HKSAR Government Press Releases

HKSAR Government Press Releaseshttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/today.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/rss/rss_logo_en.gifHKSAR Government Press Releaseshttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/today.htmHKSAR Government - Press Releasesen-UKCopyright, HKSAR Governmentirc@isd.gov.hkThu, 05 Dec 2024 09:36:03 GMTTue, 12 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[Red flags hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/05/P2024120500162.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/05/P2024120500162.htmThu, 05 Dec 2024 09:30:00 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 5) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.]]><![CDATA[Ministry of Finance issues Renminbi Sovereign Bonds through Central Moneymarkets Unit of Hong Kong Monetary Authority]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/05/P2024120400520.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/05/P2024120400520.htmThu, 05 Dec 2024 09:30:00 +0800
The Ministry of Finance will issue Renminbi Sovereign Bonds through the Central Moneymarkets Unit of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Please find attached the tender notice and the tender information memorandum of the Renminbi Sovereign Bonds to be issued by the Ministry of Finance. Please also find attached the tender-related information provided by the Issuing and Lodging Agent through the HKMA.]]><![CDATA[2024 Constitution Day Seminar (with photos/video)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400587.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400587.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 21:57:14 +0800
     About 1 000 participants from various sectors of the community attended the Seminar themed "The Constitution and Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively". The Seminar comprised of two parts: a keynote speech and a panel discussion. The keynote speech was delivered by Professor Mo Jihong, who is the Member of the Academy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Director of the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Dean of the School of Law of the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Executive Vice-President of the Association of Constitutional Law of the China Law Society. The panel discussion was moderated by member of the Management Committee of the Endeavour Education Centre, Miss Elsie Leung, who hosted a discussion with Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and non-official member of the Executive Council and member of the Legislative Council, Mr Martin Liao; and member of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Dr William Wong, SC, on the vital functions of the Constitution in the process of further deepening reform comprehensively and promoting Chinese modernisation, as well as Hong Kong's integral roles in this regard.

     Speaking at the Seminar, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said that in the course of further deepening the reform comprehensively, the status of the Constitution as the fundamental law of the country must be upheld, and the provisions, principles and spirit of the Constitution must be firmly safeguarded and implemented, so as to ensure that the reforms are heading in the right direction and are carried out correctly and steadily. At the same time, education on the Constitution must be stepped up, because only when all people fully understand the content and spirit of the Constitution, a favourable atmosphere of respecting and abiding by the law can be created in society, and reforms can move forward steadily while abiding by the rule of law. He pointed out that the Resolution (the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization) adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) put forward more than 300 important reform initiatives, many of which are closely related to Hong Kong, and the key requirement throughout is that the HKSAR should fully capitalise on the institutional advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle.

     Addressing in his speech, Mr Zheng Yanxiong, the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, mentioned that with the propelling of further comprehensive deepening of reforms, the full implementation of the Constitution mechanism will be further enhanced. The rule of law and Rule of the Constitution will step to a new stage and enter a new horizon in the new journey of the Chinese modernisation. The spirit of the rule of law and innovation will lead Hong Kong to a higher level of security and quality development. At present, with the staunch support of the Central Government, the strong leadership of the HKSAR Government, and the concerted efforts of all sectors of the HKSAR, the situations in Hong Kong society remain stable, and the economic and social developments of Hong Kong experience favourable changes. Hong Kong is now entering the best period for striving for economic growth and development at full strength.

     When delivering his keynote speech, Professor Mo expressed his full confidence in the future of Hong Kong, which originates from the successful implementation of the Basic Law in Hong Kong in an active and effective manner. He pointed out that we must firmly establish the awareness of the importance of the Constitution, consciously uphold the authoritative status of the Constitution as the fundamental law in promoting Hong Kong's economic development and prosperity, use the reform spirit of the Constitution to promote practical innovation of the HKSAR's system, and continue to ensure that on the premise of the Central Authorities' effective exercise of overall jurisdiction, we can fully mobilise and utilise the initiative and proactiveness of all sectors of the community in Hong Kong, and encourage and support the HKSAR and the HKSAR Government to make good use of the high degree of autonomy conferred by the Constitution and the Basic Law, in order to place the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents at the core position of the HKSAR's system.

     During the panel discussion of the Seminar, Mr Liao said the Constitution is the founding capital of modern countries and a country's fundamental law which possess the highest authority and status. We are all familiar that the Constitution is also the crystal of unity for the party and the country and unity for the people. It is also a mutual adaptation to the history of the country, the cultural background, the social values, as well as the current institution and mechanism, and a representation of the entire country's spiritual outlook, both internally and externally. Dr Wong pointed out that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee put forward new development concepts, emphasising on comprehensive ruling of the country in accordance with the law. He considered this as opportunities for all young people in Hong Kong, for the reason that establishing a completely fair cultural awareness and a fair mechanism allow all citizens to give full play to their strengths and pursue happy lives.

     The Government has arranged the government website as well as some major television stations to broadcast live the Seminar. The full version of the Seminar will also be uploaded to the website of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/home/index.htm) to enable members of the public to review the Seminar. They may visit the dedicated webpage (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/constitution_day.htm) for other information about Constitution Day.

]]><![CDATA[CSTB convenes meeting to strengthen co-ordination of preparation work for receiving mega cruise ships (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400490.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400490.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 19:48:00 +0800
     The meeting was chaired by the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs Angelina Cheung, and attended by representatives of the Transport Department (TD), the Hong Kong Police Force, relevant cruise lines, transport services providers, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the cruise terminal operator.

     Mrs Cheung said, "The Government attaches great importance to facilitating operations on international cruise lines, and aspires to furnish cruise passengers with better visiting experiences, thereby consolidating Hong Kong's position as a major homeport in Asia and attracting more ship calls."

     Departing from Shanghai, Spectrum of the Seas will berth at the KTCT on December 6 (Friday) until the afternoon on the same day with some 4 900 passengers from different places, beginning its seasonal homeport deployment in Hong Kong with a total of eight ship calls in the coming two months. The Government welcomes the ship to choose Hong Kong as its homeport, and looks forward to working with the trade to better prepare to receive cruise passengers.

     At the suggestion of the CSTB, the cruise lines will collect information from passengers and persons-in-charge of the tour groups on board regarding post-disembarkation arrangements such as planned destinations and whether a vehicle pick-up has already been arranged. The cruise lines will pass such information to the terminal operator so that the transport arrangements can be adjusted and enhanced as necessary.

     Transportation services at the KTCT will be strengthened during the disembarkation period between 7am to 10.30am on December 6, with due regard to the disembarkation arrangements by the cruise line, and to enable passengers to head to different destinations. Improved services include:

(a) apart from four regular franchised bus routes and one minibus route, two additional express bus routes will be in service, connecting the Kai Tak MTR Station and the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station (via Tsim Sha Tsui) respectively. Franchised bus companies will step up service levels to meet demand when necessary, and will deploy more buses with luggage racks to serve passengers with luggage. At least 53 flights of buses will be in operation;

(b) coach operators will provide free and paid shuttle services as well as support pre-arranged tours organised by local travel agents. At least 38 coaches will be in operation; and

(c) with regard to taxis, since the taxi supply may fluctuate during peak hours, shift-change hours and inclement weather conditions, in addition to the existing mechanism of frequently notifying the taxi trade before and during the disembarkation period via instant message platforms, the TD has also recently communicated with the taxi trade specifically on cruise ship calls, and will further assist in informing the taxi associations in advance before the arrival of mega cruise ships. If an exceptionally strong demand is anticipated, the terminal operator will, depending on the ground situation, increase the face value of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) coupons distributed to each taxi that picks up passengers at the KTCT to $100 as appropriate. Real-time messages to the taxi trade will also be refined by including the forecast taxi demand on top of the time of disembarkation and real-time waiting situations.

     Furthermore, the CSTB reminded parties attending the meeting to work together and take other necessary measures to ensure that passengers can leave the terminal for their destinations quickly and smoothly. In particular:

(a) making available to passengers, through cruise lines and before the ship’s arrival, specific information about various transport options so that passengers can decide on their transportation arrangements in advance;

(b) imposing appropriate crowd management measures, through cruise lines, the terminal operator and relevant parties early and in a timely manner, and deploying sufficient manpower and signage at the KTCT to guide and assist passengers; and

(c) informing the terminal operator immediately of any congestion and major traffic incidents in the vicinity of the KTCT and along major trunk roads so that appropriate contingency measures can be imposed and alternate advice to passengers could be given.

     The Government has long been providing, and will continue to provide, necessary support to the terminal operator with regard to receiving cruise ships. The terminal operator should continue to discharge its responsibilities of co-ordinating various departments, cruise lines, and service providers on making appropriate transportation plans and on ensuring efficient, smooth and effective management of cruise passenger flows. Stakeholders will continue to maintain close communications on the ship calls at the KTCT, plan in advance and co-ordinate different aspects for receiving cruise passengers to Hong Kong. The CSTB will also closely monitor the implementation of the strengthened measures and will further review and adjust the arrangements for ship calls thereafter.

]]><![CDATA[CS to visit Beijing]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400508.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400508.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 18:15:00 +0800
Mr Chan and the delegation will return to Hong Kong on December 6. During his absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. During Mr Sun's absence, the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Ho Kai-ming, will be the Acting Secretary for Labour and Welfare.]]><![CDATA[Appeal for information on missing boy in Tsing Yi (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400518.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400518.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 18:08:00 +0800
     Kwok Cheuk-hin, aged 15, went missing after he left his residence in Tsing Yi Estate on December 2 afternoon. His family then made a report to Police.

     He is about 1.78 metres tall, 52 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black top, black trousers and black and white slippers.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing boy or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1174 or 6103 4963, or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

]]><![CDATA[Seventh Hong Kong-Switzerland Financial Dialogue (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300393.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300393.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 17:53:00 +0800
     The seventh Hong Kong-Switzerland Financial Dialogue was held in Hong Kong today (December 4). Co-organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) under the Federal Department of Finance of Switzerland, the Dialogue aims to foster collaboration in financial services between Hong Kong and Switzerland, and to facilitate the exchange of views on important issues surrounding the global financial system.

     The Dialogue was chaired by Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA Mr Darryl Chan and the Deputy State Secretary and Head of the Planning and Strategy of the SIF, Mr Christoph König. Representatives from the Swiss National Bank, the Swiss Embassy in China, the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong, and the HKMA also participated in this bilateral dialogue. During the meeting, the representatives discussed regional and domestic outlook and policy challenges, as well as the latest developments and potential areas of collaboration in sustainable finance, fintech, and market connectivity.

]]><![CDATA[Centre for Food Safety announces test results on hot pot food samples (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400484.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400484.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 17:40:22 +0800
     A CFS spokesman said, "Hong Kong people like eating hot pot meals. As food additives such as colouring matters and preservatives may be used during the making of hot pot ingredients, beverages and sauces, the CFS conducted this project in a bid to provide timely food safety information to consumers and the trade."

     The CFS collected different kinds of hot pot food samples, including meat and meat products (such as beef balls and pork balls), aquatic and related products (such as fish balls, shrimp balls and cuttlefish balls), bean products (such as dried bean curds, tofu and soya bean sticks), noodles, soup bases, beverages (such as juice and sour plum drinks) and sauces from restaurants, fresh provision shops, supermarkets, groceries, market stalls and retailers (including online retailers) for chemical and microbiological testing.

     Chemical tests included testing for colouring matters, preservatives and metallic contaminants, while microbiological tests for ready-to-eat food included testing for Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and coagulase-positive staphylococci.

     The spokesman reminded the public that food safety is a shared responsibility and all those involved in the food supply chain - from farms and food manufacturers to food handlers and consumers - should put in place safety measures. He advised the trade not to entertain orders beyond handling capacity. The trade should also comply with legal requirements, follow Good Manufacturing Practices, use permitted food additives in an appropriate manner, and check the quality of food and ingredients upon delivery.

     Furthermore, the spokesman advised food handlers and consumers to apply the following Five Keys to Food Safety when handling and preparing food:

Choose wisely
---------------
* Patronise reliable shops and select fresh and hygienic foods for hot pot ingredients;
* For prepackaged foods or soup bases, check whether the packaging is intact and if the selected foods are expired; and
* For online purchases, buy from reliable online shops with licences, and pay attention to the nature and potential risk associated with food items purchased online.

Keep clean
------------
* Observe good food, environmental and personal hygiene when preparing foods. All food ingredients must be thoroughly washed;
* Poultry meat, pork and beef should be washed and sliced into thin strips for easy cooking;
* For shellfish like scallops and geoduck, scrub the shells thoroughly and remove the internal organs;
* Before eating and handling food ingredients, wash hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds; and
* If there is a wound on the hand, cover it properly with a waterproof bandage or put on a glove before handling food.

Separate raw and cooked food
----------------------------------
* When shopping for hot pot ingredients, buy prepackaged foods first and raw meat, poultry and seafood last;
* When shopping for or delivering food, raw foods should be kept separately from other ready-to-eat foods or cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination; and
* Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process. Use separate sets of chopsticks and utensils with different appearances to handle raw and cooked foods, and avoid contact between raw and cooked foods on the table to prevent cross-contamination.

Cook thoroughly
------------------
* During the whole eating process, take thoroughly cooked food out of the pot only when the soup is boiling completely. Whenever water or soup is added to the pot, wait until it is boiling hot before adding food for cooking;
* Shrimps should be fully cooked until the shells turn red and the flesh turns white and opaque. Shellfish should be boiled until their shells open and boiled for a further three to five minutes afterwards. Shucked oysters should be cooked in the boiling water for at least three minutes before consumption;
* Do not consume cooked foods that are mixed with unpasteurized raw eggs to prevent pathogenic or antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms; and
* Condiments such as soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chili and wasabi cannot kill bacteria or parasites that may be present in hot pot ingredients.

Safe temperature
--------------------
* Most hot pot ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius or below, while frozen foods should be stored in a freezer at -18 degrees C or below; and
* Do not thaw frozen foods at room temperature, as bacteria may multiply rapidly in food. It is preferable to defrost frozen foods in a refrigerator, microwave oven or under running water. Thawed foods should be cooked as soon as possible.

     "People should also pay attention to the amount of food consumed and follow a balanced diet when having hot pot meals. To reduce fat intake, it is preferable to choose a clear soup base as it contains less fat than bone, satay and mala soup bases. Eat vegetables first to fill oneself up and then meat to prevent overeating. Members of the public should also eat more vegetables with high dietary fibre and less fatty meats and animal offal, and use less sauce and condiments. If there are nutrition labels for hot pot products, make healthier food choices by referring to their nutritional contents and choosing those lower in fat, sodium and sugars," the spokesman said.

]]><![CDATA[International study shows Hong Kong students' outstanding performance in mathematics and science]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400235.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400235.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0800
TIMSS 2023, under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, is conducted every four years with the aim of studying students' performance in mathematics and science at Grade 4 (equivalent to Primary Four (P4) in Hong Kong) and Grade 8 (equivalent to Secondary Two (S2) in Hong Kong). More than 60 countries or regions participated in the study.

     The spokesman said, "Hong Kong students maintained a consistently high level of performance in mathematics. Their overall result was outstanding. Our P4 students ranked fourth with a score of 594, which significantly surpassed the international average of 503. Our S2 students maintained the fifth place with a score of 575, notably exceeding the international average of 478. Meanwhile, the proportions of P4 and S2 students reaching the advanced level of the international benchmark in mathematics were 38 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, well above the international median of 7 per cent in the two grade levels."

     Significant progress was seen among Hong Kong students in science, with P4 and S2 students showing a marked rise from 15th and 17th in the previous cycle to ninth and eighth in this cycle, scoring 545 and 528 respectively, significantly surpassing the international average of 494 and 478. Their proportions achieving the advanced level of the international benchmark in science were 17 per cent and 14 per cent respectively, exceeding the international median of 7 per cent and 6 per cent.

     The spokesman said, "Hong Kong students' outstanding performance in mathematics and science affirmed the teaching effectiveness of schools and teachers, as well as learning outcomes of students. To align with the national direction of invigorating the country through science and education, the EDB has been stepping up efforts to promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) education for all, for fun and for diversity to facilitate schools' creation of an atmosphere conducive to the learning of science, innovation and technology, enhance students' knowledge and skills in STEAM-related areas, and strengthen students' scientific investigation and problem-solving skills. In tandem, through continuously optimising the curriculum, strengthening teacher training in collaboration with various partners, organising STEAM learning activities beyond the classroom, as well as offering resource support for schools, the EDB nurtures students' interests and capabilities in learning science and technology from an early age, and enables students to develop their potential in innovation to foster future innovation and technology talent for our country and Hong Kong.

"The EDB will conduct an in-depth study of the results of TIMSS 2023 and continue to collaborate closely with different stakeholders to jointly and vigorously review the current learning and teaching measures, nurture students' interests, and strengthen learning and teaching effectiveness in order to enhance Hong Kong students' international competitiveness," the spokesman added.

     The background information and key statistics of TIMSS 2023 are in the Annex.]]><![CDATA[S for S to visit Shanghai and Hangzhou]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400199.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400199.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0800
     While in Shanghai, Mr Tang will meet leaders of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and visit the Hongqiao Border Control Point and Shanghai Customs College. In the afternoon on December 7, he will depart for Hangzhou, where he will meet and exchange views with leaders of the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department.

     Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on the evening of December 8. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk, will be the Acting Secretary for Security.]]><![CDATA[Special Mortgage Scheme for Uncompleted Residential Properties]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400466.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400466.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:50:41 +0800
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (December 4) issued guidelines to banks on the introduction of a one-off special scheme that allows for a relaxation of the supervisory requirements on the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio and debt servicing ratio (DSR) limit for property mortgage loans. The special scheme aims to provide flexibility for banks to assist homebuyers who bought uncompleted residential properties during 2021 to 2023 using stage payment plans to complete their property transactions.

     Official residential property prices fell by over 25 per cent from their peak three years ago. Some stage payment homebuyers of uncompleted residential properties may find the property valuation at the time of mortgage application to be lower than the purchase price, and hence face difficulty in securing extra funds for the down payment. Meanwhile, some banks have expressed to the HKMA their willingness to help these homebuyers in genuine hardship if the associated risk is manageable.

     After balancing various considerations, the HKMA considers that a one-off special scheme can be introduced to assist stage payment homebuyers who bought uncompleted residential properties during the peak of the property market, while continuing to ensure the proper risk management of banks' property mortgage lending business. Under this special scheme, banks may provide mortgage loans with a maximum LTV ratio of 80 per cent to eligible homebuyers and the DSR limit is adjusted to 60 per cent.

     The special scheme covers uncompleted residential properties for self-occupation where the provisional sale and purchase agreements were signed during the period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023 and the buyers had opted for stage payment plans, and the date of the mortgage application of the relevant property is today or subsequently. Furthermore, the property valuation at the time of mortgage application should be lower than the purchase price.

     As the mortgage terms offered by each bank may differ, eligible applicants who have any needs or questions are advised to enquire with banks that are offering such special scheme as soon as possible.

     On many past occasions, the HKMA has reminded prospective buyers of uncompleted residential properties to be mindful of the risk of failing to complete the property transaction if they opt for stage payment plans. The above-mentioned special scheme is a one-off exceptional arrangement for stage payment homebuyers who bought uncompleted properties during the property market peak in recent years and have difficulty in securing extra funds for the down payment. Banks are still required to conduct their property mortgage business prudently.

     The HKMA would once again like to remind prospective buyers wishing to opt for stage payment plans that, if the market value of the uncompleted residential property falls below the purchase price, banks will use the property valuation at the time of mortgage application to calculate the mortgage loan amount. As a result, the loan amount approved by the bank may be lower than originally planned and buyers must bear the related risks if they are unable to secure extra funds for the down payment. The public should carefully assess their own affordability and prudently manage the financial risks involved when making property purchase decisions and selecting the payment plan.]]><![CDATA[LCQ6: Promoting Shenzhen-Hong Kong marine economy]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400408.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400408.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:50:00 +0800
Question:

     This year's Policy Address has proposed to continue to take forward the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries, which includes the development of deep sea mariculture at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi and Mirs Bay new fish culture zones and the promotion of leisure farming and fisheries. There is also a plan for the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong Eco-recreation/tourism Circle in the Northern Metropolis. Besides, the Shenzhen Ocean Development Plan (2023-2035) published by Shenzhen last year has proposed coordination between Shenzhen and Hong Kong on the protection and utilisation of natural resources around Mirs Bay sea areas, islands, etc. There are views that great opportunities are present for Shenzhen-Hong Kong co-operation in promoting the marine economy in Mirs Bay, alongside the potential for building a blue granary there. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government co-management and co-operation on marine ecology conservation, modernised aquaculture and scientific research, etc. in relation to fishery development in Mirs Bay; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will engage in discussion with the Shenzhen Municipal Government on the development of Mirs Bay into a blue granary;

(2) regarding the establishment of the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong Eco-‍recreation/tourism Circle, of the progress of co-operation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government on tourism, bioindustries, marine industries, etc.; and

(3) whether it has promoted mutual co-operation among industries, scientific research institutions and higher education institutions in Shenzhen and Hong Kong in areas such as basic marine scientific research and higher education; if so, of the details; if not, how the Government will foster such co-operation?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, and the Education Bureau, my reply to the question of Professor the Hon William Wong is as follows:

(1) The Government has been working closely with Shenzhen on the conservation of the marine ecology of Mirs Bay and the development of the new fish culture zone in the area, with a view to creating synergy between the development in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

     For the conservation of marine ecology, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have maintained communication and co-operation through the Mirs Bay and Deep Bay (Shenzhen Bay) Areas Environmental Management Special Panel that is jointly established by the Environmental Protection Department and the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality. The collaboration focuses on protecting the water environment of Mirs Bay and achieving the goals for sustainable development through communication and co-operation on the provision of sewage collection system and enhancement of sewage treatment facilities. With the concerted efforts of both governments, the water quality of Mirs Bay has been good. This is crucial for the conservation of marine ecology, particularly for hard corals in the northeastern waters of Hong Kong, including Kat O, Yan Chau Tong, Lai Chi Wo, and Tung Ping Chau.

     To promote deep sea mariculture, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has designated a new fish culture zone at Mirs Bay with an area of approximately 400 hectares, encouraging fishermen to use steel truss cages or other types of deep-sea cages at the new fish culture zone, in order to increase mariculture production and value by adopting a modernised mode of operation. Meanwhile, the AFCD has maintained a close working relationship with Shenzhen Municipality and trade organisations in fisheries development through regular communication and visits with, for instance, the Ocean Development Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Hong Kong and Macao Floating Fishermen Business Office as well as Hong Kong and Macao Floating Fishermen Association of the Shenzhen Municipality, and actively promoting technical exchanges and communications between fishermen in Hong Kong and Shenzhen through organising various training courses or visits.

