GPs warned of ‘Occupy Central Movement’ in HK

A planned “Occupy Central Movement” in Hong Kong this July has the potential to disrupt business operations in the heart of the city’s financial district.

GPs in the area are being advised to review their business operations and plan accordingly for the protest movement that mirrors the “Occupy Wall Street” movement in New York City that reached a fever pitch in the fall of 2011.

The civil disobedience group has vowed to bring Hong Kong’s commercial hub to a standstill if the government fails to come up with a satisfactory plan to implement universal suffrage for its 2017 election. Currently Hong Kong's constitution specifies that only a Chinese nominating committee can pick leadership candidates for Hong Kong’s general elections.

To combat potential disruptions, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority conducted an emergency drill with 55 banks last week, the South China Morning Post reported.
Professional services firm Kinetic Partners recommends that GPs review their business continuity plans to ensure business continues as usual and potentially adverse impacts to investors are minimized in the event of a large-scale protest.
Specifically firms should ensure that:

• Staff have remote access to a firm’s systems (e.g. email system) in the event they are unable to access the office.

• Test the functionality of telecommunication systems (e.g. forward calls to another telephone system).

• Assess the potential financial impact caused to the firm (e.g. potential claims from investors if the firm cannot provide the usual level of services to them) and assess the adequacy of the firm’s existing insurance coverage.