Phase 3 of the New Inspection Regime implemented by the Companies Registry (“CR”) under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) has commenced on 27 December 2023 (“Commencement Date”).
Starting from the Commencement Date, any director can apply to the CR (“Phase 3 Application”) to redact his/her Protected Information (i.e. the usual residential address and the full identification number (“IDN”) of the director) shown on documents filed with the CR prior to the commencement of Phase 2 (i.e. 24 October 2022), and replace the same with his/her correspondence address and partial IDN for the public to access.
The Phase 3 Application should be made by filing the prescribed form with the CR together with the certified copy of the director’s passport or Hong Kong identity card (unless such certified copy has been previously registered in the director’s e-registry account with the CR).
Kindly note that only the IDN of Hong Kong identity card or passport (of any country/region) of a director can be partially redacted in the record of the CR. The Phase 3 Application would not be available for any director who has stated, in any forms filed with the CR, the number of any identity card which is not issued by the Hong Kong Government (e.g. identity card issued in the People’s Republic of China). In other words, the number of such non-Hong Kong identity card cannot be redacted.
Upon approval of the Phase 3 Application by the CR, the Protected Information contained in such “historical” documents will not be available for public inspection, subject to the inspection application to the CR by “specified persons”, which include without limitation any member of the company and solicitors, upon specified grounds.
The information provided in this statement does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.