KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 16 September 2022 – The global broker OctaFX has been honoured with the ‘Best Global Broker Asia 2022’ industry award by Dubai-based International Business Magazine.
The awards ceremony will be held on 29 October 2022 in the prestigious Atlantis The Palm hotel resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
OctaFX’s press office said: ‘When hard work pays off—it’s a feeling of relief as well as tremendous accomplishment. Our labour was not in vain; even more, it was appreciated by a very fine magazine that we have cherished and respected since its inception’.
An International Business Magazine representative justified their decision with the following words: ‘We chose OctaFX this year for the most promising investment products, delivering the top of line services to investing clients and partners, and its impressive figures of 12 million trading accounts throughout 150 countries—all of which are a testament to its reliability. Their dedicated and well-intentioned initiatives for financial inclusion across the entire strata of society deserve applause’.
Since 2018, the platform has distinguished itself as an excellent research and analytics hub in financial services and technologies. Its expert team’s scrutiny in evaluating each of the yearly nominations made it a significant contributor to industry transparency, security, and reliability.
The International Business Magazine also awarded OctaFX as the ‘Most Secure Broker Indonesia’ this same year.
Hashtag: #OctaFX
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About OctaFX
OctaFX is a global broker that has been providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and a variety of services utilised by clients from 150 countries who have opened more than 12 million trading accounts. Free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools they provide help traders reach their investment goals.
The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charity and humanitarian initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure and short-notice relief projects supporting local communities and small to medium enterprises.
In addition to the latest ones mentioned above, OctaFX has won more than 50 other awards since its foundation, including the 2021 ‘Best Forex Broker Asia’ award from Global Banking & Finance Review, the 2021 ‘Best ECN Broker’ award from World Finance, and the ‘Best Mobile Trading Platform 2022’ issued by Forex Brokers Awards.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 16 September 2022 –foodpanda, the largest food and grocery delivery platform in Asia outside of China, has officially launched its suite of advertising technology (AdTech) and marketing solutions, panda ads. Initially introduced in 2021 as a proof of concept, panda ads provides brand partners with advertising opportunities, helping brands reach millions of digital-native customers beyond traditional channels. With the launch, foodpanda unveils a fresh suite of integrated advertising features that encompass the foodpanda app, digital marketing assets and new partnership programmes.
Globally, the market potential for AdTech is expected to reach US$ 1 trillion by 2030. Delivery Hero, foodpanda’s parent company, predicted that AdTech services would generate more than €2 billion by 2024/25. Through panda ads, foodpanda aims to help brands increase their visibility and reach, improve sales conversion and build brand awareness to drive sales. panda ads is available in 11 markets across Asia – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Bridging the online gap for advertisers
As an integrated advertising solution, panda ads offers a full suite of advertising options, from static or carousel images, to videos and lead-generating ads. Brands can also leverage foodpanda’s social media channels and enter collaborative partnerships across foodpanda’s verticals. These build brand visibility, and allow for performance tracking and monitoring. panda ads supports brands with their digital marketing campaigns by providing:
Greater speed from planning to execution: Ad campaigns are designed and managed directly on foodpanda’s platform, which allows for quicker implementation. Ads can go live on foodpanda’s platform in just two weeks from the time of campaign sign-off – faster than industry standards. Ad assets also have prime visibility on the order tracking page, which captures consumers’ attention for a longer period (up to 30 minutes for quick-commerce deliveries, for example) and as a result, video ads have a 70-80 per cent completion rate.
Flexible execution: With panda ads, advertisers tailor their campaigns to incorporate a variety of solutions, ranging from in-app advertising, to digital marketing channels, depending on their unique objectives.
The widest reach on a single on-demand delivery platform in Asia: As the largest food and grocery delivery platform in Asia (outside China), foodpanda provides the largest reach in the region, across 11 markets – providing the widest coverage among all on-demand delivery players in the region.
An integrated ecosystem for better results: For advertisers to achieve better results, ads can run across all foodpanda verticals – from food delivery and pick-up, to grocery deliveries via pandamart and foodpanda shops. With a user base that regularly orders food and groceries, panda ads is especially ideal for brands who want to reach out to digital-native consumers who value convenience.
