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KBTG wins six regional awards as it sets its sights on becoming the Best Tech Organization in Southeast Asia in 2025

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 26 October 2023 – KASIKORN Business-Technology Group (KBTG) has garnered six accolades in the fields of technology and personnel from the Asian regional stage, reflecting its strong determination and reaffirming its position as a leading technology organization in Thailand and ASEAN with outstanding achievements.

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Mr. Ruangroj Poonpol, Group Chairman – KBTG, said, “As a leading tech company and IT enabler of KASIKORNBANK (KBank), KBTG has set its sights on becoming the Best Tech Organization in Southeast Asia by 2025. To fulfill this mission, the company has improved its strategies while bolstering the organization’s capabilities in response to the bank’s business needs. We have leveraged our technological capabilities, which are instrumental in the development of services to ensure the responsiveness of consumers and businesses amid the ever-evolving environment. Focus is also on our research and development for innovations that cater for both our customers and partners and the improvement of internal operations. Of paramount importance are our personnel, who are the key to KBTG’s success. On account of such efforts, KBTG has won six regional awards from leading international organizations in the span of two months.

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1. Good Design Award 2023 was awarded to K PLUS Vietnam – a KBank mobile banking application scaled up from K PLUS in Thailand. Designed by the Beacon Interface team, its UX/UI matches the Vietnamese people’s behavior and perspectives towards mobile banking apps, thus perfectly meeting their needs. Presently, there are over 700,000 K PLUS Vietnam users. Organized by The Japan Institute of Design Promotion, the award event aimed to recognize outstanding design works of entries from 45 countries worldwide.

2. VMware Customer Achievement Awards 2023 in the Cloud Infrastructure Innovator category, from upgrading end-to-end infrastructure to bridge the gap between Dev (Development) and Ops (Operations), allowing employees to perform their tasks more efficiently and deliver services faster, and leading to the creation of technological innovations in the Thai financial service sector. This award was presented by VMware to companies in the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region that have outstanding technological advancements and are driven by organizational transformations.

3. AIBP Enterprise Innovation Awards 2023 for the KBTG Transformation program, which has significantly helped bolster productivity and quality of software development, enabling KBTG to deliver more IT projects and reduce the number of incidents by 60 percent, which means that users can access various products and services of KBank and KBTG more seamlessly. The award was presented by ASEAN Innovation Business Platform (AIBP), a business unit of Industry Platform, a growth consulting company in Singapore, to organizations with outstanding performance in digital transformation and innovation in five ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

4. Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2023 – Thailand Region award for outstanding corporate management, with the aim of fostering employee engagement, as well as creating a suitable work environment and culture. The award was given to KBTG for the fourth consecutive year at the HR ASIA – Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2023 event, organized by HR Asia, the most authoritative publication for HR professionals, based on an employee engagement survey conducted by Business Media International (BMI) through a total engagement assessment model of more than 2 million samples across Asia.

5. Asian Technology Excellence Awards 2023 in the category of AI – Financial Technology. The award was for KBTG’s project of Car AI research and technology to detect vehicle damage from images. Users can take and submit photos to the system themselves anytime and anywhere, reducing costs, time, and human bias. Car AI can be applied to various businesses, including auto insurance, repair services, car sales, and auto loans. The award, organized by Asian Business Review – a leading regional business magazine, was given to companies that produce outstanding projects and innovations across Asia.

6. Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2023 Vietnam in the category of Fast Enterprise. The award was given to KBTG Vietnam in recognition of its rapid and comprehensive business growth in terms of revenue, market share, user base, profitability, brand recognition in the market, and readiness to support regional expansion strategies. The award ceremony was organized by Enterprise Asia – a non-profit organization that aims to drive sustainable economic and social development.

Hashtag: #KBTG #Awards #Asian #RegionalAwards #TechCompany


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About KBTG

At KASIKORN Business-Technology Group, we never cease to develop financial solutions on top of our “Customer First” mindset. We are the driving force behind KBank’s success as well as their navigator exploring the digital world beyond Thailand. Utilizing our expertise in Fintech, combined with new generation’s outside-the-box thinking, KBTG aims to be the best tech organization of Southeast Asia by 2025.