     Hong Kong and Shenzhen also collaborate to enhance aquatic biodiversity and fisheries resources. For instance, for "National Fish Releasing Day" next year, Hong Kong and Shenzhen are planning to conduct a joint-restocking activity at the neighboring waters in Mirs Bay. We will continue to deepen our co-operation with Shenzhen in relation to the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and fisheries resources.

     In addition, the AFCD worked with Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University to explore technical collaborations on aquaculture technology and conducted reciprocal visits and exchanges. The AFCD, Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium and trade representatives made a visit to Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University in January 2024 and conducted discussion sessions on topics including breeding and trading of marine life and marine ranches. They also visited the breeding base of the Institute and the Mirs Bay National Marine Ranch Workstation to explore the direction of future co-operation.

(2) In respect of tourism, through the Working Group for Sha Tau Kok Co-operation Zone jointly established by the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments under the Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau has indicated that, under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits, it will work together with the Shenzhen side to promote cultural tourism co-operation in Sha Tau Kok based on the principles of "low density, high quality" and through enriching its historical and cultural elements, thereby fostering the tourism development in Sha Tau Kok.

     Leveraging the opportunities brought by the designation of Robin's Nest Country Park in March this year as the 25th country park in Hong Kong by the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the AFCD and the Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen have signed the Cooperative Framework Agreement for the Enhancement of Wutong Mountain (Shenzhen) - Robin's Nest (Hong Kong) Ecological Corridor, to cooperatively strengthen the protection of natural habitats with high ecological values at the boundary of two places. Besides, the Countryside Conservation Office will promote new in-depth eco-tour experience by integrating culture characteristics of countryside villages, which includes the organisation of island hopping tour(s) under the theme of "Sound-Sight-Taste" at Kuk Po in Sha Tau Kok early next year to enhance public awareness of nature conservation, facilitate urban-rural symbiosis and generate economic benefits.

(3) The Government attaches great importance to scientific research exchanges and has been enhancing Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem for different technology areas (including marine technology) through a number of measures in terms of funding, support for start-ups, infrastructure and talents.

     As indicated by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, there are 16 State Key Laboratories (SKL) in Hong Kong, one of which is SKL of Marine Pollution. The Laboratory is committed to collaborating with scientific research teams in the Mainland and other regions to conduct innovative research, particularly in the areas of pollution monitoring and control, environmental risk assessment, ecosystem response to stressors and ecological restoration, and to contribute to the protection and management of the marine environment and generate positive societal impact. The Innovation and Technology Commission also provides funding through the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU) to six designated universities to support their teams in starting technology businesses and commercialising their research and development (R&D) results. Some of the TSSSU-funded start-ups engage in R&D projects on marine technology and undertake part of the R&D activities in the Mainland. In addition, the public R&D Centres will continue to drive technological development in different areas (including marine technology) through interactions with the Mainland, especially the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area.

     On education, the Education Bureau has indicated that the University Grants Committee-funded universities have all along been able to flexibly offer different programmes and conduct researches having regard to their roles and positioning as well as market demands. These universities have offered marine science-related programmes in recent years to nurture more marine science and research talents. In addition, the Government endeavours to drive, facilitate and encourage higher education co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially on scientific research collaborations, with a view to complementing each other's advantages and proactively leveraging Hong Kong's function as an international innovation and technology centre.

Thank you.]]><![CDATA[Launching ceremony of Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge 2024/25 held today (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400416.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400416.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:44:00 +0800
     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said in a video speech that with the completion of the local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law, the newly enacted SNSO has achieved compatibility and complementarity with the NSL, together forming a comprehensive legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security. He expressed his expectation that through participating in the Challenge, students could gain a deeper and correct understanding of the Constitution and the Basic Law and strengthen their knowledge of the holistic view of national security, the NSL and the SNSO, thereby enhancing their awareness of upholding civic responsibility and obligation in safeguarding national security.

     Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that safeguarding national security is a legal responsibility and that it is the duty of all Hong Kong citizens to respect and abide by national security laws. He said he is glad to see that young and energetic students are eager to pursue knowledge of national security and hopes they can stay enthusiastic, keep learning and contribute their efforts to building a safe and stable city. The DoJ will continue supporting the rule of law education to rally efforts to safeguard national security.

     Also officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, said that the Security Bureau attaches great importance to national security education for young people. New elements have been included in this year's Challenge, such as expanding the knowledge content to cover the SNSO, setting up an English section for non-Chinese speaking secondary school students for the first time, and arranging for final competitions to be held at a shopping mall to bring the message of national security to the community. In the coming year, the Security Bureau will continue to enhance publicity and promotion of national security education to cultivate the concept of "security brings prosperity" in the community.

     Addressing the ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said she believes that the competition could enhance students' understanding of the rule of law and national affairs as well as their awareness and sense of responsibility in safeguarding national security while reinforcing their sense of patriotism, belonging to and pride towards the country. She also expressed her gratitude to the schools for their active support for students to participate in the competition, showing the importance the schools have attached to the promotion of national security education.

     The Challenge is conducted in the form of a quiz. In addition to primary school and secondary school sections, an English section was set up for the first time for non-Chinese speaking secondary school students. The Challenge has attracted a total of more than 126 000 primary and secondary students from 610 schools to participate in the competitions - an increase of over 20 per cent in participants compared to last year. After fierce competitions, nine schools advanced to the finals. They will compete for the crown on National Security Education Day on April 15 next year.

     Highlights of the launching ceremony and the Challenge will be broadcast at 10.30pm on Sundays starting from December 8 until April 20 next year on the programme "Our Home Our Country" on HOY Infotainment. The programme also includes a series of national security animations featuring "Andy and Security Bear" produced by the Security Bureau, along with other national security knowledge presented by "Andy and Security Bear" to deepen public understanding of national security concepts.

]]><![CDATA[Import of poultry meat and products from Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan suspended]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400446.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400446.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:25:00 +0800
     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 2 000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 227.42 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first nine months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Japanese authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.]]><![CDATA[Tender results of 15-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400437.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400437.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:19:00 +0800
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced that a tender for 15-year HKD institutional Government Bonds (issue number 15GB3912001) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme was held today (December 4).

     A total of HK$0.5 billion 15-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of HK$2.264 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 4.53. The average price accepted is 101.79, implying an annualised yield of 3.627 per cent.

HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Results

     Tender results of 15-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:

Tender Date	:	December 4, 2024
Issue Number	:	15GB3912001
Stock Code	:	4287 (HKGB 3.75 3912)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	December 5, 2024
Tenor	:	15 years
Maturity Date	:	December 5, 2039
Coupon Rate	:	3.75 per cent
Amount Applied	:	HK$2.264 billion
Amount Allotted	:	HK$0.5 billion
Bid-to-Cover Ratio*	:	4.53
Average Price Accepted (Yield)	:	101.79 (3.627 per cent)
Lowest Price Accepted (Yield)	:	101.30 (3.670 per cent)
Pro-rata Ratio	:	About 10 per cent
Average Tender Price (Yield)	:	98.94 (3.881 per cent)

* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.]]><![CDATA[Inspection of aquatic products imported from Japan]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400443.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400443.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:18:00 +0800
For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.

As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.

From noon on December 3 to noon today (December 4), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 133 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).

From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 103 514 samples of food imported from Japan (including 66 732 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 23 314 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.]]><![CDATA[Tender results of 5-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400430.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400430.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:11:02 +0800
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced that a tender for 5-year HKD institutional Government Bonds (issue number 05GB2912001) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme was held today (December 4).

     A total of HK$3.0 billion 5-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of HK$9.734 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 3.24. The average price accepted is 100.35, implying an annualised yield of 3.179 per cent.

HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Results

     Tender results of 5-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:

Tender Date	:	December 4, 2024
Issue Number	:	05GB2912001
Stock Code	:	4284 (HKGB 3.23 2912)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	December 5, 2024
Tenor	:	5 years
Maturity Date	:	December 5, 2029
Coupon Rate	:	3.23 per cent
Amount Applied	:	HK$9.734 billion
Amount Allotted	:	HK$3.0 billion
Bid-to-Cover Ratio*	:	3.24
Average Price Accepted (Yield)	:	100.35 (3.179 per cent)
Lowest Price Accepted (Yield)	:	100.03 (3.249 per cent)
Pro-rata Ratio	:	About 32 per cent
Average Tender Price (Yield)	:	99.15 (3.445 per cent)

* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.]]><![CDATA[LCQ4: Planning of Cross Harbour Tunnel Toll Plaza]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400415.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400415.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:08:00 +0800
Question:

     There are views that the Cross Harbour Tunnel (CHT) Toll Plaza is strategically located. With the huge pedestrian and vehicular flows brought about by urban development, the planning and design of the CHT Toll Plaza should also keep abreast of the times to improve the environment of the Hung Hom district and optimise the use of land resources. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Government has indicated that the released spaces from the CHT Toll Plaza will be used to tie in with the development of the neighbouring areas in the long run, whether the Government has formulated long-term development strategies and carried out greening and transformation in respect of the CHT Toll Plaza; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as it is learnt that a research team from an educational institution has suggested constructing a landscape podium at the CHT Toll Plaza, whether the Government has assessed the feasibility of the suggestion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether the Government has plans to reshape the Hung Hom district in accordance with the principle of "single site, multiple use", so as to optimise the redevelopment space of the CHT Toll Plaza and the waterfront resources of the Victoria Harbour, such as developing the district into a tourist hotspot or leisure area?

Reply:

President,

The HKeToll, a free-flow tolling service, has been smoothly implemented at all government-tolled tunnels and the Tsing Sha Control Area. Thanks to the cooperation and support of the members of the public, the overall operation of the HKeToll at all tunnels has been smooth. The HKeToll brings convenience to motorists, and provides the necessary infrastructure for the implementation of time-varying tolls at the three road-harbour crossings, allowing members of the public to experience the convenience of smart mobility.

     Having consulted the Development Bureau and the Transport Department (TD), my reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows:

(1) With the implementation of the HKeToll at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel (CHT) since July last year, coupled with the implementation of time-varying tolls at the three road-harbour crossings since December last year, the traffic at tunnel entrances and exits on the Kowloon side of the CHT has been smoother than before. The Highways Department has completed the demolition works of all toll booths, toll islands and toll plaza shelters in the CHT. The TD will make use of the released spaces to accommodate traffic management and road safety needs through straightening the road alignment, with a view to further rationalising the traffic at tunnel entrances and exits on the Kowloon side of the CHT. The relevant works are expected to be completed in early 2025. The TD will continue to review the future traffic condition of the road section and the spaces available, and proactively consider how to complement the development of the neighbouring areas, such as the study mentioned below, and improve the traffic and cross-harbour bus service.

(2) and (3) As proposed in the 2023 Policy Address (PA), in order to revitalise the Hung Hom Station and nearby sites, the Government invited the MTRCL (MTR Corporation Limited) at the end of last year to conduct a study to re-plan and develop around 10 hectares of land covering the Hung Hom Station and the railway facility sites in the vicinity, as well as the waterfront and the former pier facility sites to the south of the Hong Kong Coliseum. The study aims at modernising the supporting facilities for the Hung Hom Station, releasing commercial and residential floor space, and creating a vibrant harbourfront. Having regard to the re-planning of the nearby areas as mentioned above, the study will also explore ways to enhance the pedestrian connectivity between Hung Hom and Tsim Sha Tsui East, as well as improve the waiting environment of the bus stops at the CHT. In addition, the 2024 PA further proposed making use of the waterfront site in the vicinity of the Hung Hom Station as covered under the aforementioned study for promoting yacht tourism. To this end, the Government will invite the private sector to explore their interest in constructing and operating yacht berthing facilities. In order to provide diversified travelling experiences, the proposed yacht berthing facilities will not be standalone yacht club facilities. Instead, it will be developed together with land-based facilities for food and beverages, entertainment and retail. The aforementioned study currently being conducted by the MTRCL is heading in this direction. The MTRCL will submit its proposal to the Government by the end of this year.

     We note that the research team of the PolyU (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) once suggested constructing a green deck of about 30 000 square metres over the former toll plaza of the CHT. According to PolyU’s design scheme, the deck proposed is sizable, covering the entire former toll plaza of the CHT. The deck has three main levels, offering a total floor area of approximately 45 000 square meters. In addition to green spaces, the project also includes commercial elements, including retail, dining, and exhibition areas. The project also contains proposals relating to multi-purpose community arts spaces and improvement to the bus waiting environment.

     Out of technical considerations, costs of works and other reasons, we have not included in any substantial way PolyU’s original idea regarding the green deck in our invitation to the MTRCL for conducting the abovementioned re-planning study. That being said, we have in fact incorporated some of the visions as proposed by PolyU's research team into the re-planning study. These include, for example, the provision of more green spaces, activity venues and better cross-harbour bus waiting environment for the public; as well as the enhancement of the connectivity and pedestrian accessibility between the hinterland in Hung Hom and the harbourfront area as well as Tsim Sha Tsui East respectively. We have asked the MTRCL to propose measures with such objectives in mind, which would be technically feasibility and cost-effective, in a bid to re-brand Hung Hom into a new and well-connected landmark for leisure and tourism.

     Thank you, President.]]><![CDATA[Secondary School Profiles 2024/2025 to be released on December 5]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400226.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400226.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0800
      The Committee on Home-School Co-operation (CHSC) will release the online version (in Chinese and English) of the Secondary School Profiles 2024/2025 tomorrow (December 5). Primary schools will distribute printed copies of the Profiles to parents of Primary Six students of the current school year.

      The Profiles cover basic information on more than 400 local secondary schools including school mission, school facilities, teaching staff information, class structure, subjects offered, student support as well as learning and teaching plan such as language policies. The information is provided and verified by individual schools, reflecting their status as at September 2024.

      Apart from essential school information, the Profiles include a "Message from CHSC Chairman", which outlines the key points for choosing schools to help parents select a suitable school for their children.

     Schools can update the online version of the Profiles whenever necessary, so that parents can obtain the latest school information.

      The public can access the online version of the Profiles on the Secondary School Profiles webpage (www.chsc.hk/secondary/en). Printed copies will be available for public reference at District Offices, public libraries and Regional Education Offices of the Education Bureau (EDB).

      For enquiries, please call the EDB's Regional Education Offices (Hong Kong: 2863 4646; Kowloon: 3698 4108; New Territories East: 2639 4876; and New Territories West: 2437 7272) or the CHSC Secretariat at 3698 4376.
]]><![CDATA[Effective Exchange Rate Index]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400154.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400154.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:50:00 +0800<![CDATA[DH's operation "Thunderstone" combats illegal sale of alternative smoking products (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400413.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400413.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:45:00 +0800
     Through in-depth investigations, officers of TACO yesterday conducted an operation by posing as customers to contact people suspected of selling ASPs illegally. In the operation, a batch of 1 200 suspected ASPs and a batch of 1 200 suspected dutiable cigarettes were seized. Officers initiated an investigation against two 35-year-old males for suspecting of selling ASPs and possessing ASPs for commercial purposes. Charges will be laid against offender(s) when sufficient evidence is found regarding the sale of ASPs. The DH will also refer the suspected violation of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) to the relevant enforcement department for investigation.

     The Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) prohibits the promotion, manufacture, sale and possession for commercial purposes of ASPs. Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     A spokesman for the DH said that the department will continue to take stringent enforcement action. The spokesman also cautioned against the use of any ASPs and stressed that these products contain amounts of nicotine similar to those of conventional cigarettes in order to sustain addiction. In addition, health hazards of long-term exposure to these new products are unknown. The Government appeals to smokers to quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. They are encouraged to call the DH's Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline on 1833 183. The hotline is operated by registered nurses and provides professional counselling services on smoking cessation. Information on smoking cessation can also be obtained from www.livetobaccofree.hk.

]]><![CDATA[LCQ15: Rents of shop premises under the Hong Kong Housing Authority]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400261.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400261.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:45:00 +0800
Question:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) began to offer rent concessions to its eligible non-domestic tenants in October 2019, and the relevant measure ended at the end of last year. It is learnt that since the resumption of paying the original rents early this year, many tenants of shop premises chose to close down due to a plunge in their businesses, and many gave up renewing their tenancies as the rents remained unaffordable even with the offer of rent reductions during tenancy renewal negotiations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of shop premises in various housing estates under HA due for renewal and the proportion of successful renewals in the past six months, together with a breakdown by trade;

(2) of the number and percentage of shop premises offered with rent reductions during tenancy renewal negotiations, the respective percentages of rent reductions offered to such shop premises, as well as the proportion of successful renewals in the past six months, together with a breakdown by trade;

(3) of the number of shop premises in various housing estates under HA due for renewal in the coming six months;

(4) of the basis or calculation mechanism adopted by HA for determining the rents of shop premises for tenancy renewal; and

(5) whether HA will consider formulating a rent adjustment mechanism to review and adjust the rents for shop premises with tenancies that have not been expired during economic downturn or when tenants meet with operating difficulties?

Reply:

President,

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has sustained its attention to the leasing status of its commercial premises, and has been actively introducing different trades of goods and services to provide convenience to residents in shopping. As at end of September 2024, the overall vacancy rate of the HA's commercial premises was 3.95 per cent, which was relatively ideal compared with that of about 6.8 per cent in the private sector in the third quarter. In many of the HA's shopping centres, such as Ching Long Shopping Centre, On Tat Shopping Centre, JoysMark, and Ying Tung Shopping Centre, most of the commercial premises, if not all, have been leased out to provide residents with diversified shopping choices and services.

     The HA adopts a comprehensive leasing strategy for letting its vacant commercial premises, including making marketing efforts and proactively approaching potential tenants from different trades that meet the needs of residents, with a view to introducing suitable trades to the estates. This diversification of tenants' trades enhances the chance of leasing out the vacant premises. Besides, the HA has established a hotline and posted QR codes at its shopping centres to provide leasing information on its commercial premises, allowing potential tenants from different trades to directly access tendering information. Recently, several commercial premises located at Shui Chuen O Shopping Centre, Hoi Lai Shopping Centre, and On Kay Commercial Centre have been successfully let out after such diversification of trades, reflecting the favourable effects of the above comprehensive leasing strategy.

     In the past half year (i.e. the 6 months from April to September 2024), the HA successfully leased out around 130 commercial premises, reflecting the keen market demand for the HA's commercial premises. In fact, the HA's shopping centres, which offer a stable business environment and customer base, are consistently popular among tenants. The HA had recently invited tenders for the leasing of two vacant shops in Kai Long Court and Choi Ying Place, and 26 and 10 tenders were received respectively. Both shops have been successfully let out, and this reflected the strong interest from tenderers and their keen demand for the HA's premises. In addition, the HA has also launched the innovative "Well Being·Start-Up" Programme (the Programme) under its shopping centres, offering premises for free for seven months for young people to trial their business plans, with a view to encouraging and supporting them in pursuit of their entrepreneurial dreams. The Programme has been well received since its launch, with about 180 applications received. Currently, the selected 17 teams are operating in different shopping centres under the HA. We hope to leverage the vitality and innovative ideas of the youth to provide residents with a more diversified choice of products and shopping experience, attract more visitors to the shopping centres and achieve a win-win situation for both residents and tenants.

     The Housing Department's reply to the question raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong is as follows:

(1) to (4) In the past half year (i.e. the 6 months from April to September 2024), over 250 tenants successfully renewed their tenancies, accounting for 82 per cent of the tenants whose tenancies were due for renewal. The breakdown of the shops concerned by trade type is set out below:

	Trade	Successful Renewal Cases
1	Food and Beverage	41
2	Merchandise Retails	116
3	Service Industries	96

     In the coming half year (from December 2024 to May 2025), about 310 tenancies of shops under the HA will expire, and the HA is striving to liaise with each of the tenants on the tenancy renewal arrangements. In arranging for the renewal of shop tenancies, the HA will re-assess the rent for each case according to its prevailing market value with reference to the latest market situation and rental information of comparable lettings in the HA as well as the private property market. The HA will also take into account other relevant factors which affect rental values, such as the location, the trade in operation, as well as the size and pedestrian flow of the premises, etc. The HA will also liaise with tenants on the rent upon tenancy renewal in a pragmatic manner, with a view to reaching a consensus on the tenancy renewal as soon as possible so as to avoid bringing any inconvenience to residents.

(5) The HA lets out its commercial premises according to business principles, and assesses the rental amount based on the prevailing market value. In general, commercial premises are let out by way of invitation of tenders, and potential tenants submit bids based on their own business strategy. Once the tender is awarded, the successful tenderer is required to, throughout the tenancy period, pay monthly rent according to the tender submitted. While the HA understands the difficulty faced by tenants in times of economic downturn, it is necessary to uphold the fairness of the tendering system. It would be unfair to the unsuccessful tenderers if the tenant requests rent concession due to unexpected business situations or other reasons. To safeguard the fairness of the tendering system, the rent is therefore set to remain unchanged during the tenancy period. Nevertheless, the HA will re-assess the rental amount upon tenancy renewal based on the prevailing market value and liaise with the tenants in a pragmatic manner. Reasonable adjustments have been made to the rent for individual tenants upon re-assessment for tenancy renewal. Tenants may also approach their estate offices to express their views on and discuss the new rental amount for tenancy renewal. The HA will continue to keep in view the economic situation as well as relevant measures of the Government, and provide appropriate assistance to the HA's tenants where necessary.]]><![CDATA[LCQ14: Promoting living and working in same district]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400396.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400396.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:40:44 +0800
Question:

     There are views that unbalanced district development in the past has resulted in a large number of residents of New Territories districts having to travel across districts for employment, with some of them commuting for as long as three hours every day, and the increase in residents' travelling expenses and commuting time is not conducive to their physical and mental health as well as work-life balance. As regards promoting living and working in the same district, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics respectively on the home-job ratios and the proportions of residents taking up cross-district employment in the 18 districts across the territory;

(2) given the Government's replanning of Tuen Mun West Area (including Lung Kwu Tan) and development of the Northern Metropolis (including Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area), whether it has estimated to what level such development will raise the home-job ratios in the Tuen Mun District, Yuen Long District and North District;

(3) as the Government has indicated in the Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 that it will cease using coal for daily electricity generation by 2035, and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited has also indicated in the 2022 Sustainability Report that older coal-fired generation units at the Castle Peak A Power Station will be retired in the next few years, how the Government will make use of the site of the Castle Peak Power Station to raise the home-job ratio in the district; and

(4) of the current progress of the revitalisation and re-industrialisation of the industrial areas in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long; whether the relevant revitalisation measures will tie in with the development of new quality productive forces, and whether it has estimated the number of additional employment places that can be created?