Exclusive advertising: foodpanda offers selected partners exclusive opportunities to collaborate with its beloved brand ambassador, Pau-Pau. This adds an exclusive foodpanda touch, and a stronger connection to consumers who relate to Pau-Pau.
Brands that have already signed up for panda ads span a broad range of industries, including Tiger Brokers, Heineken, Huawei, and many others. Designed for a seamless experience in the native app environment, panda ads will engage users without disrupting their experience on foodpanda. foodpanda will support brands through their entire campaign journey, from ideation, activation and measurement, with full reporting and insights-sharing.
Accelerating panda ads growth across Asia with GroupM
foodpanda has also joined forces with leading media investment agency GroupM. With this strategic partnership, GroupM clients can tap into the fast-growing AdTech space by activating foodpanda’s in-app advertising and other media assets, and collaborate with foodpanda on brand partnerships and campaigns. The partnership spans seven markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“foodpanda has worked extensively to improve our ads solutions over the past year, and we are excited to offer advertisers a new, full suite of ad solutions with panda ads,” says Kiranjeet Singh Purba, Senior Director, Advertising & Partnerships at foodpanda. “We are especially thrilled to kick off our panda ads launch with a partnership with leading agency GroupM, and believe this will help their clients tap into new areas of digital marketing in Asia.”
Together with GroupM, foodpanda looks to further enhance its AdTech vertical by bridging the online gap between brands and customers.
Toni Ruotanen, Head of Commerce APAC at GroupM Nexus says: “Our partnership with panda ads covers an extensive region – across seven markets – opening up expansive possibilities for our clients in the digital and mobile space to enhance their brand visibility and increase business impact. panda ads’ innovative tech will see a great degree of personalisation and targeted advertisements, which charts the way forward in retail media.”
foodpanda is a leading delivery platform in Asia dedicated to bringing consumers a wide range of food, groceries and more, quickly and conveniently. Powered by technology and operational excellence, foodpanda is spearheading the growth of quick-commerce (q-commerce) across the region with its network of retail partners, as well as pandamart cloud stores to provide more on-demand options beyond the millions of food delivery options. foodpanda operates in more than 400 cities across 11 markets in Asia – Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. foodpanda is a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, a global leader of the food delivery industry. For more information, visit www.foodpanda.com.
Dominated Market Share in Hong Kong for 5 Consecutive Years No.1 Coconut Water Brand Only the Best & Authentic Thai Taste Brings Satisfaction
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 15 September 2022 – Thailand has always been a travel paradise and popular destination for Hong Kong people. Its authentic delicacies, grand shopping malls, traditional Thai massage and beauty attracts countless Hong Kong people to experience. General Beverage Co., Ltd., the Thai beverage company closely responds to the preferences of Hong Kong people and identifies the opportunities of the potential market, brought IF into the Hong Kong market in 2015, bringing a distinctive “Thai” flavor for Hong Kong people to enjoy the authentic Thai coconut water at anytime, anywhere.
The natural and additive-free IF coconut water is made with superior coconuts from Thailand, which make every sip exude a rich coconut fragrance, it can also help stay hydrated and replenish electrolyte stores, which notably satisfies the needs of Hong Kong people who advocate healthiness. The key to success of the brand is their sources, IF has unique and incomparable competitive advantages to stand out amongst the competitors and has been awarded the favorite “juice drink” brand of local white-collar workers in 2017 after 2 years that the brand has entered the local market. Their secret recipe and irreplaceable raw materials from the specific type of coconut to the site of planting, only the best qualities, each coconut is harvested from the most coconut-rich area in central Thailand, cultivated with high-quality soil, good water quality and warm sunshine, with all the natural sources and environment to grow the freshest and sweetest coconuts, bringing 100% natural coconut water. 100% “Made in Thailand”, maintaining the authentic taste of Thailand and winning word-of-mouth!
