New Rules for Business Cheating in Hong Kong
New Rules for Business Cheating in Hong Kong
香港商業欺詐新規定
Introduction
The government wants to change the law. Now, some business cheating is a small crime. They want to make it a big crime.
政府希望修改法律。目前部分商業欺詐僅被視為輕罪，他們希望將其改為重罪。
Main Body
Some companies cheated when they fixed buildings. A big fire happened at Wang Fuk Court. Many people died. The government saw more reports of cheating in 2025 than in 2021.
部分公司在修繕建築物時進行欺詐。旺福苑曾發生一起大火，導致許多人死亡。政府發現 2025 年的欺詐報告數量多於 2021 年。
Right now, the Competition Commission can only take money from bad companies. They cannot put people in prison. Now, the leader wants a new rule. People who cheat can go to prison for seven years.
目前競爭事務委員會僅能對違規公司處以罰款，無法將相關人員監禁。現在領導者希望制定新規定，欺詐者最高可被判處七年監禁。
Companies must sign a paper. They must say they did not cheat. If they lie on this paper, it is a crime. The government talked to the leader of Hong Kong about this.
公司必須簽署一份文件，聲明其未進行欺詐。若在該文件上造假即屬犯罪。政府已就此事與香港領導者進行討論。
Conclusion
The government wants these new rules soon. They want to stop companies from cheating.
政府希望盡快實施這些新規定，以阻止公司欺詐。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The Power of 'WANT'
In this text, the word want is used many times. For A2 learners, this is the best way to talk about goals or desires.
The Pattern:
Person/Group + want(s) + to + Action
Examples from the text:
- The government → wants to change the law.
- They → want to make it a big crime.
- They → want to stop companies.
💡 Simple Rule for You:
- Use want for I, You, We, They.
- Use wants for He, She, It (like the government).
Try swapping the words:
- I want to learn English.
- My boss wants to meet me.
- We want to go home.
Vocabulary Learning
Proposed Criminal Penalties for Bid-Rigging in Hong Kong
香港擬對串謀投標採取刑事處罰
Introduction
The Competition Commission is currently reviewing changes to the law to make bid-rigging a criminal offense rather than a civil violation.
競爭事務委員會目前正在審視法律修訂，旨在將串謀投標由民事違規改為刑事罪行。
Main Body
This regulatory change was caused by serious problems in how residential maintenance contracts are awarded. For example, a deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in November, which caused 168 casualties, revealed suspected corruption and illegal agreements between bidders. Furthermore, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn stated that the Independent Commission Against Corruption received 24 complaints about bid-rigging in building maintenance in 2025, which is double the number of complaints from 2021.
這次監管變革是由於住宅維修工程發包過程出現嚴重問題。例如，11月旺福苑發生的一場導致168人死傷的致命火災，揭露了投標者之間涉嫌貪汙及非法協議。此外，發展局局長林婉儀表示，廉政公署在2025年收到24宗關於大廈維修串謀投標的投訴，是2021年的兩倍。
Currently, the Competition Commission can only issue fines, which means it must hand over cases involving organized crime, such as triads, to the police. To solve this problem, Chairperson Jat Sew-tong has suggested a maximum prison sentence of seven years. Additionally, the government is considering a new rule for large tenders where bidders must sign a legal declaration. If a person provides false information in this document, they would face criminal charges.
目前競爭事務委員會僅能開出罰單，這意味著涉及三合會等有組織犯罪的案件必須移交警方處理。為解決此問題，主席葉紹棠建議最高可判處七年監禁。此外，政府正考慮針對大型招標推出新規定，要求投標者簽署法律聲明。若有人在該文件中提供虛假資訊，將面臨刑事指控。
The Commission has already discussed these changes with Chief Executive John Lee and the Hong Kong Bar Association. In a separate effort to be more open, the Commission announced that the public will be allowed to attend certain meetings starting in July.
委員會已與行政長官李家強及香港律師會討論這些變動。此外，為了提高透明度，委員會宣布自7月起將允許公眾出席部分會議。
Conclusion
The Commission plans to present these legal changes by the end of the legislative year to strongly discourage companies from engaging in bid-rigging.
委員會計劃在本立法年度結束前提出這些法律修訂，以強烈威懾公司不要串謀投標。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The "Upgrade" Shift: Moving from A2 Simple to B2 Sophisticated
At the A2 level, we describe things using basic verbs like make, give, or do. But to reach B2, you need precise verbs that describe official actions. Let's look at how the text transforms simple ideas into professional language.
🛠 The Precision Swap
Instead of saying "the government is changing the law," the text uses: "Reviewing changes to the law"
Why this is B2: "Reviewing" implies a careful, professional examination. It's not just a change; it's a process.
⚖️ The "Official" Vocabulary Bank
Look at these specific pairs from the article. Stop using the word on the left; start using the word on the right:
- ❌ Wrong/Fake False (e.g., "False information")
- ❌ Stop/Prevent Discourage (e.g., "Strongly discourage companies")
- ❌ Give/Tell Issue (e.g., "Issue fines")
- ❌ Start/Begin Engaging in (e.g., "Engaging in bid-rigging")
🧠 Logic Connectors: Building a Bridge
An A2 student uses "And" or "But". A B2 student uses Transition Markers to guide the reader through a complex argument.