Reply:

President,

     In Hong Kong, industrial and commercial development in traditional urban areas is relatively more mature, leading to the concentration of more job positions in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It remains commonplace that citizens residing in the New Territories need to commute to urban areas for work. In planning the long-term development of Hong Kong, it is one of our visions to improve home-job balance. To this end, in the final report of "Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030" (Hong Kong 2030+) promulgated in 2021, the Government proposed introducing more land for different types of economic use in New Development Areas (NDAs) such as the Northern Metropolis through strategic land use planning, with a view to fostering development of industries and creating job opportunities. We will also provide residential housing within such NDAs to bring jobs closer to homes, thereby reducing the commuting time and improving the quality of life for workers.

     My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) According to the statistics of the Census and Statistics Department, as of mid-2023, approximately 55 per cent (around 1 900 000 persons) of the overall labour force of Hong Kong reside in the New Territories. However, only about 32 per cent (around 860 000 persons) of the employed persons in Hong Kong work in the New Territories. The figures on labour force and employed persons across 18 districts of Hong Kong are shown at Annex. The Government does not maintain data on how residents take up cross-district employment.

(2) As a direction set out in the final report of Hong Kong 2030+ mentioned above, the Government will strive to make available more industry sites and create more job opportunities in the course of taking forward the development of various NDAs in the New Territories. Taking the Northern Metropolis as an example, one of the development targets is to achieve "industry-driven planning and better home-job balance". The Government expects that around 500 000 new jobs will be created upon the completion of the whole Northern Metropolis. We believe the new job opportunities will help reduce the need for residents of the relevant districts to commute across districts for work and promote home-job balance. For instance, the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA located in the western part of the Northern Metropolis, together with the Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long South NDA and Lau Fau Shan, Tsim Bei Tsui and Pak Nai (Lau Fau Shan) areas, are positioned as the high-end professional services and logistics hub of the Northern Metropolis. NDAs not only could provide a considerable number of public and private housing units to address the current shortage of housing supply, but could also provide commercial and industry sites for development of finance, professional services and logistics services, etc., thereby facilitating economic development and job creation. On the other hand, new railway and major road infrastructure being planned in accordance with development of NDAs will also improve the overall traffic and commuting situation for residents.

     In addition, we are conducting a planning and engineering study for Lung Kwu Tan reclamation and the re-planning of Tuen Mun West area, with a view to developing high value-added economic industries such as high-end green technology industries, advanced construction industry and modern logistics parks. It is anticipated that new job opportunities will be created in Tuen Mun district, in turn further promoting home-job balance within the district. The study will also propose improvement measures based on the traffic demand of the proposed development, which include exploring the feasibility of widening Lung Mun Road which connects Lung Kwu Tan and Tuen Mun West areas to Tuen Mun town centre, and constructing a new road within the Lung Kwu Tan reclamation area, so as to improve the local and external transport connectivity for facilitating people who work within or outside the area. We plan to consult the relevant stakeholders on the land use proposals for this area in the first half of next year.

(3) The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) states that the Government has announced in the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 the target to cease using coal for daily electricity generation by 2035, and to achieve the long-term target of net-zero electricity generation before 2050. Three of the four coal-fired generation units at the CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) Castle Peak A Power Station have already been retired in or before 2024, while the remaining coal-fired generation unit is expected to be repurposed for emergency backup or retired in the coming few years. The EEB understands that the CLP would start the demolition works as early as 2027 and thereafter the works are expected to be completed in phases within about five to six years. The Government will discuss the long-term arrangement for the site with the CLP in due course.

(4) The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau indicates that the Government has put in place various measures to promote new industrialisation and to allow traditional manufacturing industries to upgrade and transform their operations through technology. These measures aim to enhance production efficiency, improve competitiveness of corporates, and inject new momentum into the development of Hong Kong's economy. On promotion of new-industrialisation, we expect that facilities such as light weight workshop and co-working space in the Microelectronics Centre in Yuen Long InnoPark, will be made available by end 2024 for tenants to move in gradually in a bid to promote the development of microelectronics.

     The Development Bureau has all along encouraged the industry to revitalise old industrial buildings (IBs). The 2024 Policy Address has announced the extension of various measures under the Revitalisation Scheme for Industrial Buildings to the end of 2027, with a view to continuing to encourage redevelopment and conversion of aged IBs. Since the measures were rolled out in 2018, the Town Planning Board has approved a total of 71 applications for relaxation of plot ratio (up to 20 per cent) for redevelopment of IBs, including three cases with IBs situated in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long districts. Extension of the measures facilitates better utilisation of existing IBs in various districts and fosters economic development.]]><![CDATA[LCQ17: Developing visitor sources from Middle East and ASEAN]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400228.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400228.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:35:00 +0800
Question:

     The Chief Executive has proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to develop visitor sources from the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In addition, many organisations in the community have recently proposed to further develop Hong Kong into a Muslim-friendly tourist city to attract tourists from the Middle East and ASEAN regions. Such proposals include allocating resources to introduce a subsidy scheme for Halal-certified restaurants (the Subsidy Scheme) and encouraging hotels to strive to become Muslim-friendly hotels. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the authorities will allocate additional resources to assist restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions, etc. in obtaining Muslim-‍related certification, thereby making Hong Kong a Muslim-‍friendly tourist city; if so, of the details;

(2) apart from allocating additional resources, whether the authorities will introduce new measures, such as the Subsidy Scheme, and encouraging more restaurants and hotels to become Muslim-friendly restaurants and hotels, so as to attract more Muslim tourists to visit Hong Kong; if so, of the details;

(3) as regards Muslim tourists from regions such as the Middle East and ASEAN, whether the authorities have plans to conduct further publicity and promotion in the future, so as to make Hong Kong their premier tourism destination; if so, of the details; and

(4) in respect of high-spending Muslim tourists, whether the Government will introduce measures or encourage the tourism, hotel or catering sectors to launch high-end tourism products or mega event packages, etc., to attract them to visit Hong Kong; if so, of the details (including what new plans are in place)?

Reply:

President,

     The Chief Executive has announced in his 2024 Policy Address that the Government will develop visitor sources from the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), actively encourage various sectors of the community to enhance tourism-support measures for creating a friendly environment for visitors. The Middle East and ASEAN markets have large population of Muslims. We will actively encourage various sectors of the community to enhance Muslim-friendly tourism-support measures, including compiling a list of restaurants offering halal food; encouraging more commercial establishments to provide appropriate facilities, such as worship facilities in hotels; and stepping up staff training to strengthen their knowledge on receiving visitors from different cultural backgrounds. At the same time, we will continue to step up promotions in Muslim source markets to attract more Muslim visitors to Hong Kong.

     In respect of the question raised by the Hon Vincent Cheng, in consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the reply is as follows:

(1) and (2) The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) have been promoting Hong Kong to become a Muslim-friendly travel destination. CrescentRating, an internationally recognised halal travel certification authority, was commissioned to assess hotels, attractions and meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) venues based on categories and standards on par with international benchmarks while taking into account Hong Kong's actual situations. So far, more than 40 hotels, attractions and MICE venues have successfully applied for and been awarded the rating from CrescentRating. For restaurants, the HKTB works with local Halal certification authority, Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong, to promote the existing accreditations in the city and encourage food and beverage establishments to apply for certification. The number of certified restaurants has increased from about 100 at the beginning of the year to more than 130. Recently, a high-end establishment became Hong Kong's first fine-dining Chinese restaurant to receive Halal-friendly certification, providing Muslim visitors with more of the city's premier cuisine.

     In respect of training, the HKTB invites tourism industry partners to participate in briefings and training sessions, while encouraging them to pursue Muslim-friendly rating and promoting Halal accreditations for restaurants. This helps them understand the dining, accommodation, attraction, and MICE facility requirements for visitors from the Middle East and ASEAN countries. Through obtaining rating or certification, the trade can enhance their service standards to better cater for visitors from these regions.

     We have been encouraging different tourist attractions to continue to improve supporting facilities, especially Muslim supporting facilities, to create a more friendly environment for visitors. The HKTB has been providing assistance throughout the rating assessment by CrescentRating, including registration and certification procedures. For example, Ngong Ping 360 (NP360) and Ocean Park were awarded a Rating of Accredited Attraction – Gold, by CrescentRating, in recognition of their efforts in creating a Muslim-friendly environment for visitors. NP360 has set up prayer rooms at Ngong Ping Village, equipped with prayer garments for ladies, prayer mats, Quran, Tasbih and other prayer amenities for use. Besides, ablution facilities and water-friendly washrooms are also available at Ngong Ping Village. A Halal restaurant can also be found in Ngong Ping Village to provide dining option for Muslim visitors to enhance their travel experience. For Ocean Park, there is a newly set-up prayer room with better equipment, and Halal-certified restaurants for Muslim visitors. Besides, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has a Halal-certified restaurant and a Quiet Room inside the Park, while Halal-certified menus are also available at hotel restaurants. The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal will also set up a prayer room for use by visitors early next year.

     Besides, the Transport and Logistics Bureau advised that they would help encourage the Airport Authority Hong Kong and taxi fleets to provide service information in Arabic.

     The Government will continue to adopt diversified strategies to develop visitor sources from the Middle East and the ASEAN, promote Hong Kong to become a Muslim-friendly travel destination, and attract more Muslim visitors to Hong Kong.

(3) We leverage different channels to attract Muslim visitors to Hong Kong, including a webpage dedicated to Muslim visitors on HKTB's DiscoverHongKong.com website, which consolidates travel information on food, accommodation, prayer facilities, cultural experiences and activities suitable for Muslim visitors. Contents will be constantly updated with the latest information to ensure visitors and the trade can keep abreast of Hong Kong's latest offerings. The webpage is available in 4 languages, i.e. English, Malay, Indonesian and Arabic.

     We have launched a series of promotional campaigns targeting countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, to attract more visitors to come to Hong Kong, including:

(i) Leading the largest trade delegation ever to the Middle East, with over 30 Hong Kong trade representatives from travel agencies, attractions and hotels to the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. This premier travel trade exhibition provided a platform for establishing networks with trade partners from the Middle East and exploring collaboration opportunities;

(ii) Signing Memorandums of Understanding with Emirates Airlines, the region's leading carrier, and Dnata Travel Group, a top online travel agency in the Middle East, to collaboratively promote Hong Kong as a preferred destination for Middle East visitors;

(iii) Launching a new premium travel guide – "Travel in Luxe．Hong Kong", showcasing high-end tourism experiences across four main themes: arts and culture, Hong Kong exploration, family experiences and exclusive concierge services;

(iv) Organising familiarisation trips for Middle East travel trade and media representatives to experience Hong Kong's diverse tourism offerings firsthand; and

(v) Conducting promotional activities in Saudi Arabia with Hong Kong trade representatives, capitalising on the relaunch of direct flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh of Saudi Arabia in late October this year to intensify marketing efforts.

     As for Southeast Asia, we also joined hands with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province and the Macao Government Tourism Office to organise a promotional event for the Greater Bay Area tourism brand "Greater Bay Area – Connecting Great Experiences" in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event showcased the rich tourism resources in the Greater Bay Area to the Indonesian market and introduced Hong Kong's Muslim-friendly tourism offerings.

     Moving forward, we will continue to strengthen training for the trade and encourage them to join Muslim-friendly accreditations, while expanding promotions in Muslim source markets through social media and other channels. Additionally, more Muslim trade and media familiarisation visits will be organised to utilise their networks in positioning Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination.

(4) Hong Kong's tourism industry is mature with many travel agents in the market providing personalised themed itinerary planning and other services for high-spending clients. With reference to visitors' budget and preferences, travel agents tailor-make itineraries of different themes and contents, so as to provide tourists with high-quality travel experiences and attract high-spending Muslim visitors. For instance, to attract visitors having a preference in high-end tourism experiences and specially curated itineraries, the HKTB collaborated with the travel trade and launched in May this year a new guidebook "Travel in Luxe．Hong Kong" featuring a wide range of the city's distinctive lifestyle travel experiences. Some examples of these experiences include whole-venue blocked-out theme park exploration, VIP-exclusive interactions in attractions, accommodation in luxurious suites in star-rated hotels. The guidebook also introduces other exquisite services, which are of great interest to high-spending visitors, such as private jets, helicopters, yachts, VIP group reservation of the Peak Tram, exclusive shopping at luxury brand stores and more. The luxury travel experience guidebook enables high-spending Muslim visitors to plan their trip to Hong Kong. We will continue to adopt a multi-faceted strategy, including encouraging the trade to tailor high-end dining and travel experiences for Muslim visitors, to enrich their travel experience, extend their stay and increase their spending in Hong Kong.]]><![CDATA[LCQ7: Implementation progress of public works projects]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400392.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400392.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:12:00 +0800
Question:

     It is learnt that among the public works for which funding approval has been granted by the Finance Committee (FC) of this Council in the current financial year, the implementation progress of some projects has been slow, with works not formally commencing for a protracted period of time. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) in respect of the public works projects submitted individually to the FC for vetting and approval and granted funding approval, of the time taken in general from the closure of the tender exercise, approval of funding, to the actual commencement of works, as well as the administrative procedures involved and the time taken for the various procedures;

(2) in the past three years, whether the implementation time of any public works projects submitted individually to the FC for vetting and approval and granted funding approval exceeded the time generally required as mentioned in (1); if so, of the reasons for that;

(3) in each of the years from 2020 to 2023 and this year to date, (i) of the total number of projects for which funding approval has been granted by the FC for carrying out technical feasibility studies, detailed design and/or investigation for public works projects, and the total funding approved (excluding projects committed through block allocations under the Capital Works Reserve Fund), and (ii) among them, of the number of projects for which funding has been sought from the FC for the relevant construction works (set out in the table below); if there are projects for which funding approval has not yet been sought from the FC so far for carrying out the construction works, of the progress of each of such projects;

Year	(i)		(ii)
Year	Total number of projects	Total amount of funding	(ii)
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 to date

(4) of the annual estimated expenditure on works-related block allocations (i.e. Heads 702 to 709 and 711) approved under the Capital Works Reserve Fund in the past five financial years, as well as the actual expenditure as at the end of the financial years concerned (set out in a table); and

(5) of the total estimated annual expenditure on public works projects submitted individually to the FC and granted funding approval in the past five financial years, as well as the actual expenditure as at the end of the financial years concerned (set out in a table)?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has been implementing public works projects in a timely and orderly manner with a view to improving people's quality of living, enhancing the long-term competitiveness and promoting the economic development of Hong Kong. After securing funding from the Finance Committee (FC), depending on the scale of projects, they would be implemented in phases through different works contracts. In addition, the Government has issued internal guidelines in September 2020 requesting that, under normal circumstances, the Controlling Officers should adopt parallel tendering for the procurement of works contracts and works-related consultancies. The objective of parallel tendering is to reflect the returned tender price of works contract/works-related consultancy in the application of Approved Project Estimate from the FC as far as practicable to reduce the risk of cost overrun or unnecessary lock-up of public resources, and to enable responsible departments to early commence works/consultancy services after obtaining funding approval from the FC. In general, the entire procurement process of works contracts and works-related consultancies would normally take about four to six months.

     Our responses to the five parts of the question are as follows:

(1) In general, there are different procedures involved in the entire process from tendering to actual commencement of works, including (i) tender invitation – subject to the nature and complexity of the works or consultancy services, the tendering period generally takes about 1.5 to two months; (ii) after tender closing, tender evaluation under the “two-envelope” approach comprises two parts. First, tenderers' technical competence and past performance will be assessed, followed by considering their tender prices. Finally, a combined score for each of the tenders will be derived. The whole process takes about two to 2.5 months; (iii) preparation of final tender report for submission to the Tender Board and obtaining its approval of the tender evaluation recommendation in about 0.5 to one month; and (iv) signing of the contracts by two parties, site handover and commencement of actual site work by the contractor in about 0.5 months.

(2) According to our information, a small number of projects (about 15 per cent) took longer than the above-mentioned time from tendering to actual commencement of works in the past three years. The main reasons include (i) the relevant departments needed to clarify the information of the tender submissions with the tenderers during evaluation of tenders for the projects, and sometimes even needed to seek legal advice to determine the validity of the tenders; (ii) the approval and contract-signing of some projects needed to dovetail with the meetings of the Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC) and the FC; (iii) longer time would be taken to evaluate tenders for projects involving complex nature and technical requirements or when there were a large number of tender submissions.

(3) During the period from 2020 to 2024 (up to November), (i) the total number of projects and funding approved by the FC for carrying out pre-construction works, and (ii) the number of those projects for which funding has been sought from the FC for the relevant construction works, are as follows:

Year	Projects for pre-construction works approved by the FC		Number of projects for which funding has been sought from the FC for the relevant construction works
Year	Total number	Total amount of funding
2020	7	$1.78 billion	4
2021	5	$1.5 billion	1
2022	2	$0.566 billion	0
2023	3	$1.115 billion	0
2024 (up to November)	1	$0.263 billion	0

Some of the above-mentioned projects have not yet proceeded to the main construction stage since different planning and design works are being carried out according to the planning for the pre-construction works. These pre-construction works include conducting site investigation, technical impact assessment (such as environment, traffic, drainage, sewerage, water supply, geotechnical engineering, tree, ventilation and visual impact) and engineering design, carrying out consultation with relevant departments and stakeholders, processing statutory procedures (such as the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance and the Water Pollution Control (Sewerage) Regulation), and estimating project cost. When the planning and design of the project are completed, further consultation with the relevant Legislative Council Panel will be conducted before submission to the PWSC for consideration and, ultimately, the FC for funding approval for implementing the project.

(4) and (5) The actual annual capital works expenditure reflects the actual progress of the projects. Therefore, even if the approved project estimates remain unchanged, the actual annual expenditure will be slightly different from the estimated expenditure. The estimated and actual capital works expenditure in the past five financial years (i.e. 2019-2020 to 2023-24) are as follows:

Financial year	Estimated capital works expenditure	Actual capital works expenditure
2019-20	$64.2 billion (including block allocation $10.7 billion)	$65.4 billion (including block allocation $10.7 billion)
2020-21	$66.9 billion (including block allocation $12.1 billion)	$70.0 billion (including block allocation $12.0 billion)
2021-22	$75.6 billion (including block allocation $13.7 billion)	$77.1 billion (including block allocation $13.5 billion)
2022-23	$87.1 billion (including block allocation $13.5 billion)	$87.6 billion (including block allocation $13.2 billion)
2023-24	$85.0 billion (including block allocation $13.6 billion)	$85.8 billion (including block allocation $13.2 billion)

]]><![CDATA[Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Bill to be gazetted on Friday]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400297.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400297.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:10:00 +0800
     The spokesman said, "Critical infrastructures are infrastructures that are necessary for the maintenance of normal functioning of society and the normal life of the people. The Bill seeks to impose statutory requirements on designated operators of critical infrastructures to ensure they take appropriate measures to protect their computer systems and minimise the chance of essential services being disrupted or compromised due to cyberattacks, thereby maintaining the normal functioning of Hong Kong society and the normal life of the people. This is conducive to enhancing overall computer-system security in Hong Kong.

     "The statutory obligations under the Bill are grouped into three categories, namely, organisational obligations, preventive obligations, and incident reporting and response obligations. Operators of critical infrastructures are required to set up dedicated management units to oversee their computer-system security, and take preventive measures to enhance their resilience against cyberattacks. When a computer-system security incident occurs, the operator shall report it to the Commissioner's Office responsible for enforcing the Ordinance, and at the same time take its own response measures to restore the systems in accordance with the emergency response plan it submitted. The Commissioner's Office may provide timely assistance and take remedial measures to contain the problem and minimise the chance of affecting other critical infrastructures, so as to maintain the normal operations in Hong Kong society and the normal life of the people."

     The spokesman emphasised, "In drafting the Bill, reference has been made to relevant legislation of other jurisdictions to establish a regulatory model suitable for Hong Kong. The operators of critical infrastructures to be regulated will be those necessary for the continuous provision of essential services or maintaining critical societal and economic activities in Hong Kong, most of which are large organisations. Small and medium enterprises and the general public will not be regulated. The purpose of these statutory obligations to be imposed is to safeguard the security of the computer systems that are critical to the core functions of the critical infrastructure, and in no way target personal data and trade secrets."

     The spokesman added, "The Security Bureau has started consulting various stakeholders since 2023 and has organised more than 30 consultation sessions so far. The Bureau also consulted the Panel on Security of the Legislative Council in July this year and launched a one-month consultation exercise. The Bureau reported the outcome of the consultation to the Panel on Security of the Legislative Council in October this year and incorporated the views received into the Bill as appropriate. On the whole, the stakeholders and society have responded positively to the legislation."]]><![CDATA[LCQ13: Operational problems of eMPF Platform]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400256.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400256.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:10:00 +0800
Question:

     It has been reported that some users of the eMPF Platform (the Platform) have relayed that they have encountered problems in handling contributions and other administrative tasks when using the Platform, including employers' contributions not being displayed instantly in employees' accounts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows if the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) has set up a complaint handling mechanism for the Platform; if MPFA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it knows the following monthly data and its month-on-month rate of change of the Platform since its launch (set out in a table):

(i) the number of complaints received by MPFA (set out by nature and handling progress), as well as the handling time of the cases that have been handled and whether such cases have been completed within the target time set out in the service pledge;

(ii) the number of digitally processed transactions and administrative instructions received via the Platform (set out by type of instructions, type of users, handling progress and handling time), and the percentage of such number in the estimated total number of instructions received (estimated on the basis of the number of onboarded trustees); and

(iii) the number of paper-based transactions and administrative instructions submitted (set out by type of instructions, type of users, handling progress and handling time), and the percentage of such number in the estimated total number of instructions received (estimated on the basis of the number of onboarded trustees);

(3) regarding the problems encountered by the aforesaid users in using the Platform, whether it knows:

(i) if MPFA has identified the causes; if MPFA has, of the details and the relevant solutions (set out by nature of the problems); if not, the reasons for that;

(ii) the number of users affected (set out by nature of the problems and type of users); and

(iii) the relevant amounts in dispute and the mechanism for claiming compensation;

(4) as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has indicated earlier on the social platform that he has demanded prompt response and action from MPFA, the eMPF Platform Company Limited (eMPF Company) and the contractor of the Platform project to the relevant problems, of the progress of the relevant work, and how the authorities will give an account to the public;

(5) given that section 19K of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) sets out the general duties of the system operator of an electronic MPF system, what punishment mechanism the Government and MPFA have put in place for the system operator that fails to discharge such duties; how the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will step up its efforts in supervising the system operator, so as to ensure that similar problems with the aforesaid Platform system will not recur;

(6) given that according to the Framework for Regulatory Oversight of the Operation of an Electronic MPF System issued by MPFA, the system operator is required to report significant events/incidents and submit a written report to MPFA, whether it knows the clear definition of significant events/incidents, and the content to be covered in the relevant report (e.g. whether it will analyse who should be held responsible for the incidents and elaborate on the legal responsibilities to be discharged under the contractual agreement when the contractor of the system is to be held responsible); and

(7) as the eMPF Company has indicated that before the launch of the Platform, it had engaged an independent consultant to conduct an independent assessment on the Platform and confirmed that the Platform system was ready for use, whether the authorities have examined the reasons why there are still problems with the Platform system after completion of the independent assessment and confirmation of its readiness?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), our reply to the seven parts of the question is as follows.

