Demystifying the Duty of a Company Secretary in Hong Kong

17 June 2020

The Hong Kong Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622, makes it mandatory for every company to be registered in Hong Kong to have a company secretary. So important is the company secretary that indeed, your company will not be registered without one. In this post, we will look at the duties of a company secretary in a Hong Kong company.

What is a Company Secretary?

First, it is important to appreciate that a company secretary is completely different from common clerks who do clerical work. According to the Companies Ordinance, a company secretary is a senior officer in a company who is responsible for efficient administration, especially with respect to ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. So, you need to ensure that only the most qualified and committed person gets the job.

The Main Duties of Company Secretary

From the definition of a company secretary, there is no doubt that the roles he does and how he does them will greatly impact the company’s success. So, let us start by understanding the duties of a company secretary.

Fulfilling the Company’s Tax Obligation

When opening a company in Hong Kong, it is important to understand that the administration runs a business economy because the registered enterprises serve as the primary source of revenue. Therefore, the administration takes tax matters very seriously. Your company secretary is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the company meets all its tax obligations. Some of these obligations include:

Overseeing the filing of the tax returns correctly and on time.
Seeking additional approval or clarifications on tax-related matters.
Registering the company with IRD (Inland Revenue Department).

Keeping Statutory Books

The Hong Kong Companies Ordinance also designates the company secretary as the custodian of the statutory books. This implies that the secretary should have every document that the government might need to inspect. In addition to keeping these books of account, the company secretary is also responsible for:

Updating the details on statutory books.
Producing and distributing company accounts and reports.

Planning and Attending Company Meetings

As we indicated earlier, the company secretary is involved with top-level management, and one of that roles is planning the company’s meetings. This is considered an important role because it is in these meetings that actions to be taken on different areas, such as books of accounts and employment, are made. Here is a breakdown of these duties:

Organize board meetings.
Participate in board meetings.
Prepare the agenda of the company meetings.
Implement the decisions made during meetings in compliance with laws.
Advise the company on compliance with the law.

Other Duties of a Company Secretary

While the roles we have outlined above are considered the core for a company secretary, they are not the only ones. Other administrative duties include:

Communicating with shareholders, the Stock Exchange, and regulatory bodies on behalf of the company.
Observing the company developments and giving advice to the board of directors.
Guiding the company through the process of liquidation.

If you are planning to incorporate a company in Hong Kong, the position of a company secretary is very important and should only be entrusted to a qualified and experienced person. With the best company secretary, you can rest assured that the business will make the best decisions and grow into the multinational of your dreams.

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Mashum Mollah

Mashum Mollah is the feature writer of Search Engine Magazine and an SEO Analyst at Real Wealth Business. Over the last 3 years, He has successfully developed and implemented online marketing, SEO, and conversion campaigns for 50+ businesses of all sizes. He is the co-founder of Social Media Magazine.

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6 Useful Tips To Improve Workplace Safety

