Year 2007 - Critical Success Factors

It is a great pleasure for me to congratulate the Hong Kong Chamber of Insurance Intermediaries for their role in maintaining and developing professional standards in the local insurance industry for another year in 2007. The last year was generally a positive one for the insurance industry. The Hong Kong economy was strong, and consumption increased while unemployment continued to fall. Despite volatility in the world economy, our fundamentals remain strong and we can be broadly optimistic about the medium-term future. One interesting development that we have seen so far in 2008 is of course the Government’s consultation paper on healthcare reform. It is an important document because it does not focus simply on the financial aspects of reform but the possibility of more broadly reforming the structure of health care in Hong Kong. It is early days yet, but our industry may have an important role to play in key aspects of our health coverage system in the future. I urge everyone in the industry, including all my friends in the HKCII, to examine the consultation document and take part in the consultation process. Please make your views known. I also encourage everyone to keep up to date with other developments in our industry, and in particular areas like product knowledge and business practices. More than ever, high standards and of training and development are essential to the success of insurance professionals. The HKCII will continue to make its vital contribution in this area, and I wish all my friends at the Chamber every success in the year ahead. The Honourable Mr. Bernard Chan , GBS, JP., Legislative Councillor, Insurance Functional Constituency from the Legislative Councillor Message