Frederick Ma says accounting key to Hong Kong as international financial hub
Frederick Ma Si-hang told the AFRC forum that accounting accounts for 27 per cent of Hong Kong's GDP and is crucial for its IFC status, urging the profession to focus on tax advice for mainland companies going overseas.
Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said on Monday that the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) will continue strengthening its role as a super connector and super value adder. Speaking at the AFRC Regional Regulatory Forum 2026, Ma highlighted that accountants, including tax advisors, are becoming increasingly important as more companies from the Chinese mainland expand overseas.
Ma advised the accounting profession to focus more on tax advice from now on, because many Chinese companies would need services to advise them on better tax planning in the future. He cited that accounting currently takes up almost 27 per cent of Hong Kong's gross domestic product, explaining that the industry serves as the pillar of Hong Kong as an international financial centre, as all H-shares are audited by the Big Four.
He urged the industry to "do the accounting, not for one single shareholder, not for a group of shareholders, but for all shareholders." Ma also called on the profession to "uphold the highest professional standards, because only when you do that, we can deserve Hong Kong as an IFC, which is so important for Hong Kong."
