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, 12 Dec 2024 09:36:03 GMTTue, 12 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT<![CDATA[People's Bank of China will issue Renminbi Bills through Central Moneymarkets Unit of Hong Kong Monetary Authority]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/12/P2024121100508.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/12/P2024121100508.htmThu, 12 Dec 2024 09:30:00 +0800
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will issue Renminbi Bills 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 Bills to be issued by the PBOC. Please also find attached the tender-related information provided by the Issuing and Lodging Agent through the HKMA.]]><![CDATA[LC: Speech by CS for proposed resolutions moved under Legal Aid Ordinance and Criminal Procedure Ordinance]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100589.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100589.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 22:24:18 +0800
Mr President,

     I move that my first motion, as printed on the Agenda, be passed to adjust the financial eligibility limits (FELs) for legal aid applicants. Later, I will sequentially move that the other two legal aid-related motions as printed on the Agenda be passed, seeking to adjust the Director of Legal Aid (DLA)'s First Charge and make the Legal Aid in Criminal Cases (Amendment) Rules 2024 to adjust the criminal legal aid fees respectively.

     First, I introduce the first Resolution.

     Legal aid services form an integral part of the legal system in Hong Kong. The policy objective of legal aid is to ensure that all those who comply with the regulations of the LAO and have reasonable grounds for pursuing or defending a legal action in the courts of Hong Kong will not be denied access to justice due to a lack of means. All legal aid applicants must satisfy both the means test and merits test as provided for in the LAO.

     Currently, there are two legal aid schemes under the Legal Aid Department (LAD), namely the Ordinary Legal Aid Scheme (OLAS) and the Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme (SLAS). Different FELs are set for the two schemes in accordance with sections 5 and 5A of the LAO respectively. Pursuant to section 7(a) of the LAO, the LegCo may by resolution amend the relevant FELs.

     Pursuant to the mechanism established in 1999, FELs are subject to review annually by making reference to the Consumer Price Index (C) (CPI(C)). According to the latest round of review, for the reference period from July 2023 to July 2024, the CPI(C) has increased by two per cent. Hence, we propose to adjust the FELs upwards by two per cent, namely:

     (a) from $440,800 to $449,620 for OLAS; and
     (b) from $2,204,030 to $2,248,110 for SLAS.

     Mr President, I now introduce the second Resolution.

     If a legally aided person is successful in recovering or preserving any money or property in the proceedings concerned, DLA has the right to retain thereunder such sums required for recovering the costs and other expenses incurred by LAD for the legally aided person under section 18A(1) of the LAO. Such right is called the DLA's first charge. However, according to section 18A(5) of the LAO, the DLA's first charge does not apply to the first $9,540 of each monthly payment of maintenance payment. Separately, when DLA is satisfied that the exercise of the DLA's first charge would cause serious hardship to the legally aided person, DLA may in accordance with the principles of fairness and justice exercise discretion to reduce the amount to be retained, provided that the sum to be reduced does not exceed the cap as specified in section 19B(1)(a) of the LAO.

     Pursuant to section 22A of the LAO, LegCo may, by resolution, amend the rate of maintenance payments that is exempted from the DLA's first charge, as well as the cap on the amount by which may be reduced in cases of serious hardship.

     In response to the increase in CPI(C) by two per cent for the reference period from July 2023 to July 2024 as mentioned above, we propose to accordingly adjust the two above-mentioned specific amounts upwards by two per cent, namely:

     (a) the amount specified in section 18A(5) upwards from $9,540 to $9,730, and
     (b) the cap on the amount specified in section 19B(1)(a) upwards from $114,140 to $116,420.

     Mr President, my third Resolution seeks to make the Legal Aid in Criminal Cases (Amendment) Rules 2024 (Amendment Rules) to adjust the criminal legal aid fees.

     At present, LAD pays fees to counsel and solicitors in private practice engaged to undertake litigation work for criminal cases on its behalf (i.e. criminal legal aid fees). The fees are stipulated in the Legal Aid in Criminal Cases Rules (the Rules). Pursuant to section 9A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, any amendment to the Rules for adjusting the criminal legal aid fees are subject to the approval of the LegCo.

     On the other hand, to ensure that neither LAD nor the Department of Justice (DoJ) would have unfair advantage in competing for the same pool of lawyers, DoJ draws reference to the same scale of fees to engage counsel and solicitors in private practice to appear for the prosecution in criminal cases (i.e. prosecution fees). Duty lawyer fees will be paid to lawyers who provide legal representation to defendants in Magistrates' Courts and Juvenile Courts through the Duty Lawyer Service.

     Pursuant to the mechanism established in 1992, the fees mentioned above (i.e. criminal legal aid fees, prosecution fees and duty lawyer fees) are subject to review on a biennial basis to take into account changes in CPI(C) during the reference period.

     According to the latest biennial review, the CPI(C) for the reference period (i.e. July 2022 to July 2024) increased by 3.9 per cent. As such, we propose to adjust the Fees upwards by 3.9 per cent accordingly.

     We have informed the LegCo Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services of the outcome of the reviews regarding the proposed adjustments in the three resolutions mentioned above via an information paper in October 2024. Members raised no objection to the proposed increase. Subject to LegCo's approval of the Resolution, we will implement the proposal upon gazettal of the Resolution.

     Separately, when LAD implements the increased criminal legal aid fees, the Government will accordingly adjust the scale of prosecution fees and duty lawyer fees administratively.

     I appeal for Members' support for the above three Resolutions. Thank you, Mr President.]]><![CDATA[SFST starts visit to Indonesia (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100395.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100395.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 20:28:01 +0800
     At his meeting with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of the State-Owned Enterprises of Indonesia, Mr Dony Oskaria, Mr Hui updated him about the various measures put forward in "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address" to explore new growth areas and forge deeper ties with the region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Hui welcomed Indonesian state-owned enterprises and high-quality innovative companies to take advantage of Hong Kong's internationalised fundraising platform for business growth and development.

     Mr Hui also visited the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and had a meeting with the President Director of the IDX, Mr Iman Rachman. The IDX has been included on the list of Recognised Stock Exchanges by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) since November last year. Highlighting that the market capitalisation of companies listed on the HKEX has recently reached some $35,000 billion, which is ranked seventh in the world and fourth in Asia, Mr Hui encouraged Indonesian companies with a primary listing on the IDX's main market to seek a secondary listing in Hong Kong to connect with regional and global investors via Hong Kong's vibrant stock market. They also discussed green finance and opportunities for the IDX to leverage the HKEX, which is the world's only carbon market to offer Hong Kong dollar and Renminbi (RMB) settlement for trading of international voluntary carbon credits, to accommodate the needs of carbon trading in Indonesia.

     Today, Mr Hui had a lunch meeting with the President of the Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association (PERPIT), Mr Abdul Alek Soelystio, to update him on Hong Kong's strengths as the world's largest offshore RMB business hub, having strong connectivity with the Mainland capital market. PERPIT is an important platform for economic and trade exchanges as well as business co-operation between Chinese Indonesian businessmen and Chinese businessmen and associations from all over the world.

     At the dinner meeting with the Chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers' Association, Ms Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, Mr Hui updated her on the investment environment in Hong Kong, in particular the opportunities arising from a series of upcoming measures to facilitate management of global capital in Hong Kong.

     Mr Hui will continue his visit to Jakarta tomorrow (December 12), which will include giving a keynote speech at a luncheon seminar co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited Jakarta Branch.

]]><![CDATA[LCQ13: Attracting strategic enterprises]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100549.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100549.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 20:10:14 +0800
Question:

The Chief Executive announced in the 2022 Policy Address the establishment of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises dedicated to attract high-potential and representative strategic enterprises from around the globe, particularly those from certain strategic industries, to set up or expand their operations in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of strategic enterprises that have been attracted to Hong Kong to date,︀ and set out in the table below a breakdown by the nature of their entry into Hong Kong (i.e. (i) establishing their foothold and (ii) expanding their operations in Hong Kong),︀ the category of strategic industries (i.e. (a) life and health technology, (b) ‍artificial intelligence and data science, (c) Fintech, (d) advanced manufacturing and new-energy technology and (e) others) as well as the respective industry to which such strategic industries belong;

Category of strategic industries	Industry	Nature of attracting enterprises to Hong Kong
Category of strategic industries	Industry	(i)	(ii)
(a)	……
(a)
Sub-total
……	……
……
Sub-total
(e)	……
(e)
Sub-total
Total

(2) among the enterprises mentioned in (1), of the respective numbers of those which ︀(i) are leading enterprises,︀ and (ii) plan to set up their global or regional headquarters in Hong Kong;

(3) whether it knows, among the enterprises mentioned in (1), the number of those which have already commenced operation, together with a breakdown by the category of strategic industries (i.e. (a) life and health technology, (b) artificial intelligence and data science, (c) ‍Fintech, (d) advanced manufacturing and new-energy technology, and (e) others) as well as the respective industry to which such strategic industries belong; whether it has compiled statistics on (i) ‍the numbers of local and non-local staff employed (broken down by type of post), (ii) the numbers and types of research and development centres and production bases set up or planned to be set up by those enterprises which have already commenced operation, and (iii) the respective amounts of new investments involved; and

(4) what targeted measures the authorities have put in place to strengthen the nurturing and training of local talents from the aforesaid strategic industries, so as to facilitate the development of such industries in Hong Kong and provide the relevant talents with more room for development?