Apart from their ace series product 100% Coconut Water, General Beverage Co., Ltd keeps pace with the times, in order to cater for the tastes of different consumers. IF selects seasonal fruits from Thailand, the paradise of tropical fruits, and introducing the Thai juice drink series, Mangosteen Juice Drink, Thai Tropical Fruits Juice Drink and Lychee Juice Drink, adding a variety of seasonal fruits pulp, and high-fiber aloe vera, etc. to increase the level of tastiness and provide the public with a drink that is healthy with diversified tastes. The coconut-production extension lines are also perfect for snack lovers, such as IF Coconut Crisply Roll and Coconut Milk Tablets are also launched to support the strong position in coconut and create market excitement every year. Imagine yourself in Thailand and to enjoy authentic Thai flavors in Hong Kong.
As one of the leaders of beverage companies in Thailand, General Beverage Co., Ltd was founded in 2011 and it has adhered to the concept of “high benefits for tasty and safe consumption” and obtained a series of globally recognized BSI food safety certifications from the industry. Utilizing the advanced production equipment “Aseptic Filling System”, which helps to maintain the shelf life of the best quality fresh juice with zero addition, fulfilled consumers the opportunity to enjoy the most natural juice with the best coconut picked. IF has signed the exclusive distribution rights in the Hong Kong market with A.S. Watson Industries, showing its strength in Hong Kong and actively developing overseas markets. In the coming year, IF will keep investing in their production line starting from their packaging, to contribute to the environment and support the circular economy, and to develop sustainable future and reduce ecological footprints.
In terms of recognition, in addition to the brand award won in 2017, IF has received other significant awards in different aspects, IF 100% Coconut Water has been acknowledged Asian Export Award for the juice category under Large Corporate Division in 2018, which honors products and services that have remarkably outstanding business in the regional export scene. And made its debut in the international market in 2020, awarded the Superior Taste Award by International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi), evaluations are conducted by associations composed by professional Michelin-starred chefs and sommeliers, affirming its excellent flavor quality. Until 2021, it became No. 1 Coconut water brand and has dominated similar beverages in Hong Kong for five consecutive years. Even though the world has been hit hard by the pandemic in the past few years, it is still able to achieve a stable market share of nearly 50%. In previous years, 50 million bottles of its products were exported to 20 countries around the world. It is recorded that 40 million bottles have been exported in the first two quarters of 2022, creating a new era of healthy juice drinks! The success in both markets will lead the brand IF and its juice drinks continue its development and expansion, and broadly share the signature Thai freshness to all over the world, including China’s Greater Bay Area, Taiwan, Singapore etc. Spreading the freshness from Asia to the world. Make no limit for freshness!
The ACE Series of 100% Green Coconut Water
Coconut Water 100%Coconut Water(Familypack) Aromatic Coconut Water Coconut Water with Coconut Pulp
Produced in Thailand
100% natural
Rich coconut flavor, sweet and refreshing taste
Natural ingredients, free of preservatives and artificial colors
Helps stay hydrated and replenish electrolyte stores
Advanced technology infusion, sealing the original flavor and nutrition of juice
Natural drink for all seasons
Juice Drink Series
Mangosteen Juice Drink
Mangosteen juice with refreshing aloe vera
Sweet and refreshing taste
Delicious and rich in taste
Low sugar formula
Free of preservatives and artificial colors
Produced in Thailand
Thai Tropical Fruits Juice Drink
Pineapple, Mango, Orange and Lemon
A mix of various Thai tropical fruits
Fruity, sweet and the irresistible passion of summer
Aloe vera pulp added, chewy and refreshing
Low sugar formula
Free of preservatives and artificial colors
Produced in Thailand
Lychee Juice Drink
Fresh, thirst-quenching and fruity
Refreshing aloe vera grains added to enrich the taste
Free of preservatives and artificial colors
Produced in Thailand
Sparkling Series
Sparkling Coconut Water
Made from real coconut juice
Refreshing and thirst-quenching
With real coconut water in the process that makes the difference
No added sugar and artificial colors
Gluten free
Made in Thailand
Sparkling Pineapple Juice
Bursts of fresh pineapple fragrance, sweet and appetizing
With real coconut water in the process that makes the difference
No added sugar and artificial colors
Gluten free
Made in Thailand
Coconut Snack Series
Coconut Crispy Roll (Original Flavor) Coconut Crispy Roll(Salted Egg Flavor) Coconut Crispy Roll (Banana Flavor)
Founded in 2012, General Beverage Co., Ltd (GBEV) aims to be the leader of beverage manufacturer co-packing with high quality standard and innovation in Asia.
