SHANGHAI, Aug. 24 -- THE Bank of China will offer direct trading in Hong Kong shares in 40 cities including Beijing and Shanghai sometime after inaugurating the service in four outlets in Tianjin next week, the bank said yesterday.

BOC will promote the pioneering investment service to individual customers through its wealth management centers. Additional details will be released next week, senior bank executives said yesterday.

There was no immediate word on when the service would be expanded beyond Tianjin.

"The process can be measured in days," a BOC official surnamed Cai said when asked when investors will be able to put their money into Hong Kong shares.

Some investors from outside the city have already gone to Tianjin to be the first to tap the market.

Trading fees will be the same in Tianjin as they are for those who buy Hong Kong shares in the special administrative region: a 0.1-percent stamp duty and commission of about 0.25 percent, the Tianjin bank official said.

For mainland bourses, the stamp duty is 0.3 percent, and commissions range from 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent.

BOC will charge fees for accepting money remitted outside of the city - a common banking practice.

A senior bank executive said yesterday the move will help boost the lender's fee-based income and attract more foreign currency deposits.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange on August 20 approved a trial program to allow private investors to trade Hong Kong shares directly via mainland accounts from the BOC's Tianjin branch. BOC branches across the country can participate after signing agreements with the Tianjin branch. The minimum for an investment account is HK$100,000 (US$12,800).