Company Secretarial Services

According to Section 154 of Hong Kong Companies Ordinance,

1. Every Company must appoint a Company Secretary (to ensure compliance with ongoing legal returns, accounts, audit and other requirements).
2. The Company Secretary must be an ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, a HK qualified accounting professional, a HK qualified legal professional or a “HK Trust or Company Service Providers licensee”.
3. If the Shareholder and the Director are two separate person, then either one of them can be appointed as Company Secretary.
4. If the Shareholder and the Director is the same person or the same company, then a third party (individual or company) should be appointed as company secretary.
5. The sole director of a company shall not also be the company secretary.
6. Company Secretary is a statutory role, which is not personal assistant for the Directors or Executives.

The main duty and responsibilities of company secretary are:

1. Manage and keep the company’s statutory book (register of shareholders / directors)
2. Organizing and witnessing required meeting of directors and shareholders alongside preparation of minutes
3. Preparing and Filing Annual Returns to the Hong Kong Companies Registry
4. Alternation of Director or Company Secretary
5. Transfer of share and Share Allotment
6. Change the name of Company
7. Change the company registered address
8. Ensuring that company complies with relevant laws and regulations

Designated Representative Services

From 1 March 2018, a Hong Kong incorporated company must
1. designate at least one person as its representative to provide assistance relating to the company’s Significant Controllers Register to a law enforcement officer.
2. appoint one of the following person as the company’s Designated Representative –
(a) A member, director or an employee of the company who is a natural person resident in Hong Kong, or
(b) A HK qualified accounting professional, a HK qualified legal professional or a “HK Trust or Company Service Providers licensee”.

Significant Controllers Register (“SCR”)

From 1 March 2018, a Hong Kong incorporated company must
1. take reasonable steps to identify its significant controllers,
2. give notices and obtain required particulars of significant controllers,
3. enter the required particulars of its significant controllers in the SCR and keep them up-to-date,
4. keep its SCR at the company’s registered office or a place in Hong Kong, and
5. allowing inspection by law enforcement officer.

Failure to comply with the SCR obligations or made false statement is a criminal offence. The company and every responsible person of the company are liable to a fine at level 4 (i.e. HK$25,000). Where applicable, there is a further daily fine of HK$700.

The above is an extraction notes which does not constitute legal advice, for details of the SCR compliance, please refer to the External Circular and Publications of the Hong Kong Companies Registry.

Our professional and experienced team can provide Hong Kong secretarial services to your company. The following is our Special Package (excludes government fees):

Company Secretary Special Package
(US$400 per year)

(1) Acting as Company Secretary for your company
(2) Prepare and filing of Annual Returns to the HK Companies Registry
(3) Provide advisory service to your company’s secretarial matters
(4) Provide Registered Address
(5) Correspondence address for official letters: Bank and Government (CR and IRD)
(6) Business Registration Renewal
(7) We charge separately on all other works that we have to do in the capacity of company secretary

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