Luang Prabang Celebrates Laos-Vietnam Friendship with Culture-Tourism Week

Culture-Tourism Week, a joint celebration between Luang Prabang Province and several provinces from the Northwest region of Vietnam, along with Ho Chi Minh City, on 25 October 2023. (Photo: Luang Prabang News)

On the evening of 25 October, Luang Prabang, Laos, came alive with the sounds of music and laughter. The city’s historic That Luang area was the setting for Culture-Tourism Week, a joint celebration between Luang Prabang Province and several provinces from the Northwest region of Vietnam, along with Ho Chi Minh City.

Response to Policy Address 2023/2024 from Mr. Paul Chan, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 October 2023 –

Actively utilizing resources to develop land and housing supply
  • We support the government’s efforts to expedite the development of the “Northern Metropolis” and the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands. We have previously proposed the establishment of a Landscape Committee to enhance coordination and planning, ensuring the implementation of various government policies related to ecology, landscape, and greening. We advocate for the use of Nature-Based Solution to address the challenges posed by climate change, aiming to help Hong Kong become a more attractive international city.
Promoting the green urban ecological transformation process to achieve sustainable development goals
  • This year’s Policy Address introduced the “Shining City Project”, which will focus on developing the Shing Mun River and Yuen Long Nullah into flower viewing hotspots. We are delighted to see the government’s emphasis on urban greening projects and its proactive efforts to beautify the city, aiming to enhance the well-being of its citizens. We also anticipate the utilization of Hong Kong’s landscape expertise in future sustainable development plans, enabling landscape architects to make significant contributions to the development of Hong Kong.
  • We are delighted to see that the government has adopted our recommendations in the development of the “Northern Metropolis” project. With a focus on environmental preservation and high-quality urban development, the project takes into consideration the natural topography and includes the establishment of the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park. This park will enhance ecological quality and biodiversity. We have collaborated with a team of experts from both Hong Kong and Shenzhen to provide planning guidance and recommendations for this project.
  • The government published “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” (Hong Kong 2030+) in October 2021 that envisions increasing the amount of per person open space to 3.5 m² from the original 2.0 m², but it is still lower than most of the major developed cities. Additionally, there are still significant amounts of undeveloped recreational land, and some existing public open spaces (POS) do not meet the requirements of society in terms of design and facilities. We recommend that within the coming 5 years, upgrade not less than 5% of the existing POS, and within the coming 5 years, develop not less than 50 hectares of POS in built-up areas (i.e., excluding those in new development areas).
  • In response to the increasing demand for green urban planning, we propose to explore the self-certification for tree preservation and removal proposal (TPRP) by Registered Landscape Architect be applied to public works. This initiative aims to optimize urban forestry policies, reducing project approval times while effectively managing the life cycle of trees, preserving valuable landscape resources, and ensures public safety.
Promoting the development of landscape architecture and alleviating the shortage of industrial professionals
  • Currently, there are only around 300 registered landscape architects in Hong Kong. With the growing societal emphasis on ecological landscapes and the ongoing implementation of numerous construction projects, the demand for landscape professionals continues to increase.
  • In this year’s Policy Address, the government has outlined plans to allocate substantial resources to promote innovation and technological development. Recognizing the challenge of rapidly increasing the number of skilled landscape professionals in a short period, we hope that the government will allocate a portion of these resources to drive the development of the landscape design industry. This allocation would help alleviate the issue of manpower shortage and contribute to the overall growth of the sector.
  • We express support for the government’s efforts to attract and retain talents, and we recommend providing more incentives and funding for mainland and overseas professionals to work in Hong Kong. This would ensure a stable supply of talent for the industry. However, it is crucial to strike a balance and provide sufficient job opportunities for local talent as well, in order to maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
Promoting cross-border collaboration with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to facilitate mutual complementarity
  • We are committed to promoting cross-border collaboration with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to facilitate mutual complementarity in terms of human resources and management resources. We aim to foster industry development and actively participate in the national development agenda.
  • We are pleased to see the government’s proactive efforts in expanding vocational talent pool, as we believe it will lay a strong foundation for attracting more elites to the industry. The assessment and certification systems for landscape architects and arborists implemented by us have gained wide recognition in the market and have a wealth of experience in quality assurance. We are willing to engage in discussions with the government regarding cross-border qualification recognition for professionals from other regions who wish to develop their careers locally. Additionally, we are ready to provide relevant professional advisory services in this regard.
<Click here for high-res pictures>

Hashtag: #theHongKongInstituteofLandscapeArchitects

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Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor Honoured with Malaysian Healthcare Icon Leadership Award at the Malaysian Health and Wellness Summit 2023

Johor Medical Institution Raises the Bar for Healthcare Excellence.