Reply:

President,

Since its establishment at the end of 2022, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) has successfully attracted a number of enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong, thereby accelerating the development of various industry ecosystems. My reply to the Hon Lam Chun-sing's questions is as follows:

(1) to (3) So far, the OASES has successfully attracted 66 strategic enterprises to establish their presence in Hong Kong. Approximately 60 per cent of these enterprises have set up their operations, while the remaining 40 per cent have expanded their existing businesses in the city, or are planning to doing so. The distribution of the 66 strategic enterprises by industry is as follows:

Industry of Strategic Importance (Note)	No. of strategic enterprises
Industry of Strategic Importance (Note)	No. of strategic enterprises
Life and health technology	22
Artificial intelligence and data science	24
Financial technology	8
Advanced manufacturing and new energy technology	12
Total	66

Note: As the scope of business of certain strategic enterprises may be cross-industry, the type of industry set out in the above breakdown is determined on the basis of the enterprises' core business in Hong Kong.

Among the 66 strategic enterprises that the OASES has attracted, nearly half of them are leading enterprises. Eighty per cent of the strategic enterprises attracted to Hong Kong plan to establish their global or regional headquarters in Hong Kong. Sixty-four of the strategic enterprises have already commenced their operations, and the breakdown of these enterprises by industry is as follows:

Industry of Strategic Importance	No. of strategic enterprises that have commenced operations


Life and health technology	22
Artificial intelligence and data science	23
Financial technology	8
Advanced manufacturing and new energy technology	11
Total	64

     All of the 66 strategic enterprises that have been attracted to Hong Kong have either established or plan to establish research and development centres and/or production bases in Hong Kong. It is estimated that over the coming years, they will invest about $42 billion in total and create around 17 000 jobs. Since the enterprises that have already commenced operations are still in the initial stages, and that details of their recruitment and investment plans involve internal business information, the OASES is currently unable to provide such information.

(4) The Government has all along encouraged the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities to offer programmes which cater for Hong Kong's development needs, expand the talent pool of important areas such as innovation and technology, and strengthen Hong Kong's competitiveness. In the 2022 Policy Address, we announced our target that by the 2026/27 academic year, there will be 35 per cent of students of the UGC-funded universities in STEAM subjects and 60 per cent in subjects relevant to Hong Kong's development into the eight centres (Note 1) in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The Government and the UGC will join hands with the universities in pursuit of the aforesaid target through the triennial Planning Exercise, thereby nurturing more talents that match the manpower needs for Hong Kong's strategic development. As regards the self-financing post-secondary education sector, self-financing institutions similarly have the flexibility to develop programmes that meet market needs and adjust the intake places of relevant programmes.

     Furthermore, to attract and nurture future talent, the 2024 Policy Address announced a series of policies, including the establishment of the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents, the establishment of the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education, and continued efforts to promote Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education, among others. These measures aim to develop Hong Kong's high-calibre talents and contribute to the high-quality development of the strategic enterprises, benefiting both the country and Hong Kong.

     The OASES also provides employees of target enterprises with one-stop facilitation services in areas such as visa application and education arrangement for their children, etc, and works closely with the Immigration Department to provide appropriate assistance for the strategic enterprises' applications for various talent schemes.

Note 1: The eight centres include: international financial centre, international innovation and technology centre, East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, international trade centre, international shipping centre, international aviation hub, centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia‑Pacific region as well as regional intellectual property trading centre.]]><![CDATA[Hong Kong Customs steps up enforcement action against counterfeit goods activities with approach of Christmas and New Year holidays (with photo)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100544.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100544.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:55:00 +0800
     Customs earlier conducted patrols and discovered some fixed-pitch hawker stalls selling suspected counterfeit goods in Mong Kok. After investigations, Customs officers took enforcement action during the abovementioned period and raided 27 fixed-pitch hawker stalls on Tung Choi Street. A batch of suspected counterfeit goods, including clothes, handbags and watches, was seized.

     During the operation, one man and three women, aged between 36 and 64, were arrested. An investigation is ongoing.

     With the Christmas and New Year approaching, Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat different kinds of counterfeit goods activities in order to safeguard consumer rights at full strength.

     Customs appeals to consumers to purchase goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt. Traders should be cautious and prudent in merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 80 80 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

]]><![CDATA[Opening remarks by USTL at promotional seminar "An insider's perspective of synergy between Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates - two world maritime and logistics powerhouses" in Dubai (English only) (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100525.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100525.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:44:40 +0800
Your Excellency, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning and greetings from Hong Kong. It gives me great pleasure to meet you all here today in Dubai.

     Dubai is often called the "city of superlatives", and its busiest port and airport in the Middle East and consequently the region's most prominent maritime and logistics hubs also count as such superlatives. Indeed, like the skyscrapers that the city is so famous for, Dubai's maritime, aviation and logistics services too are challenging new heights as its strategic location at the crossroads of East and West makes it a natural middleman for trade and logistics among Asia, Europe and Africa.

     Interestingly, the same can be said of Hong Kong, which has long been an international maritime, aviation and logistics hub, thanks to our excellent international transport connectivity, proximity to the vast manufacturing base and consumer market in Mainland China and robust financial and legal systems, just to name a few. Companies from near and far have capitalised on Hong Kong's unique strengths and helped to put our city firmly on the global map of trade and logistics, and I am happy to say that such shrewd investors include major corporations from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) such as Aramex and DP World.

     Co-operation between Hong Kong and Dubai goes way back, and many business leaders from Hong Kong's maritime and logistics sectors who are here in Dubai with me today are no strangers to doing business with the UAE. However, amid the shifting geopolitical landscape, the sustained economic rise of East Asia and changes in global logistics in the post-pandemic era, especially the explosive growth of e-commerce, co-operation among globally competitive logistics hubs with extensive maritime and aviation networks and efficient cargo handling capabilities is increasingly important. This is why deepening ties between Hong Kong and Dubai makes sense now more than ever.

     Indeed, I am convinced that Hong Kong is the UAE's best maritime, aviation and logistics partner in Asia, not just because of our superb geographical location but also our forward-looking policies that are set to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's hub status.

     On the maritime front, we are committed to boosting the competitiveness of our Hong Kong Port, which is consistently ranked as one of the world's busiest and most efficient, welcoming over 300 container vessels every week travelling to nearly 500 destinations worldwide. We, Hong Kong, have promulgated three action plans to further enhance our maritime, port and logistics industries during the past two years. First, in the Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, we position ourselves as a prominent regional transshipment hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which consists of nine cities and two special administrative regions including Hong Kong and has a population of 86 million, located in the southern part of China. And we encourage our port operators to tap into the keen transshipment demand in the area, as rising economic vibrancy spurs ever busier merchandise trade. We are also exploring to further exempt the licensing requirement for certain controlled cargoes, bringing even more transshipment convenience to China and Asia trade through our port.

     Also within the scope of this Action Plan is to strengthen our active maritime services cluster, which has put among the world's top four shipping centres in the 2024 Xinhua-Baltic: International Shipping Centre Development Index Report. Our 1 100-company strong maritime services cluster provides diverse shipping and maritime business services, ranging from ship owning, ship agency and management, ship broking, marine insurance and maritime legal and arbitration services. It will receive a boost through enhancement on preferential tax regime, on top of the half-rate profits tax concessions to ship agents, ship managers and ship brokers we introduced two years ago, and will translate to even greater services tailored to your international need. The details of the new tax regime, including new tax deduction arrangements for ship lessors pursuant to international tax rules, will be published in the first half of 2025, and we will commence the relevant legislative work thereafter.

     Maritime decarbonisation is a growing trend, and finding a green port with green maritime fuel bunkering services is no longer just an option but a necessity for the maritime sector worldwide. And in East Asia, Hong Kong is the green port to be, as the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering we announced last month puts us on the path of developing into the most preferred green maritime fuel bunkering and trading centre in the region. With LNG (liquefied natural gas) and green methanol bunkers soon to be on offer at our port and over 200 000 tonnes of green maritime fuels expected to be bunkered by 2030, Hong Kong is best positioned to help the UAE's shippers and shipping companies to meet their green shipping targets.

     On the logistics front, our reputation as home to the world's busiest cargo airport precedes us, and our seamless connectivity with Mainland China makes us the natural logistics gateway to the enormous Chinese market. However, our strengths in logistics do not stop there. In fact, our strong capabilities in handling high-value goods are our winning edges, as is evidenced by the vast majority of the COVID-19 vaccines destined for Asia being handled by Hong Kong International Airport during the pandemic, as well as the sweet cherries fresh off Chilean fruit farms reaching our port at this very moment and soon being put into our state-of-the-art cold storage facilities, waiting to be shipped onwards to Mainland China and other Asian destinations.

     Our mission is to follow the directions we set out in the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development promulgated last year and make our logistics sector even smarter and greener that will meet evolving international ESG (environmental, social and government) requirements and, more importantly, your logistics demand efficiently.

     One final element in our maritime and logistics development policy is international co-operation. For two industries that are intrinsically global in nature, Hong Kong needs to forge partnerships with various countries, true to our international character. This is why I am excited about this seminar and the networking lunch that follows, which I hope will give our friends from the UAE a fresh look at maritime and logistics opportunities in Hong Kong and an opportunity to explore collaboration with our seasoned industry leaders, many of whom represent major maritime and logistics trade associations in Hong Kong.