General Beverage Co., Ltd has been exporting coconut water and other beverages in total over 200 million bottles worldwide annually and specifically IF coconut water has dominated in beverage industry in Hong Kong for years.
Currently beverage and snack brands under General Beverage co., Ltd are exported to over 20 countries around the world.
Call for Awareness: The “New Normal” after the Pandemic Bringing Civil, Business, Government, Academic sectors together for a Better Society
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 15 September 2022 – The 15th Social Enterprise Summit (SES 2022) will convene from 24 to 27 November 2022. Under the theme of “Bounce Forward Together”, the International Symposium will explore different dimensions in rebuilding society in the post-pandemic “new normal” and look into ways of driving cross-sector collaboration in order to recreate a restorable and renewable society. The four-day international symposium will invite more than 70 specialists, academics and business representatives from across the globe to examine existing and new innovative solutions, redirect resources through different dimensions that reach all ages and sectors, explore how the civil, business, government and academic sectors can collaborate in response to emerging social, economic and environmental challenges.
(From left to right) Mr Francis NGAI, Deputy Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee, Mrs Rebecca CHOY YUNG, Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee, Miss Alice MAK, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Ada WONG, Deputy Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee, and Mr Alan CHEUNG, Chairperson of Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum, kick off the event with a lighting ceremony, symbolising various sectors joining hands to build a better society.
Event of the Year on Social Innovation Call for Awareness to Address Challenges and Opportunities in “New Normal” The launch ceremony for SES 2022 took place today. Mrs. Rebecca CHOY YUNG, Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee, said “In the past two years, the pandemic has brought about drastic changes in society and people’s livelihood. It is time to learn from experience and make use of the strength of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, to explore a new way of life post-pandemic and forge new consensus to drive innovation and change. As SES hits the 15-year mark this year, we would take this opportunity to discuss and deepen our understanding of the development and evolution of social entrepreneurship and social innovation in Hong Kong and beyond. With the theme of ‘Bounce Forward Together’, this year’s symposium aims to raise public and industry’s awareness in mapping the road to post-pandemic revival, while promoting collaboration between civil, business, government and academic sectors. It also inspires young people to seek innovative solutions that bring positive changes and encourage different parties to join hands in building a future full of possibilities. ”
Ms Anita LEE, Co-founder and CEO, Time To Gold, HK (Right 1), Mr Francis Ngai, Founder and CEO, Social Ventures Hong Kong & Deputy Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee (Left 2), Ms Dorothy LAM, Co-founder and Chief Catalyst, Dream Impact (Right 2), and Mr Alex WONG, Co-founder of Dustykid and Convener of Dustyland Metaverse (Left 1), expressed their views on the theme of “Bounce Forward Together”, and shared their thoughts on challenges and opportunity for social enterprises under the post-pandemic “new normal”.
The launch event was officiated by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice MAK, with a lighting ceremony. An introductory video for the upcoming SES was unveiled at the event, symbolising various sectors joining hands to make changes and build a better society.
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice MAK, stated that the HKSAR Government will continue to support the sustainable development of social enterprises through a multi-pronged approach, including providing funding support for individual projects, supporting the social enterprise sector in capacity building, enhancing publicity efforts to raise public awareness of social enterprise and promoting cross-sectoral collaboration for social enterprise development. She hopes that in the future, more young people with creativity and aspirations will join the social enterprise industry, realise the spirit of “doing business for good” and inject new impetus into the social enterprise industry.
Mr Francis NGAI, Deputy Chair of Social Enterprise Summit Organising Committee, Ms Anita LEE, Co-founder and CEO, Time To Gold, Ms Dorothy LAM, Co-founder and Chief Catalyst, Dream Impact, and Mr Alex WONG, Co-founder of Dustykid and Convener of Dustyland Metaverse, expressed their views on the theme of “Bounce Forward Together”, and shared their thoughts on challenges and opportunity for social enterprises under the post-pandemic “new normal”.
