​The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 20) warmly welcomed the Guangdong Provincial Government's announcement on the latest progress of the Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) (the Scheme).
      
     The Guangdong Provincial Government and the HKSAR Government are now working on the detailed implementation arrangements of the Scheme in accordance with the approval of the State Council, and will strive to announce detailed arrangements in the first quarter of 2023 and implement the Scheme within 2023, subject to factors such as the anti-epidemic requirements of Guangdong and Hong Kong.
      
     A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "We are deeply grateful to the Central Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government for their strong support for the Scheme all along. The State Council has announced the customs guarantee-free policy for Hong Kong private cars under the Scheme last month. Together with this announcement of the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Scheme is now moving towards its realisation."
      
     The spokesman stressed that the Scheme is planned for implementation in 2023 after taking into account the epidemic situation, and the preparatory work has largely been completed. The HKSAR Government has finalised with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the relevant Mainland authorities the fundamental arrangements for the implementation of the Scheme, including eligibility requirements of applicants, vehicles and drivers, duration of stay, insurance requirements, vehicle inspection, application procedures and formalities, etc (details have been set out in the overview of the Scheme at the Annex). The HKSAR Government will continue to maintain close liaison with the Guangdong Provincial Government to confirm the exact timing of implementation. Its aim is to implement the Scheme as soon as possible to enable Hong Kong residents to drive to Guangdong via the HZMB, thereby strengthening the connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
      
     The HKSAR Government announced earlier that it is pressing ahead with the Scheme, under which eligible Hong Kong private cars will be allowed to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the HZMB without the need to obtain regular quotas when the epidemic is under control and the normal flow of people between the Mainland and Hong Kong has gradually resumed, so as to enable Hong Kong residents to drive to Guangdong for business, visiting families or sight-seeing on a short-term basis. The State Council has also announced the customs guarantee-free policy for eligible Hong Kong private cars under the Scheme on November 25, 2022. The policy will allow Hong Kong private cars participating in the Scheme to be exempted from paying customs duties or applying for guarantee arrangements with Mainland Customs, thereby simplifying the application procedures and reducing the handling fees.

Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Issued at HKT 12:20

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