     Finally, may I express my gratitude to the Emirates Shipping Association for organising this seminar and luncheon today with us. Thank you, and I look forward to the fruitful and insightful discussions later on.

]]><![CDATA[Business Conference on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development held in Hong Kong (with photos/videos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100507.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100507.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:40:00 +0800
     The conference is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as the strategic partner. Under the theme "Development of the Greater Bay Area in China to Provide Opportunities for the World", the conference features an opening ceremony, a keynote session, parallel thematic panels, and city promotion and enterprise match-making activities.

     In the morning, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, together with Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and the President of the All-China Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mr Gao Yunlong; Vice Chairman of the CCPIT Mr Zhang Shaogang; and Deputy Secretary-General of the People's Government of Guangdong Province Mr Huang Mingzhong officiated at the opening ceremony and delivered opening speeches. The Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Ho Iat-seng, also gave a video speech.

     Mr Lee said in his speech that the GBA, one of the most economically vibrant and open regions in the country with an economic scale close to that of the 10th largest economy in the world, is becoming increasingly influential in the country and in the world, demonstrating great potential for development. As one of the core cities in the GBA and with its unique advantages under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong is complementing the strengths of other GBA cities in enhancing the measures that promote mutual connectivity, playing the role of an active participant, facilitator and beneficiary of the GBA's development.

     Mr Lee said that a number of measures relating to the participation in the GBA's development have been rolled out in this year's Policy Address, including promoting the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop, as well as strengthening the mutual market access regimes and harmonisation of rules and mechanisms in areas such as logistics, aviation, professional qualifications, capital, data flow and legal matters. He said Hong Kong will serve as the power source for the high-quality development of the GBA, promoting the efficient flow of people, goods, capital and information in the region.

     The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; and the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Maggie Wong, also attended the opening ceremony.

     At the opening ceremony, Dr Cheung and Mr Zhang signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further enhance collaboration of the two sides in areas such as the development of foreign-related rule of law, multifaceted dispute resolution and the nurturing of foreign-related legal talent, to fully leverage the strengths of Hong Kong's common law system, thereby contributing to the development of trade and investment between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and the construction of foreign-related rule of law of the country. Mr Yau delivered a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony.

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said in his speech at the welcoming luncheon in the afternoon that the GBA is a huge market with a wealth of talent, a strong industrial base, well developed financial services and strong technological innovation capabilities. With the development momentum generated by the dual engines of finance and innovation and technology, the GBA possesses advantages comparable to the combined strengths of the San Francisco Bay Area and the New York Bay Area in the United States.

     He also highlighted Hong Kong's internationalised advantages under "one country, two systems", exemplified in particular in financial services and legal systems. Hong Kong's competitiveness is also well recognised internationally, with rising positions in various international rankings. Looking ahead, with the strong support of the country, Hong Kong is actively driving forward the development of the "eight centres", and deepening co-operation with sister cities in the GBA, especially in promoting high-quality development in the areas of finance, innovation and technology and trade to create a more favourable business environment and greater business opportunities for businesses from around the world.

     At the keynote session themed "Jointly Build a World-class Greater Bay Area with Prosperity to Share Opportunities of High-quality Development", business leaders and representatives of enterprises from the Mainland and overseas shared with the audience the latest developments of the GBA and encouraged different sectors to seize the enormous opportunities therein.

     The conference also features four parallel thematic panels for business leaders to engage in in-depth discussions on topical issues including accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces, deepening mutual access between financial markets, establishing a multifaceted commercial dispute resolution mechanism and creating an inclusive business environment for intellectual property trading in the GBA.

     The conference will continue tomorrow. At the city promotion event in the morning, relevant entities of Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, Guizhou and Hainan will introduce their respective investment opportunities and business advantages in the GBA development. Field trips in the afternoon will present successful experiences in the GBA's sectoral planning.

]]><![CDATA[InvestHK and Deloitte China report spotlights Hong Kong's strategic strengths to lead as Global Green Tech Hub (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100232.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100232.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:40:00 +0800

     The event brought together more than 100 industry leaders, investors, sustainability experts, and technology specialists, along with professional service providers, to explore the evolving global trends in climate technology and how Hong Kong can leverage its traditional strengths to become a leading green tech hub. The study also provides recent case studies of overseas green tech ventures that have recently established operations or have business expansion plan in Hong Kong, generating practical insights and approaches for scaling climate solutions in Hong Kong and global markets.

The Global Head of Financial Services, FinTech & Sustainability at InvestHK, Mr King Leung, says, "In the global green tech market, China is emerging strongly, particularly in the Power & Clean Energy sector and Sustainable Built Environment, where China has by far the most patents in the world. Some of these leading companies have already listed and established their international headquarters in Hong Kong. With buildings accounting for the biggest share of energy consumption in Hong Kong, green tech companies are critical for reducing our carbon emissions and embodied carbon through innovation. They can also use Hong Kong as a showcase to accelerate their expansion into other global markets such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia."

The global climate tech landscape is shifting dramatically, with China's share of investment surging from 6 per cent in 2000-2004 to 22 per cent in 2020-2023, while the US share decreased from 76 per cent to 49 per cent. With Hong Kong's strategic position as a gateway between East and West, combined with its deep integration with the Greater Bay Area, the city serves as an ideal destination for global green tech companies seeking to tap into the Mainland market while propelling Chinese innovations onto the global stage. However, key challenges need to be addressed to capture these opportunities.

     According to the Greentech Subject Matter Expert Survey, the top three challenges in adoption are weak demand-side push (58 per cent), ecosystem gaps (47 per cent), and limited talent base (47 per cent). To drive green tech development forward, Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 sets clear policy directions in renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings, low carbon transport, and waste management. As a leading international financial centre, Hong Kong is well positioned to channel RMB138 trillion needed for China's transition to carbon neutrality by 2050, with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited leading as the largest venue for Chinese offshore green bonds at 46 per cent of total offshore volume.

     To unlock Hong Kong's green tech potential and accelerate its journey toward carbon neutrality, InvestHK and Deloitte China released a joint report illustrating the city's strategic advantages across five key sectors:

Power & New Energy: Hong Kong's electricity generation is transitioning to cleaner sources, with 25 per cent currently supplied by the zero-emission nuclear sources, while experts suggest renewable energy potential beyond the government projections of 3-4 per cent. With global green energy investments hitting US$1.1 trillion in 2022 and China dominating solar manufacturing, Hong Kong is well placed to advance smart grid and storage technology development.

Green Mobility: Public transport accounts for 90 per cent of daily passenger movements in Hong Kong, where transport contributes 20 per cent of total emissions. In a sector attracting US$8.95 billion in global investment, the city's extensive transport network creates an ideal testbed for sustainable transport solutions, from transport electrification to autonomous systems integration, and mobility-as-a-service platforms, aligning with China's leadership in electric mobility innovation.

Sustainable Built Environment: Hong Kong leads globally with around 42 000 buildings, including 8 000 high-rises and over 1 500 skyscrapers, with 30-50 per cent of carbon emissions coming from construction. The sector presents massive investment potential, with the global zero-energy building technology market set to surge from US$72 billion to US$403 billion by 2031, supported by China's leadership in green building patents.

Waste Reduction & Management: Hong Kong's per capita waste generation exceeds neighbouring cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei, creating urgent demand for innovative solutions. Recent developments in local recycling infrastructure and emerging business initiatives are accelerating the adoption of waste-to-energy technologies and circular economy solutions.
Biodiversity: With over 40 per cent of land designated as protected areas, Hong Kong's rich natural environment combined with its advanced research capabilities creates opportunities for environmental innovation. Ten companies have committed to Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures for 2024/2025, with growing demand expected for tech solutions in digital species monitoring and biodiversity impact measurement.

     Deloitte's research highlights critical enablers for green tech development, with strong government support (47 per cent) emerging as the leading factor, followed by access to funding (53 per cent) and ecosystem readiness (47 per cent). Hong Kong's strengths as a leading financial and innovation hub make it well positioned to capitalise on these success factors, particularly through its financial ecosystem that combines both global reach and market depth. With HK$35.5 trillion in assets under management in which 65 per cent comes from international funding, along with its position as Asia's second-largest private equity market, the city offers a robust foundation for scaling green tech solutions.

Deloitte China Hong Kong Sustainability & Climate Leader Mr Mohit Grover says, "Our analysis reveals that Hong Kong's unique ecosystem positions it to pioneer the next generation of climate solutions. Beyond just having the right capabilities, we're seeing real momentum in how our city is bringing together technical innovation, policy support, and market demand. This convergence creates exceptional opportunities for green tech companies to develop, test, and scale their solutions. What's particularly compelling is how Hong Kong can serve as a dynamic platform for sustainable urban solutions, offering practical insights and implementation models for other Asian cities."

Deloitte Global GreenSpace Tech Leader Ms Andrea Culligan says, "The global green tech landscape is experiencing a fundamental shift in how solutions are developed and scaled. What sets Hong Kong apart in this evolution is its ability to bridge Western capital with Asian innovation. The city's deep understanding of regional sustainability challenges, combined with its sophisticated financial infrastructure, creates unique advantages for companies looking to capture opportunities in Asia's fastest-growing markets. We're seeing increasing interest from international players who recognise Hong Kong's strategic value in their global expansion plans."

