Before those of you who are making cosy noises about the bonus get too complacent, this bonus does not do justice to the massive efforts of the staff in all departments over the last few years. Ask yourself why they have to make the point that it is either half of the individual monthly salary or HK$6,000 in local currency equivalent, whichever is lower. There are many staff on less than $12,000 a month.
That they can announce such an increase in profit with a straight face shows that they have forgotten the fundaments of business. (1) Do not rip off your customers, and (2) do not rip off your staff and constituents.
Remember that their finance people are very sharp, and will have reduced the profit to a level which the board believed would be acceptable to the stock market and the shareholders.
These are good figures, but they are earned on the backs of the staff and the traveling public. It would have been more politic to have announced a figure of around 10% growth.