(1) The eMPF Platform has a comprehensive complaint handling mechanism. Employers and scheme members may lodge complaints through various channels, including the eMPF mobile application and online platform, the eMPF customer service hotline, email, and post. Upon receipt of the complaints, the eMPF Platform Company Limited (eMPF Company) and the contractor will conduct thorough investigations in accordance with the established procedures, and will notify the complainants of relevant results upon completion of investigations.

(2) As at end-November this year, key figures pertinent to the eMPF Platform's operation are as follows:

(i) Number of complaints received

Category	Number of complaints received
Category	Employers	Scheme members
eMPF registration	27	26
Enrolment in Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) schemes	20	8
Making MPF contributions	89	53
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	3	16
Change of account information and user particulars	2	8
Change of investment portfolios	Not applicable	17
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	Not applicable	24
Offsetting of (LSP)/severance payment (SP)	3	2
Customer services	14	16
Others	8	8
Total	166	178
Total	344

Over half of the complaints were already processed, with an average processing time of about ten working days. Longer processing time was required for more complicated cases. eMPF Company has already instructed that the contractor must continue to refine the complaint handling mechanism. Measures already implemented include arranging dedicated customer service staff to follow up on cases and maintain close communication with complainants, and strengthening the liaison and co-ordination between the staff of the contractor and its sub-contractor, etc, so as to expedite the processing of complaint cases. MPFA and eMPF Company will continue to closely monitor the complaint handling mechanism of the eMPF Platform to ensure that scheme members' MPF assets are fully protected.

(ii) Number of administrative instructions processed

Category	Number of administrative instructions processed (Rounded to the nearest hundred)
Category	Submitted via electronic means	Submitted in paper	Total
Enrolment in MPF schemes	5 800	5 600	11 400
Making MPF contributions	31 100	18 800	50 000
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	500	5 700	6 200
Change of account information and user particulars	5 100	2 200	7 300
Change of investment portfolios	18 400	1 400	19 800
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	400	500	800
Termination of MPF accounts	3 600	3 900	7 600
Offsetting of LSP/SP	100	300	400
Total	65 000 (63%)	38 500 (37%)	103 500

(iii) Average processing time of administrative instructions (Note)

Category	Average processing time (Unit: Number of working days)
Category	Submitted via electronic means	Submitted in paper
Enrolment in MPF schemes	2-5	4-7
Making MPF contributions	5-6	8-10
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	13-19	16-22
Change of investment portfolios	1-3
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	9-15	12-18
Offsetting of LSP/SP	9-15	12-18

Note: Including the time required for handling back-end tasks upon receipt of administrative instructions, such as verifying MPF contribution information and/or supporting documents submitted by Platform users, and sending subscription instructions to trustees and the lead time required for them to complete the fund subscription process based on the relevant instructions, etc. The various service pledges of the eMPF Platform have been uploaded onto the Platform's official website for public reference.

(3) and (7) Prior to the official launch of the eMPF Platform, eMPF Company has not only requested the contractor to conduct numerous internal testing but also engaged an independent consultant to conduct an external assessment on the Platform to provide additional and objective assurance on system readiness for the commencement of trustee onboarding. Final results from the independent assessment indicated at that time that the Platform's system attained readiness in terms of software development, testing and operation, and that MPF trustees could commence onboarding to the Platform in an orderly manner from end-June this year.

     Since the launch of the eMPF Platform in end-June this year, MPFA and eMPF Company have been continuously reviewing the Platform's operation to ensure its robustness and reliability. As at end-November this year, the Platform has successfully processed over 103 000 administrative instructions. In response to the feedback from employers and scheme members on the user interface/user experience, the contractor has, at eMPF Company's request, implemented a series of enhancement measures to improve service quality, including providing clearer guidelines on contributions on the Platform, shortening the default recordings of the customer service hotline, as well as refining the facial recognition software to simplify the eMPF Platform registration process under the premise of ensuring the safety of users' personal data.

     eMPF Company is aware of the situation encountered by users at the initial stage of using the eMPF Platform to handle contributions and other administrative work, including cases where contributions were not timely reflected in scheme members' account balance after contributions had been made by employers. Employers and scheme members may not be fully familiarised with the Platform's functions, such as inputting incomplete information or not fully complying with the system requirements when making contributions, resulting in the contributions received not being immediately displayed on the user interface. eMPF Company has actively followed up on these cases and taken additional measures, including assigning dedicated officers to help the employers concerned to familiarise with the Platform's specific operation as soon as possible.

     If it is assessed that losses are attributable to the fault of the Platform, eMPF Company will handle the cases in accordance with the established mechanism and make appropriate compensation having regard to the relevant terms and conditions. Since cases involving claims for compensation contain commercially sensitive information, eMPF Company cannot disclose the relevant information.

(4) The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) attaches great importance to the situations encountered by employers and employees when they first used the eMPF Platform to process MPF contributions and perform other administrative work, including the failure of having the relevant contributions reflected in employees' account balances timely after employers' making contributions. eMPF Platform's functions are most crucial to the retirement savings of over four million scheme members. To provide the public with timely information about the incident details, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, MPFA Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of eMPF Company already published articles on official social media platform, online blog and newspaper on November 13, November 17 and November 20 respectively to explain the root causes of the incidents and the follow-up actions taken by various parties, and will continue to disclose major incidents pertinent to the Platform in a pragmatic and open manner in the future.

The FSTB considers any incident that may affect scheme members' MPF accrued benefits unacceptable, and has immediately instructed MPFA, eMPF Company and the contractor to promptly respond to the situation, analyse the root cause of the issue, and take corresponding enhancement measures, so as to ensure that scheme members' MPF assets are fully protected.

     eMPF Company and the contractor have proactively contacted the relevant employer and employees concerned to offer assistance, and have addressed the issues involved, with MPF contributions made by the relevant employer for June to October fully reflected in employees' account balance. Upon receipt of cases involving assistance requests, enquiries and complaints from eMPF Platform users, both eMPF Company and the contractor would conduct in-depth analysis of the root causes of the issues and take corresponding enhancement measures to ensure that similar problems will not recur in the future.

     To enhance the eMPF Platform's service quality, eMPF Company and the contractor have already implemented a series of enhancement measures, including setting up an eMPF contribution enquiry hotline (3197 2834) dedicated to enquiries from employers and employees on contributions, as well as strengthening staff training and enhancing the reporting mechanism for exceptional cases (e.g. incomplete information), etc, with a view to providing better customer service. eMPF Company will continue to provide appropriate and timely support to employers and scheme members, including arranging outreach teams to strengthen communication with employers to ensure that the employers concerned can make contributions successfully. At the same time, eMPF Company will strengthen its supervision on the contractor's work and continue to improve the system, and co-ordinate the relevant collaboration among different MPF trustees to ensure smooth operation of the Platform.

(5) and (6) As the system operator of the eMPF Platform, eMPF Company must fulfill the statutory obligations set out in section 19K of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) (the Ordinance). The Ordinance also provides a framework to ensure that these statutory obligations are properly discharged in accordance with the applicable standards. As far as the eMPF Platform's operation is concerned, eMPF Company's performance is subject to the stringent supervision of MPFA pursuant to section 6E(1)(ec) of the Ordinance. According to the Framework for Regulatory Oversight of the Operation of an Electronic MPF System (Regulatory Framework) published by MPFA, eMPF Company is required to submit a detailed report to MPFA within three specified working days after becoming aware of the significant events/incidents as follows –

(i) events that are caused by eMPF Company or trustees leading to non-compliance with the Operating Rules or Service Agreements which may have a materially adverse effect (e.g. financial impact) to the interests of scheme members or could pose risk to the administration and operation of the eMPF Platform;

(ii) breaches of other statutory and regulatory requirements, such as the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615);

(iii) system failures which affect eMPF Company or trustees to discharge its/their duties; and

(iv) events that may have material impacts on the interests of scheme members or employers (e.g. having an adverse financial impact on employers or scheme members, loss or leakage of data, cyber-attack, fraud, etc).

     The content of the report should cover key facts, causes and impacts of the significant event/incident, as well as the mitigating measures already taken/to be taken by eMPF Company in handling that event or incident. eMPF Company is also required to submit an assurance report issued by a third party confirming that it has duly fulfilled the relevant statutory obligations. Upon receipt of the report, MPFA will conduct thorough investigation, including determining the share of responsibilities. If it is confirmed after investigation that the incident was attributable to the fault or negligence of the contractor, the contractor will have to fulfil the relevant contractual obligations, including making compensations in accordance with the established mechanism.

     Where appropriate, MPFA will provide recommendations to eMPF Company to facilitate its compliance with the various requirements set under the Regulatory Framework. MPFA will continue to closely monitor the implementation progress of these recommendations. If eMPF Company fails to execute these recommendations effectively, MPFA may exercise its power to require eMPF Company to take specific actions within a specified period of time or adopt other necessary follow-up measures on eMPF Company.]]><![CDATA[LCQ11: The eMPF Platform]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300452.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300452.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:10:00 +0800
Question:

     It is learnt that the eMPF Platform (the Platform) formally came into operation on June 26 this year. Regarding the operation of the Platform, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the following information about the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) trustees who have joined the Platform: the respective numbers of (a) members of the MPF schemes under their management (including (i) employees and (ii) self-employed persons) and (b) participating employers (including (i) large enterprises or organisations and (ii) small and medium enterprises), and (c) MPF accounts;

(2) whether it knows the number of transactions and administrative instructions processed under the Platform since the commencement of the Platform, together with a breakdown by nature (including but not limited to (a) contributions, (b) changes in investment portfolios, and (c) withdrawal of MPF benefits);

(3) whether it knows the following information about the eMPF Customer Service Hotline and eMPF Contribution Inquiry Hotline respectively: the number of service hotlines/inquiry hotlines, the number of staff dedicated to answering the service hotlines/inquiry hotlines, the average number of inquiries handled per day and the average waiting time for incoming calls;

(4) as it has been reported that some users of the Platform have relayed the situations such as the failure to display the MPF contribution records in their accounts, whether the authorities know the respective numbers of (a) inquiries and (b) complaints received by the company responsible for operating the Platform in respect of the Platform's operation, and set out in the table below a breakdown by (i) type of inquirers or complainants (i.e. (A) MPF scheme members and (B) participating employers) and (ii) nature of cases (such as failure to display contribution records); among such complaints received, of the number of cases which had been handled and its percentage, as well as the average time taken for handling each of the cases;

Inquiries/complaints received	(i)	(ii)
(a)	(A)	Failure to display contribution records
	(A)	……
	(B)	Failure to display contribution records
	(B)	……
Total
(b)	(A)	Failure to display contribution records
	(A)	……
	(B)	Failure to display contribution records
	(B)	……
Total

(5) whether it knows if the company responsible for operating the Platform and the project contractor of the Platform have, since the commissioning of the Platform, examined and discovered loopholes in the system of the Platform that affect users' experience in using the platform; if they have, of the details, including the nature of the loopholes and the follow-up work concerned; whether the Government knows if the company responsible for operating the platform has stepped up efforts in publicity and promotion among employees, self-employed persons and employers, so as to enhance the knowledge of more relevant stakeholders about the use of the Platform; if the company has, of the details; and

(6) given that in the reply to my question on March 15 last year, the authorities indicated that the initiative of paying MPF contributions for employees and self-employed persons exempted from making MPF contributions due to low income would be implemented after the full operation of the Platform, and it is learnt that the Platform is expected to come into full operation within next year, of the Government's measures in place to ensure that the Platform can come into full operation as scheduled for the smooth implementation of the aforesaid initiative of making MPF contributions on behalf of employees and self-employed persons?

Reply:

President,

In consultation with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) and the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), our reply to the six parts of the question is as follows.

(1) As at end-November this year, five "early adopters" and the five Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) schemes under their administration, involving a total of about 7 900 employer accounts and about 262 000 scheme member accounts (including employees and self-employed persons), have onboarded to the eMPF Platform successfully. On average, there were about 33 scheme member accounts under each employer account. These employers, employees and self-employed persons will gradually register for the eMPF Platform and set up accounts to utilise the one-stop electronic MPF management services offered by the Platform.

(2) As at end-November this year, the eMPF Platform already processed over 103 000 administrative instructions, with details as follows:

Category	Number of administrative instructions processed (Rounded to the nearest hundred)
Enrollment in MPF schemes	11 400
Making MPF contributions	50 000
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	6 200
Change of account information and user particulars	7 300
Change of investment portfolios	19 800
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	800
Termination of MPF accounts	7 600
Offsetting of long service payment (LSP)/ severance payment (SP)	400
Total	103 500

(3) The eMPF customer service hotline (183 2622) launched on April 19 this year operates over 260 lines manned by 55 dedicated staff. As at end-November this year, the customer service hotline received a total of over 38 000 enquiries, and handled a daily average of over 400 enquiries with an average waiting time of about 10 seconds. The eMPF contribution enquiry hotline (3197 2834) launched in end-October this year operates 16 lines manned by six dedicated staff for enquiries from employers and employees regarding contributions. As at end-November this year, the contribution enquiry hotline received a total of about 400 enquiries, and handled a daily average of about 30 enquiries. The eMPF Platform Company Limited (eMPF Company) will continue to closely monitor the actual utilisation of the two hotlines, and will, on a need basis, request the contractor to ramp up its manpower resources to provide customer services of quality.

Details of the 38 400 enquiries handled by the eMPF Platform as at end-November this year are as follows:

Category	Number of enquiries handled (Rounded to the nearest hundred)
eMPF registration	9 200
Enrollment in MPF schemes	1 800
Making MPF contributions	11 600
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	1 100
Change of account information and user particulars	4 300
Change of investment portfolios	300
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	2 700
Offsetting of LSP/ SP	700
Customer services	2 000
Others	4 800
Total	38 400
Total	38 400

Hotline enquiries were generally handled instantly. For written enquiries, the average processing time was about three to five working days, with longer processing time required for more complicated cases.

(4) As at end-November this year, details of received complaints concerning the eMPF Platform are as follows:

Category	Number of complaints received
Category	Employers	Scheme members
eMPF registration	27	26
Enrollment in MPF schemes	20	8
Making MPF contributions	89	53
Transfer of MPF accrued benefits	3	16
Change of account information and user particulars	2	8
Change of investment portfolios	Not applicable	17
Withdrawal of MPF accrued benefits	Not applicable	24
Offsetting of LSP/SP	3	2
Customer services	14	16
Others	8	8
Total	166	178
Total	344

     Over half of the complaints were already processed, with an average processing time of about 10 working days. Longer processing time was required for more complicated cases. eMPF Company has already instructed that the contractor must continue to refine the complaint handling mechanism. Measures already implemented include arranging dedicated customer service staff to follow up on cases and maintain close communication with complainants, and strengthening the liaison and co-ordination between the staff of the contractor and its sub-contractor, etc, so as to expedite the processing of complaint cases. MPFA and eMPF Company will continue to closely monitor the complaint handling mechanism of the eMPF Platform to ensure that scheme members' MPF assets are fully protected.

(5) Prior to the official launch of the eMPF Platform, eMPF Company has not only requested the contractor to conduct numerous internal testing but also engaged an independent consultant to conduct an external assessment on the Platform to provide additional and objective assurance on system readiness for the commencement of trustee onboarding. Final results from the independent assessment indicated at that time that the Platform's system attained readiness in terms of software development, testing and operation, and that MPF trustees could commence onboarding to the Platform in an orderly manner from end-June this year.

     Since the launch of the eMPF Platform in end-June this year, MPFA and eMPF Company have been continuously reviewing the Platform's operation to ensure its robustness and reliability. As at end-November this year, the Platform has successfully processed over 103 000 administrative instructions. In response to the feedback from employers and scheme members on the user interface/user experience, the contractor has, at eMPF Company's request, implemented a series of enhancement measures to improve service quality, including providing clearer guidelines on contributions on the Platform, shortening the default recordings of the customer service hotline, as well as refining the facial recognition software to simplify the eMPF Platform registration process under the premise of ensuring the safety of users' personal data.

     eMPF Company is aware of the situation encountered by users at the initial stage of using the eMPF Platform to handle contributions and other administrative work, including cases where contributions were not timely reflected in scheme members' account balance after contributions had been made by employers. Employers and scheme members may not be fully familiarised with the Platform's functions, such as inputting incomplete information or not fully complying with the system requirements when making contributions, resulting in the contributions received not being immediately displayed on the user interface. eMPF Company has actively followed up on these cases and taken additional measures, including assigning dedicated officers to help the employers concerned to familiarise with the Platform's specific operation as soon as possible.

     To prepare for the gradual onboarding of the remaining MPF trustees with larger sizes of assets-under-management (AUM) from early next year, MPFA and eMPF Company will set up standing user group to gauge feedback from employers and scheme members in a systematic manner on the user interface/user experience after their trial use, with a view to continuously improving the Platform's services. At the same time, MPFA and eMPF Company are also devising online and offline publicity plans of large scale, and will continue to collaborate with different stakeholders, such as local groups, trade associations, labour groups, large enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and public bodies, etc, to publicise and promote the eMPF Platform to employers and scheme members, such that they will be familiarised with specific operation of the various functionalities of the Platform prior to onboarding.

(6) The eMPF Platform is a critical public financial infrastructure closely tied to the retirement protection of all Hong Kong people. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) has been keeping a close eye on the Project progress and system quality, and has been monitoring the contractor's performance and tendering advice on an ongoing basis through actively participating in the Board meetings of MPFA and eMPF Company. The two Boards comprise representatives from the FSTB and the LWB, members of the Legislative Council, employers' and employees' representatives, as well as professionals in different areas, including legal, accounting, finance and technology, etc. The FSTB will continue to work closely with MPFA and eMPF Company to oversee the contractor's performance and Platform operation to ensure that scheme members' MPF assets are fully protected. The FSTB will also continue to closely monitor the regular testing conducted by MPFA and eMPF Company on the eMPF Platform, and will continue to arrange the remaining trustees to onboard to the eMPF Platform in an orderly manner (in ascending order of their AUM size) having regard to the actual circumstances. The target remains to achieve full implementation of the Platform within 2025.

     The initiative of paying MPF contributions for low-income persons could only be implemented upon the full implementation of the eMPF Platform. Since this initiative will involve a gigantic number of eligible persons and MPF accounts, the LWB plans to engage a third-party consultant to conduct a detailed study, which will cover technical and actuarial assessments. The technical assessment aims to ensure that the implementation details of the relevant proposal are technically feasible and will not affect the long-term operation of the eMPF Platform, whereas the actuarial assessment will analyse and assess the sustainability of the initiative as well as the financial implications on the Government. The LWB will carefully consider the way forward upon completion of the consultancy study.]]><![CDATA[Notice of Motion to seek LegCo's approval of Criminal Procedure (Appeal against Ruling of No Case to Answer) Rules]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400337.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400337.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
     A spokesman for the Department of Justice said that the new "no case to answer" appeal mechanism addresses the lacuna in the criminal appeal system due to the prosecution's inability to appeal against erroneous rulings of no case to answer made by judges of the CFI in jury trials. To facilitate its smooth operation, a new set of procedural rules has to be made for such appeals before the relevant provisions of the Amendment Ordinance come into effect.

     Relevant stakeholders including the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Legal Aid Department were consulted, and they welcomed the implementation of the Rules. The Department of Justice has also issued an information paper to the LegCo Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services in July this year to brief members of the Panel on the proposed draft rules.

     Subject to the LegCo's approval of the Rules, the Department of Justice will bring the relevant provisions of the Amendment Ordinance and the Rules into operation as soon as practicable.]]><![CDATA[EDB announces arrangements on application for S1 discretionary places]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400225.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400225.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
Digitalisation of SSPA
----------------------------

     Parents who have registered as SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) (esspa.edb.gov.hk) users and bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may browse choice-making information starting from tomorrow (December 5), and submit DP applications and view application results via the eSSPA at a later stage. The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible and activate their eSSPA account using "iAM Smart+" for more convenient and faster electronic services.

     To cater for the needs of different parents, paper application forms will continue to be accepted, and primary schools participating in the SSPA System have been informed to collect copies of the Application Forms for Secondary One Discretionary Places (application forms) and the Handbook for Application for Secondary One Discretionary Places (Handbook) tomorrow. Parents of P6 students will each receive two paper application forms from their children's primary school. For students not studying in primary schools participating in the SSPA System (including newly arrived children and dependants under various talent admission schemes who are eligible for participating in the SSPA), their parents can obtain the application forms at the School Places Allocation (SPA) Section of the EDB.

Submission of S1 DP applications
-------------------------------------------

     An EDB spokesman said, "Parents are encouraged to submit the application forms and other required documents to secondary schools via the eSSPA. If parents prefer submitting paper application forms and other necessary documents in person, they should note the school office hours."

     The two electronic or paper application forms that parents will receive will show Order of School Preference 1 and School Preference 2 respectively. Order of School Preference 1 stands for the student's first-choice school and Order of School Preference 2 stands for the student's second-choice school. In all circumstances, primary and secondary schools should not request students or parents to disclose their order of preference. Likewise, applicants and their parents should not disclose their order of preference to schools.

     The spokesman reminded parents to read carefully the Notes for Parents on Application for Secondary One Discretionary Places. Parents should not submit applications to more than two secondary schools participating in the SSPA no matter whether the applications are submitted via the eSSPA or in paper application form. Otherwise, the DP applications of their children will be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via the eSSPA and in paper application form for the same child.