     Building on these foundations, Hong Kong is accelerating its development as a green tech hub through enhanced research and development support, expended funding mechanisms for start-ups, and strengthened collaboration across academia, industry and government. With the city's unique combination of financial strength, technical expertise, and strategic location, Hong Kong is poised to lead the next wave of sustainable innovation in Asia, turning climate challenges into opportunities for growth and positive impact.

     Click here to download the report.

]]><![CDATA[CSD emergency exercise Concord XXIII tests emergency response (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100327.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100327.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:30:00 +0800
     The exercise, code-named Concord XXIII, aimed to test the emergency response of various units of the Department in different scenarios, including command and communication capabilities, the effectiveness of contingency plans implemented at different tier levels of response associated with the development of emergency situations, emergency response, and information dissemination at departmental levels, as well as to test the CSD's co-ordination with other government departments.

     More than 150 staff members from the CSD, including the Correctional Emergency Response Team and the Regional Response Team, and the Hong Kong Police Force, took part in the exercise.

     The Assistant Commissioner of Correctional Services (Operations), Mr Chan Siu-hang, was in charge of the whole operation at the Department's Central Control Centre in Stanley. He said that the exercise enhanced the response capabilities of the Department and the effectiveness of its emergency support. It also improved interdepartmental communication and co-operation.

     The CSD holds regular emergency exercises of different scales, including at institutional, regional and departmental levels, with a view to ensuring staff members are capable of handling different types of incidents, thereby providing a safe and secure custodial environment for PICs and maintaining Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world.

]]><![CDATA[Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs visits Laos to learn about youth development work (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100486.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100486.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:20:00 +0800
     Miss Mak met with the Secretary General of the Lao Youth Union, Mr Monexay Laomoaxong, in the morning, and shared work and experiences in nurturing the new generation of young people and promoting youth development with the Youth Union.

     Miss Mak then visited the Minister of Education and Sports, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), Dr Phout Simmalavong. During the meeting, Miss Mak expressed her gratitude for Laos' support to the youth development work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) held the inaugural Youth Development Summit in August this year, which featured officials responsible for youth policies from various countries as guest speakers, including the Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Lao PDR, Mr Kingmano Phommahaxay. The Summit attracted over 2 400 young people to register to participate, and about 500 of them came from the Mainland and other overseas locations such as Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Miss Mak and Dr Phout Simmalavong also exchanged views on the youth development work of the two places and explored possibilities for strengthening bilateral cooperation to provide Hong Kong youth with more opportunities to broaden their international perspectives.

     In the afternoon, Miss Mak visited the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Laos, where she met with representatives from the agencies and volunteer interns to learn about the operation of the United Nations Volunteers - Hong Kong Universities Volunteer Internship Programme and the working environment of the interns. The HYAB promulgated the Youth Development Blueprint at the end of 2022, which proposed further strengthening of the breadth and depth of the Mainland and international internship and exchange programmes with a view to enhancing young people's understanding of the development of the country and the world. In 2024, the HYAB collaborated with the United Nations Volunteers, the Agency for Volunteer Service, the Hong Kong Volunteers Association and the Peace and Development Foundation to launch a new round of the United Nations Volunteers - Hong Kong Universities Volunteer Internship Programme, offering a total of 25 internship positions under various United Nations agencies and expanding to more countries along the Belt and Road region. Hong Kong university students participating in the programme will have the opportunity to undertake six-month voluntary internships at United Nations field units located overseas, which will enable them to develop their personal capabilities while contributing to the international community as Chinese youth volunteers.

     Miss Mak said that 130 Hong Kong university students have participated in the programme so far. They had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the country's involvement in international affairs and understand China's contributions and influences on the global landscape, thereby deepening their understanding of Hong Kong's role and positioning. The HYAB will continue to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages to actively promote exchanges among young people in Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas.

     Miss Mak will arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the evening, and will continue her visit tomorrow (December 12).

]]><![CDATA[Import of poultry meat and products from Ehime Prefecture in Japan suspended]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100510.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100510.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +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[Hong Kong Flower Show 2025 commercial stalls auctioned]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100466.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100466.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 18:42:00 +0800
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the 10-day flower show will be held from March 14 to 23, 2025, at Victoria Park.

     The 54 commercial stalls in the showground include one photographic equipment stall, one book stall, two beverage stalls, six fast food stalls, two handicraft stalls and 42 flower and gardening stalls.

     The results of today's auction are as follows:

Photographic equipment stall (5 metres x 5m): 1
Upset price: $22,740
Bid price: $22,740

Book stall (5m x 10m): 1
Upset price: $15,500
Bid price: $15,500

Beverage stall (5m x 5m): 2
Upset price: $30,310
Bid prices: $100,000 and $100,000
Average price: $100,000

Fast food stall (5m x 10m): 4
Upset price: $30,310
Bid prices: Ranging from $30,310 to $35,500
Average price: $31,658

Handicraft stall (5m x 5m): 2
Upset price: $22,740
Bid prices: $40,000 and $63,000
Average price: $51,500

Flower and gardening stall (5m x 5m): 42
Upset price: $22,740
Bid prices: Ranging from $25,600 to $50,000
Average price: $29,969

     The two remaining fast food stalls will be leased at its upset price of $30,310 on a first-come, first-served basis. Details will be announced on the flower show webpage later. For enquiries, please call 2601 8260 or visit www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2025/commercial.html.]]><![CDATA[LCQ8: Introduction of drugs for use in Hong Kong]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100452.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100452.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 18:35:00 +0800
Question:

It is learnt that a number of new oncology and cancer drugs from the Mainland have shown satisfactory efficacy, but their introduction into Hong Kong is subject to a complicated drug registration system. On the other hand, there are inadequacies in the Named Patient Program (the Program) introduced by the authorities, such as the need for individual applications to make full pre-payment to pharmaceutical companies, the cumbersome procedures for doctors' applications for drugs and the long lead time from the submission of applications to the granting of approval and the individual packaging and shipment of drugs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the following information about the Program in each of the past five years:

(i) the number of applications received;

(ii) the expenditure involved;

(iii) the top 10 drugs with the highest number of applications, the number of applications for and the fees of such drugs, and whether they were provided free of charge for use by patients in public hospitals and private hospitals;

(iv) the average time respectively between the receipt and approval of applications, and between the approval of applications and the use of the drugs; and

(v) how the final charges for the drugs are determined (for example, whether the charges only aim at recovering the cost);

(2) as it is learnt that the certification of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) is widely recognised as the most stringent pharmaceutical specification in the world, and there are views that the Government, as a member of PIC/S, may help facilitate the introduction of Mainland-made drugs overseas while the Mainland's application for joining PIC/S is pending approval, of the following in the past five years:

(i) the number of drugs by Mainland pharmaceutical companies which had lodged applications for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Medicinal Products certification by PIC/S in Hong Kong, and the number of applications involved;

(ii) the number of occasions on which the Department of Health (DH) had to send GMP inspectors to the Mainland and overseas for conducting certification, and the expenditure involved; and

(iii) the average waiting time for GMP certification applications; and

(3) of the details of DH's total staff establishment responsible for handling PIC/S certification at present, and their duties; whether it will introduce express/priority handling arrangements or set up a dedicated team for urgently-needed drugs to expedite the certification and registration of the drugs?

Reply:

President,

"The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address" has proposed a number of initiatives to improve the drug approval mechanism so as to speed up registration and facilitate good drugs for use in Hong Kong. In particular, to enhance the drug regulatory regime, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government implemented a new mechanism for the approval of new drugs ("1+" mechanism) (Note 1) on November 1, 2023, which has been extended to all new drugs since November 1 this year, including vaccines and advanced therapy products. So far, the Department of Health (DH) has received more than 350 enquiries from over 90 pharmaceutical companies, and approved seven new drugs under the "1+" mechanism, bringing new hope for treatment to patients. The seven new drugs mentioned above include two new drugs for treating metastatic colorectal cancer which have been approved by the National Medical Products Administration and have been listed in the "Special Drug" category of the Hospital Authority (HA) Drug Formulary. Not only has the procurement cost of the drugs been reduced by nearly 30 per cent successful after price negotiation by the HA, patients are also only required to pay the standard fee of $15 if these two drugs are prescribed under specified clinical applications, greatly alleviating their financial burden. It is expected that nearly 300 cancer patients will benefit each year. Extending the "1+" mechanism could attract more new drugs from different parts of the world seeking approval for registration in Hong Kong, giving patients more choices and further strengthening the local capacity for drug evaluation while enhancing the development of relevant software, hardware and expertise with a view to progressing towards "primary evaluation". The Government will complement technological innovation with institutional innovation, developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

In consultation with the DH and the HA, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:

(1) Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A) (Regulations), pharmaceutical products must satisfy the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality and be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (Board) before they can be sold or supplied in Hong Kong.

To address the needs of patients for the prevention and treatment of life threatening and severely debilitating diseases (e.g. cancer and rare diseases), the law allows a registered medical practitioner or a registered dentist to possess or use of an unregistered drug for the purpose of treatment of a particular patient for which no registered drugs for effective treatment or prevention are available (Note 2). Importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products under the above situation needs to apply for an import licence from the DH under the authority of the Director-General of Trade and Industry in accordance with the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60) and meeting the approval requirements for the issuance of the import licence. The performance pledge of the Drug Office of the DH in approving applications for import and export licence for pharmaceutical products is two working days. The relevant arrangement is to ensure that a registered medical practitioner or dentist will not be prevented from obtaining and administering a necessary drug to a local patient on the ground that an overseas pharmaceutical company has not applied for registration of the drug in Hong Kong.

