Is it compulsory to have a company secretary in Hong Kong?
Updated: Sep 15
Yes. Under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), every Hong Kong company must have a company secretary. If the secretary is an individual, he or she must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong; if it is a body corporate, it must have its registered office or a place of business in Hong Kong, and the sole director of a private company cannot also act as its company secretary (section 475).
Duties of a Company Secretary in Hong Kong
The company secretary has a number of important statutory duties and functions, which include: Any appointment or resignation of a company secretary must be notified to the Companies Registry within 15 days.
• keeping records on the minutes of company meetings;
• attending and overseeing all board and committee meetings;
• ensuring that statutory books and registers are kept up to date;
• making sure the annual return and other statutory filings are delivered to the Companies Registry on time.
The company secretary in Hong Kong also acts as a key point of contact between the company, its shareholders and the Companies Registry.
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