China thumbs-up for commuter smart cards

The mainland will issue smart cards to replace paper permits for those commuting between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau, the Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday.

The pilot scheme will start in Guangdong and local police authorities in the mainland will accept applications for the e-permit from today.

The e-permit, which contains digitized personal details and fingerprints, enables its holders to use the e-Channel service.

"Ties between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau are getting closer, and there is an increasing number of visitors from the mainland to the counterparts," the ministry said in a statement. "The electronization will help enhance the efficiency at the border."

Adults will be given a 10-year permit and those under 16 will be given a five- year permit.

The current passbook has been used since 2002. The authority said policies on approval and management will be the same. The charge will also remain at $16.

In 2013, visitor arrivals from the mainland to Hong Kong increased by 16.8% year-on-year to about 40.5 million, while arrivals in Macau increased by 10% to more than 18.63 million.

Michael Wu Siu-ieng, chairman of the Travel Industry Council, said the smart card will not necessarily lead to more visitors from the mainland.