The number of applications for import of unregistered drugs for particular patients (including applications from the HA) received and import licenses issued by the DH in the past five years are set out in the table below. The DH does not regulate or handle commercial transactions between importers and doctors/organisations or between doctors/organisations and patients, and thus, does not maintain information on the fees of relevant drugs. Meanwhile, the HA does not maintain statistics on the use of unregistered drugs for treatment under its Named Patient Scheme (Note 3).

Year	Number of applications for import of unregistered drugs for the treatment of particular patients received by the DH (Note 5)	Number of import licenses issued for import of unregistered drugs for the treatment of particular patients (Note 5) (Note 6)
2019 (Note 4)	--	6 269
2020 (Note 4)	--	6 061
2021 (Note 4)	--	7 101
2022	7 359	7 283
2023	7 268	7 195

Note 4: Before December 31, 2021, the DH adopted a paper-based approach in processing applications for import licenses and did not keep records on the number of applications.

Note 5: Multiple import licences may be applied for the same drug in accordance with the circumstances and conditions.

Note 6: The applicant may only partially or not import the drug concerned after the issue of the import licence. Therefore, the actual number of drugs imported may be smaller.

The 10 drugs with the highest number of applications for import of unregistered drugs for the particular patients received by the DH between 2022 and 2023 are tabulated below. The DH does not maintain the actual expenditure involved for processing relevant applications.

	Drugs with the highest number of applications for import of unregistered drugs for the treatment of particular patients received by the DH	Number of applications for import of unregistered drugs for the treatment of particular patients (Note 7)
1	Selpercatinib capsule 80mg (Note 8)	214
2	Mobocertinib 40mg Cap	208
3	INDIUM-111 SOLUTION IN VIALS (Indium (In 111) Oxinate)	178
4	ORALTEK Spray	176
5	SLITone ULTRA Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus + Blomia Maintenance kit	152
6	SLITone ULTRA Dermatophagoides (HDM) mix Maintenance kit	145
7	ATROPINE EYE DROPS 0.01% (Note 8)	138
8	Mon.Tek Mo-99/Tc-99m Generator (Note 8)	129
9	MyoMIBG-I 123 Injection	122
10	FRUQUINTINIB (ELUNATE) CAP. 5MG (Note 8)	121

Note 7: The number of applications made by applicants for different drugs may vary depending on factors such as the nature of the drug and its expiry date. Hence, the number of applications for a drug may not fully reflect the demand for the drug.

Note 8: Relevant drugs have been registered in Hong Kong during 2023 and 2024.

The HKSAR Government encourages pharmaceutical products manufacturers or suppliers to apply for registration in Hong Kong of unregistered drugs with continued need for use. The DH will continue to proactively publicise the "1+" mechanism and liaise closely with the trade.

(2) and (3) The Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) is an international organisation comprising pharmaceutical inspection authorities from multiple countries and regions with a mission to lead the international development, implementation and maintenance of harmonised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and quality systems of inspectorates in the field of medicinal products. As of December 2, 2024, there were 56 participating authorities in the PIC/S. Hong Kong has become a member of the PIC/S since 2016. The DH is responsible for GMP inspections to ensure compliance of manufacturers. Hong Kong's membership of the PIC/S signifies that it has been recognised by international drug regulatory bodies and its drug regulatory standards have reached international standards.

According to the Regulations, all local pharmaceutical products manufacturers must obtain a licence from the Board to manufacture pharmaceutical products. Since the Board has become the participating authority of the PIC/S on January 1, 2016, one of the key requirements for licensing a manufacturer for pharmaceutical products is the full compliance with the PIC/S GMP standards. The relevant standards covered requirements on drug manufacture including the pharmaceutical quality system, personnel, premises, equipment, documentation, production process, quality control, outsourced activities, complaint handling, product recall and self-inspection of manufacturer so as to ensure that high quality drugs were produced. At present, there are 22 licensed local pharmaceutical products manufacturers which they are all fully compliant with the PIC/S GMP standards.

At present, the Manufacturers Regulatory Unit (Unit) of the Drug Office of the DH is responsible for processing application of manufacturer licence (including applications for post-licensing changes), examining compliance with the licensing requirements laid down by the Board as well as the level and requirements of the PIC/S GMP, with a view to making a recommendation for approval of the application to the Board. The Drug Office is also responsible for conducting regular and ad hoc inspections on local licensed pharmaceutical manufacturers based on risks associated with their products and the track record of inspections, so as to ensure their continuous compliance with the Code of Practice for Licensed Manufacturers and Registered Authorized Persons released by the Board and the relevant PIC/S GMP requirements. Relevant licensing and inspection work includes meeting with manufacturers to discuss the commissioning or changing plan before processing the application, reviewing the documents and information submitted by the manufacturer including the quality management policies, activities of the site, the production and quality control of pharmaceutical manufacturing operations carried out therein and key personnel, as well as arranging and conducting PIC/S GMP inspections, preparing inspection reports and following up the corrective actions with the manufacturers as necessary. In addition, the Unit is also responsible for the update, amendment and implementation of PIC/S GMP standards, including the adoption of new version of PIC/S GMP Guide to enhance local GMP standards, participation in international exchanges and meetings with other PIC/S participating authorities, assisting in the development of PIC/S related guidelines, and the need to receive regular training related to PIC/S and GMP. The Unit currently comprises a senior pharmacist, pharmacists, and scientific officers. The Unit also handles tasks other than PIC/S GMP inspections, and some tasks related to PIC/S also involve other units. The DH does not maintain the breakdown of the staff establishment responsible for handling PIC/S certification.

For applications of registration of pharmaceutical products with non-local manufacturers, the applicants for registration of those products should submit evidence of compliance with PIC/S GMPs. Applicants who do not successfully invite other PIC/S participating authorities to conduct inspection may consider inviting the Drug Office of the DH to conduct PIC/S GMP inspection outside Hong Kong by submitting the relevant invitation. After receiving the invitation and taking into account factors like risks arising from the inspection and whether the drug may address local healthcare medical needs, the Unit of the Drug Office will consider arranging PIC/S GMP inspection outside Hong Kong if the following conditions are fulfilled:

(i) The invitation has to be issued by the applicant of registration of pharmaceutical products, together with all the required information and supporting documents related to the manufacturer;
(ii) The concerned manufacturer is not located in country or region that is PIC/S member and the relevant facility has not yet been inspected by other PIC/S participating authority;
(iii) The applicant has to confirm that the drug regulatory authority of the country or region where the manufacturer is located has been informed or has no objection to the PIC/S GMP inspection of the manufacturer by the Drug Office;
(iv) The inspection outside Hong Kong will not affect the Drug Office's schedule for inspections of local manufacturers in Hong Kong; and
(v) The applicant pays the required inspection fees on the full cost-recovery principle.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the DH has not conducted any PIC/S GMP inspections to manufacturers outside Hong Kong from 2020 to 2022. From 2023 to November 2024, the DH, as invited by applicants of registration, arranged three PIC/S GMP inspections to pharmaceutical manufacturers outside Hong Kong, which were in Jordan, the Philippines and Mainland China respectively.

Note 1: Under the "1+" mechanism, eligible holders of registration from one (instead of two in the past) of the recognised drug regulatory authorities for new drugs could apply for registration in Hong Kong, on the condition that they could provide local clinical data which complies with the requirements and recognised by local experts.

Note 2: Regulation 36(1A) of the Regulation stipulates that the prescribed requirement for registration of pharmaceutical products is not applicable to certain specified circumstances, including the possession or use of the pharmaceutical product for the purpose of treatment by a registered medical practitioner or registered dentist of a particular patient in accordance with Regulation 36(1A)(ab) of the Regulations.

Note 3: If doctors of public hospitals, based on their professional judgement and having regard to the clinical conditions of individual patients, consider that it is necessary to prescribe unregistered drugs, they may submit an application for import license to the DH through the suppliers via the HA Named Patient Scheme. Meanwhile, according to the charging guidelines for the use of drugs not listed in the HA Drug Formulary (including both registered and unregistered drugs), if a hospital or a doctor needs to use a drug not listed in the HA Drug Formulary for treatment for an emergency situation (including immediate life threatening situations, for use as drugs for treating poisoning conditions and for treatment of infectious diseases that give rise to an imminent medical need), the HA will provide the necessary drug to the patient at standard fees. If such drugs are prescribed to meet the specific clinical needs of a particular patient, the patient has to bear the cost of the drugs.]]><![CDATA[Temporary traffic and transport arrangements on Prince Edward Road East (westbound) from early hours of December 16 to facilitate road works]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100453.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100453.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 18:20:00 +0800
(A) Road closures
-----------------

The following road sections will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic:

Part of the traffic lanes of Prince Edward Road East (westbound) between Kowloon East Regional Police Headquarters and Trade and Industry Tower;
The at-grade section of Prince Edward Road East (westbound) between Trade and Industry Tower and Olympic Garden;
Part of the traffic lanes of the slip road leading from Choi Hung Road (southbound) to Prince Edward Road East (westbound);
The slip road leading from Concorde Road to Prince Edward Road East (westbound) near Kai Tak Community Hall;
The flyover leading from the at-grade section of Prince Edward Road East (westbound) to Ma Tau Chung Road (southbound) near Olympic Garden;
The flyover leading from the at-grade section of Prince Edward Road East (westbound) to Argyle Street (westbound); and
Part of the fast lane of Prince Edward Road East (eastbound) near Muk Lai Street.

