Nearly 400 Hong Kongers urge HSBC to release their Mandatory Provident Fund retirement savings

Today, nearly 400 Hong Kongers from across the UK signed a letter from Hong Kong Watch to HSBC, urging them to release their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) retirement savings. The letter was sent to Georges Elhedery, the financial company’s new Group Chief Executive.

The letter details how after the British government launched the British National (Overseas) (BNO) scheme in January 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that it would no longer recognise the BNO passport as a valid travel document or form of identity. The letter explains how this retaliatory action has been conducted by fiat with no laws or regulations being changed in Hong Kong regarding the operation of the MPF, yet continues to block an estimated 126,500 Hong Kongers from accessing over £3.25 billion worth of their hard-earned MPF savings.

The latest Hong Kong Watch research estimates that as the manager of approximately 30 percent of the total MPF market, HSBC could be denying Hong Kongers access to as much as £978 million worth of assets in MPF holdings. 

The “concerned Hong Kongers who have permanently departed from Hong Kong and now reside in Britain with UK-issued government documents” urge HSBC “to liaise with your advisors to immediately release our MPF savings”. The letter also offers to provide further information on specific cases.

Hong Kong Watch and the Hong Konger signatories look forward to receiving a response from HSBC.

The full letter can be read here.

香港監察聯同近400名居英港人去信促請滙豐釋放MPF退休儲蓄

今天，近400名來自英國各地的香港人簽署了香港監察致滙豐集團新任行政總裁艾橋智（Georges Elhedery）的信件，促請滙豐釋放港人強積金（MPF）退休儲蓄。

這封信詳述了2021年1月英國政府推出BNO計劃後，中國外交部宣布不再承認BNO護照為有效旅行證件或身分一事。信中解釋了這種報復行動如何透過法令展開，有關MPF運作的香港法律法規並沒有改變，但仍持續阻撓估計126,500名港人提取血汗MPF儲蓄，價值超過32.5億英鎊。

香港監察最新研究估計，因滙豐管理MPF市場資產總值的約30%，拒絕港人提取的MPF資產金額有可能高達9.78億英鎊。

「已經永久離港，現時持有英國政府簽發文件居英的關注事件港人」促請滙豐「與公司顧問洽談，立即釋放港人MPF儲蓄」。信中亦提議提供具體個案的進一步資料。

香港監察和聯署港人期待收到滙豐的回覆。

請在此處閱覽信件全文。