Overview

The Hong Kong Government recently proposed amendments to the current Competition Bill which are being considered by the Legislative Council. These amendments are an attempt to meet criticisms of the Bill that have been made by the business community, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The Bill's proposed changes would cover:

• "hardcore" and "non-hardcore" infringements;


• "de minimis" provisions;


• removing the right to bring "stand-alone" private actions for damages;


• reducing maximum penalty for violations;


• infringement notices: removal of payment requirement; and


• merger control.

In addition to describing the above changes in detail, this briefing also offers an assessment of the proposed amendments and outlines where the proposals go from here.

Click 'View Briefing' to learn more.