(B) Traffic diversions
-------------------

Affected vehicles on Prince Edward Road East (westbound) heading for Argyle Street will be diverted via the following routes:

The elevated section of Prince Edward Road East (westbound), Prince Edward Road West (westbound), Stirling Road (southbound), Argyle Street (eastbound), roundabout on Argyle Street and Argyle Street (westbound); or
Roundabout on Concorde Road, Olympic Avenue (westbound), Sung Wong Toi Road (eastbound), Sung Wong Toi Road (westbound), Ma Tau Chung Road (eastbound), roundabout on Argyle Street and Argyle Street (westbound).

Affected vehicles on Prince Edward Road East (westbound) heading for Ma Tau Chung Road will be diverted via the following routes:

The elevated section of Prince Edward Road East (westbound), Prince Edward Road West (westbound), Stirling Road (southbound), Argyle Street (eastbound), roundabout on Argyle Street and Ma Tau Chung Road (westbound); or
Roundabout on Concorde Road, Olympic Avenue (westbound), Sung Wong Toi Road (eastbound), Sung Wong Toi Road (westbound), Ma Tau Chung Road (eastbound), roundabout on Argyle Street and Ma Tau Chung Road (westbound).

(C) Public transport arrangements
--------------------------------

     To facilitate road works, Citybus route No. N23 (Tung Chung bound), cross-harbour bus route No. N121 (Central bound), KMB route Nos. N216 (Hung Hom bound), N293 (Mong Kok bound) and 293S (Mei Foo bound), and Hong Kong Island green minibus overnight route No. 61 (Mong Kok bound) will be diverted and some of the stops will be suspended or relocated. Please visit the TD's website for details (www.td.gov.hk/en/traffic_notices/index_id_78424.html).

(D) Suspension of metered parking spaces
----------------------------------------

     Two metered parking spaces (Nos. 8259A and 8259B) on Stirling Road will be temporarily suspended.

     Appropriate traffic signs and road markings will be erected on site to guide motorists. The public transport operators will display notices informing passengers of the above temporary arrangements. The TD anticipates that the travelling time at the road sections concerned will be slightly lengthened due to the diversion arrangements. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience.

     Members of the public are advised to plan their journeys in advance and allow sufficient travelling time to cater for unexpected delays, and stay alert to the latest traffic news through the media or the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility" or website (www.td.gov.hk).]]><![CDATA[Employee sentenced to imprisonment and fined for violation of safety legislation]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100450.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100450.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 17:30:00 +0800
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on December 22, 2021, at a drainage work site in Chek Lap Kok. While conducting maintenance on an inspection chamber, a team of four workers and a foreman (namely the convicted employee) inhaled toxic gas successively. Two workers died, while the other two workers and the foreman were injured.

     The LD's spokesman said, "The LD welcomes the court's decision and believes the aforementioned sentences have a deterrent effect to remind employees to strictly comply with the requirements under safety legislation to safeguard the safety and health at work of himself and of other persons."]]><![CDATA[Hong Kong Customs detects three dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $15 million (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100402.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100402.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 17:12:00 +0800
     In the first case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in the vicinity of Tsuen Wan yesterday morning, Customs intercepted a 30-year-old man and found about 350 grams of suspected cannabis buds and 30 vape sticks containing suspected THC inside a paper bag and rucksack carried by him. He was then arrested. Customs officers then escorted the man to an industrial unit nearby for a search and found about 6.6kg of suspected cannabis buds, 2kg of gummy candies containing suspected THC and 204 vape sticks containing suspected THC and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia therein. Upon a follow-up investigation, the man was brought to a village house rented by him in Yuen Long for a search, and about 20.5kg of suspected cannabis buds were uncovered. About 27.5kg of suspected cannabis buds, 2kg of gummy candies containing suspected THC and 234 vape sticks containing suspected THC in total were seized in the operation.

     In the second case, through in-depth investigations and data analyses, Customs yesterday searched a mini-storage warehouse in Yau Tong. Upon searching, a total of about 5kg of suspected cannabis buds were found concealed in some pet food packages inside a batch of carton boxes. Afterwards, Customs arrested a 37-year-old man in Ngau Chi Wan suspected to be connected with the case.

     The third case involved a 31-year-old man who arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found 15kg of suspected ketamine wrapped by clothes in his check-in suitcase. He was subsequently arrested.

     The arrestee in the first case was charged with three counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 12). The arrested man in the second case has been released on bail pending further investigation. An investigation of the third case is ongoing.

     Customs reminds members of the public that cannabis and THC are classified as dangerous drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. Importation of products (including food or drinks) containing cannabis or THC into Hong Kong is prohibited unless the relevant provisions in the Ordinance are complied with. In order to avoid breaching the law inadvertently, special attention should be paid to the packaging labels of those products.

     Under the Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

]]><![CDATA[Excavation of dinosaur fossils on Port Island completed]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100185.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100185.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0800
The AMO and the AFCD, in collaboration with the IVPP, experts and research institutes in Hong Kong, the Mainland and other places, will continue to take forward the preparation of dinosaur fossils and relevant studies to identify the species of dinosaur found on Port Island and to explore the palaeoecology of Hong Kong.

Regarding display and public education, the temporary workshop in the courtyard of the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre will open on December 20. The AMO will make arrangements for the public to observe the preparation of fossil specimens. Dinosaur fossils prepared and other fossils discovered in Hong Kong, such as aquatic animals ostracod and ammonite, as well as ferns, will also be displayed. Details of the arrangements will be announced on the website of the AMO in due course. In addition, the AMO and the AFCD will continue to organise public lectures and palaeontology workshops to enhance public understanding and interest in palaeontology. The AFCD will also hold outreach science popularisation activities for primary and secondary schools. For details, please refer to the websites of the AMO (www.amo.gov.hk/en/visitor-centre/education-programmes/education-activities/special-event/index.html) and Hong Kong Geopark (www.geopark.gov.hk/en/education/educational_activity).

In view of the completion of the investigation and excavation on Port Island, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation will lift the closure of the entire area of Port Island within Plover Cove (Extension) Country Park from tomorrow (December 12).

The spokesman stressed that all exposed dinosaur fossils have been removed from Port Island and reminded members of the public that the island is remote and lacks ancillary facilities for landing and sightseeing. Due to geographical and weather conditions that may pose risks for boat docking, members of the public are urged not to take risks to land on Port Island. Furthermore, pursuant to the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53), no person other than the Authority and a designated person authorised by it shall excavate or search for antiquities. Any person who discovers or knows of the discovery of an antiquity or supposed antiquity must report the discovery to the AMO.]]><![CDATA[November's monthly gravidtrap index for Aedes albopictus mosquitoes drops from October level]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100150.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100150.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0800
     In November, all the 64 survey areas were recorded with a gravidtrap index lower than the alert level of 20 per cent. Moreover, the monthly density index for Aedes albopictus in November was 1.1, which represented that an average of 1.1 Aedes albopictus adults were found in the Aedes-positive gravidtraps, indicating that the number of adult Aedes albopictus was not abundant in the survey areas. The gravidtrap and density indices for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department website at www.fehd.gov.hk.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "In response to the latest recorded local case of dengue fever (DF), the FEHD and relevant government departments have intensified mosquito prevention and control work in the residence, workplace and locations visited by a patient during the incubation period and after illness onset, including eliminating mosquito breeding places, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at suitable locations. The FEHD has also provided government departments with professional advice and technical support to assist them in swiftly formulating and implementing effective anti-mosquito measures while strengthening publicity and education at the same time, in order to reduce the risk of DF transmission. Under the concerted efforts and collaboration of various parties, the index in November remained at the lowest level. The FEHD will continue to monitor the mosquito infestation in all districts, and will conduct prompt and effective mosquito prevention and control work."

     The FEHD has conducted a three-phase Anti-mosquito Campaign this year. The third phase of the territory-wide campaign, lasting 12 weeks, was conducted from August 5 to October 27. During the period, the district offices of the FEHD targeted areas that had drawn particular concern, such as public markets, cooked food centres and hawker bazaars, single-block buildings, streets and back lanes, common parts of buildings, village houses, construction sites, vacant sites and road works sites, to remove accumulated water and carry out mosquito prevention and control work. To further enhance the effectiveness of mosquito control, the FEHD and relevant government departments have carried out the second phase of the All-out Anti-mosquito Operations since May 2 to focus on intense adult mosquito control by means of regular ultra-low volume fogging operations to continue to eliminate potential mosquito breeding places, and called on property management offices to arrange necessary repairs to their premises to minimise mosquito breeding places. As the weather has turned cooler and drier, the All-out Anti-mosquito Operations launched since March 26 this year will end on December 30. Although the index remains at a low level, the breeding and activity of mosquitoes will not stop in winter. The FEHD advises members of the public to continue routine mosquito prevention and control work to reduce the chance of mosquito breeding when the rainy season approaches.