Bounce Forward Together: Cross-sector Collaboration on Innovative Solutions
As instability looms large on a global scale, SES has been advocating cross-sector to come up with innovative solutions to the current problems. Keynote speaker Mr Cliff PRIOR, CEO, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), UK, will focus on impact investing and expound the journey of bringing together influential stakeholders from the private and public sectors to shift economies towards positive outcomes, collaboration to tackle issues from sustainable development goals driven by global warming to the Covid pandemic. Another keynote speaker, Ms Peggy LIU, Chairperson of the Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy (JUCCCE), will explore how social changes can accelerate the establishment of a green future with the audience.
Diverse Programme Featuring Influential Speakers from Around the World
The four-day International Symposium will focus on three main tracks, namely “meta-good: Exploring Web3 Components for Impact”, “Intercity Alliance: Reshaping the Future of Work” and “Channelling Resources for Resilience”. Besides, Day 3 will showcase a Youth Summit, which will instil the spirit of social innovation to our young community and at the same time, provide an opportunity for budding social innovators to share their ideas and projects. This get-together acts in synergy with the Youth on Youth Community Carnival to be held on 8 October 2022, poised to nurture and enable young people as agents of change, empowering them to lead the way forward towards a sustainable society.
The international symposium will also feature Policy Dialogue, Asia Youth Entrepreneurship Exchange, Social Enterprise Forum and Social Innovation Visits, etc.. The programme will give attendees an opportunity to experience, discuss and deepen their understanding on the latest trends in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, as well as inspiring examples of cross-sector collaboration.
Open for Registration SES 2022 is open for registration starting from today. Early-bird offer is available until 31 October. Register now: https://ses.org.hk/registration
Appendix 1: Biography of Special Guests at Social Enterprise Summit 2022 Launch Ceremony Mr Francis NGAI Founder and CEO, Social Ventures Hong Kong Deputy Chair, Organising Committee of Social Enterprise Summit, HK
Mr Francis Ngai is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Social Ventures Hong Kong (SVhk). He is also Founder of Hatch co-working factory, Playtao Education, BottLess, and SONOVA, and Co-Founder of Green Monday and RunOurCity. Being an impact purpose organisation, SVhk is dedicated to innovating social change through pioneering impact ventures, cultivating movement of goods and orchestrating impact capital.
Prior to establishing SVhk, he was the Head of Strategy in a listed technology conglomerate in Hong Kong. He was conferred as an Honorary Fellow by the Education University of Hong Kong in 2018 and by the City University of Hong Kong in 2013. He was selected as one of the 100 Asia Pioneers by The Purpose Economy in 2014, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2012 and one of Hong Kong’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons in 2011. As a veteran runner, he has finished North Pole Marathon and Gobi Desert 250km Ultra Marathon.
Ms Dorothy LAM Co-founder and Chief Catalyst, Dream Impact, HK Member of Organising Committee and Community Chair of Sham Shui Po District, Social Enterprise Summit, HK
With a multi-dimensional background and experience in emerging technology, social innovation and arts in New York City, Hong Kong, Berlin & Abu Dhabi, Ms Dorothy Lam integrates various disciplines of wellness, resilience and innovation of how businesses can integrate community-driven and human-centric solutions to solve today’s pressing social issues. Having successfully built a network of 140+ social startups, NGOs, universities, impact investors and corporates to work on cross-sector collaborations, Dream Impact is the leading impact ecosystem builder in Hong Kong.
Mr WONG Shung Kin, Alex Co-founder, Dustykid, HK Convener, Dustyland Metaverse, HK
Mr Alex Wong is the co-founder of Dustykid and convener of Dustyland Metaverse. Founded in 2005, his marketing company Breeze Factory specializes in licensing and intimate advertisement solutions which are loved by his clients far and wide. When he met artist Dustykid in 2013, his long-cherished dream of changing the world via manga was rekindled. With light and dust, he seeks to wander the world, sowing seeds of positivity all over the real and virtual reality.
