Hong Kong is increasingly feeling the effects of the war in the Middle East, from rising airline ticket prices and cancelled flights to higher pump prices at home. Read on for details of the City desk’s coverage of how the conflict is affecting residents and other key developments of the week.

In today’s edition:

• Rising fuel prices

   

• Scramble for tickets

   

• Bigger MPF payments? 

Rising fuel prices

Greater Bay Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and its HK Express budget arm will double their fuel surcharges from next Wednesday, while Hong Kong Airlines raised them by up to 35 per cent from this past Thursday.

Local oil companies have also increased petrol and diesel prices by about HK$1 a litre following the start of the war on February 28. Other industries warned of a knock-on effect of the surge in fuel prices, saying the higher cost would eventually be reflected at the retail level. 

The city’s customs chief reported more cross-border petrol smuggling in recent weeks, while local drivers are increasingly heading to mainland China where prices are lower to fill their tanks.

Scramble for tickets

Tens of thousands of flights in the Middle East have been cancelled in the past two weeks, with Cathay suspending operations to and from Dubai and Riyadh until the end of the month.

Hundreds of Hongkongers stranded in the Gulf region have been scrambling to find tickets home. In one case, a local couple in Dubai paid nearly HK$50,000 to buy two business class tickets out of desperation.

Bigger MPF payments?

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority proposed raising the maximum and minimum income levels for contributions. Workers and employers would have to pay up to HK$2,000 a month, or 33 per cent more than at present. 

While the labour sector welcomed the proposal, employers expressed concerns the increase was too steep. 

You can read these stories and more at SCMP.com, and enjoy the weekend.

Politics

• How will Hong Kong follow mainland China’s ethnic unity promotion law?

   

• Hong Kong Legco to explore mainland-style oversight system for bills enforcement

   

• Hong Kong’s John Lee pledges to align with nation’s new 5-year plan

   

• Agility and adaptability are in Hong Kong’s DNA, former leader CY Leung says

   

• Hong Kong firms rethink global operations amid Middle East turmoil