     The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes, and drilling large holes in unused tyres. The FEHD also advises members of the public and estate management bodies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

     Aedes albopictus is a kind of mosquito that can transmit DF. DF is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and has become endemic in many countries in Southeast Asia. Based on the latest surveillance data from the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, there has been an increase in DF cases in some places in Asia thus far, compared with the corresponding period of last year. The World Health Organization has recorded over 13 million cases, which is a record number, since the beginning of 2024. Although the number of DF cases recorded in Guangdong Province in the past few months remained at a high level, and most of the cases were locally acquired infection, the number of local DF cases has been decreasing gradually, from over 1 200 cases a week (November 4 to 10) to around 500 cases a week (November 18 to 24), according to the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hong Kong has recorded 152 imported DF cases and five local DF cases so far this year. Members of the public should continue to carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures proactively. ]]><![CDATA[Appeal for information on missing woman in Cheung Sha Wan (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100427.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100427.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 16:42:47 +0800
     Ma Man-yiu, aged 35, went missing after she was last seen on Cheung Yue Street on December 3 noon. Her family made a report to Police the following day.

     She is about 1.6 metres tall, 50 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and long brown and black hair. She was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved jacket, black trousers and white shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0335 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

]]><![CDATA[Fraudulent website related to Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd.]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100415.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100415.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 16:38:00 +0800
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. relating to a fraudulent website, which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.]]><![CDATA[Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens related to Chong Hing Bank Limited]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100417.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100417.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 16:35:00 +0800
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Chong Hing Bank Limited relating to fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites or login screens concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.]]><![CDATA[LCQ12: Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100302.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100302.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 16:16:00 +0800
Question:

     The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, consisting of the Shenzhen Park and the Hong Kong Park, is one of the major cooperation platforms among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. While the State Council promulgated the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in August last year, the SAR Government promulgated the Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Outline) on the 20th of last month, setting out the major development directions, strategy and target of the Hong Kong Park. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Outline proposes that the development of the Hong Kong Park will be taken forward in two five-year phases, but there are views pointing out that the first eight buildings in Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Park are still under construction, and Phase 2 development is still under detailed planning, whereas the development of the Shenzhen Park has already taken shape, with many innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises and personnel stationing there, whether the Government has considered catching up expeditiously by enhancing speed and efficiency in the implementation of the planning of the Hong Kong Park, so as to achieve further coordinated development with the Shenzhen Park; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether the Government will seek innovation and changes to actively play a leading role by introducing more preferential policies in respect of land supply, dedicated funding, tax deductions, etc., so as to attract more international capital and major I&T enterprises to the Hong Kong Park; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) in order to dovetail with the implementation of the four major development directions proposed in the Outline (namely (i) to build a world-class industry-academia-research platform, (ii) to establish an internationally competitive research and development transformation and pilot production base for industries, (iii) to foster a hub for pooling global I&T resources, and (iv) to cultivate a testing ground for institutional and policy innovation), whether the Government will expeditiously formulate talent training and talent admission programmes for the relevant industries and professional services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President:

     The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co‑operation Zone (Hetao Co-operation Zone), consisting of the Hong Kong Park and the Shenzhen Park and located on the two sides of the Shenzhen River, is established under the vision of "one river, two banks" and "one zone, two parks". It is one of the major co‑operation platforms among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) under the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 of the People’s Republic of China".

     The Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Development Plan) promulgated by our country in August last year clearly specifies the three major positioning of the Hetao Co-operation Zone, namely (1) a pilot zone for Shenzhen-Hong Kong active co-operation in technology and innovation, (2) a testing zone for new rules of international advanced technology and innovation, and (3) a cluster for pilot production and transformation for GBA. To further facilitate the country's major strategic development of the Hetao Co-operation Zone, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government promulgated the Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Development Outline) in November this year, setting out the key development directions, strategies and targets of the Hong Kong Park and leading its high-quality development through top-level design.

     On the basis of the three major positioning of the Development Plan, as well as the vision and mission of the development of the Hong Kong Park, the Development Outline proposes to take forward at full steam the development of the Hong Kong Park in accordance with four major directions, namely, "to build a world-class industry-academia-research platform"; "to establish an internationally competitive research and development (R&D) transformation and pilot production base for industries"; "to foster a hub for pooling global innovation and technology (I&T) resources"; and "to cultivate a testing ground for institutional and policy innovation".

     The consolidated reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

     Situated in the Loop in the northern part of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Park, with about 87 hectares (approximately four times of the size of Hong Kong Science Park), will be developed in two phases from west to east. The current Government has been boosting both the speed and quantity in developing the Hong Kong Park. In order to expedite the development and optimise the functions of Hong Kong Park, the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited (HSITPL) have, upon conducting review, doubled the gross floor area of Phase 1 to one million square metres. The Hong Kong Park will be made up of different functional zones which mainly include the Life and Health Technology zone, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science zone and the New Technology and Advanced Manufacturing zone. The site of Phase 1 will be divided into three batches for development. Batch 1 development consists of eight buildings in total and the first three buildings will be completed starting from the end of this year as originally scheduled. The Hong Kong Park will officially enter into its operational phase next year, and the HSITPL is pressing ahead with the related leasing work. The first batch of tenants from pillar industries, such as life and health technology, AI and data science, is expected to move in starting from the second half of next year. Moreover, HSITPL has commenced the consultancy study on the planning for Phase 2 of the Hong Kong Park, with a view to moving forward the comprehensive development of the Hong Kong Park in full steam.

     The Government has all along been supporting the enhancement of technological level and promotion of innovation in Hong Kong by implementing various funding schemes under the Innovation and Technology Fund, with a view to driving the comprehensive development of upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of our I&T ecosystem. To foster the development of the InnoLife Healthtech Hub in the Hong Kong Park, the Government has proposed in the 2024-25 Budget to allocate $2 billion to support the InnoHK research clusters to establish presence in the Hong Kong Park, and will also allocate $200 million to provide assistance to life and health technology start‑ups in the Hong Kong Park in the form of incubation and acceleration support, etc. The Government has consulted the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Commerce, Industry, Innovation and Technology on the funding proposal for launching the Incubation Support Programme for Life and Health Technology Start-ups in the Hong Kong Park on November 19 this year. As a next step, we will seek funding approval from the LegCo Finance Committee to launch the programme.

     The Loop enjoys unique advantages in cross-boundary co-operation. On the basis of "one country, two systems" and "one zone, two parks", the HKSAR Government will continue to seek policy support from relevant Mainland authorities to implement the dedicated policies to facilitate the cross-boundary flow of important innovation elements including personnel, materials, capital and data within the Loop. This will thereby foster complementarity and co-operation between the two parks, and enhance the attractiveness of Hong Kong Park in terms of business and investment attraction.

     Among others, on the flow of capital, facilitating cross-boundary capital flow in the Hetao Co-operation Zone is one of the main focuses of the future development of Hong Kong Park. This will help promote the development of Hetao Co-operation Zone into an important foothold for Mainland I&T enterprises to set up international headquarters or global research centres. The HKSAR Government will actively explore with the relevant Mainland authorities facilitation measures on cross-boundary fund transfer for Mainland enterprises settling in the Hong Kong Park, so as to support mutual financing of industry projects between the two parks.

     Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government will continue to explore the formulation of more facilitative policies conducive to the development of I&T, with the aim of attracting and encouraging more Mainland and overseas enterprises to establish presence in Hong Kong (including the Hong Kong Park) or expand the scale of investment in our city, thereby converging international innovation resources. Among which, the HKSAR Government currently offers tax concessions to enterprises engaging in R&D activities in Hong Kong. The qualifying R&D expenditures of such enterprises enjoy an enhanced tax deduction, with the first $2 million of the total expenditure eligible for a 300 per cent tax deduction, and the amount beyond $2 million eligible for a 200 per cent deduction. There is no cap on the amount of enhanced tax deduction, and it applies to all eligible enterprises, including those in the Hong Kong Park. As for individuals, the Arrangement between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (the Comprehensive Arrangement) entered into force in December 2006. In accordance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Arrangement, tax paid in the HKSAR in respect of income derived from sources in the HKSAR by a resident of Mainland shall be allowed as a credit against Mainland tax imposed on that resident. However, the amount of the credit shall not exceed the amount of Mainland tax in respect of that item computed in accordance with the tax laws and regulations of the Mainland. Moreover, since 2019, a new article for teachers and researchers was added to the Comprehensive Arrangement. With this new article, a qualified teacher or researcher, who is employed in Hong Kong or the Mainland and engages in teaching and research activities on the other side, shall be exempted from taxation on that other side for a period of three years, provided that the relevant income has been subject to tax on the side where the person concerned is employed.

     As for the supply and development mode of other sites in the Hong Kong Park, the HKSAR Government keeps an open mind and will consider developing the sites jointly with the market as one of the options. We will select appropriate land parcels and plan to invite expression of interests from the market next year.

     As one of the most internationalised cities in our country, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and close connection with the world, which can help pool I&T talents. The Government will continue to implement various measures to attract Mainland and overseas talents to Hong Kong. For instance, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme provides a fast‑track arrangement for eligible companies to admit Mainland and overseas technology talents to undertake R&D work in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Government has included in the Talent List a number of professions with local manpower shortage in the I&T segment, so as to facilitate the industry in the admission of technology talents through relevant admission schemes. Besides, the HKSAR Government will continue to explore with the Shenzhen Municipal Government the construction of footbridges across the Shenzhen River at the eastern side and western side of the Hetao Co-operation Zone respectively to directly connect the two parks, so as to facilitate frequent cross‑boundary travel of and smooth exchanges between I&T personnel. At the same time, the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen are also exploring the provision of innovative and convenient clearance mode and facilities to allow designated personnel of the two parks to enjoy travel convenience by, for example, implementing pre-registration arrangements and using technology to significantly shorten the travelling time between the two parks, with a view to achieving contactless clearance and enhancing clearance experience.

