Writing Minutes of a Meeting in Hong Kong: Why and How?

Writing minutes of a meeting is one of the most basic tasks for a company secretary. The minutes of a meeting consists of all the essential information about the conference.

In Hong Kong, there are certain regulations for companies to keep a record of all the meetings and document the happenings and decisions.

Read on as we explain the process of writing minutes of a meeting, as well as the need for doing so.

What Are Minutes of a Meeting?

Minutes of a meeting are the official record of any company meeting, which includes information about all the agendas, discussions, and conclusions of the gathering. Further, it contains information about when the meeting took place and attendance. All the company meetings, whether it be a general meeting, board meeting, or a committee meeting, must be documented in meeting minutes.

Writing Minutes of a Meeting in Hong Kong: Why?

In Hong Kong, the Companies Ordinance Cap 22 contains the regulations for companies on how to record their meetings.

According to Section 618, a company must keep records consisting of resolutions of all members passed and minutes of all general meetings. You must keep the records for at least ten years from the date of the meeting, resolution, or decision. If the company fails to do so, all the responsible members must pay a fine.
According to Section 619, the record must be kept at the company’s registered office or a place prescribed by Section 657.
According to Section 619, the record must be kept at the company’s registered office or a place prescribed by Section 657.
In the case of a one-person company, the member must present the decision, if it is not a written resolution, within seven days.

Therefore, writing minutes is not only a necessary practise but a legal obligation.

Writing Minutes of a Meeting in Hong Kong: How?

Prepare Before Meeting

Before the meeting, it is beneficial to prepare by learning the background and the agendas. Similarly, you can prepare a list of members who are likely to attend. Moreover, if there are parts of previous meetings that the attendees should know, note it down. Note-taking software can be of great help as they provide several free templates. Likewise, you can keep your notes organized and make any number of copies.

Take Notes

Before you write the minutes, taking notes is quick and convenient as you must keep up with the pace of the discussions. You can use the following tips to make your note-taking practice more efficient.

If possible, sit close to the chairperson of the meeting.
You must understand the discussions going on in the meeting. If you are confused, ask for clarification immediately.
It is beneficial that the note taker is not an integral part of the discussion. This is because their attention should never divert.
If some statements and numbers are hard to keep track of, mark a reference of where they can be found.

Making Minutes From Your Notes

If possible, draft the minutes quickly when the points of the discussion are still afresh in your mind. You can use the following procedures to convert your notes into minutes.

Keep a consistent format. You can use software to design a template.
Your minutes must contain the following points:
- Date, time, and place of the meeting
- List of present attendees
- Decisions and actions on the agenda
- Next steps
- Next meeting date, time, and space
- Necessary documents and references for report preparation

How Can We Help?

From this blog, it is evident that taking minutes of a meeting in Hong Kong is required by the law. A company secretary can keep the records of all the general, board, and committee meetings. A good company secretary will make sure all the meetings go flawlessly, and every important detail is well documented.

3E Accounting can provide state of the art company secretary services at an affordable cost. Our well-trained personnel have excellent communication, writing, and management skills.

Partner with 3E Accounting and experience guaranteed satisfaction that is revered worldwide without breaking the bank.