     The spokesman said, "The schools to which parents apply for DPs are not restricted by districts. Parents are strongly advised to consider the schools in all respects, such as their educational philosophy, tradition, religion, class structure, admission criteria, development and operation, and their children's characteristics, personalities, abilities and interests to make a suitable school choice. Parents may refer to the relevant information in the Secondary School Profiles (www.chsc.hk/secondary) or school websites for reference.

     "Students who are successful in the DP application stage will not be allocated a school place in central allocation (CA). Parents should, therefore, apply to schools of their preference. The EDB will match students' preferences against schools' Successful/Reserve Lists for Discretionary Places. If a student is successful in both schools to which he or she has applied, allocation will be based on the student's order of preference."

Notification arrangements for successful DP applicants
--------------------------------------------------------------------

     The spokesman reminded that under the notification arrangements for successful DP applicants, if students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for Discretionary Places, their parents will receive notifications from the schools on March 31, 2025. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they would accept the DP offers. The allocation results of DP and CA will be released at the same time on July 8, 2025.

Enquiries
------------

     For the list of secondary schools accepting DP applications and the number of DPs for application, parents may ask for the Handbook from primary schools for reference or obtain the latest version of the Handbook through the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk) and the fax service of the EDB's 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry System on 2891 0088.

     If parents have enquiries about DP applications, they are advised to consult their children's primary schools or the secondary schools to which they apply. For general enquiries, parents may contact the SPA Section (SSPA) of the EDB (Tel: 2832 7740 and 2832 7700; address: Podium Floor, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong).]]><![CDATA[LCQ18: Enhancing district governance]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400291.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400291.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:45:00 +0800
Questions:

     It has been reported that the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs led a delegation of all 18 District Officers (DOs) earlier on to Beijing and Zhejiang for a study programme on district governance, which included understanding the concept of co-ordinating different community organisations to participate in local governance through studying the "Fengqiao Experience" and the "Pujiang Experience", with a view to enhancing district governance. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the relevant details of the "Fengqiao Experience" and the "Pujiang Experience", including the specific insights gained by DOs therefrom; whether it has studied how the essence of those Experiences will be applied to the district governance of Hong Kong in the future;

(2) whether it has plans to arrange for the members of various District Councils (DCs) to go to the Mainland to study the experience of district governance there; how it will train DC members to achieve the goal of being "mindful of the people, their responsibilities, and the rules";

(3) given that the seventh-term DCs have operated for nearly one year, whether the Government has compiled statistics on the specific tasks and contributions of various DCs so far, and whether it has reviewed if all of those tasks have met the performance indicators; and

(4) given that the operation of DCs has been comprehensively enhanced, with various DCs being chaired by DOs of the respective Districts, whether the Government has reviewed if DCs have encountered new challenges that need to be overcome in the course of the enhanced operation?

Reply:

President,

     The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) provided a series of trainings to District Officers (DOs) and District Council (DC) members in 2024 to enhance their capabilities in discharging their duties and the efficacy of district governance on an on-going basis.

     For the individual parts of the question, our consolidated reply is as follows:

(1) & (2) The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs led a delegation of 18 DOs for a study programme on district governance in April 2024, comprising lectures at the National Academy of Governance and a visit to Zhejiang Province, so to have a deeper understanding of the national policies and development and learn about the experiences in district governance in the Mainland. Subsequently, the HYAB also arranged DC members to visit Zhejiang Province or Shanghai by batches from July to October 2024 to study the national theories of grassroots governance and conduct site visits to observe first-hand the practical experiences of district governance in the Mainland.

     The tenets of "Fengqiao Experience" are to have the well-being of the people close to our hearts, and to systematically prevent and resolve conflicts at early stages; while "Pujiang Experience" advocates for "turning people's petitions into leaders' personal outreach to the grassroots, connecting with the people, and dedicating real effort to understand and address the needs of the people with hearts". These experiences emphasise on building a strong relationship between the Government and the people so to strengthen grassroots governance.

     Through lectures and visits to better understand the application of "Fengqiao Experience" and "Pujiang Experience" in different places in the Mainland, DOs and DC members appreciate the need to enhance communication with the people in district governance. They have to understand the people's pressing issues and problems that are of concern so as to address their issues and problems early. People could then have a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment in their daily life. For example, after the improvements to governance at the district level, when torrential rain causes flooding in certain areas, District Offices, DCs and District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) would plan disaster prevention work well ahead of time, so as to identify, address and resolve difficulties faced by the people pre-emptively. DOs, together with DC members and relevant departments, would also visit locations affected by flooding and formulate suitable improvement measures for the future. DC members would also actively assist District Offices in engaging residents to expedite the implementation of improvement measures so as to benefit local residents and improve their living environment early.

(3) Since the new-term DCs took office in January 2024, their advisory and service functions have been markedly enhanced and the overall performance has been satisfactory. After taking office, DCs immediately addressed the issues of concern in the district and collected views from the people. Various committees and working groups were also established to follow up on district affairs. DC members have also actively participated in district work and set up their ward offices. To strengthen their communication and interactions with residents, DC members have been meeting residents in person regularly under the "Meet the Public Scheme" arranged by the District Offices, as well as setting up street counters and visiting buildings in the district in person. DC members have been discharging their duties to ensure effective two-way communications between the Government and the public.

     DC Secretariats have regularly uploaded DC members' attendance at meetings to the DC website for reference by members of the public. Pursuant to the Performance Monitoring Guidelines for DC members, DC members are required to submit work reports to DC Chairmen every year, elaborating on the major work done during the year. The work report shall be completed within two months after the end of the reporting period. The HYAB have all along been monitoring the work of DCs and DC members, so to ensure DC members fulfil their duties and responsibilities.

(4) Under the improved governance at the district level, DOs serve as the DC Chairmen, the commanders of Care Teams, as well as the Chairmen of the District Management Committees. Under the arrangement, DOs can better co-ordinate government departments, DC members, Care Teams and district committees, so to facilitate their collaboration and create synergy to serve the public more effectively. The public also have higher expectations on the Government in relation to district governance, especially on resolving district issues that were long-standing, large scale and complex. DOs would balance between different perspectives and adopt pragmatic and innovative approaches. They would deploy resources and manpower efficiently, and strengthen the co-ordination amongst district organisations and groups to work with the Government, so that the Government's policies can be fully implemented in the district and ultimately benefit the people.]]><![CDATA[LCQ22: Making good use of sports venues of Leisure and Cultural Services Department]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400277.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400277.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:45:00 +0800
Question:

     There are views that the Government should further enhance the quality as well as the efficiency of use of sports facilities in Hong Kong, so as to support the sports development strategy more effectively, thereby dovetailing with the policy direction of fostering sports development by promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports and promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as it is learnt that at present, lockers in the sports venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are only available for use by members of the public on a daily basis, and it is observed that the utilization rate of such lockers is on the low side, with quite a number of users opting to place their belongings at the side of the sports venues rather than putting them in the lockers, while on the other hand, professional athletes and coaches often need to bring along a lot of equipment for training, and they must take away such equipment each time as the lockers are not available for overnight use, whether the LCSD will consider setting up an application system for its venues to allocate lockers to eligible persons for overnight use, so as to enhance the efficiency of use of its facilities and facilitate their use by professional athletes;

(2) given that the LCSD will make available six additional sports centres in the first quarter of next year for booking by members of the public for new sports (e.g. dodgeball, dodgebee and kin-ball), bringing the total number of sports centres under the Trial Scheme on New Sports Activities (Trial Scheme) to 12, whether the authorities will consider further extending the Trial Scheme to other sports centres across the territory, so as to achieve the popularization mode of "single venue, multiple use"; if so, of the specific implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) as there are views that the current shortage of four-sided glass-panelled professional squash exhibition venues with spectator stands in Hong Kong has undermined the possibility of hosting international squash tournaments locally, whether the authorities will consider the additional provision of relevant facilities, so as to enhance Hong Kong's capability of hosting international tournaments and promote squash development in Hong Kong?

Reply:

President,

     In respect of the question raised by the Hon Dominic Lee, my reply is as follows:

(1) At some leisure venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), such as sports centres, sports grounds and swimming pools, lockers are available for users at no cost when they are using the venues, and are to be returned when the users leave the venues. In general, the lockers at leisure venues are very popular among users with high utilisation. As the leisure venues have to be used for sports activities as far as possible, the number of lockers provided thereat are limited. Priority is therefore given to accommodate the needs of venue users.

     To facilitate the training of professional athletes, the LCSD has already arranged designated leisure venues for "national sports associations" to meet the training needs of Hong Kong teams. Storage areas are available at such venues for long-term storage of large-scale training equipment and facilities.

     The LCSD will continue to closely monitor the usage of lockers.

(2) The LCSD is dedicated to promoting the development of diversified sports activities. With the increasing popularity of many new sports in recent years, the LCSD has opened up six sports centres, namely the Stanley Sports Centre, the Cheung Sha Wan Sports Centre, the Lei Yue Mun Sports Centre, the Cheung Fat Sports Centre, the Fu Heng Sports Centre and the Long Ping Sports Centre under the Trial Scheme on Opening up the Arena of Selected Sports Centres for Booking by Individuals for New Sports Activities (Trial Scheme). Members of the public may book the arenas of these sports centres for conducting six new sports that are more popular, including dodgeball, dodgebee, kin-ball, korfball, pickleball and tchoukball. Given the positive feedback from the public since the launch of the Trial Scheme, the LCSD plans to extend the booking arrangements to cover peak hours (i.e. from 6pm onwards on weekdays and all time slots on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) and open up more suitable arenas of the sports centres. The six new sports centres proposed are located in Eastern District, Wong Tai Sin District, Yau Tsim Mong District, Islands District, Sai Kung District and Sha Tin District respectively. The LCSD is consulting the District Councils on the arrangements concerned and will further announce the implementation details after obtaining support from relevant District Councils. The LCSD will review the implementation of the above arrangements in a timely manner, and consider whether to further extend such arrangements to more venues.

(3) The Hong Kong Squash Centre under the LCSD provides 17 standard squash courts as well as a four-sided glass-panelled exhibition court with a seating capacity of 286 for conducting large-scale competitions. In addition, the LCSD provides multi-purpose sports venues with various facilities and markings, allowing flexibility in fitting-out options to cater for the needs of different sports. In the past, some organisations would also hire and set up those venues for international competitions, such as the setting up of four-sided glass-panelled exhibition courts at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre and the Edinburgh Place for the Hong Kong Squash Open, facilitating the staging of large-scale competitions in Hong Kong.]]><![CDATA[Speech by CE at 25th Hong Kong Forum Keynote Luncheon (English only) (with photos/video)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400345.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400345.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:38:00 +0800
Mr Hans Poulis (Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide), Dr Peter Lam (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council), friends of Hong Kong from around the world, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. Welcome to Hong Kong, and the annual Hong Kong Forum - the landmark 25th edition of the Forum.

This year's anniversary event gathers some 400 businesspeople from all over the world, from every sector and industry, here - this year and every year, for a quarter of a century now.

Many of you are part of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide, a global network spanning across some 40 countries and world, counting over 11 000 members around the globe. You are international businesspeople, united by the strong belief in, and commitment to, the city of Hong Kong. Most importantly, you are here, because Hong Kong means business.

Our "one country, two systems" principle makes that possible. It gives Hong Kong singular business, trade and financial opportunities, with the full support of China, our country, while allowing us to do what we have long done so well for so many - and that's create opportunities and connections. Hong Kong, ladies and gentlemen, is the world's "super connector". Your super connector.

Hong Kong has long attracted businesses and investors, thanks to our clear and compelling advantages - from a free and open investment environment and simple and low tax system, to modern infrastructure and logistics networks and the unfettered flow of information, capital, goods and people.

It helps, too, that Hong Kong boasts a long-standing commitment to the rule of law, and is built on a common law system, one that resembles the legal system in many major global financial centres. We are the only common law jurisdiction in China, and the only common law jurisdiction in the world with a body of law accessible in both Chinese and English, our official languages.

Our advantages are widely recognised. Hong Kong is the world's 10th largest merchandise trading entity, and the world's fourth-largest foreign direct investment destination.

Canada's Fraser Institute, in its 2024 Economic Freedom of the World Report, ranked Hong Kong the world's freest economy, number one. We also topped the Report's "freedom to trade internationally".

In this year's World Competitiveness Yearbook, published by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong ranked fifth globally, up two places from last year. We also topped the global rankings in international trade and business legislation.

To build on our strengths, the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government has implemented a wide range of initiatives, over the past two years, promoting economic opportunities.

We are pressing ahead with the development of the "eight centres" of excellence, as set out in the 14th Five-Year Plan, as well as the Northern Metropolis, the new engine of Hong Kong's economic future. We've also set up Hong Kong Talent Engage and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, to boost our strategic value and drive for talent and enterprises.

The Northern Metropolis, which makes up one-third of Hong Kong’s area, enjoys the advantage of a close proximity to Shenzhen, one of the most energetic cities on the Mainland. Indeed, the World Intellectual Property Organization has, for five years in a row, ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster second, globally, in its Global Innovation Index.

These three neighbouring cities, together with Macao and seven other cities in southern China, form the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the GBA.

The GBA boasts a population of 86 million and a combined GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of US$1.9 trillion, rivalling that of the world's 10th largest economy. Hong Kong is joining hands with other cities in the GBA to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre.

We are developing in the Loop, an area in the Northern Metropolis that straddles across the boundary between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, a science and technology innovation co-operation zone. We will roll out a series of measures that facilitate the flow of personnel, materials, capital and data between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the zone.

The zone will provide wide, and welcome, opportunities for a world of investors and entrepreneurs to pursue I&T developments, capitalising on the best of both sides of the Shenzhen River, and tapping into the vast Mainland market.

And much more is in the policy pipeline. In my annual Policy Address, in October, I introduced initiatives to enhance Hong Kong's position as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. Integrating their strengths, we will create a high value-added supply chain centre in Hong Kong, attracting Mainland Chinese and overseas companies to establish international or regional headquarters here.

Hong Kong offers diversified advisory services for enterprises, as well as extensive networks in offshore trading and supply chain management. In realising this development, I am counting on the expertise and far-reaching connections of the Trade Development Council and Invest Hong Kong.

My Policy Address also focused on high value-added industries, such as the low-altitude economy. A working group will come up with strategies and interdepartmental plans to help open up the low-altitude airspace. Pilot projects will explore drone use for surveys, performances, delivery and other prospects.

Similarly, we are committed to driving innovation in telecommunications, artificial intelligence and the wide-ranging, ever-evolving digital industry.

We strive to attract the best enterprises and talent to Hong Kong. We have got good news on these fronts, I'm pleased to add. Our Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, set up just two years ago, has already brought to Hong Kong over 60 strategic enterprises. They are from such key industries as artificial intelligence and data science, life and health technology, fintech, and advanced manufacturing and new energy technology. These enterprises are expected to bring in HK$42 billion in investments and create over 17 000 jobs.

As for talent, the enhanced talent attraction regime launched by us two years ago is seeing encouraging results as well. Some 160 000 professionals have already settled in Hong Kong with their families over the past two years.

We go all out in bringing the best to Hong Kong. In July, I led a high-level delegation to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, following my visit, last year, to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. I also made my first visit, as Chief Executive, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last year.

Highlights of these visits included the signing of some 100 MOUs covering a wealth of sectors, industries and institutions. The agreements will create fresh opportunities for collaboration between Hong Kong and our valued partners in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and the Middle East.

Alongside our overseas visits, the Government maintains 16 offices and liaison units in the Mainland and 14 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices overseas.

Add Invest Hong Kong and the Trade Development Council's worldwide offices, and Hong Kong has a formal presence in 66 cities covering 129 countries.

We are believers, too, in the immediate benefits and long-term promise of free trade agreements, as well as investment agreements.

To date, we have signed 24 investment agreements with 33 economies, and nine free-trade agreements (FTAs) with 21 economies. That includes our latest FTA, with Peru. It was signed just a few weeks ago, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, the Peruvian capital. Coupled with an earlier FTA with Chile, it reinforces the message that Hong Kong looks forward to creating closer economic ties throughout Latin America.

Investment agreement negotiations with Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, let me add, are in full swing. And we will explore bilateral FTA prospects with economies in the Middle East.

These wide-ranging trade, investment and co-operation agreements will certainly boost Hong Kong's status as an international trade centre and "super connector" to the world.

We hope soon to add RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, to our FTAs and global connectivity. RCEP, of course, is the world’s largest FTA and includes all 10 members of ASEAN.

We have received positive responses from a number of RCEP members in support of Hong Kong's accession to RCEP. And I am pleased to note that RCEP's Joint Committee recently adopted an accession protocol for new members, underlining the Partnership's commitment to openness and inclusivity.

Our accession to RCEP will strengthen our trade relations and business ties with the countries of ASEAN and RCEP, as well as the cities of the Greater Bay Area, bringing mutual benefits to all.

And we recently signed an amendment to the Agreement on Trade in Services of CEPA, the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. The amended CEPA will introduce further liberalisation measures across several services sectors in which Hong Kong enjoys competitive advantages.

On implementation of the revised CEPA, Hong Kong-invested enterprises will be able to "adopt Hong Kong law" and choose Hong Kong for arbitration in the Greater Bay Area.

There's more. The three-year requirement for business operations in Hong Kong to qualify as a "Hong Kong service supplier" has been removed for most sectors. That will allow companies and entrepreneurs, worldwide, to use Hong Kong as their base for expanding into the Mainland market, enjoying preferential treatment under CEPA that much faster.

I'm pleased to add that the multiple-entry visa for foreign staff of Hong Kong-registered companies has been extended, to a maximum of five years.

These and many other concrete measures underline the unparalleled advantages Hong Kong offers overseas businesses and investors, and our distinct role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder".

In face of challenges in geopolitical tensions and transformation in the global order, Hong Kong remains committed to development and progress. We are dedicated to free trade and working to ensure a flourishing future for our economy and our community. And that includes all those who work with us, who believe in Hong Kong. Ladies and gentlemen, that certainly includes you.

I am grateful to the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for organising this milestone 25th anniversary Hong Kong Forum, for bringing us together once again.

I wish you all a rewarding Forum and the best of business in the coming year. I invite you, too, to find time for Hong Kong, a world city, and the rising East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

That includes giant pandas. If you're out and about this Saturday afternoon, Ocean Park is holding a Giant Panda Greeting Ceremony, in honour of the two giant pandas our country gifted us in September. A fantastic, or should I say, a "pandastic" time is guaranteed for all.

I wish you the best of business in the year to come. Thank you!

]]><![CDATA[LCQ5: Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400321.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400321.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:03:27 +0800
Question:

The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS), which was fully implemented on April 1 2019, aims to provide the public with an additional choice of using private healthcare services through hospital insurance. Regarding the implementation of VHIS, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of policies of certified plans, the sums insured and the age distribution of insured persons under VHIS to date; whether the authorities have estimated the total savings in public healthcare expenditure since the implementation of VHIS; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) of the number of taxpayers who claimed tax deduction for participating in VHIS and the total amount of qualifying premiums allowed for tax deduction in the past three years of assessment; whether the authorities have plans to further raise the ceiling for VHIS tax deduction in the future, so as to encourage more people to participate in VHIS; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that VHIS has been implemented for more than five years, whether the authorities will conduct an interim review on VHIS and set a target for the number of VHIS participants in the future; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

I provide a consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Pui-leung as follows:

The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) is one among many medical insurance products. The Government introduced the VHIS in April 2019 to establish standards and improve market transparency for individual indemnity hospital insurance products (IHIPs), providing consumers with greater confidence in using private healthcare services through purchasing health insurance. VHIS Certified Plans need to fulfill a number of requirements on consumer protection, including:

(1) guaranteed renewal up to the age of 100 regardless of any change in the health conditions of the insured persons;
(2) no "lifetime benefit limit";
(3) covering unknown pre-existing conditions and day case procedures (including endoscopy);
(4) no unreasonable charging of differential premiums on individual policy holders; and
(5) covering psychiatric inpatient treatments in local hospitals etc.

There are two types of VHIS Certified Plans, namely Standard Plan and Flexi Plans. Standard Plan benchmarks the minimum complying requirements, including the basic benefit coverage and specified claimable amount; whereas Flexi Plan allows greater flexibility in product design by insurance companies to offer additional protection on top of Standard Plan, such as higher benefit limits and broader benefit coverage to cater for the needs of different consumers.

To provide an additional incentive for further encouraging citizens in purchasing VHIS Certified Plans, taxpayers are allowed to claim tax deductions for VHIS qualifying premiums which they paid for themselves and all specified relatives. The maximum deductible amount of premiums paid for each insured person is now $8,000 per year of assessment.

The VHIS has been launched for nearly five years, three of which coincided with the COVID-19 epidemic when the usage of private healthcare services by Hong Kong residents was significantly impacted. Both the service volume and location pattern also differed considerably as compared with the pre-epidemic era. It is thus premature to draw any conclusion on the effectiveness of the scheme at this very stage.

As at March 31, 2024, the number of policies of VHIS Certified Plans was about 1 341 000, with 97 per cent of the insured persons having purchased Flexi Plans. This shows that quite a number of consumers in the market may prefer having a higher level of medical protection. Among all insured persons, more than half (about 53 per cent) of them were below the age of 40, about 35 per cent were aged 40 to 59, and about 12 per cent were aged 60 or above. The younger profile among policy holders has been in line with the Government's policy to encourage citizens to get insured at a younger age.

Despite the epidemic, the number of VHIS policies has recorded steady growth. The latest figure as at 2023 shows that VHIS policies accounted for nearly one-third of the IHIP market share in Hong Kong. We believe that the VHIS will become the mainstream standard for the IHIP market in the long run and provide citizens with greater confidence in purchasing VHIS products to choose private healthcare services when in need, thereby alleviating the burden on the public healthcare system.

Based on the latest information available from the Inland Revenue Department, there were 247 000, 329 000 and 404 000 taxpayers who claimed tax deductions in the three years of assessment from 2020/21 to 2022/23, involving a total of $1.693 billion, $2.355 billion and $2.987 billion in VHIS qualifying premiums respectively. For instance, about 74 per cent of the insured persons had their paid premiums fully deductible in the year of assessment 2022/23. We consider that the current ceiling of tax deduction remains appropriate, and will review it from time to time in view of economic development and market demand.

