Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Government Reports HK$56.8 Billion Deficit for First Seven Months of Fiscal Year 2025

HK

Government Reports HK$56.8 Billion Deficit for First Seven Months of Fiscal Year 2025
HK

HK

Government Reports HK$56.8 Billion Deficit for First Seven Months of Fiscal Year 2025

2025-11-28 16:30 Last Updated At:12-01 12:38

Government's financial results for seven months ended October 31, 2025

The Government announced today (November 28) its financial results for the seven months ended October 31, 2025.

Expenditure and revenue from April to October 2025 amounted to HK$438.9 billion and HK$292.4 billion respectively, resulting in a deficit of HK$56.8 billion after taking into account HK$116.6 billion received from issuance of Government Bonds and repayment of HK$26.9 billion principal on Government Bonds.

A Government spokesperson said that the deficit for the period was mainly due to the fact that some major types of revenue including salaries and profits taxes are mostly received towards the end of a financial year.

The fiscal reserves stood at HK$597.5 billion as at October 31, 2025.

Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)

Month ended

October 31, 2025

HK$ million

Seven months ended

October 31, 2025

HK$ million

Revenue

57,189.6

292,463.7

Expenditure

(65,685.3)

(438,915.0)

Deficit before issuance

and repayment of

Government Bonds

(8,495.7)

(146,451.3)

Proceeds received from

issuance of

Government Bonds

55,000.0

116,555.8

Repayment of

Government Bonds*

(75.9)

(26,875.0)

Surplus/(Deficit) after issuance

and repayment of

Government Bonds

46,428.4

(56,770.5)

Financing

Domestic

Banking Sector (Note 2)

(46,384.4)

53,214.3

Non-Banking Sector

(44.0)

3,556.2

External

-

-

Total

(46,428.4)

56,770.5

* Being repayment of principal on Government Bonds and does not include the associated interest and other expenses.

Government Debts as at October 31, 2025 (Note 3)

HK$392,275 million

Debts Guaranteed by Government as at October 31, 2025 (Note 4)

HK$115,706 million

TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES

Month ended

October 31, 2025

HK$ million

Seven months ended

October 31, 2025

HK$ million

Fiscal Reserves at start of period

551,117.9

654,316.8

Consolidated Surplus/(Deficit) after

issuance and repayment of

Government Bonds

46,428.4

(56,770.5)

Fiscal Reserves at end of period

(Note 5)

597,546.3

597,546.3

Notes:

1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight Funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at October 31, 2025, was HK$170,157 million.

2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.

3. The Government Debts, with proceeds credited to the Capital Works Reserve Fund, comprise:

(i) the Green Bonds (equivalent to HK$192,217 million as at October 31, 2025) issued under the Government Sustainable Bond Programme. They were denominated in US dollars (US$10,950 million with maturity from January 2026 to January 2053), euros (5,580 million euros with maturity from February 2026 to November 2041), Renminbi (RMB32,000 million with maturity from February 2026 to July 2054) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$22,000 million with maturity from February 2026 to October 2026);

(ii) the Infrastructure Bonds (equivalent to HK$90,623 million as at October 31, 2025) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. They were denominated in Renminbi (RMB31,250 million with maturity from December 2025 to June 2055) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$56,480 million with maturity from November 2025 to June 2055); and

(iii) the Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$109,435 million (with maturity in October 2027 and October 2028 and may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme.

They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$124,262 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,770 million as at October 31, 2025) issued under the Government Bond Programme with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund. Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$53,762 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$77,162 million will mature within the period from November 2025 to October 2026, and the rest within the period from November 2026 to May 2042.

4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012, and the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Cross-boundary Passenger Transport Trade, the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis and the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Travel Sector launched in 2023.

5. Includes HK$249,817 million, being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of "Future Fund", for long-term investments up to December 31, 2030. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.

Photo source: AI-found image

Photo source: AI-found image

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million

Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Tseung Kwan O and Hong Kong International Airport respectively yesterday (May 21) and today (May 22), and seized a total of about 21.8 kilograms of assorted drugs with a total estimated market value of about $7.95 million. Two men and one woman, aged between 38 and 49, were arrested.

In the first case, Customs officers intercepted a 48-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman in Tseung Kwan O during an anti-narcotics operation yesterday afternoon. About 3.8kg of suspected drugs, including ketamine, methamphetamine, etomidate capsules, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA and a batch of suspected drug packaging paraphernalia were found in their residence in the same district. They were then arrested.

In the second case, a 38-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 18kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase and 33 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarette inside his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested man and woman in the first case have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of apparatus fit and intended for the inhalation of a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (May 23), while an investigation is ongoing for the second case.

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Recommended Articles