政府以保障私隱為由，近月突然宣布收緊公司查冊安排，妨礙新聞界進行調查新聞報道。業界亦多次表明有關措施，包括遮蔽董事身份證號碼、住址，將阻礙資訊查證，影響傳媒監察社會的功能及公眾知情權。
 
不過，政府似乎選擇性失聰，有報道指政府擬把免受查冊限制的「指明人士」範圍擴大，包括涉及反洗錢工作的銀行等金融行業，以及會計專業界別，但新聞界的訴求繼續遭到政府漠視。
 
我們對政府做法感到訝異、不解，當局從來未清楚解釋為何將新聞界排除在外。我們嚴正要求政府將傳媒列入「指明人士」，令新聞界可以繼續行使基本法授予新聞自由的權利，否則公眾知情權將會受損，亦影響香港透明度及聲譽。
 
我們呼籲同業參與聯署聲明，向政府表達不滿。
 
發起團體：
香港記者協會
香港攝影記者協會
獨立評論人協會
大專新聞教育工作者聯席
明報職工協會
壹傳媒工會
香港電台節目製作人員工會
眾新聞工會

*聯署對象為新聞工作者、新聞教育工作者及新聞系學生，聯署截止時間為2021年6月16日晚上7時。
**收集所得資料只用於上述聯署。
 
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Citing privacy protection, the Hong Kong Government has recently announced changes to the Companies Ordinance, putting restrictions on public access to certain identifying details of company directors. They include ID number and address. The media sector has repeatedly stressed that the changes will impede investigative reporting work and verification of data by journalists. The function of the media in monitoring society and people’s right to know will be adversely affected.

The Government, however, has turned a deaf ear to our voices. According to media reports, the Government will move to widening the scope of “specified persons” in the ordinance to include some sectors including banking and finance and accounting involved in anti-money laundering. Those “specified persons” will be given access to company data. The voices of the media sector have again been ignored.

We are shocked and bewildered by the Government’s move. Government officials have never clearly explained why journalists are excluded. We solemnly urge the Government to include the media sector in the list of “specified persons” for journalists to continue to exercise their right to freedom of the press. Failure to do so will undermine people’s right to know and damage the transparency and reputation of Hong Kong.

We, the groups below, urge journalists to join the online signature campaign to say no to the Government move and urge a rethink.

Signatories:
Hong Kong Journalists Association
Hong Kong Press Photographers Association
Independent Commentators Association
Journalism Educators for Press Freedom
RTHK Programme Staff Union
Ming Pao Staff Union
Next Media Trade Union
CitizenNews Union

*The target participants of the joint petition are journalists, Journalism educators and journalism students. The joint petition will be closed at 7pm on 16 June 2021.
**The information collected below will only be used for this joint petition.