The workplace is one of the most important places in our lives. It is where we make money, build relationships and meet new people. For us to be able to do all these things, we must have a safe environment to work in. The safety of employees should be paramount but sadly this isn't always the case as many businesses are not taking the necessary precautions when it comes to workplace safety. Below are some tips on how you can improve your workplace's safety standards. Safety Audit Conducting a safety audit is a great way to identify potential hazards and ensure that everyone in the workplace is safe. The first step in conducting a safety audit is to take stock of everything you can think of from your office building’s structure to the equipment in the kitchen, everything should be scrutinized for any risks or dangers. Keep an eye out for anything that could cause bodily harm if it were to be tripped over or otherwise mishandled. Next, it’s time for some hands-on testing! Look at every surface that might have sharp edges or jagged corners; make sure every tool has its own place where it won't get lost or forgotten about; look at staircases and make sure they're clear of clutter (or better yet, eliminate them entirely). You may even want to go around with different people who work in different parts of the building so that no one area gets overlooked—it's important not only that all employees are aware of their own responsibilities but also those around them as well! When you’ve finished checking all areas thoroughly, write down what needs improvement on pieces of paper—you’ll need these later when presenting your findings back to everyone involved so they know exactly what needs changing before someone gets hurt again due to negligence. If you are still confused, try to go for employer of record, which is a prominent outsourcing process for your business process. Safety Issues Report If you want to improve workplace safety, you need to make it easy for your employees to report problems. You don't have to be a jerk about it—just make sure they feel comfortable reporting whatever issues are on their minds so that you can take appropriate action. Don't punish people who report safety issues. It's not as simple as saying "don't ever punish someone for reporting a safety issue." Sometimes, if an employee has done something wrong and is being honest about the problem, he or she may need to be disciplined. But if an employee reports an unsafe situation because he or she feels strongly about doing the right thing in terms of workplace safety, then that person should not be punished for doing so (especially if there was no harm done). Make it anonymous—but not too much more than anonymous. In other words: allow for some anonymity (so people don't feel afraid), but also encourage them by making sure everyone knows who reported what issue and why so that everyone at least has some idea of where improvements are needed (and thus can work together on making those improvements) Safety Culture A safety culture is a set of norms and values that promote safety in the workplace. It's more than just good policies, it's how people think about and manage their own behavior. Safety culture is based on shared values, not just written rules and procedures. You can develop a positive safety culture by: Promoting a sense of ownership among employees—giving them opportunities to suggest ways to improve workplace safety and rewarding those who do so with the recognition Making sure all employees understand the importance of their role in keeping themselves safe as well as others Camera Spotter Installation Camera spotters are a great way to improve safety in your workplace. These cameras are designed to be installed in many different places, including around the perimeter of your site, underneath traffic lights and stop signs, and even on top of buildings. Camera spotters can be used for many purposes: they can help monitor people as they walk down hallways or drive through parking lots; they can help monitor traffic by recording speeding vehicles; and they can alert security when pedestrians or vehicles enter restricted areas. The camera spotter you install should be able to detect motion at long distances so that it will pick up any activity within its field of view. This way no one will ever sneak around unnoticed—you'll always know when something dangerous is happening! Drug Testing Policy It's important to have an Australian drug testing policy in place to ensure that your employees are not using drugs or alcohol at work. It can help prevent accidents and injuries, increase productivity, and improve employee morale. A drug testing policy is an important part of maintaining a safe workplace. It helps protect the health and safety of everyone who works there by setting expectations for how the company will respond when someone tests positive for drug or alcohol use. Each state has its laws governing workplace drug testing policies—which substances are allowed to be tested for (alcohol alone? alcohol with drugs?), what type of tests can be used (urine tests? hair follicle samples?), how much-advance notice employees must receive before being tested, etc. Some states even require employers who regularly employ more than five people within their jurisdiction to implement a written drug-free program that includes components such as: Work Licence Update Having a work licence lawyer working on licence updates is important. Your work licence is a legal document that allows you to work in Australia and is required for every person who wants to work in Australia, including those who are Australian citizens or permanent residents. If you are an overseas worker and have a current subclass 457 visa or a subclass 186 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa, then you will need to apply for a new subclass 400 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa if your current visa expires within 12 months of the expiry date on your old subclass 457/186 visa.You need to renew your work licence every 3 years after its issue date (or 2 years after its issue date if it was issued by way of an automated process). Conclusion This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many things that you can do to ensure your workplace is safe and healthy. At the end of the day, it’s all about prioritizing safety and making sure that everyone in your company feels comfortable at work. Read Also: Should You Be Friends With Your Co-Workers? 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7 Things To Consider When Designing A Boat

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What Is Employee Leasing? Overview And Explained In 2021

