Hong Kong company must have a resident company secretary.
The company secretary, among other services, maintains the statutory records of the company, prepares minutes and resolutions and usually provides the registered office address. In addition, the company secretary assists the company with filing annual returns to the Companies Registry.Some practitioners believe the office of the company secretary, particularly the requirement of residency in Hong Kong, imposes unnecessary costs on Hong Kong private companies. This is particularly true when one considers the costs of the business registration license, which is required, and the fact there is no requirement of a company secretary for companies formed in other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong competes, particularly the Caribbean.
However, many practitioners believe the requirements of filing annual returns and maintaining the statutory records of the company necessitate the office of the company secretary.
In addition, it is fairly common for accountants to provide the office of company secretary for Hong Kong companies.
