‘Steady as she goes’ as Hong Kong bids farewell to deficits

South China Morning Post · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

Hong Kong raised its economic growth forecast to between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent this year, as Financial Secretary Paul Chan delivered a budget speech focused on diversifying growth and boosting innovation. The city also will end deficits ahead of schedule, aided by economic growth and stronger stock trading, with an expected consolidated surplus of HK$2.9 billion for the financial year ending next month, Chan said on Wednesday. The government initially predicted expansion of 2 per cent to...

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‘Steady as she goes’ as Hong Kong bids farewell to deficits

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Rare move to take income out of Exchange Fund to pay for Northern Metropolis, other big projects
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Hong Kong’s finance chief has set aside HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) to kick-start the Northern Metropolis in his latest budget, aiming to accelerate the megaproject through the government’s partnership with developers and tech enterprises. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced on Wednesday that three companies overseeing the Hetao Hong Kong Park, the San Tin Technopole and the Hung Shui Kiu Industrial Park, all part of the megaproject, would each receive HK$10 billion, using...

South China Morning Postabout 19 hours ago
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Hong Kong authorities will offer sweeteners of about HK$22 billion (US$2.8 billion) to residents and businesses, up from HK$7.8 billion last year, as public coffers are set to pivot from a deficit to a surplus. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday announced a raft of tax concessions and allowances in his annual budget, almost three times what was offered last year. “Hong Kong’s economy shows steady and stable progress, but there are still imbalances and insufficiencies during...

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