Commerce, to collect information on all matters of interest to the Mercantile Community, and to use every means within its power for the removal of evils, the redress of grievances, and the promotion of the common good; to communicate with authorities and other thereupon; to form a code of practice whereby the transaction of business may be simplified and facilitated; to receive references; and to arbitrate between disputants -- the decisions in such references to be recorded for future guidance." [4]

At the Chamber's inauguration the annual subscription fee was HK$100 for firms and HK$50 for individuals. At that time a box at the theatre cost HK$20, chair coolies took C25 to hire, C10 bought one pound of steaks or one dozen eggs. The Chamber's first secretary, J.C. Baldwin, received a salary of HK$125 per month.

At the General Meeting held in May 1863 the Chairman, James Macandrew, proposed that specialist groups be established to address subjects affecting various industries. The idea continues to this day in the form of 23 special interest committees within the Chamber.

In 1867 the Chamber's Annual General Meeting was open to the press. From that year, Chamber matters were brought into the public domain.

2 January 1884, at a special General Meeting held at City Hall, Thomas Jackson, chief manager of the Hongkong Bank, was elected the first Chamber Legco representative, and the Chamber became the first "functional constituency" in Hong Kong's law making body.

HKGCC, KPMG China, and HSBC commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of 747 business executives in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao to gauge their expectations for opportunities in Mainland China's rapidly developing Greater Bay Area (GBA). The technology and innovation sector is expected to benefit most from the development of the region, with most firms in this industry aiming to take advantage of the deep pool of talent the GBA offers. Financial services and trade and logistics complete the top three sectors seen as major beneficiaries of the GBA initiative.

The HKGCC offers 4 different membership categories for businesses and individuals.

1) Full Membership: Covers all employees in the member company. Full members can apply to join and vote in committee elections, and the LegCo elections.

2) Individual Associate: Provides access to certain information and opportunities.

3) Overseas Associate: For companies from Mainland China and around the world.

4) CO Subscriber: Provides discounts for trade documentation services provided by HKGCC.

HKGCC has been the sole sponsor of the Good Citizen Award since its inception in 1973. The Award rewards citizens who have contributed to the safety of the community by assisting the police catch criminals. The scheme was set up as part of the first Fight Crime Campaign, funded by donations from Chamber members and the community. Over the years, more than 3,600 citizens have been commended for their bravery in combating crime.

Established in 2001, the programme matches secondary schools with companies to allow students to get hands-on experience to gain a better understanding of the commercial world. Participating schools and companies jointly develop regular activities during an academic year and include company visits, leadership talks, interview workshops and internships.

The annual Business Case Competition encourages university students and fresh graduates to use their creativity and knowledge to solve cases set by some of the Chamber's member companies. Each year the themes have a strong environmental and sustainability element.