ISKANDAR PUTERI, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 26 October 2023 – Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor (GHMJ) has been acknowledged with the Malaysian Healthcare Icon Leadership Award during the recent Malaysian Health and Wellness Summit 2023, held at Berjaya Times Square Hotel. This accolade reflects GHMJ’s consistent commitment to healthcare excellence and its established presence in the healthcare sector.

From left to right: Tan Sri Michael Yeoh (President, KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific), Dr. Kamal Amzan (CEO of Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor), YB Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Chairman of the Parliament Special Select Committee on Health and Malaysia’s former Minister of Health), Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Mike K.S. Chan (Co-Owner & Founder of the European Wellness Biomedical Group, Germany)
From left to right: Tan Sri Michael Yeoh (President, KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific), Dr. Kamal Amzan (CEO of Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor), YB Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Chairman of the Parliament Special Select Committee on Health and Malaysia’s former Minister of Health), Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Mike K.S. Chan (Co-Owner & Founder of the European Wellness Biomedical Group, Germany)

This year’s summit introduced three distinct categories: Healthcare & Wellness Excellence Awards, Healthcare Tourism Excellence Awards, and Malaysian Health Icon Leadership Awards. GHMJ was one of the ten entities selected for this recognition and stood as the sole recipient from Johor.

The award was accepted on behalf of GHMJ by CEO, Dr. Kamal Amzan, and presented by YB Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Chairman of the Parliament Special Select Committee on Health and Malaysia’s former Minister of Health.

Among its notable achievements, GHMJ was named Best Hospital for Medical Tourism at the ASEAN Food & Travel Award in 2022. Positioned strategically within the field of medical tourism, GHMJ effectively leverages its geographic advantage to offer comprehensive services to both local and international patients.

Staying ahead in medical technology, GHMJ employs advanced robotic instruments, including the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and is among the pioneering hospitals to introduce the Digital PET/CT Scans in Johor.

GHMJ continues to prioritize patient welfare, emphasizing transparent communication, fostering trust, and the collective goal to create positive outcomes for its patients and the wider community.

As healthcare continues to change and grow, GHMJ holds steadfast to its fundamental beliefs, ensuring that it is always ready to meet the needs of the present and future.
Hashtag: #GleneaglesHospitalMediniJohor #MalaysianHealthWellnessSummit2023 #Healthcare #HealthcareIconLeadershipAward #Award #ServiceExcellence #OnYourSide #HealthcareIcon #Medical #RoboticSurgery #DigitalPETCT #DaVinciSurgicalSystem



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About Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor

A premier tertiary hospital located in Johor, Malaysia, Gleneagles Hosptal Medini Johor is a mere 20-minute drive from the Singapore-Tuas checkpoint, right at the heart of Medini’s Lifestyle precinct. GHJ is home to some of the most advanced medical technologies and procedures available such as:

  • PET CT (FDG & Gallium) – the first outside Klang Valley with Gallium and the second one in Johor with FDG to complement the hospital’s Cancer Centre.
  • CORI – A robotic surgical system designed to assist surgeons in performing minimally invasive orthopedic procedures, particularly for knee and hip surgeries.
  • ESWL – Treatment of kidney stones and ureteral stones through a non-invasive, day-surgery, with higher precision using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL).
  • Linear Accelerator Elekta Synergy equipped with Catalyst HD – The latest Radiotherapy system with 3-Dimensional Radiation Therapy (3DRT), Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and Volumetric Arc Therapy (MAT) which provides more accurate delivery, shortens treatment time and lowers overall dose of radiation.
  • Davinci Xi – The da Vinci® Surgical System is a robotic surgical system that uses a minimally invasive surgical approach. It features multiple arms that can perform manoeuvres and rotations beyond the natural ability of the human hand.

About Health And Wellness Summit 2023

The Health And Wellness Summit 2023 aims to discuss and explore the trends, challenges, opportunities and shortfalls in the health and wellness industry in the country post pandemic. The focus of this one-day Health and Wellness Conference in 2023 will be on 4 broad areas – health technology and innovation; health tourism and wellness; ageing and elderly care; and public health policies promotion.

The Mills Fabrica Hosts H&M Foundation’s Impact Accelerator Program in Hong Kong

Connecting winners of the 2023 H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award to Asia – a strategic hub of the global fashion industry

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 October 2023 – The Mills Fabrica, core partner of the H&M Foundation Global Change Award (GCA), hosted the 2023 award winners during “Hong Kong Week”. As part of the GCA Impact Accelerator program, winners embark on week-long activities in Hong Kong, Stockholm, and New York to provide them with the tools, connections, and resources necessary for early-stage innovations to move ideas to scale as quickly as possible.