Found in the text:
- "Furthermore" Use this instead of "Also" when adding a serious point to an argument.
- "Additionally" Use this to add a new piece of information to a list of facts.
Pro Tip: When you want to sound more academic, avoid starting sentences with "And." Try "Furthermore, [Subject] [Verb]..."
Vocabulary Learning
Proposed Criminalization of Bid-Rigging within the Hong Kong Competition Ordinance
建議將圍標行為納入《競爭條例》並刑事化
Introduction
The Competition Commission is evaluating legislative amendments to transition bid-rigging from a civil violation to a criminal offense.
競爭事務委員會正評估修訂法例，旨在將圍標從民事違規轉變為刑事罪行。
Main Body
The impetus for this regulatory shift is linked to systemic irregularities in residential maintenance procurement. Specifically, a fatal conflagration at Wang Fuk Court in November, resulting in 168 casualties, highlighted suspected graft and collusive tendering. This event coincided with data provided by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn, who noted that the Independent Commission Against Corruption received 24 complaints regarding building maintenance bid-rigging in 2025, a figure representing a twofold increase relative to 2021 statistics.
此次監管轉向與住宅維修採購中的系統性違規有關。特別是 11 月旺福苑發生導致 168 人傷亡的致命火災，揭露了涉嫌貪污與圍標的情況。此事件與發展局局長林婉儀提供的數據一致，她指出廉政公署（ICAC）在 2025 年收到 24 宗關於大廈維修圍標的投訴，較 2021 年的數據增加了一倍。
Institutional limitations currently necessitate that the Competition Commission transfer cases involving organized crime elements—specifically triads—to law enforcement agencies, as the 2012 Ordinance restricts the body to the imposition of financial penalties. To rectify this, Chairperson Jat Sew-tong has proposed a maximum custodial sentence of seven years. Furthermore, the administration is considering the implementation of statutory declarations within 'non-collusion' clauses for large-scale tenders; should a declarant provide false information, such an act would independently trigger criminal liability.
目前的制度限制使得競爭事務委員會在處理涉及有組織犯罪（特別是三合會）的個案時，必須移交給執法部門，因為 2012 年的條例限制該機構僅能處以罰款。為糾正此問題，主席葉秀棠建議最高可判處七年監禁。此外，政府正考慮在大型招標的「非共謀」條款中實施法定聲明；若聲明人提供虛假資訊，該行為將獨立觸發刑事責任。
Consultations regarding these modifications have been conducted with Chief Executive John Lee and the Hong Kong Bar Association. In a parallel effort to increase institutional transparency, the Commission will permit public attendance at selected meetings commencing in July.
有關這些修改的諮詢已與行政長官李家超及香港大律師公會進行。為了提高制度透明度，委員會將於 7 月起允許公眾出席部分會議。
Conclusion
The Commission intends to table these amendments by the end of the current legislative year to enhance deterrence against collusive tendering.
委員會打算在本立法年度結束前提交這些修訂，以加強對圍標行為的威懾力。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Legal & Institutional Nominalization
To ascend from B2 to C2, a learner must move beyond describing actions and begin constructing states. The provided text is a masterclass in Nominalization—the process of turning verbs (actions) and adjectives (qualities) into nouns to create a tone of objective, institutional authority.
🔍 The C2 Pivot: From Event to Concept
Observe the transformation of these concepts within the text:
- Action (B2/C1): The building caught fire and killed people. Nominalized (C2): "A fatal conflagration... resulting in 168 casualties."
- Action (B2/C1): The Commission wants to change the law to stop people from rigging bids. Nominalized (C2): "The impetus for this regulatory shift... to enhance deterrence against collusive tendering."
⚖️ The 'Institutional Weight' Mechanism
At the C2 level, nominalization isn't just about 'big words'; it is about density. By using nouns as the primary drivers of a sentence, the writer removes the agent (the person doing the thing) to focus on the phenomenon.
Analysis of "Institutional limitations currently necessitate..."
Instead of saying "The Commission cannot do X because the law is limited," the author uses Institutional limitations as the subject. This transforms a complaint into a structural fact. This is the hallmark of high-level academic and legal English: Depersonalization.
🛠️ Linguistic Precision: The 'Lexical Bridge'
Note the use of highly specific, low-frequency nouns that carry immense semantic weight:
- Impetus: Not just 'reason,' but the driving force behind a movement.
- Custodial sentence: A precise legal term replacing the generic 'prison time.'
- Statutory declarations: A formal noun phrase that encapsulates an entire legal process of swearing an oath.
C2 Takeaway: To write with this level of sophistication, stop asking "Who is doing what?" and start asking "What is the overarching phenomenon?" Convert your verbs into nouns to shift the focus from the actor to the system.