Hashtag: #SocialEnterpriseSummit
About Social Enterprise Summit (SES)
Social Enterprise Summit (SES) is a cross-sector platform to inspire and empower social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
The flagship International Symposium builds on the experiences of over 70 speakers and attendances from 10 locations to inspire, innovate, connect and collaborate with delegates from the civic society, businesses, government and academic sectors from Hong Kong, China; Asia Pacific region and beyond to advance positive societal changes.
Community engagement activities are held in ten different districts in Hong Kong during the year to expand the participation and reach beyond the conference rooms, applying knowledge, social entrepreneurship and innovative mindsets to various day to day life settings. Official Website: http://www.ses.org.hk
Interest rate hikes and pandemic uncertainties slowed the secondary market in Q3, with transactions for the quarter expected to reach 11,600 deals, a fall of 22% q-o-q
Home prices further declined across market segments in Q3, with mass and middle markets expected to experience more notable corrections
A trend-down in COVID cases from September could see home prices bottom out and stabilize in Q4, although 2022 full-year transactions are still expected to drop by 35% y-o-y
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 15 September 2022 – Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield announced its Q3 2022 Hong Kong Residential Market Review and Outlook today. Given the local epidemic situation, global economic instability, and interest rate hike cycle, home buyers turned cautious and held a wait-and-see attitude, exerting downward pressure on prices. Residential market momentum has moderated, and we now expect residential transaction numbers to drop 22% q-o-q to record approximately 11,600 deals in Q3 (Chart 1).
Rosanna Tang, Executive Director, Head of Research, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield, commented: “The pace of economic recovery has been slower than anticipated, given the heightened numbers of daily COVID cases and the uncertain border reopening timeline. These factors, coupled with rising interest rates in Hong Kong, have hindered secondary sales in the residential market. Meanwhile, the primary market has been relatively more active, with developers launching new flats with competitive pricing in the Q3 period. We believe the primary market will remain the focus over the next few months, supported by solid pent-up housing needs from young families, first-time buyers and home upgraders. Regarding residential property prices, elevated borrowing costs from a rising HIBOR could prompt some sellers to become more flexible and offer greater bargaining room. Hence, we believe that home prices are still facing downward pressure in the near-term.”
Edgar Lai, Senior Director, Valuation and Advisory, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield shared: “The latest government figures indicate that overall residential prices have recorded a decline for the year-to-date, falling 4.5% in the first seven months. We have seen price corrections across multiple market segments. At City One Shatin, a proxy for smaller lump sum units, prices experienced a more notable drop of 7.1% q-o-q (Chart 2), while Taikoo Shing, representing the mid-price market, fell by 4.1% q-o-q (Chart 3). Meanwhile, prices in the luxury segment, such as Residence Bel-Air, held up relatively well with a more modest 2.1% decline q-o-q, as luxury property owners have stronger holding power and are less impacted by the external market.”
Commenting on the market outlook, Edgar Lai added: “Compared with the peak last year, prices of some properties have already slipped 5-10%. Whilst COVID cases are expected to peak in September, we believe that home prices could potentially bottom out in September or October this year, and stabilize in the fourth quarter, bringing the full-year residential price change into a range of -5% to -8% y-o-y. On the supply side, the potential primary supply pipeline could reach over 10,000 units, many of which are in large-scale developments in key districts including Kai Tak, Tuen Mun, and Tin Shui Wai. Improvement in the economic environment and market sentiment in the next few months would further support the gradual recovery of transaction volume, backed by considerable demand from end-users. Overall, given the high base of last year, residential transaction volume is expected to drop by 35% y-o-y in 2022.”
Rosanna Tang concluded: “Looking at the near-term future, home buyers may still face a combination of risk factors, including the interest rate hike and continuing economic uncertainties. However, we are pleased to see the new government leadership gradually relaxing the quarantine measures, and we believe it will give a boost to the residential market when details of the border reopening are further announced. We are also looking forward to the first Policy Address to be delivered by the new Chief Executive this October, which we hope will bring some positive messages, support and sentiment to the residential market.”