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The Mills Fabrica brought the H&M Foundation GCA Impact Accelerator Program to Hong Kong with a bespoke tour at its prototyping labs.

Launched for close to a decade, the H&M Foundation Global Change Award aims to find, support and scale disruptive ideas that can protect the planet and transform the textile industry into a planet-positive one. It identifies ideas that apply disruptive technology and new business models to change the way garments are designed, produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled.

Since 2019, The Mills Fabrica has been partnering with the H&M Foundation Global Change Award (GCA) to provide support to the winners.

Offering startups the unique opportunities to learn, connect, and tap into Asian markets

Each year, the 10 GCA winners are entitled to a year-long Impact Accelerator Program, which is tailored to support the winners in developing and scaling their innovation for impact. The program includes coaching and support from the H&M Foundation, and Accelerator Partners The Mills Fabrica, Accenture, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

As a core partner, The Mills Fabrica brought the H&M Foundation GCA Impact Accelerator Program to Hong Kong from October 16-20, and specially designed to offer the award winners the opportunities to learn, connect, and tap into the Asian markets through specially curated tours of manufacturers and research facilities, workshops and fireside chats by industry experts around investment readiness.

Showcasing Hong Kong as a strategic hub of the global fashion industry

The Hong Kong Week was co-designed with H&M Foundation and the other Accelerator Partners, to showcase the city and the region’s strength in the fashion industry from research and development, production and manufacturing, to its thriving business ecosystem.

To enhance the winners’ understanding of Asia’s unique business landscape for planning and development in the region, The Mills Fabrica hosted bespoke investment workshops, branding and media workshops, as well as networking sessions with various brands and startup ecosystem players.

The winners were also invited to a series of tours at the prototyping labs at The Mills Fabrica, research and development facilities at The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), and manufacturers based in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

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H&M Foundation GCA winners were invited to visit manufacturers and research facilities of ecosystem partners, including HKRITA.

“Going into the fourth year partnering up with the H&M Foundation, it is encouraging to see more and more innovative solutions in the techstyle industry across the world. This year, we are especially honored to host H&M Foundation’s Impact Accelerator Program in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has much to offer to the fashion industry, and The Mills Fabrica, with its own rich textile heritage, is keen to support a new generation of entrepreneurs bringing new innovation to textiles and fashion. Along with our ecosystem partners, we are able to support the winners from the lab, to store, to closet,” said Cintia Nunes, General Manager and Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica.

“The H&M Foundation and The Mills Fabrica will continue to work closely with the winners throughout the year to give them the tools and network they need to accelerate their development, to scale and ultimately transform the industry,” she continues.

“We’re happy that The Mills Fabrica, one of our core partners, invited our ten GCA winners to Hong Kong – a great fashion hub for research, innovation, production and manufacturing. The accelerator week provided the teams with insights into manufacturing and production, and enabled them to tap into the investor network and learn more about the Asian market,” said Christiane Dolva, Strategy Lead Planet Positive at the H&M Foundation.

“The Global Change Award accelerator program creates opportunities for the winning innovations to grow and create lasting impact on the fashion industry. Network and industry access is extremely important, and we’re glad that The Mills Fabrica is here to open the door to the Asian market,” said Anna Dadfar, Business Development Coach at KTH Innovation.

“This program presents an exceptional opportunity to help the fashion industry reinvent itself through sustainable innovations. The accelerator week is another step in embracing collaboration and sharing ideas, connections and knowledge, to help this next generation of innovators bring positive change for the planet and for business,” said Jill Standish, Global Retail lead, Accenture.

In addition to Hong Kong, the winners also spent week-long visits to the major hub of the global fashion industry — Stockholm, and will be taking their next journey to New York in 2024.

The Mills Fabrica was grown out of Nan Fung Group’s textile legacy in Hong Kong, with a mission to catalyze innovations for sustainability, environmental and social impact. Today, The Mills Fabrica is made up of a venture capital fund, startup incubator, Impact Retail Store Fabrica X, labs, co-working and event spaces across Hong Kong and London.

The Mills Fabrica focuses on supporting and investing in innovations within the textile and apparel, and agrifood industries as both are significant contributors to climate change, emitting up to 44% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Mills Fabrica invests up to USD 3M per startup over the past five years, and is on the lookout for more innovations to support. It is also calling out for partners from all sectors and around the world who are keen on joining in on its mission to accelerate planet-positive impact.