The Health Bureau will continue to monitor the implementation of the VHIS, collect market data and canvass the views of various stakeholders so as to align it with various public health policies of the Government. As an example, in view of the imminent operation of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, the Government has initiated dialogue with the insurance sector on covering relevant medical expenses under the VHIS in future. Relevant discussions are actively underway. Moreover, the Government is willing to review the possible areas of refinement for the VHIS in due course, such as the benefit items to be covered, service charges and benefit limits. This serves to ensure that the VHIS can keep abreast with the latest trends in the healthcare market and achieve sustainability while catering for the needs of the public.

In the meantime, the Government will also focus on deepening reform of the healthcare system. As announced by the Chief Executive in his 2024 Policy Address, the Government will develop quality indicators for public and private healthcare systems and explore legislating for private healthcare price transparency to enhance service efficiency and address the issue of medical inflation, with the plan to consult the healthcare sector next year. Other measures include establishing a professional platform for developing evidence-based clinical protocols and exploring the feasibility of devising service quality and efficiency standards for public and private healthcare sectors, as well as amending relevant legislation to require all healthcare providers to deposit essential health data in the personal eHealth accounts of members of the public. These would contribute to enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services in Hong Kong including those in the private sector.

Thank you, President.]]><![CDATA[Grantham Hospital missing patient found]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400244.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400244.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:02:00 +0800
     The spokesman for Grantham Hospital made the following update today (December 4) regarding a patient leaving the hospital without notification earlier:

     The 78-year-old female patient who left the Geriatric Medicine ward of the hospital without notification yesterday (December 3) has been located this morning, and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for medical care. The patient is in stable condition.

]]><![CDATA[SFST's speech at Insurtech Insights Asia Conference 2024 (English only) (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400309.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400309.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 13:33:00 +0800
Kris (CEO of Insurtech Insights, Mr Kristoffer Lundberg), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is an honour to join you at the Insurtech Insights Asia Conference 2024. Let me begin by thanking Insurtech Insights for organising this important event, which gathers a distinguished group of local and international delegates, including some of the most influential leaders in the insurance industry. This conference is a vital platform for fostering collaboration, building connections, and generating new opportunities in the dynamic and evolving world of insurance.

     Today, we stand at a critical juncture for the global insurance industry. As risks become more complex and unpredictable, the industry must adapt and innovate to address challenges and seize opportunities. Hong Kong, with its vibrant insurance ecosystem and strategic position as a leading global financial centre, is well positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of insurance.

     I will highlight three key roles that define Hong Kong's approach to strengthening our position as an international risk management hub: Connector, Catalyst, and Creator. These three Cs pillars will guide our efforts to navigate current challenges and unlock future opportunities.

The changing insurance landscape

     The global insurance industry is undergoing profound transformation. Risks are becoming increasingly intricate, driven by geopolitical tensions, climate change, and emerging cyber threats. These factors are reshaping the way insurers assess and manage risk.

     Despite these challenges, the insurance market has shown remarkable resilience. Robust demand has propelled the industry to a new equilibrium, with global life premiums projected to grow by 2.9 per cent in real terms and non-life premiums by 3.3 per cent in 2024, according to market research. This growth underscores the sector's resilience and its vital contribution to economic stability and development.

     Hong Kong plays a unique role in this global landscape. Last year, the city's total gross premiums increased by 0.8 per cent, reaching more than HK$540 billion, while 157 authorised insurers operated in the region as of end-June this year. These figures reflect our strength as a leading insurance market and its potential to drive global industry transformation.

     To build on this very sound foundation, we are focusing on the three "C"s - Connector, Catalyst, and Creator - to further solidify Hong Kong's position as a global risk management hub.

Connector: enhancing regional collaboration

     First of all, as a Connector, to enhance regional collaboration. This is about Hong Kong's role as a Connector, facilitating collaboration between local and international businesses and serving as a gateway for Mainland enterprises to expand globally.

     Hong Kong's strategic position as the nexus of domestic-international dual circulation makes it an ideal platform for facilitating cross-border opportunities. The National 14th Five-Year Plan explicitly supports Hong Kong's development as both an international financial centre and a global risk management hub. This reinforces our role as a "super-connector", enabling seamless integration between the Mainland and international markets.

     Recent initiatives announced in the Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address reflect this commitment. For example, we are working to enhance mutual access to insurance markets within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Specific measures include reviewing the risk-based capital (RBC) regime introduced earlier this year and examining capital requirements for infrastructure investments. Furthermore, we continue to invite Mainland and overseas enterprises to establish captive insurers in Hong Kong and commence the legislative preparatory work for establishing a policy holders' protection scheme in Hong Kong. These initiatives aim to diversify risk portfolios, encourage infrastructure investment, and strengthen the resilience of the insurance sector.

     The GBA, with its more than 86 million residents and combined GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of approximately US$14 trillion, presents unparalleled opportunities for growth. By facilitating the free flow of people, goods, and capital across these 11 GBA cities, we are creating a seamless environment for the industry, in particular the insurance industry, to thrive.

     To support Hong Kong policyholders living or working in the GBA, we are striving to establish after-sales service centres in key locations such as Nansha and Qianhai. These centres will provide essential services, including policy inquiries, premium renewals, and claims support, further promoting the integration of insurance markets between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

     Additionally, we have implemented the unilateral recognition policy for cross-boundary motor insurance, which aligns with the commencement of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong vehicles on July 1, 2023. This policy provides a more convenient way for drivers to secure the necessary insurance coverage for operating relevant vehicles to drive on the Mainland. Currently, an amount of 22 local insurers, representing approximately 90 per cent of the relevant market segment, are offering such products.

     Also, we are encouraging the development of cross-boundary insurance products, such as health insurance policies tailored to the needs of individuals and businesses operating across the GBA. These efforts aim to strengthen connectivity and support the seamless movement of people and goods within the region.

Catalyst: driving change and addressing emerging challenges

     Now comes to the second "C", which is about Catalyst, to drive change and addressing emerging challenges. It is about Hong Kong's role as a Catalyst for innovation and adaptation in the face of emerging global challenges.

     The insurance industry is confronting unprecedented risks, particularly from natural catastrophes. Last year, market study found that global insured losses from natural disasters exceeded US$100 billion for the fourth consecutive year, an alarming trend that underscores the urgency of building resilience. With insured losses totalling US$60 billion in the first half of this year - 62 per cent above the 10-year average - we must recognise that the challenges we face require us to think differently about risk and resilience.

     In response, the Government published the "Development Roadmap for the Insurance Sector in Hong Kong" in December 2022. This strategic document outlines our vision for consolidating our position as a global risk management hub while addressing the evolving needs of the sector.

     We had taken a series of key measures a few years ago to strengthen our role as an international risk management hub. We have implemented legislative amendments to offer half-rate profits tax concession for marine and specialty lines of insurance business, expand the scope of risks insurable by captive insurers formed in Hong Kong, and enhance the legal framework for group-wide supervision, with three international insurance groups designated in Hong Kong thereunder.

     We have rolled out a regulatory regime for special purpose insurers and a pilot grant scheme for insurance-linked securities (ILS), underscoring our commitment to innovation in the sector. We have seen so far five ILS issuances in Hong Kong, all in the form of catastrophe bond and with a total insurance amount of more than US$700 million, securing protection against losses inflicted by tropical cyclones and earthquakes on the Mainland and overseas places. Two ILS sponsored by the World Bank have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Creator: innovating through insurtech

     Finally, the "C" is about Creator, concerning innovation. The third pillar is about our role as a Creator of innovative insurtech solutions, which very much echo the theme of today's conference. The challenges posed by climate change, demographic shifts, and evolving customer expectations demand continuous innovation. Technology plays a central role in addressing these challenges, narrowing protection gaps, and promoting financial inclusion.

     Global insurtech investment is projected to reach more than US$4 billion by the end of this year, reflecting the sector's transformative potential. Technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) are revolutionising risk management, enhancing customer experiences, and streamlining operations.

     Hong Kong is at the forefront of this transformation. The Insurance Authority (IA) has launched several initiatives to foster innovation, including the Fast Track and Insurtech Sandbox. These platforms encourage collaboration between traditional insurers and insurtech start-ups, enabling them to test new ideas and bring innovative products to market efficiently.

     To date, four virtual insurers operating exclusively through digital distribution networks and channels have been authorised under the Fast Track. Meanwhile, the Insurtech Sandbox provides a controlled environment to test out innovative solutions, reduce development costs, and expedite the launch of new products.

     The introduction of the Open API (Application Programming Interfaces) Framework last year has further enhanced data exchange and transparency in the insurance market. By providing industry players with guidance on deploying API technology, this framework fosters partnerships between insurers and tech ventures, ultimately improving services for policyholders.

     Our insurtech ecosystem is also playing a key role in supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Multinational insurers and reinsurers based in Hong Kong are leveraging advanced technologies to provide professional services for BRI-related infrastructure and investment projects. Through supportive measures and also policies and more importantly active engagement by the IA, we aim to attract more Mainland enterprises to establish captive insurers in Hong Kong, enhancing their risk management capabilities.

     All these efforts reflect our very commitment to positioning Hong Kong as a global leader in insurtech innovation, driving positive disruption and creating value for the industry and our customers.

Closing remarks

     Ladies and gentlemen, the future of the insurance industry is filled with both challenges and opportunities. By embracing change, fostering innovation, and strengthening collaboration, Hong Kong is well positioned to lead as a global risk management hub.

     I invite all of you - leaders and innovators from Hong Kong and afar in risk management - to join us in shaping the future of this vital industry. Together, we can drive innovation, enhance resilience, and create a more inclusive and sustainable insurance ecosystem.

     Before I close and before I wish you all a great conference, for those who are new to Hong Kong, apart from attending the conference, I hope you can enjoy the natural landscape with more than 40 beaches and hiking trails of more than 500 kilometres in Hong Kong, which are actually a few minutes away from here. Thank you.

]]><![CDATA[Secretary for Health meets Vice-minister of National Health Commission in Beijing (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400268.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400268.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 13:01:00 +0800
Professor Lo said, "In the Resolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, it mentions the further reform of the medical and healthcare systems, and support for the development of innovative drugs and medical devices. The Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Development Plan for Shenzhen Park) promulgated by the State Council in August last year put forward the co-ordinated development of 'one zone, two parks' between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, expressing clear support for the innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is determined to leverage the advantages of the 'one country, two systems' principle and Hong Kong's healthcare professional system to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub to expedite patients' access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and promote the development of the biomedicine research and development industry, while actively integrating into the national development by showing support for fostering new quality productive forces in biomedicine technologies, as set out in the Resolution and the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park.

"Established and wholly owned by the HKSAR Government, the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute was officially opened in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (HTCZ) last month. The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center of the Shenzhen Municipality was also opened in the Shenzhen Park on the same day. The establishment of 'one institute, one center' marked the first benchmark for co-ordinated development under 'one zone, two parks' of the HTCZ."

In terms of deepening reform of the healthcare system, Professor Lo emphasised that the reform seeks to improve healthcare protection and quality, as well as to strengthen the sustainability of the public healthcare system, with a view to enhancing citizens' health.

Professor Lo said, "The HKSAR Government will continue improving public healthcare services, scaling up medical collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and exploring the setting up of a standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism, with a view to helping to uphold the global standing and regional advantage of Hong Kong's healthcare professions."

During the meeting, the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, introduced to Ms Guo the utilisation of acupuncture in supporting smoking cessation by the Department of Health (DH). They also engaged in in-depth discussions on the latest situation and measures of tobacco control in Hong Kong.

Professor Lo fully concurred with the ban on selling flavoured e-cigarettes on the Mainland, noting that flavoured cigarettes do pose tremendous adverse impacts on citizens, teenagers and women in particular.

Professor Lo is leading a delegation to attend the 2024 World Conference on Traditional Medicine in Beijing. Members of the delegation include Dr Lam; the Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development of the Health Bureau (HHB), Dr Vincent Chung; the Head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the DH, Dr Fung Ying; the Assistant Director of Health (Chinese Medicine), Dr Edmund Fong; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko; as well as officials of the HHB, the DH and the HA. The Hospital Chief Executive of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, also joined the delegation for the conference. Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

]]><![CDATA[LCQ12: Manpower of aviation industry]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400260.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400260.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:55:00 +0800
Question:

Regarding the manpower of the aviation industry, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of (i) ‍flights and (ii) passenger trips arriving in and departing from Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) in October ‍2018 and October this year (set out in Table 1);

Table 1

Month	Arriving in Hong Kong		Departing from Hong Kong
Month	(i)	(ii)	(i)	(ii)
October 2018
October 2024

(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of destinations (including international and Mainland routes) served by HKIA in October 2018 and October this year and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by region (i.e. (i) Asia (including (a) the Mainland, (b) ‍the Middle East, (c) East Asia, (d) Southeast Asia and (e) North Asia), (ii) Europe, (iii) Africa, (iv) South America and (v) Oceania);

Table 2

Region		October 2018	October 2024
(i)	(a)
	...
	(e)
(ii)
...
(v)
Total

(3) whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the number of personnel licences issued by the Civil Aviation Department, (ii) the respective proportions of licence holders who are Hong Kong residents and non-‍Hong Kong residents and (iii) the number of licence holders who have taken up employment in October 2018 and October this year, and set out in Table‍ 3 a breakdown by job type of the personnel (e.g. flight crew and aircraft maintenance engineers);

Table 3

Job type	October 2018			October 2024
Job type	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	(i)	(ii)	(iii)
Flight crew
Aircraft maintenance engineers
...

(4) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of imported workers/talents for all job types in the aviation industry since the introduction of the Talent List of Hong Kong and Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, and set out a breakdown by talent admission scheme and labour importation scheme;

(5) whether the Government will ensure that aviation enterprises located at HKIA accord priority to local talents in staff recruitment, including posts that require professional qualifications in the industry; whether the Government has assessed the negative impacts brought about by the large-scale introduction of manpower from outside Hong Kong on the income of local aviation practitioners, and whether the Government has plans to promote the airport community to establish a tripartite discussion platform comprising employees, the Government and employers in respect of human resources planning, and maintain communication with the Labour Advisory Board over issues relating to imported workers, with a view to resolving conflicts of interests and creating a conducive working environment for local workers; if so, of the specific details; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) whether it has projected the growth in the number of (i) flights, (ii) ‍destinations and (iii) passenger trips after the commissioning of the Three-Runway System (3RS) of HKIA; whether it has, on the basis of such projected data, assessed in detail the impacts of the commissioning of the 3RS on manpower deployment at HKIA; if so, of the specific details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(7) given that Hong Kong is an international aviation hub, whether the Government has recently studied new manpower policies or initiatives for the aviation industry in order to further consolidate and enhance the core role of Hong Kong as an international aviation hub; if so, of the specific policies and initiatives; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Hong Kong is an international aviation hub. This positioning is recognised in the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Government and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) have launched a series of measures to implement this national strategy and to consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub. As we continue to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and our aviation industry, together with the commissioning of the Three-Runway System (3RS) last month, we expect that the manpower demand of the aviation industry will rise accordingly.

With regard to the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu, my reply is as follows:

(1) According to the information provided by the AAHK, the numbers of arrival and departure flights (including both passenger and cargo) and passenger throughput at HKIA in October 2018 and October 2024 are tabulated below.

Month	Arrival		Departure
Month	(i) Number of flights	(ii) Passenger throughput	(i) Number of flights	(ii) Passenger throughput
October 2018	18 271	2 373 000	18 245	2 170 000
October 2024	15 825	1 872 000	15 800	1 672 000

Of which, the daily passenger throughput at HKIA in peak season has returned to around 85 per cent of the pre-pandemic level, and is expected to return to the pre-pandemic level in the peak season at the end of this year.

(2) According to the information provided by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD), the numbers of destinations for passenger and cargo flights connected to HKIA in December 2018 and October 2024 are tabulated below.

Region		12-month period ended at December 2018 (Note 1)	12-month period ended at October 2024
(i) Asia	(a) Mainland China and Taiwan	53	50
	(b) Middle-east	16	17
	(c) East Asia	22	18
	(d) Southeast Asia	33	28
	(e) South Asia	11	9
	(f) Central Asia	3	3
(ii) Europe		37	25
(iii) Africa		5	4
(iv) North America		28	25
(v) South America		0	1
(vi) Oceania		16	12
Total		224	192

Note 1: The CAD does not maintain relevant statistics as at October 2018.

To resume air traffic as soon as possible and to leverage the opportunities brought by the 3RS, we will develop and expand the aviation network with a more forward-looking perspective and make early preparations for civil aviation co-operation with the "Belt and Road" countries. At the same time, we will support HKIA to strengthen the services of its trunk routes, and work together with the AAHK to strategically attract local and non-local airlines to develop new destinations and increase flights so as to enhance the diversity and competitiveness of the industry.

(3) In accordance with the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C), the CAD issues relevant licences to pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and air traffic control officers. The relevant information is tabulated below.

	October 2018 (Note 1)		October 2024 (Note 2)
	Number of licences issued by the CAD (Note 3)	Number of licensees being employed	Number of licences issued by the CAD (Note 3)	Number of licensees being employed
Pilot	6 383	(Note 4)	6 561	(Note 4)
Aircraft maintenance engineers	2 190	(Note 4)	2 090	(Note 4)
Air traffic control personnel	238	238	270	270

Note 1: Number of valid private and professional pilot’s licences (aeroplanes and helicopters), aircraft maintenance licences (i.e. the licence required for aircraft maintenance engineers) and air traffic control licences as at October 31, 2018.
Note 2: Number of valid private and professional pilot’s licences (aeroplanes and helicopters), aircraft maintenance licences (required for aircraft maintenance engineers) and air traffic control licences as at October 31, 2024.
Note 3: The CAD does not maintain a breakdown of the respective proportions of aviation personnel licence holders who are Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents.
Note 4: The CAD does not maintain a breakdown of the number of licence holders who have taken up employment.

(4) At present, the Talent List of Hong Kong and the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme mentioned in the question do not cover any job types in the aviation industry. Under the principle of not affecting the promotion of localisation of aviation personnel, the aviation industry may address the imminent manpower shortage problem through the General Employment Policy (GEP) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). The Immigration Department does not maintain a breakdown of different job types in the aviation industry under various talent admission schemes.

Moreover, in order to relieve the serious manpower shortage problem in the aviation industry, the Government launched the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Aviation Industry in July last year, allowing aviation-related companies with direct contractual relationship with the AAHK to suitably import workers for 10 types of frontline non-supervisory jobs on the prerequisite of safeguarding the employment of local workers, with a quota ceiling of 6 300. As at end October this year, 3 575 imported workers had arrived to work in Hong Kong. The breakdown by job type is as follows:

Job type	Number of imported workers having arrived to work in Hong Kong
1. Passenger Services Officer	1 193
2. Ramp Services Agent	736
3. Cabin Worker	492
4. Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic/Technician	30
5. Tractor Driver	392
6. Warehouse Operator/Cargo Handler	218
7. Equipment/Loader Operator	265
8. Customer Services Agent	140
9. Aircraft Tug Driver	24
10. Maintenance Technician	85
Total	3 575

(5) The GEP and the ASMTP aim to attract qualified overseas and Mainland talent and professionals to work in Hong Kong in order to meet local needs and enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the global market. These talent must possess special skills, knowledge or experience essential to Hong Kong and not readily available or in shortage locally to contribute to the daily operation of the concerned enterprises and sectors with a view to promoting economic development in Hong Kong. Under the principle of ensuring that local employment is accorded priority, if an enterprise has aviation-related job vacancies and intends to recruit overseas talents via the above two schemes, the enterprise must conduct a market availability test to prove its difficulties in local recruitment; and the remuneration package must also be comparable to the prevailing market level for professionals in Hong Kong.

In addition, under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Aviation Industry, employers must prove that they are unable to meet the manpower requirements for business expansion despite the conduct of local recruitment before they can apply for importing workers. In the meantime, under the AAHK’s coordination, eligible airport frontline workers have started receiving transport subsidies since May this year. We are closely monitoring the implementation of the scheme, and maintaining communication with stakeholders of both the employers’ and employees’ sides through the stakeholder consultative group under the scheme to ensure that the employment situation of local workers is safeguarded during the scheme’s implementation. We will also report regularly to the Labour Advisory Board on the implementation status of the scheme.

(6) and (7) Upon the commissioning of the 3RS, the annual handling capacity of HKIA will increase to 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo by 2035. We expect the airport manpower requirement will also increase gradually. According to the 2023 Manpower Projection report published by the Labour and Welfare Bureau last month, the manpower shortage of the Hong Kong aviation industry will increase to around 18 000 and 23 000 people in 2028. To more accurately assess the short-term manpower requirement, the AAHK will launch a new round of airport manpower survey. The Government will consider the way forward of the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Aviation Industry having regard to a number of relevant factors such as the results of the said survey, the implementation status of the scheme, views from the stakeholder consultative group under the scheme, etc.

Apart from the above-mentioned policies on labour importation and talent admission, the Government and the AAHK are maintaining close contact and communication with the aviation industry, and have implemented a series of measures to support the sustainable development of the aviation industry. In this regard, the Government established the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund (MATF) in 2014 and supported the AAHK in establishing the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy (HKIAA) in 2016 to promote the professional development of the aviation industry and to attract more young people to join the industry. To attract and nurture more aviation talents, the Government explores possible enhancements of the training and incentive schemes under the MATF from time to time; while the HKIAA has been continuously updating, enhancing and expanding its training courses in accordance with industry needs. At the same time, the AAHK has been encouraging the airport community to conduct local recruitment, such as organising employment information days; actively improving the working environment and welfare of the employees in collaboration of the airport community; as well as applying technology and smart techniques in airport services to reduce manpower pressure.]]><![CDATA[SJ to lead Hong Kong legal sector delegation to visit Mainland cities of GBA]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400305.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400305.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:48:00 +0800
Mr Lam and his delegation will visit Guangzhou and Shenzhen to meet with local government representatives to learn more about the latest developments in Guangdong and the GBA, and to explore opportunities for further co-operation between the Hong Kong legal sector and Mainland authorities, as well as legal and business sectors of the Mainland. They will also hold discussions with representatives from Guangdong legal and business sectors in Guangzhou and with representatives of Mainland courts and law-related organisations in Shenzhen to discuss various topics of mutual interest and share practical experiences. Mr Lam and his delegation will also visit an innovation and technology enterprise's headquarters in Shenzhen and meet with its representatives.

Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on December 7. During his absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice.]]><![CDATA[LCQ2: Relaxing restrictions on use of deployed features of electric vehicles]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400300.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400300.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:46:00 +0800
Question:

     There are views that while the Government has made efforts to promote the popularisation of electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years, the relevant legislation is outdated and restricts the use of some deployed features of many electric private cars imported into Hong Kong. This not only undermines the maximum efficiency of EVs and the convenience they bring to drivers, but may also reduce the public's desire to switch to EVs, thus hindering the progress of the extensive use of EVs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) regarding EVs currently imported into Hong Kong, whether it has studied and consolidated the deployed features that are restricted from use in Hong Kong; if so, set out the individual features that are restricted from use by EV brands, and the legislation involved;

(2) whether it will conduct a comprehensive review on all the provisions under the Road Traffic Ordinance which involve restrictions on the use of EV features, and study the possibility of gradually relaxing the relevant restrictions, as well as formulate a specific timetable for amending the relevant legislation; and

(3) whether it will review afresh and explore ways to improve the content of the relevant policies, regulations and testing standards, etc., so as to provide a more friendly "barrier-free" space and environment for the use of imported EVs?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Transport Department (TD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, my consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Duncan Chiu is as follows:

(1) and (2) The TD has always kept an open mind to new vehicle technologies. When formulating relevant legislation and technical guidelines to promote the adoption of new technologies in Hong Kong, the TD conducts timely reviews on the advancement in technology and liaises closely with the trade for feedback, while taking road safety, local traffic conditions as well as the regulatory experience of other jurisdictions into consideration. All vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV), should make reference to the corresponding technical guidelines, in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) and its subsidiary regulations, to pass the TD's vehicle approval mechanism, such that the design, construction and emission of vehicles comply with the legal requirements and are fit for road use before they are registered, licensed and used on roads in Hong Kong. The Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations (Cap. 374G) also set out relevant traffic equipment, traffic regulations and traffic control matters to ensure road safety.

     Considering the above factors, except for the following two functions, the TD has already approved the usage of all advanced driver assistance systems on the market including automatic parking, side collision warning, vehicle hold, automatic steer, automatic lane change, lane keeping, cruise control and automatic emergency braking system, etc. under specific driving environments in compliance with the China National Standards (GuoBiao) or relevant internationally recognised standards.

     Currently, the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374A) does not allow vehicles, not limited to EV, to display information other than driving information in visual display unit in front of the driver's seat. In addition, if a driver uses a mobile phone or mobile communication device to remotely park a vehicle, he will contravene the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations (Cap. 374G) which stipulates that a driver is prohibited from holding a mobile phone or a mobile communication device while driving a car. The Government is actively working on the legislative amendment and plans to submit the proposals to the Legislative Council within this year, such that the vehicle trade will be able to introduce the above two functions for drivers' use under the premise of ensuring road safety.

(3) The Government strives to promote the green transformation of vehicles, including offering first registration tax concessions to encourage purchase of EV. The government is also taking a multi-pronged approach to expand the EV charging network, to ensure sufficient and convenient charging facilities to cater for the needs of different types of EV.

     The TD has been working closely with the Environmental Protection Department to support the policy of carbon neutrality and climate action plan that promote the use of EV. For instance, with a view to supporting the introduction of different new energy vehicles, the TD issued a guideline document titled "Vehicle Construction Approval Requirements for Electric Vehicles" in 2010 to elaborate in detail the technical and safety requirements for EV in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the TD has also reviewed and updated guidelines, including the adoption of the GuoBiao safety requirements for EV. The latest version was released in May 2023, providing further guidance and specifications on the technical and safety requirements for EV and facilitating the vehicle trades in providing relevant information on EV to the TD to simplify applications for EV approval. The TD also updated the annex to the above guidelines in June 2024 to accept applications for vehicle type approval of EV with battery swapping technology.

     In fact, over the past three years, the annual number of pure EV passing vehicle type approval has generally increased from a total of 145 pure EV models in 2021 to 164 models in 2023. As of the end of October 2024, the TD approved 144 EV models from the Mainland and 400 EV models from other regions.

     To promote the usage of EV and meet the needs of drivers, the Government introduced EV maintenance service to the "Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Mechanics" and the "Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Maintenance Workshops" in July 2024, so as to keep up with providing continuous professional training to related technicians. As of November 2024, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has received approximately 400 applications from registered vehicle maintenance technicians seeking to add EV maintenance service qualifications, and the applications are being processed.

     The TD will continue to maintain close communication with the trade, update technical guidelines and streamline approval process in a timely manner, to facilitate the introduction of more EV models that comply with relevant technical requirements.

     Thank you. ]]><![CDATA[LCQ21: Gambling counselling and prevention of gambling addiction]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400189.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400189.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:40:00 +0800
Question:

     In Hong Kong, there are a number of counselling, treatment and other support services provided for people with gambling disorders and those affected by them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the monthly number of user-times of various gambling counselling hotlines and gambling counselling centres in the past five years and, among them, the respective ratios of first-time and repeated service users;

(2) whether the Government has explored introducing a wider range of gambling counselling services or programmes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) of the average expenditure on civic education about anti-gambling and publicity about gambling counselling in each of the past five years, and the percentage of the part spent on anti-gambling publicity in schools;

(4) whether the Government will assess the effectiveness of the work mentioned in (3); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) of the names of gambling counselling organizations subsidised by the Government in the past five years and the amounts of subsidies, as well as the support services provided by such organisations?

Reply:

President,

     It is the Government's policy not to encourage gambling. To address problems caused by gambling, the Government adopts a multi-pronged strategy, including regulation over gambling activities through legislation, stringent law enforcement against illegal gambling, public education on the harms of gambling addiction, and provision of counselling and support services to people in need. On public education and provision of counselling and support services front, the Government set up the Ping Wo Fund (the Fund) in 2003 to fund preventive and remedial measures to address the gambling-related problems. The Government also established the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee to give advice to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs on the use and application of the Fund.

     The Government's reply to Hon Lilian Kwok's question is as follows:

(1) The Fund has been funding four counselling and treatment centres (counselling centres), namely Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Even Centre, Caritas Addicted Gamblers Counselling Centre, Zion Social Service Yuk Lai Hin Counselling Centre and Sunshine Lutheran Centre of the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, to provide telephone counselling, face-to-face counselling and other professional treatment services for people with gambling disorders as well as their family members and friends. The four counselling centres also assist in the operation of the gambling counselling hotline (1834 633) and answer enquiries from those in need and the members of the public through their instant messaging applications and social media platforms.

     The monthly figures on the enquiries received by the four counselling centres through channels such as the hotline, as well as the number of clients who received services provided by the counselling centres in the past five years are at Annex. We do not maintain the breakdown of the frequency of the individuals using the hotline and counselling services.

(2) Apart from financing the operation of the above-mentioned four counselling centres, the Fund is engaging a non-governmental organisation to establish and operate an online counselling platform having regard to the trend that people having gambling-related problems tend to make enquiry and seek assistance through online means. The platform will utilise a chatbot service to offer preliminary anti-gambling advice to individuals seeking help and encourage them to have further telephone or face-to-face counselling services.

(3) and (4) On public education and publicity front, in order to promote the no-gambling messages to members of the public, in particular the youth, the Fund has been funding non-governmental organisations and schools to organise anti-gambling public education activities under the Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme (Sponsorship Scheme) and the Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants (School Project Grants) since 2009 and 2010 respectively. The Fund has also publicised the harms of gambling at school and community levels and the ways to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems through the public education activities organised by the four counselling centres, as well as a publicity truck programme. In addition, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and the Fund have been launching territory-wide anti-gambling publicity and public education campaigns during mega football events (such as FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship) to raise public awareness (including the students) of the gambling-related problems.

     The Fund also continues to enhance the publicity efforts made via traditional media as well as online and social media platforms, including advertising on public transport and online platforms. These efforts aim to promote the gambling counselling hotline (183 4633) and the related anti-gambling messages and encourage individuals to promptly seek assistance.

     The Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee and its secretariat conduct regular reviews of the effectiveness of relevant measures, which include evaluating the outcomes of the sponsored activities when processing the reimbursement claims from the funded organisations, and exchanging views with stakeholders to enhance the overall effectiveness.

     The funding support to public education and other publicity measures (including those provided to schools) by the Fund to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems in the past five years are as follows:

Year	Funding support
Year	Public Education^ (including Sponsorship Scheme and School Project Grants)	Other publicity measures (including publicity truck programme)
2019	About $4.0 million	About $8.5 million*
2020	About $3.9 million	About $1.9 million
2021	About $4.9 million	About $1.3 million
2022	About $4.8 million	About $6.6 million*
2023	About $5.3 million	About $8.0 million*

^Not all projects under the Sponsorship Scheme involve publicity at schools. Hence, we do not maintain the breakdown of the funding support provided for promoting the anti-gambling messages at schools.
*Including the funding support provided for the territory-wide anti-gambling publicity and public education campaigns during the mega football events.

(5) As mentioned in the first part of the reply, the Fund has been funding four counselling centres to provide telephone counselling, face-to-face counselling and other professional treatment services for people with gambling disorders, as well as their family members and friends. The centres also offer preventive public education on gambling-related problems to the community and schools, as well as professional training for the industry or interested organisations to enhance understanding about the behaviour and risk factors of gamblers with gambling disorder. Furthermore, the centres will render advice to the Fund to facilitate the development of the best practices for the screening of and remedial services and treatments for gamblers with gambling disorder.

The total funding support provided to the four counselling centres in the past five years is tabulated below:

Year	Total funding support
2019	About $22.5 million
2020	About $23.5 million
2021	About $24.2 million
2022	About $24.2 million
2023	About $24.6 million

     The HYAB will continue to closely collaborate with the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee, observe the prevalence of gambling activities among Hong Kong people, maintain communication with relevant departments and optimise efforts to prevent and alleviate problems relating to gambling.]]><![CDATA[LCQ3: Continuing Education Fund]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400280.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400280.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0800
Question:

     Regarding the Continuing Education Fund (CEF), will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the subsidy ceiling of CEF was increased from $20,000 to $25,000 per applicant in 2022, whether the Government has considered further increasing the subsidy amount under CEF and lowering the co-payment ratios for subsidised learners (i.e. the percentage of fees to be borne by learners), so as to encourage members of the public to pursue continuing education;

(2) as it is learnt that some of the CEF reimbursable courses (CEF courses) differ from non-CEF courses of the same type in terms of enrolment thresholds, fees, course arrangements and assessment methods, etc., resulting in members of the public inclining to enrol in non-CEF courses, whether the Government will consider improving the design and arrangements of CEF courses to enhance their attractiveness and competitiveness; and

(3) in order to establish Hong Kong's "eight centres" positioning and develop new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, whether the Government will review the current social positioning of CEF courses and encourage institutions to offer more continuing education courses related to emerging policies (including low-‍altitude economy, digital economy and innovation and technology industry), so as to keep abreast of the times in promoting the development of continuing education courses?

Reply:

President,

     The Government established the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) in 2002 to provide subsidies to adults with learning aspirations to pursue continuing education and training, with a view to complementing the development trend of globalisation and meeting the needs for Hong Kong's transition to a knowledge-based economy. Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above, irrespective of education level, employment or financial status, are eligible to claim for CEF subsidy upon successful completion of CEF reimbursable course (CEF course). There are currently over 4 500 CEF courses offered by over 120 course providers, providing diversified choices for learners.

     My reply to the question raised by the Member is as follows:

(1) To keep on promoting continuing education and encouraging members of the public to pursue self-enhancement, the Government raised the CEF subsidy ceiling twice in April 2019 and August 2022, from originally $10,000 per person at the time of establishment of the CEF to currently $25,000 per person. The co-payment ratios by learners for the first $10,000 subsidy has been kept at 20 per cent of the course fee, and that for the remaining subsidy is 40 per cent of the course fee. The objective of putting in place the mechanism of co-payment ratio is to ensure that learners select courses prudently, while preventing course providers from arbitrarily raising the course fees in response to the adjustment to the subsidy ceiling at the same time.

     As at end of October 2024, there are about 932 000 accounts under the CEF, among which about 5 700 account holders had used up the subsidy of $25,000, representing less than one per cent of the total number of accounts under the CEF. Meanwhile, nearly 90 per cent of the accounts under the CEF have an unused balance of $15,000 or above, enabling learners to continue to take other CEF courses. Currently, the subsidy ceiling will be used up by enrolling in CEF courses with cumulative course fees of $37,500, while the median course fee of CEF courses is $7,800. The Government is of the view that the current CEF subsidy ceiling and co-payment ratio arrangements could still satisfy the demand of the learners. The Government will continue to keep in view the operation of the CEF and the views of stakeholders, and consider the need to review the existing arrangements as appropriate.

(2) CEF courses are subject to quality assurance mechanism. All CEF courses must be registered under the Qualifications Register and fulfill the registration criteria under the CEF to ensure that CEF courses could meet the requirements in respect of the content, qualifications of instructors, teaching methodology and assessment methods, etc. in order to safeguard learners' interests. The Government encourages members of the public to pursue continuing education. They could freely select training courses available in the market according to their own preferences and needs.

(3) The National 14th Five-Year Plan has supported the development of Hong Kong in eight key areas ("eight centres"). Currently, many CEF courses are relevant to the business and contents of the "eight centres". The Government will continue to monitor the operation of the CEF and is open to suggestions on optimising its operation and consolidation of local training resources.]]><![CDATA[Special traffic and transport arrangements for Hong Kong Streetathon 2024 this Sunday]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400238.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400238.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0800
   The full marathon race will start at the Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) near Hing Fat Street and route through major road sections including the IEC, the Central-Wan Chai Bypass, Lung Wo Road, then turn back and be routed through the Eastern Harbour Crossing and the Tseung Lam Highway, then turn back again and be routed via Cha Kwo Ling Road, Kwun Tong Bypass, Hoi Bun Road, Kai Fuk Road, Kai Tak Tunnel and East Kowloon Corridor to the finishing point at San Shan Road in To Kwa Wan.

   The race route of the half marathon race will be similar to the full marathon race, except that it will not be routed through the Central-Wan Chai Bypass, Lung Wo Road and the Tseung Lam Highway.

   The 10-kilometre race will start at the Tseung Lam Highway near Tong Yin Street and route through the Tseung Lam Highway, Cha Kwo Ling Road and Kwun Tong Bypass, and finish at Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong.

   Subject to the race arrangements and progress, the road sections along the race routes will be temporarily closed in phases from 1am on that day, until the reopening of roads at about 1pm. Motorists are advised to pay attention to the traffic signs erected at the scene and consider using alternative routes to their destinations.

   Due to the temporary road closures, the TD anticipates that the traffic at various locations on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon will be more significantly congested when compared with normal Sundays, including:

Hong Kong Island: King's Road, Java Road, Shau Kei Wan Road, Causeway Road, Victoria Park Road, Yee Wo Street, Gloucester Road, Hennessy Road, Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road, Queensway, the Aberdeen Tunnel (Wan Chai bound) and in the vicinity of Central Ferry Pier areas; and
Kowloon: Kwun Tong Road, Wai Yip Street, Prince Edward Road East and in the vicinity of Kowloon Bay areas.

   Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the above affected areas. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise patience and drive with care, and follow the instructions of the Police on-site.

   In view of temporary road closures, 58 bus routes (including 18 KMB routes, 20 Citybus routes and 20 Cross Harbour Bus routes) and 16 Green Minibus routes will be affected and subject to diversion, truncation or relocation of stops in phases until the reopening of the roads. During the road closure period, taxi stands (including taxi pick-up/drop-off points), public light bus stands, roadside parking spaces and private car parks on the roads affected will be suspended.

   To enable participants travelling to Causeway Bay for the full and half marathon races with the earliest starting times from 5.15am and 5.55am respectively, the first departures of all MTR rail lines (except the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line) will be advanced suitably on Sunday, with the first departures on the Tuen Ma Line and East Rail Line to be operated at 2.50am. In addition, three special bus routes will also be operated to serve event participants travelling to Causeway Bay this Sunday.

   Members of the public should plan their journeys early to avoid unexpected delays, and use public transport services (particularly railway services) as far as possible, and pay attention to the arrangements of temporary route diversions and relocations of stops. They may browse the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) or mobile application "HKeMobility" for information about the special traffic and transport information, or may also browse relevant public transport operators' websites or mobile applications for details of service changes.

   The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. Other temporary road and traffic control measures, including adjusting the extent of road closures, and alteration or suspension of public transport services may be implemented by the Police at short notice depending on the actual traffic conditions. Members of the public are advised to stay alert to the latest traffic news.]]><![CDATA[LCQ8: Work on talent admission]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400237.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400237.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 12:15:00 +0800
Question:

     It has been reported that Hong Kong ranked ninth among the 67 economies around the globe in the World Talent Ranking 2024 published by the International Institute for Management Development, and as at end-August this year, over 150 000 people of talent arrived in Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as there are views that currently, the Top Talent Pass Scheme only imposes one eligibility criterion for Category A applications (i.e. an annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above in the year immediately preceding the date of application), but top talents should not be merely regarded as high-income earners because the key purpose of admitting "pinnacle" talents is to enable talents to contribute their skills and expertise shortly after their arrival in Hong Kong and, in the long term, fulfil the development needs of Hong Kong, whether the Government will consider raising the threshold for Category A applications and adding more screening conditions to enhance the selection of such category of talents;

(2) as the aforesaid Category A applicants primarily come to look for middle and upper-rank posts in Hong Kong, but there are views pointing out that the overall demand for local middle and upper-rank posts is large while the supply is small, which has limited the employment of top talents, whether the Government will formulate more targeted utilisation strategies on the utilisation of talents for Category A applicants, so as to make even better use of the talent pool and fully revitalise talent resources;

(3) whether it has studied if various talent admission schemes are not attractive enough to highly skilled talents who meet the direction of Hong Kong's future development; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the core reasons for that; and

(4) as there are views that the majority of talents admitted through various talent admission schemes are engaged in such industries as finance, innovation and technology, trade and professional services, and that local talents in such industries are themselves sufficient and highly competitive, of the measures adopted by the Government to ensure that such local talents can secure equal employment opportunities?

Reply:

President,

     To relieve the prevailing tight local labour market situation, the Government launched the new Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) in end-2022, under which eligible outside talents are not required to have secured offers of employment in Hong Kong before applying for two-year visas through the TTPS to explore opportunities in Hong Kong.

     The eligibility and assessment criteria of the TTPS are concise and clear, targeting high-income individuals and top-notch university graduates. There are three categories of applications. Applicants under Category A are required to have an annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above in the year immediately preceding the date of application, while applicants under Categories B and C have to be bachelor's degree graduates from the 198 universities specified under the scheme. Since the launch of the TTPS in end-2022 up to end-October this year, nearly 85 000 applications are approved under the TTPS, with applications under Category A accounting for only about one-quarter of the total.

     Most talents approved under Category A were entrepreneurs or management of companies before arriving in Hong Kong. They attained good achievements in their respective professional fields and are highly competitive in the market. According to the findings of the follow-up surveys conducted by the Labour and Welfare Bureau earlier on the talents admitted under the TTPS, nearly 60 per cent of the respondents under Category A who have arrived in Hong Kong six months or more were in employment, higher than that of respondents under Categories B and C. Among them, about one-quarter of the employed respondents under Category A are entrepreneurs who have set up companies after arrival to Hong Kong and created job opportunities for the locals. Most of the employed talents under Category A are engaged in industries where Hong Kong has a competitive edge, including commerce and trade, innovation and technology, as well as information and communications technology. This can help fill local job vacancies and strengthen the local talent pool.

     A person admitted under the TTPS, upon the expiry of his/her first visa, will have to be employed, or have established or joined in business in Hong Kong so that an extension of stay can be granted. Whether talents can stay in Hong Kong in the long run depends on their own conditions and competitiveness, as well as their ability to secure development opportunities in the local market. In view of the effectiveness and operational experience of the TTPS, the Government has no intention to change the eligibility criteria nor impose additional restrictions for applicants under Category A of the TTPS.

     Apart from the TTPS, the Government has also implemented other talent admission schemes to attract diversified talents to come for employment and settle in Hong Kong. Among them, the General Employment Policy (GEP) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) are employment-tied. Applications for talent admission under these schemes have to be sponsored by their employers. This by design has ensured that the admitted talents could meet the demand of the local employment market. As for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), its objective is to attract highly skilled talents to settle in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's economic competitiveness. In addition, the Government also has also drawn up the Talent List of Hong Kong, which is subject to updates from time to time to attract high quality talents in a more effective and focused manner to support Hong Kong's development into a high value-added and diversified economy. The Talent List currently comprises 51 professions under nine industry segments, reflecting the types of talents that Hong Kong needs most and are eligible for the immigration facilitation under the GEP, ASMTP and QMAS. The Government will continue to review the effectiveness of the various talent admission schemes and make improvements or adjustments as necessary.

     The 2023 Manpower Projection indicates that the supply of local manpower would fall short to fill vacancies across sectors in the next five years, resulting in a widening manpower shortage. On the principle of safeguarding the employment priority of local workers, the Government will step up efforts to nurture local talents and unleash local workforce. However, there would still be a need to continue to import outside talents and labour at an appropriate scale to meet imminent needs. In fact, even though many outside talents have arrived in Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes and joined the local labour market, the local unemployment rate has remained at a low level close to full employment.]]><![CDATA[LCQ19: Government outsourced service contracts]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300397.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120300397.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:59:00 +0800
Question:

     According to an information note of the Legislative Council Secretariat, many local governments around the world have in recent years implemented "reverse contracting" (i.e. the direct provision of some municipal services by the Government like before), partly due to the fact that outsourcing of services can hardly realise considerable cost savings, and the service quality and efficiency may be unsatisfactory, while the relevant authorities have hoped to improve the remuneration and job stability of outsourced workers. It is learnt that setting up a public municipal services organisation for direct long-term employment of workers outside the civil service establishment is one of the major modes of reverse contracting. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the current total number of outsourced workers responsible for government services;

(2) of the annual value of outsourced contracts procured by the four major procuring departments of outsourcing services (i.e. the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Housing Department and Government Property Agency) since 2018, together with the respective numbers of outsourced workers involved under the relevant contracts;

(3) of the average increase in expenditure for the same batch of service contracts upon introduction of various rounds of improvement measures on the outsourcing system by the Government since 2018;

(4) given that a survey conducted by the former Efficiency Unit in 2010 revealed that government departments could incur costs as much as 11 per cent of the annualised contract value for the management and monitoring of outsourced service contracts, whether the Government has conducted afresh survey on such costs in recent years; if so, of the change in cost ratio; if not, whether it will do so; and

(5) as there are views that the remuneration of government outsourced workers has improved in recent years, while exorbitant costs have been incurred by government departments for the management and monitoring of outsourced service contracts, whether the Government has studied if (i) the economic benefits brought by outsourcing, instead of direct employment of workers by the Government, has been diminishing, and (ii) greater economic benefits can be brought by the setting up of a public municipal services organisation for reverse contracting; if it has studied, of the details; if not, whether it will do so?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with relevant bureaux and departments (B/Ds), a consolidated reply is as follows:

(1) We do not maintain information on the number of outsourced workers for all types of services in the Government. As at October 31, 2024, around 40 000 non-skilled workers were involved in the service contracts of the four major procuring departments (i.e. the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Housing Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Government Property Agency) in total.