Photo caption: Left: Rosanna Tang, Executive Director, Head of Research, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield Right: Edgar Lai, Senior Director, Valuation and Advisory, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield
Hashtag: #Cushman&Wakefield
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and 60 countries. Across Greater China, 23 offices are servicing the local market. The company won four of the top awards in the Euromoney Survey 2017, 2018 and 2020 in the categories of Overall, Agency Letting/Sales, Valuation and Research in China. In 2021, the firm had revenue of $9.4 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk or follow us on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china).
President of Lao Airlines State Enterprise met with airline ticket sales agents, and business partners, at the Lao Airlines branch in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of August to evaluate a possible increase in flights to the city.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach – 15 September 2022 – Justin Sun, founder of TRON, published an article titled “The Future of the Blockchain Industry Is Undoubtedly Bright” on the website of the Milken Institute recently. “As an emerging and disruptive technology, the crypto industry has been and will continue to stumble as it grows,” Sun says in the article. However, “winter inevitably gives way to spring”, he adds, “the future of the blockchain industry is undoubtedly bright.”
Sun first points out, “in recent years, blockchain has witnessed a leap of faith in adoption amongst mainstream organizations, financial institutions, and developers alike. According to statistics from CoinMarketCap, almost four new cryptocurrencies are created every day, and the NFT market has exploded by over 20x since 2020.”
Sun further discusses the future of the blockchain: “Nevertheless, the blockchain industry’s promise extends beyond its technological breakthroughs. It has the potential to fundamentally transform how we operate as a society in the future; one example is the revolutionary premise of Web3.” He believes that the adoption and development of Web3 may “usher in the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) as a new form of global organization”.
Sun takes TRONDAO as a case in point: “TRONDAO, one of the most active blockchain platforms, has already transformed into the largest global crypto DAO in less than one year since its origin.”
“I’m proud of the people: the thinkers, the developers, the users, and the supporters of the TRON DAO ecosystem all around the globe,” Sun writes.
Justin Sun has reportedly been invited to participate in the 2022 Milken Institute Asia Summit on September 29. He is expected to have a conversation with Curtis S. Chin, Chair of the Asia Center, about issues including crypto technology and the digital economy.
The Milken Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit economic and policy think tank. Its Milken Institute Asia Summit is an annual event that brings together CEOs, senior government officials, and senior financial executives around the world to discuss feasible solutions to various challenges. Scheduled to be held on September 28-30, 2022, in Singapore, the ninth Summit sets its theme as “The World Transformed”. Previously, Justin Sun attended the eighth Asian Summit in 2021 as a panel speaker in the “Crypto’s Continuing Chronicles” session.
Comprehensive protection for both employers and domestic helpers Extensive coverage and support services to help customers expect the unexpected
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 15 September 2022 – With an increasing market demand for domestic helpers in recent years, AXA Hong Kong (“AXA”) and HSBC launch a new insurance plan, “HelperShield Insurance”, to offer comprehensive protection to both employers and their domestic helpers. HelperShield Insurance covers not only foreign domestic helpers, but also local (part-time) domestic helpers and postnatal care helpers.
Exceptional clinical expenses coverage up to HKD300 per visit per day for foreign domestic helpers1
Extensive protection for employers, including foreign domestic helper replacement expenses coverage1
Fraud and dishonesty protection that covers foreign domestic helpers, local (part-time) domestic helpers and postnatal care helpers
24-hour home assistance service hotline
Kenneth Lai, Chief General Insurance Officer, AXA Hong Kong and Macau,said, “Domestic helpers have been playing an increasingly important role in many families in Hong Kong. With the strong and still growing demand for domestic helpers, we are delighted to partner with HSBC to offer the comprehensive helper protection ‘HelperShield Insurance’, providing extensive coverage for both employers and domestic helpers, while giving them reassurance in dealing with unexpected issues. With ‘HelperShield Insurance’, it means employers can take good care of their helpers, while the helpers take care of their household chores.”
Daisy Tsang, Chief Distribution and Customer Officer, Hong Kong, HSBC Life, said, “Our domestic helper insurance has always been well received by the market given it is readily available online with a simple and straightforward customer journey. We are delighted to partner with AXA again to launch an elevated version of our domestic helper insurance with added features and more extensive coverage. We believe the extended cover for local domestic helpers and postnatal care helpers echoes with our commitment in facilitating inclusion via various products, providing more customers with the right protection they need.”