Hashtag: #TheMillsFabrica

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Hong Kong Eases Visa Policies to Attract Talents from Laos, Vietnam, Nepal

Hong Kong Eases Visa Policies to Attract Talents from Laos, Vietnam, Nepal
FILE: tourists gather in line at an airport in Hong Kong (photo: Xinhua)

In a bid to address its ongoing talent drain, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced a series of measures on Wednesday to relax visa policies, aiming to attract workers from Laos, Vietnam, and Nepal.

China Announces Plan for New Space Telescope as it Readies to Launch Next Space Station Crew

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the country’s next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station.

The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by China’s Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency.

No timeframe was given for the installation. State broadcaster CCTV said the telescope would enable surveys and mapping of the sky.

China has researched the movement of stars and planets for thousands of years while in modern times, it has pushed to become a leader in space exploration and science.

The announcement came on the eve of the flight by three astronauts — Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin — who will replace a crew that has been on the station for six months.

The launch is expected for late morning on Thursday. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months.

China has made majors advance in its burgeoning space power and says it plans to send a crewed mission to the moon by the end of the decade while also pursuing other ambitions in space.

The program largely comes in competition with the United States but also seeks to draw in support from nations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

China’s first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources.

American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China for the time being. China has broken out in some areas, however, bringing samples back from the lunar surface for the first time in decades and landing a rover on the less explored far side of the moon.

Meanwhile, the U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In addition to their lunar programs, the two countries have also separately landed rovers on Mars, and China plans to follow the U.S. in landing a spacecraft on an asteroid.

The new crew of the station will also need to conduct maintenance on its solar panels that have been hit by debris flying within the solar system, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A large amount of those particles were created by China in the destruction of one of its own satellites by a missile it fired in 2007, in what was seen as a sign of strength against its competitors in the U.S. and its allies.

eftPay Becomes the Official Electronic Payment Service Provider for the 10th Hong Kong Food Carnival

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 October 2023 – Electronic and mobile payments spring up in the era of new retail. eft Payments (Asia) Limited (“eftPay”), one of the leading e-Payment services providers in Hong Kong, is pleased to announce that it becomes the official electronic payment service provider for the 10th Hong Kong Food Carnival organized by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (“CMA”) to provide an efficient collection and payment experience for exhibitors and citizens.

eftPay provides merchants with more than 17 electronic payment methods, including the mainstream e-wallets, credit cards, and Octopus card, through the all-in-one POS terminal while also accesses to multiple overseas wallets to support a variety of Southeast Asian currencies. As the designated electronic payment service provider of Hong Kong Food Carnival, eftPay provides exhibitors and customers with a more convenient, efficient, and safe payment experience.

Mr. Andrew Lo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of eftPay (Asia) Limited, said, “We are honoured to be the official electronic payment service provider for the 10th Hong Kong Food Carnival. Since the starting of the era of new retail, electronic payment has developed rapidly and eftPay has actively provided a variety of related payment methods for local merchants and consumers for their needs. In the future, eftPay will develop and provide different technical support to create more cashless payment scenarios, and help Hong Kong move towards becoming a ‘smart city’.”

The 10th Hong Kong Food Carnival takes place at Kwai Chung Sports Ground from 28 October to 5 November. Divided into four thematic zones, the Carnival will host an impressive array of over 300 booths, offering a tempting range of delectable food and beverages, dried seafood, groceries, electrical appliances, kitchenware, and healthcare products. Also, lucky draw ill take place to offer prizes worth a total value of more than HKD$1.2 million and the participants can make electronic purchases totaling more than HKD$300 (with a maximum of two receipts) to receive a lucky draw entry, and two entries for purchases exceeding HKD$600 (with a maximum of three receipts)*.

*The organizer reserves the rights of final decision.

Hashtag: #eftPay #易付達亞洲

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eft Payments (Asia) Limited

Established in 2013, eftPay is one of the leading e-Payment services providers in Hong Kong, providing merchants with comprehensive e-Payment services, including account opening, point of sale system and integration of payment system, transaction processing and payment settlement services. Currently, eftPay serves at least 22,600 stores in Hong Kong, including well-known local jewelry chains, electrical appliances stores, makeup and beauty stores, clothing stores, food and beverage, theme parks, convenience stores and supermarkets. Website: