Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury: Will regulate unlicensed payment platforms and take appropriate enforcement actions as necessary

According to a report by Mobile Payment Network, regarding some payment platforms that are registered only as financial technology companies without obtaining any financial category licenses, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, Christopher Hui, stated that appropriate enforcement actions will be taken as necessary under the relevant statutory regulatory framework to maintain financial stability and protect the rights and interests of customers and the public.

According to the Hong Kong Payment Systems and Stored Value Payment Instruments Ordinance, unless a statutory exemption is obtained, anyone who issues or operates stored value payment instruments in Hong Kong without a license is committing an offense. If cases of suspected unlicensed operation or violations of the Payment Ordinance are discovered, the Monetary Authority will intervene directly and will collaborate with other relevant regulatory agencies depending on the nature of the case, and will refer the case to law enforcement agencies if necessary.