Are you a business startup? Do you know how employee leasing can be beneficial for you and your organizations? Most of the new startup companies are taking help from the employee leasing companies. Not only the start-up companies many more professional organizations are taking the paid services from the employee leasing companies. What Is Employee Leasing? In simple words, employee leasing is lending some employees to other companies. You can address the employee leasing companies as the third-party payroll system. Employee leasing companies are recruiting some of the employees, and they are working on the payroll of these leasing companies, but initially, they are the employees of any different organizations. Are you getting curious about the functionalities of employee leasing companies? So let’s start with the employee leasing company definition. What Is An Employee Leasing Company? Employees leasing companies are transferring the employees from one organization to their own payroll system. Then again, they released them in the organizations as a temporary employee. Leasing companies are looking after all the HR-related jobs of the organizations. Employee leasing companies are one of the efficient HR organizations. If you do not want to recruit a particular c for your farm, then take the employee leasing companies to help. These companies are paying the salaries of these employees. These employee leasing companies are described as professional employee organizations (PEO). Employee leasing is entirely a contractual job. Leased employees are working on behalf of the employee leasing companies. They are not working on the direct payroll system of the organizations. You are getting free from the administrative work’s complexity, but your organization’s work runs smoothly. Now we think you are getting the idea of what employee leasing is. The Benefits Of Employee Leasing The employee leasing companies are one of the best HR management handling companies for the entrepreneur business person. Employee leasing has many advantages. The employee leasing pros and cons are giving you a functional overview of the PEO services. So let’s start with the employee leasing pros. 1. You Do Not Have To Maintain An HR Department Full maintenance of the HR department is getting saved. All the recruiting-related administrative works are also getting saved. The job role of the HR department is quite vast in nature. But you are getting free of this type of complex working process. When you are taking help from professional PEO services, you can focus only on your business. 2. Low Risk One advantage of leasing companies for employees is that you are handling all of your work with very low risk. This means these leased employees are working on the leasing companies payroll. So you do not have to take any headaches about the employee satisfaction and working processes. All the employee management papers and the legal protocols the employee leasing companies maintain everything. So your business is on the low-risk side. You can simply concentrate on your work without taking any headaches about employee dissatisfaction and employee salaries-related issues. 3. Expert Professionals Are Hiring The Employees The professional hirer is hiring the new people for your companies. So you do not have to take any headaches about the employee quality. The leasing companies are always focusing on hiring some extremely professional employees. So do not take any headaches about the employment quality and knowledge. Professional PEO companies are finding new employees based on your requirements, so their technical knowledge is always good. Good technical knowledge is the only requirement when you are on the project deadline. The Disadvantages Of Employee Leasing Not all are good about employee leasing. Along with the employee advantages, many disadvantages are also present in the system. So take a look at the cons of employee leasing. 1. Leasing Cost The PMO is delivering you the workforce but in turn of what? Obviously, the cash. Employee leasing companies are supplying the employees by the return of the high payment. This payment is constant, so you are satisfied with the employee’s work even though you have to pay the employee leasing companies. This cost is one of the biggest drawbacks of the leasing companies. 2. Dependency On Third Party When you are taking continuous help from third-party PEO companies. The dependency of the third party is getting higher. This dependency of the third party is leading you to take more help from the employee leasing companies. And when the PEO companies are seeing how you are developing a dependency on the employee leasing companies, they can increase their fees. 3. Low Employee Commitment When employees are doing the work on the separate companies payroll, the chances of fewer commitments are getting higher. And the employees do not develop any feelings regarding the main company. This is the reason the employee comments are becoming weaker. The leased employees have a very less amount of motivation. Along with the less motivation, most leased employees are waiting to get the next employment opportunity to offer a better salary. When Are You Going To Need Employee Leasing? Employee leasing is a very special type of task. Like the special task, this is not all time required. You only have to do the employee leasing in very specific circumstances. For Startup companies, these PEO services are the most effective. If you are handling diverse products and will handle varieties of opinions, taking help from the employee leasing is very effective. When you are handling one project at a time, PEO services are the best service you can take. Wrapping It Up: Employee leasing is very effective in modern-day business. In the modern business world, employee hiring and firing are widespread. So why you are going to take responsibility for a whole department. Find a good employment leasing company and hand over the employee hiring responsibility. What is your opinion about the PEO services? Do not forget to comment back to us? More Resources: How Many Jobs Are Available In Real Estate Investment Trusts? 2021 How to Download Game Of Thrones Putlocker Online for Free? Is Real Estate Investment Trusts A Good Career Path? REITs Pros And Cons 0123Putlockers And Servers – Watch Movies Online

Demystifying the Duty of a Company Secretary in Hong Kong

What is a Company Secretary?