(2) As regards the service contracts involving non-skilled workers awarded by the four major procuring departments through tendering from 2018-19 to 2024-25 financial year, the total value of contracts and the numbers of non-skilled workers involved are set out at Annex.

(3) The Government has implemented a series of improvement measures in April 2019 and May 2023 respectively to further safeguard the rights and benefits of outsourced non-skilled workers in the procurement of services. These measures include enhancing the tender evaluation system, enhancing the remuneration of non-skilled workers and introducing a standardised regulatory framework to enhance the monitoring of non-skilled worker contracts. Generally speaking, these measures would lead to an increase in contract expenditure. However, changes in contract value (including increase or decrease) also depend on other factors, such as departments' possible adjustments to service requirements (e.g. service content, manpower requirement) of the new batch of contracts, the number of tenderers and their tendering strategies and inflation. Hence, changes in value of contracts awarded by government departments do not merely reflect the impact of improvement measures introduced, and it is not possible for us to make an independent assessment of such impact.

(4) The former Efficiency Unit (EU) conducted a survey on government outsourcing in 2012. According to the survey, on average, the contract management cost for all government departments is about 14 per cent of the annualised contract value. The former EU has not conducted any similar survey since then.

     The Efficiency Office (formerly the EU) was merged with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer to form the Digital Policy Office (DPO) in July 2024. The new office is responsible for formulating policies on digital government, data governance and information technology and consolidating information technology-related resources within the Government so as to accelerate the development of digital government. DPO has no plan at this stage to relaunch relevant surveys.

     While the Government no longer conducts similar surveys, all B/Ds should ensure efficient and effective use of resources under their charge and put in place appropriate procedures to monitor expenditure. The cost of supervising such expenditure should also be reasonable.

(5) Outsourcing is one of the ways adopted by the Government to deliver public services. Government departments will, having regard to operational needs, service nature and effectiveness, etc, adopt the most suitable mode of public service delivery (e.g. appointing civil servants or non-civil service contract staff, and outsourcing). Where departments decide to outsource their services, the relevant services should be procured in accordance with the Government's procurement procedures in a clear, open, fair and competitive manner.

     Implementation of "reverse contracting" involves relevant administrative structure and expenditure, which may not necessarily be more cost-effective than outsourcing services. Financial analyses should be conducted having regard to circumstances of individual cases. Regardless of the mode of service delivery, as it involves the use of public funds, departments should ensure proper use of public resources. Departments have therefore made holistic considerations, including cost-effectiveness, when deciding to outsource their services.]]><![CDATA[LCQ1: Combating fraudulent claims of Traffic Accident Victims Assistance]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400200.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400200.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:45:00 +0800
Question:

     It has been reported that the Police recently arrested 275 people suspected of making fraudulent claims of Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) disbursed by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) by producing fake medical proof or staging traffic accidents. The relevant cases involved 121 ‍traffic accidents and an amount as high as $14 million. The SWD has pointed out that obtaining TAVA by deception is a criminal offence, and the persons concerned may be prosecuted under the Theft Ordinance and be liable on conviction to imprisonment of a maximum of 14 ‍years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of TAVA applications referred to the Hospital Authority or the Department of Health for re-assessment as the medical proof submitted was considered suspicious as well as the number of suspicious cases referred to the Police for thorough investigation over the past three years; whether the Police have taken law enforcement actions and prosecuted the persons suspected of obtaining TAVA by deception under the Theft Ordinance; if so, of the number of persons arrested and the penalties imposed;

(2) apart from verifying medical proof with healthcare institutions, of the Government's further measures in place to prevent TAVA frauds, such as stepping up investigation into applicants making multiple TAVA applications as well as looking into the suspected issuance of fake sick leave certificates by the same healthcare institutions or doctors; and

(3) of the Government's means to make members of the public clearly understand that TAVA fraud is a criminal offence subject to severe punishment?

Reply:

President,

     The Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Scheme (the Scheme) is a welfare measure administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). The objective of the Scheme is to provide speedy financial assistance to road traffic accident victims or the surviving dependents of deceased victims on a non‑means‑tested basis, regardless of the element of fault leading to the occurrence of the accident.

     In response to the question raised, my consolidated reply is as follows:

(1) The SWD strictly verifies every TAVA application. According to the existing arrangement, the SWD will seek written confirmation from the Police regarding whether a traffic accident is involved in the relevant application and seek clarification on the relevant medical assessment information with the public/private medical institution which issued the medical certificate. If incomplete information and documents are identified or clarification is needed, e.g. when the medical certificate does not establish that the applicant's injuries were caused by the traffic accident, the SWD will make enquiries with the medical institution concerned or request a re‑assessment to ensure that the injuries sustained by the applicants are related to the traffic accidents concerned. Over the past three years (i.e. from 2022-23 to the end of September in 2024-25), the SWD had verified medical certificates with public/private medical institutions for a total of about 5 600 times. The SWD officers will continue to process the applications in accordance with the established procedures after confirming or clarifying the relevant medical assessment information.

     Besides, the SWD officers will strengthen the verification of whether the applicant has made any claims for damages or compensation through other means for the same traffic accident. To avoid double compensation, the SWD will timely inform insurance companies upon SWD's disbursement of TAVA payments to the applicant.

     If false medical information, fraudulence or other criminal element are suspected to be involved during the processing of application, the SWD will refer the case to the Police for investigation and will immediately cease processing the relevant application. In recent months, the Police has arrested a number of individuals suspected of submitting fraudulent TAVA claims using false medical certificates and other methods. These arrests were indeed prompted by suspicious applications identified by the SWD officers during the application vetting process, in accordance with the established working procedures. Over the past three years (i.e. from 2022-23 to the end of September in 2024-25), the SWD referred a total of 575 suspicious cases to the Police for investigation. Among these cases, 275 individuals were arrested for allegedly providing false medical certificates to the SWD to fraudulently obtain TAVA payments.

(2) and (3) To prevent abuse or fraudulent claims of TAVA, the SWD has reviewed its case vetting workflow and increased random checks of medical certificates submitted by applicants pursuant to the risk-based principle. In addition, for cases with repeated applications by the same applicant, the SWD will require these applicants to provide more detailed information about the traffic accidents for conducting investigations. The SWD will also analyse whether the traffic accidents concerned share common features or suspicious elements. For the applications involving Interim Maintenance Grant (IMG), depending on the circumstances of each individual case (e.g. the length of the period for obtaining IMG), the SWD will check the applicant's traffic violation records with the Police to verify their eligibility for the grant.

     The SWD will clearly explain to the applicants that obtaining TAVA payments by deception is a serious criminal offence. Apart from losing their eligibility for assistance, applicants may also be prosecuted under the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) and be liable on conviction to a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment. All applicants are required to sign the application form to acknowledge that they fully understand their obligation to provide accurate and truthful information, and that they will be criminally liable for obtaining TAVA by deception. In addition to disseminating related promotional information through its website, the SWD also posts press releases and broadcasts short videos on combating abuse or fraud related to TAVA in the reception area of the office of TAVA Section, to remind visitors that defrauding TAVA is a serious criminal offence with severe penalties.

     To enhance the integrity of the Scheme and ensure proper use of public funds, the Government will conduct a review of the eligibility criteria and scope of assistance of the Scheme, with a view to ensuring that traffic accident victims with genuine needs receive timely assistance while at the same time, preventing abuse and severely punishing criminals who commit fraud cases.]]><![CDATA[LCQ10: "Document-free" passage]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400170.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400170.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:45:00 +0800
Question:

     The national Exit and Entry Administration announced on the 15th of last month the implementation of "document-free" channels on a trial basis at Shenzhen Bay Port and at Gongbei Port of Zhuhai Municipality for use by individuals travelling frequently to and from Hong Kong and Macao for private purposes. It is learnt that the above arrangement for easy passage is similar to contactless clearance arrangements such as the Flight Token service currently available at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), and the authorities have indicated on multiple previous occasions that since the contactless clearance technology requires direct comparison of faces against all data in the database, its application is more suitable for ports serving specific groups of pre-verified individuals below the population of 100 000. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the authorities have plans to provide similar arrangements for easy passage at the corresponding port (i.e. Shenzhen Bay Port) and other land boundary control points; if so, of the details;

(2) whether the authorities have conducted exchanges with the relevant authorities of the Mainland on the technology involved in the document-free channels and sought to understand (i) if the number of persons served by those channels has exceeded 100 000, and (ii) ‍if there is any difference between the technology adopted by the Mainland for the document-free channels and that adopted in Hong Kong for contactless clearance; and

(3) of the number of passengers who have used the Flight Token service to depart from the HKIA in each of the past two years, and the percentage they accounted for in the total number of departing passengers from the HKIA?

Reply:

President,

     Starting from November 20, 2024, the Mainland has upgraded on a trial basis some of its e-channels at Shenzhen Bay Port of Shenzhen Municipality, Guangdong Province and Gongbei Port of Zhuhai Municipality, allowing individuals travelling frequently to and from Hong Kong and Macao for private purposes to use "document-free" channels. According to the notice issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China, Mainland residents holding a valid Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and multiple exit endorsement for travelling to Hong Kong and Macao for stay, visiting relatives, business visit, talents or other purposes, and Hong Kong and Macao residents (including non-Chinese citizens) holding a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Permanent Residents who are aged 14 or above and have agreed to the collection of facial features, fingerprints and other information by the border inspection authority may use the "document-free" channels at the border without presenting their physical travel document.

     It is understood that upon arriving at the "document-free" channel, the passenger should look at the camera at the front gate, adjust his/her standing position as appropriate, and follow the instructions shown on the screen to verify his/her personal information. When the verification has been completed, the front gate will open and the passenger can enter the channel. Inside the channel, the passenger should follow the instructions to scan his/her biometric information such as fingerprints and facial features. Upon successful verification, the rear gate will open. The passenger may leave the channel and the clearance is completed.

     In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Lai Tung-kwok is as follows:

(1) The Immigration Department (ImmD) has provided facilitation arrangements incorporating facial recognition technology at various land boundary control points (including Shenzhen Bay Port), including the self-service departure for visitors to Hong Kong Smart Departure launched in 2017 and Contactless e-Channel service launched in 2021. For Smart Departure, an eligible passenger needs to present his/her electronic travel document in front of the Smart Departure e-channel to read his/her personal data, and then show his/her face for identity verification after entering the channel. After confirmation, the departure clearance will be completed. As for Contactless e-Channel, a Hong Kong resident needs to present his/her identity card or QR code to read his/her personal data in front of the Contactless e-Channel, and then enter the channel for identity verification. During the process, he/she only needs to show his/her face without verifying his/her fingerprints, and there is no need to touch any shared equipment of the e-Channel. In addition, it also solves the issue of citizens being unable to use the e-Channel due to problems with their fingerprints in the past. This innovative clearance mode has provided faster, more convenient and hygienic immigration clearance service for Hong Kong residents. As of November 2024, more than 5 million Hong Kong residents have registered for Contactless e-Channel service, and the cumulative number of passengers who used the service since its launch has reached 130 million, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the number of Hong Kong residents who used the e-Channels for clearance every day, which proves that the service is widely welcomed by the public. Both of the above-mentioned immigration clearance arrangements require passengers to present their identity card or QR code to read their personal data, and then use facial recognition technology to verify their personal identity in order to complete the immigration clearance process.

(2) The ImmD has been maintaining close co-operation and exchanging views with the Mainland immigration authorities on immigration management and operations. The two above-mentioned immigration clearance arrangements by the ImmD do not require the use of fingerprints for identity verification, which is different from the technology used in the "document-free" channel currently being trialled in the Mainland. The "document-free" channel mainly adopts facial recognition technology to replace the presentation of travel document or QR code to read passengers' personal data on the database, and passengers are required to confirm that the information read is correct before they can enter the channel. During the process of identity verification, passengers are still required to show their face and fingerprints to verify their identity. Therefore, the number of passengers served by the "document-free" channel can exceed 100 000.

     As for Smart Departure and Contactless e-Channel, passengers' personal data is read directly from their identity card or QR code presented, and their identity is verified by using facial recognition technology. Therefore, the number of passengers served can also exceed 100 000.

     Contactless clearance is a step further than Smart Departure and Contactless e-Channel services. It generally refers to the clearance process which does not require presentation of any travel document/QR code or the use of fingerprints for identity verification. It uses facial recognition to verify the user's identity against the database directly. The Flight Token service launched in 2022 is an example of applying relevant technology by the ImmD and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). A passenger only needs to show his/her face for identity verification during the check-in procedure in order to store his/her personal data in the database for comparison purpose. For subsequent departure procedures at the airport (including baggage check-in, security inspection, immigration departure clearance, and boarding gate), he/she only needs to show his/her face for identity verification, and is not required to present any travel document or boarding pass again, which is convenient for passengers. In addition, an eligible Hong Kong resident can use the Flight Token e-Channel when departing from the airport. He/she only needs to scan his/her face at the Flight Token e-Channel camera to complete departure clearance without presenting any travel document/QR code or using his/her fingerprints for identity verification, thereby achieving contactless clearance.

     Since this technology requires real-time comparison against all data in the database, to ensure high efficiency and accuracy, at this stage we consider that contactless clearance is technically more suitable for ports serving specific groups of pre-verified individuals below the population of 100 000.

     In addition to the Flight Token e-Channel used at the airport, the contactless clearance technology will also be used at the Chung Ying Street checkpoint in Sha Tau Kok. People holding valid Closed Area Permits for entering and leaving Chung Ying Street (i.e. those people living or working at Chung Ying Street, etc.) can, upon registration, use the contactless channels to verify their identity through facial recognition technology in order to enter and leave the checkpoint unimpededly. We will also study with relevant Mainland authorities the application of contactless clearance technology in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in the future to allow designated personnel of the two parks to enjoy travel convenience.

(3) According to information provided by the AAHK, in 2023 and the first ten months of 2024, the number of users of the Flight Token service was approximately 6.9 million and 11.7 million respectively, accounting for 45 per cent and 70 per cent of the number of departing passengers at the airport in the same period.]]><![CDATA[LCQ9: Development of hawker economy]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400223.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400223.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:38:00 +0800
Question:

     There are views that the hawker economy is one of the cultural characteristics of Hong Kong, and hawker areas are signature spots for tourists to take photographs and "check-in" as well as iconic tourist spots in Hong Kong, while at the same time providing the gateway for members of the public to start their small businesses. However, the hawker management policy of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is more from the municipal perspective of performing regulatory and enforcement duties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of complaints in respect of licensed fixed-‍pitch hawkers and licensed itinerant hawkers received by the Government in 2018, 2022 and last year, with a tabulated breakdown by type of complaints;

(2) as some licensed itinerant hawkers have relayed that upon receipt of complaints about obstruction, the FEHD usually handles such cases by driving the hawkers away, and these hawkers can only switch from hawking on streets with high pedestrian flow to hawking on side streets with low pedestrian flow, which is extremely unfavourable to their business operation, what measures the Government has put in place to ensure that they have a reasonable business environment;

(3) given that according to the information on the FEHD's webpage, one of the objectives of the hawker management policy is to reduce on-street hawking activities of licensed hawkers, whether the Government has considered reviewing the policy objective more from the perspectives of cultural, tourism and economic values as well as adjusting the policy, so as to facilitate the development of the hawker economy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) of the respective numbers of licensed fixed-pitch hawkers and licensed itinerant hawkers as at September 30 this year, with a tabulated breakdown by age distribution (i.e. aged 18 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80 and above); and

(5) as there are views pointing out that while Hong Kong's economy is recovering at present, shop rents remain exorbitant and some owners have even increased rents against the market trend, leading to persistently high start-up costs for members of the public, whether the Government has plans to introduce a new licensing scheme for fixed-pitch hawkers or adjust the existing licencing requirements, so as to enable more members of the public to start up their own businesses through operating hawker pitches; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The community has very different views and expectations on hawkers and their on-street hawking activities. The Government has to strike a balance between the varying views and expectations, allowing licensed hawkers to operate according to market demand, while ensuring environmental hygiene, food safety and public safety and minimising nuisance to local residents etc. Having consulted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), my reply to the Hon Kwok Wai-keung's question is as follows:

(1) The number of complaints in respect of licensed fixed-pitch hawkers and licensed itinerant hawkers received by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) in 2018, 2022 and 2023 are set out at Annex I. The complaints were mainly related to street obstruction, environmental hygiene nuisance and other licence-related issues. The FEHD does not maintain a breakdown of the complaints by type.

(2) and (5) Hong Kong is densely populated. On-street trading by licensed itinerant hawkers at locations of high pedestrian flow may cause obstruction and environmental nuisance, or even hygiene and fire risks. When taking enforcement actions, FEHD will, according to actual circumstances, balance the operational needs of hawkers and the rights of other street users as well as nearby residents. Fixed hawker pitches or hawker bazaars tend to cause less disturbance and are easier to manage. To provide licensed itinerant hawkers the option to move into and operate in a fixed hawker pitch or hawker bazaars, the FEHD will at times open up vacant fixed hawker pitches for re-allocation. This will also provide opportunity for other eligible members of the public to join the hawking trade. In 2019 and 2022, the FEHD released a total of 540 vacant fixed hawker pitches for re-allocation, and 523 new fixed pitch hawker licences have been issued so far.

(3) From the perspective of cultural and tourism policy, according to the CSTB, tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong, and any place can become a tourist attraction. There is already established mechanism to regulate licensed hawkers, and by balancing the needs of various parties and complying with relevant policy objectives and regulations, it is believed that they can attract tourists' patronage.

(4) As at September 30, 2024, the number of licensed fixed-pitch hawkers and itinerant hawkers as well as their age distribution are set out in Annex II.]]><![CDATA[Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office to set up booth at Entrepreneur Day to encourage Hong Kong youths to grasp entrepreneurial opportunities in Greater Bay Area]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400195.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400195.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:30:00 +0800
A spokesman for the Office said today (December 4) that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the development of young people and continues to launch various schemes and measures, such as the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the GBA and the GBA Youth Employment Scheme, to support Hong Kong young people aspiring to set up their businesses and develop their career in the Mainland cities of the GBA, and to support them to realise their aspirations for innovation and entrepreneurship on a bigger stage in the GBA.

The booth set up by the Office at the Entrepreneur Day exhibition disseminates rich information, provides visitors, especially Hong Kong young people who aspire to develop their careers in the Mainland cities of the GBA, with practical information on the relevant policies, measures and support services. A Greater Bay Area Information Station (GBAIS) digital information platform will also be set up at the booth to provide visitors with easy access to information on policies and facilitation measures in various areas of the GBA, as well as practical information about living in the GBA cities. There will also be interactive games with limited-edition souvenirs distributed while stocks last.

The Entrepreneur Day exhibition of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will be held at Halls 1D and 1E of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Office booth will be located at Hall 1E (Booth 1E - F02) and will be open from 9am to 6.30pm on December 5 and from 9am to 6pm on December 6. Admission is free. For those who wish to visit the Entrepreneur Day exhibition, online preregistration is required. Please visit the HKTDC's website (www.hktdc.com/event/eday/en) for more details.

For further information about the GBA, please visit the dedicated website (www.bayarea.gov.hk/en), which also covers the content of the GBAIS (www.bayarea.gov.hk/gbais/en) for easy browsing by members of the public.]]><![CDATA[Government announces proposed toll plan for Tai Lam Tunnel]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400185.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/04/P2024120400185.htmWed, 04 Dec 2024 11:16:00 +0800
     A spokesperson for the Government said, "The Tai Lam Tunnel is one of the major transportation and logistics routes between the New Territories West/North and urban areas, and hence maintaining its smooth traffic is highly crucial. The Government will take the opportunity of taking over the Tai Lam Tunnel to implement the HKeToll, a free-flow tolling service, and set the new tunnel tolls, with the objectives of accommodating the public's expectations for a downward adjustment of tolls while meeting traffic management needs and supporting the operation of the transport trades."

     The details of the proposed toll plan under the Bill are set out as follows:

(1) The tolls for private cars will vary by time slots, ranging from $45 during peak time slots, $30 during normal time slot, to $18 during off-peak time slots on weekdays (i.e. Mondays to Saturdays (excluding public holidays)), with a reduction rate of between 22 per cent and 69 per cent compared with the current tolls; for Sundays and public holidays, private cars will be charged $18 throughout the day;
(2) Taxis will be charged an all-day uniform toll of $28, with a reduction rate of 52 per cent compared with the current toll;
(3) Commercial vehicles such as goods vehicles and buses will be charged an all-day uniform toll of $43 based on the "efficiency first" principle, with a reduction rate of between 33 per cent and 80 per cent compared with the current tolls;
(4) The tolls for motorcycles (including motor tricycles) will be set at 40 per cent of the tolls for private cars during the corresponding time slots; and
(5) Similar to the time-varying toll plans for the three road-harbour crossings, the Government will put in place a transition charging arrangement for bridging peak time slots, normal time slot and off-peak time slots in an orderly manner.

     The spokesperson said, "We believe that an appropriate downward adjustment of the tolls for the Tai Lam Tunnel could divert part of the traffic from Tuen Mun Road and Tolo Highway to the Tai Lam Tunnel, thereby improving the traffic conditions of the two highways and facilitating public commuting in the New Territories West/North. At the same time, this adjustment would attract commercial vehicles to use the Tai Lam Tunnel, which is conducive to the operation and development of the logistics industry. The Government will fully support the LegCo's scrutiny of the Bill and strive for its early passage."

     The Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department consulted the LegCo Panel on Transport in July this year on the takeover arrangements and tolling scenarios for the Tai Lam Tunnel, and exchanged views with various stakeholders and organisations, including the Transport Advisory Committee and transport trade representatives. The above proposals have holistically taken into account the views collected by the Government and the policy objectives mentioned above.

     The Bill will be gazetted on Friday (December 6) for introduction into the LegCo for First Reading on December 11. For details of the Bill, please refer to the LegCo Brief issued today.]]>