HelperShield Insurance provides comprehensive protection and value-added services to cover both employers and domestic helpers, including:
All-round medical protection for foreign domestic helpers with clinical expenses coverage up to HKD300 per daily visit
In Hong Kong, it is a statutory requirement for employers to provide their foreign domestic helpers with free medical treatment in the event that the foreign domestic helper is ill or suffers personal injury during the period of employment, irrespective of whether it arises out of employment. To ease the employer’s financial burden at the times the foreign domestic helper suffers from illness or injury, HelperShield Insurance provides an exceptional support package for foreign domestic helpers with extensive medical expense coverage, offering clinical expenses coverage1 up to HKD300 per daily visit.
In addition, HelperShield Insurance especially provides optional critical illness benefits for foreign domestic helpers, covering related medical treatment expenses for surgery or treatment of the covered major critical illnesses, up to HKD50,000 per policy year. In the event of death of the foreign domestic helper, an annual leave allowance1 up to HKD500 per day taken, as well as trauma counselling benefits are offered to support the employer through the journey.
AXA and HSBC fully understand that the cost of employing a new foreign domestic helper has been surging amid the pandemic. In view of this, HelperShield Insurance covers replacement expenses up to HKD5,000 per policy year1 if the replacement is required due to events such as the sudden departure of a foreign domestic helper without prior notice, early termination of an employment contract that happens more than 2 times in a year.
Fraud and dishonesty protection
HelperShield Insurance features fraud and dishonesty protection2 for employers of foreign domestic helpers, local (part-time) domestic helpers and postnatal care helpers in Hong Kong to cater for evolving demands in the domestic helper industry, up to HKD12,0001 fraud and dishonesty protection per year.
HelperShield Insurance enables the employer to meet the statutory requirement by providing up to HKD100,000,000 per event for his/her liability as an employer of a helper.
24/7 home assistance hotline support in response to emergencies
An emergency is unpredictable and can happen at any time. With HelperShield Insurance, policyholders with all types of helpers can enjoy the full support of an unlimited free 24-hour home assistance hotline service provided by AXA Assistance. This includes a variety of referral services, such as local (part-time) domestic helper and postnatal care helper referral and foreign domestic helper advisory service, free referral for legal and arbitration service for disputes with helpers or employment agencies, offering free referral service in response to unexpected events in daily life.
Promotion:
From now until 31 October 2022, customers who purchase “HelperShield Insurance” will be entitled to the following discounts:
2-year Foreign Domestic Helper Plan – 25% perpetual premium discount and additional HKD150 Wellcome vouchers upon each successful application during the promotion period
1-year Foreign Domestic Helper Plan / Local (part-time) Domestic Helper Plan – 20% perpetual premium discount
The above information is for reference only. Terms and Conditions apply. For details on the product features, content, terms and exclusions, please refer to the policy provision.
1 Applicable to foreign domestic helper, comprehensive plan only.
2 The act of fraud or dishonesty must be committed during the period of insurance and discovered during the period of insurance or within 30 days after the policy expiry or within 30 days after death, dismissal or expiry of employment contract of the insured helper, whichever is the sooner, and the discovery must be reported to the police within 24 hours of the discovery.
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AXA Hong Kong and Macau
AXA Hong Kong and Macau is a member of the AXA Group, a leading global insurer with presence in 50 markets and serving 95 million customers worldwide. Our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters. As one of the most diversified insurers offering integrated solutions across Life, Health and General Insurance, our goal is to be the insurance and holistic wellness partner to the individuals, businesses and community we serve. We embrace our responsibility to be a force for good to create shared value for our community.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited is the founding member of the HSBC Group. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 63 countries and territories in its geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,985bn at 30 June 2022, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause AXA’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to Part 4 – “Risk factors and risk management” of AXA’s Universal Registration Document for the year ended December 31, 2019, for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect AXA’s business, and/or results of operations. AXA undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as part of applicable regulatory or legal obligations.