Hong Kong Housing Authority to Issue Additional Approval Letters for White Form Secondary Market Scheme Tomorrow

Additional batch of Approval Letters to be issued to successful applicants under White Form Secondary Market Scheme 2024

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

Following the issuance of a batch of Approval and Confirmation Letters in October 2025 to successful applicants who have passed detailed vetting of their eligibility under the White Form Secondary Market (WSM) Scheme 2024 (WSM 2024), the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will issue an additional batch of Approval and Confirmation Letters tomorrow (December 30).

"The HA's Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) endorsed in November 2025 a series of measures that encourage upward mobility through the housing ladder, which include, amongst others, enhancing the arrangements of the WSM. We noted that some successful applicants under the WSM 2024 awarded with a quota in October 2025 did not apply for the Certificate of Eligibility to Purchase (CEP) within the specified six-week period for purchasing a subsidised sale flats (SSF) with premium unpaid in the secondary market. To ensure full utilisation of WSM 2024 quotas, we will issue an additional batch of Approval Letters to successful applicants according to the ballot order to cover unused quotas. Moreover, any unused family quotas will be allocated to one-person applicants, which is consistent with the practice adopted for the primary SSF sale exercise," a spokesman for the HA said.

Each successful applicant will be issued with one Approval Letter and two Confirmation Letters. The two Confirmation Letters are applicable to the HA's Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Secondary Market and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS)'s Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS) Secondary Market respectively. Within six weeks from the date of issuance, holders of Approval Letters may submit the Confirmation Letters to the HA and/or the HKHS respectively for application for the CEP to purchase a flat with the premium not yet paid in the HA's HOS Secondary Market or the HKHS's FFSS Secondary Market.

The CEP is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance, and no extension will be granted upon its expiry. To complete the transaction, holders of the CEP need to apply for a Letter of Nomination from the HA or the HKHS after they have entered into a Provisional Agreement for Sale and Purchase (PASP). The applicant and the family member(s) named in the application form must meet the eligibility criteria of the WSM 2024 from the date of application submission up to the date of signing the PASP. Moreover, the SSF shall be occupied by the owner and all family members named in the Application Form for the purchase of the flat.

The list of successful applications will be uploaded tomorrow to the website for the WSM 2024 (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/wsm/2024).

The SHC endorsed in January 2025 that the quota for the WSM 2024 will increase significantly by 1500 to 6000. All of the 1500 additional quotas will be allocated to young applicants aged below 40 under the Youth Scheme (WSM) in order to encourage young people to move up the housing ladder. Among the applications received, over 80 per cent came from young applicants opting to join the newly implemented Youth Scheme (WSM), demonstrating that the scheme is well received by young applicants.

Source: AI-found images

Government launches industry consultation on proposed legislative amendments to facilitate digitalisation of business-to-business trade documents

The Government published a consultation paper today (December 29) to gather industry opinions on the proposed legislative amendments to facilitate digitalisation of "Business-to-Business" (B2B) trade documents in Hong Kong.

International trade involves presentment or submission of various trade documents, including "Business-to-Government" (B2G) documents (such as import and export declarations, cargo manifests and various licences or permits) and B2B documents (such as bills of lading and bills of exchange). While the trade may already submit most of the B2G trade documents through the Government Electronic Trading Services and the Trade Single Window, transactions involving certain B2B trade documents still rely largely on paper-based means due to legal requirements and industry practice. As technology advances, the digitalisation of these documents has emerged as a new trend.

As announced in the 2025-26 Budget and the 2025 Policy Address, the Government will make reference to the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) advocated by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and consider legislative amendments to facilitate digitalisation of trade documents. Upon careful consideration by relevant authorities, the consultation paper outlines and seeks industry opinions on the proposed framework to amend the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553) (ETO) and relevant legislation for implementing MLETR provisions, covering various key aspects including the scope of application, assessment of reliability and operational requirements.

The legislative amendments will provide the legal basis for the use of electronic transferable records, which are the electronic version of transferable documents or instruments. Suitable MLETR provisions will be codified into the ETO as far as practicable, with a view to aligning with international standards and promote cross-border interoperability.

A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) said, "The Government endeavours to maintain a business-friendly environment to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness in international trade. Digitalisation of B2B trade documents may reduce processing time and costs, enhance transparency and integrity, and facilitate international trade. We hope that the legislative proposal would empower the industry to develop technical solutions that suit their actual needs, thereby further enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international financial, maritime and trade centre."

The consultation paper is available on the CEDB website (www.cedb.gov.hk). Stakeholders are welcome to submit their views to the Government through email (MLETR_consultation@cedb.gov.hk), fax (2147 3065) or post (Division 4, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, 23/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong) on or before March 27, 2026.

Source: AI-found images