     The Government will adhere to the principle of "promoting technology with talents, leading industries with technology, and attracting talents with industries" and continue to promote the development of Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. This will provide more quality jobs and development opportunities for I&T talents in Hong Kong and those coming to Hong Kong, thereby pooling I&T talents from around the globe.

     Meanwhile, HSITPL will provide shared space and activity venues, and set up platforms for information exchange, training and promotion resources. Such effort aims to enhance the liaison, collaboration and interface between the R&D institutes and enterprises in the two parks of the Hetao Co-operation Zone and their counterparts outside. This will give people working in the Hetao Co-operation Zone more opportunities for their career development.

     The HKSAR Government and HSITPL will continue to work closely with the Shenzhen Municipal Government and relevant stakeholders respectively to promote the development of the Hong Kong Park at full steam according to the development directions and strategies proposed in the Development Outline, joining hands with Shenzhen to develop the Hetao Co-operation Zone into a world-class key I&T platform and an important engine for the high-quality development of the GBA.]]><![CDATA[Effective Exchange Rate Index]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100148.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100148.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0800<![CDATA[Postal services to Ireland subject to delay]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100379.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100379.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:54:00 +0800<![CDATA[LCQ6: Promoting development of district tourism]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100301.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100301.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:45:00 +0800
Question:

     The Government has indicated in the latest Policy Address that it will make better use of Hong Kong's rich and unique resources to instil the concept of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) in order to realise the tourism potential of various districts in Hong Kong, whether the Government will co-operate with different government departments and district organisations in the planning for the coming year and provide various policy incentives to jointly promote the development of district tourism; if so, of the details;

(2) whether the Government will co-operate with various organisations and merhcants in Lei Yue Mun to design characteristic tourism programmes by leveraging elements such as Lei Yue Mun's fishing village culture, traditional customs and seafood delicacies; if so, of the details; and

(3) whether it will consider promoting the development of tourism in Lei Yue Mun through publicity and enhanced ancillary transport facilities, e.g. organising activities in collaboration with popular social media platforms and travel influencers to boost the appeal and popularity of Lei Yue Mun, launching new ferry routes of cultural tourism plying between Lei Yue Mun and Sai Kung and Tsim Sha Tsui respectively to promote sightseeing boat tours of Hong Kong, as well as conducting tourism activities with Lei Yue Mun as the base; if so, of the details?

Reply:

President,

     Tourism is one of the major driving forces of Hong Kong's economy. Following the resumption of normal cross-boundary travel starting from February 2023, Hong Kong's tourism industry began to recover at full speed with a steady growth in visitor arrivals. From January to October 2024, some 36.7 million arrivals were recorded, representing a year-on-year increase of about 37 per cent. As announced by the Chief Executive in the Policy Address this year, the Government will develop Hong Kong into a premier tourism destination through innovative thinking and making better use of our rich and unique resources, developing tourism products and initiatives with local and international characteristics, and consolidating the attractiveness of traditional tourism to instill the concept of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong".

     In respect of the question raised by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu, in consultation with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau as well as the Transport Department (TD), the reply is as follows:

(1) Joint efforts by different sectors through active collaboration and co-ordination among one another and optimising the use of district resources to explore more tourism products with characteristics are essential to promoting tourism development and implementing "Tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" concept. The Chief Executive announced in the Policy Address that a Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots (Working Group), led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (DCS), will be set up to strengthen cross departmental co-ordination and leverage community efforts, identify and develop tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts. The objective of the Working Group is to co-ordinate, through high-level steering, projects that require inter-departmental, industry and community collaboration, and to identify and build new hotspots for regional tourism with innovative ideas.

     The Working Group is led by the DCS and comprised of 10 bureau secretaries and directors of departments as members, and has held its first meeting on November 8 this year to discuss how to identify and develop tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts, as well as the subsequent work plan which includes collecting proposals on tourism hotspots in the districts through the 18 District Offices, with a view to selecting suitable development projects. The Working Group will continue to follow up on the recommendations and is expected to formulate projects for implementation in the first half of 2025.

     In 2024, the Home Affairs Department and the District Councils at the 18 districts have also jointly launched the "Day x Night Vibes @ 18 Districts" to roll out an array of activities with district characteristics and traditional cultural connotations across the city, including bazaar carnivals, artwork exhibitions, musical performances and sports experiences, so as to create a buoyant mood in the community and support the local economy.

(2) and (3) Lei Yue Mun (LYM) is one of Hong Kong's popular tourist spots. The Tourism Commission (TC) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) is taking forward the LYM Waterfront Enhancement Project since December 2020 which will improve the facilities along LYM waterfront and enhance its connectivity with a view to further enhancing the attractiveness of LYM as a popular tourist attraction. The works under the project include the construction of a public landing facility, and the development of a waterfront promenade and related improvement works. The first and second phases of the works, including the construction of a new viewing platform, improvement works to facilities in the existing LYM Rest Garden, as well as beautification works to the existing viewing platform and five lookout points along LYM waterfront, were completed and the facilities have been open to the public. The remaining works, including a public landing facility, a breakwater and a promenade, are expected to be completed by end of January 2025. By then, the three existing leisure venues in close proximity to the LYM Waterfront and Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter area, namely LYM Waterfront Sitting-out Area, LYM Typhoon Shelter Breakwater Sitting-out Area, and LYM Rest Garden, together with LYM's unique village character and seafood delicacy, will offer visitors a scenic and unique route. The venues also facilitate the organisation of events by district organisations so as to further promote the development of local tourism.

     The CSTB has also launched a new phase of the CITY IN TIME augmented reality tourism project in LYM in June 2024, bringing back to life the historical landscape of certain locations in the district through a mobile application, thereby enhancing visitors' experience.

     Furthermore, district organisations hold from time to time tourism programmes and traditional cultural celebration activities with local characteristics in LYM, such as the LYM Seafood Festival and celebrations for the Tin Hau Festival. The Kwun Tong District Office has been maintaining close liaison with the relevant groups and providing appropriate assistance in organising and arranging these activities.

     On transport arrangement, in the vicinity of the LYM Seafood Bazaar, there are several on-street coaches parking. During the TD's recent site observations, these parking spaces could meet the parking demand. The TD would continue to closely monitor their utilisation and provide more parking spaces when necessary. Besides, there are three pick-up/drop-off points for coaches at LYM Path. To address the parking needs, there are about 500 parking spaces in nearby public car parks located at the LYM Municipal Services Building, No. 1 LYM Path, No. 8 Yan Yue Wai, and on roadside, including about 30 parking spaces for coaches.

     At present, the locals and visitors can take the public transport services to/from LYM. Land transport services include Kowloon Motor Bus Route No. 14X to/from Yau Tong and Tsim Sha Tsui, Green Minibus Route No. 24 to/from Lam Tin and Sam Ka Tsuen Ferry, and three Red Minibus routes to/from Kwun Tong, Mong Kok and Jordan Road, and Yau Tong/LYM. For waterborne transport services, there is a licensed ferry service to and from Sai Wan Ho and Sam Ka Tsuen. The TD would closely monitor the demand of these services and review the arrangements with the operators whenever necessary.

     On promotion aspect, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has been promoting LYM's diversified tourism features and unique experiences to visitors through various channels, such as its website, Visitor Centers and Visitor Hotline. The HKTB's website lists in detail the attractions and hotspots in LYM, including the Old LYM Quarry, Tin Hau Temple, Murals Village, LYM Lighthouse, Observation Deck, Jockey Club LYM Plus, and LYM Seafood District, as well as a map detailing the locations of the various attractions and the transportation to LYM.

     President, in collaboration with relevant bureaux/departments, the CSTB will continue to promote the development of tourism with local characteristics. The HKTB will continue to promoting and showcasing Hong Kong's multifaceted charm, telling the world the good stories of Hong Kong and thereby promoting tourism development.]]><![CDATA[LCQ10: Mega events]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100246.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100246.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:35:00 +0800
Question:

     As indicated in the Budget announced in February this year, more than 80 ‍mega events in a variety of themes and genres will be staged in Hong Kong in the first half of this year, and the Government has set up a Mega Events Coordination Group (the Coordination Group) to reach out proactively for more mega events to be staged in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) among the mega events held in the first half of this year, of the respective numbers and proportions of exhibitions, conferences/seminars, trade events, sports games, arts and cultural events, as well as festive events, and the number of visitors attracted by various mega events, the duration of stay of these visitors in Hong Kong, as well as their spending;

(2) whether the Coordination Group has developed strategies focusing on popular mega events and improved the supporting arrangements such as venues and transportation, so as to further enhance the attractiveness of such mega events and the economic benefits brought about by them; if so, of the details; for less popular mega events, how the Government steps up its publicity efforts and enhances the attractiveness of these events; and

(3) given that it is also proposed in the aforesaid Budget to earmark $100 ‍million to boost mega event promotions over the next three years, of the details and progress of such work, and the expected benefits to be brought about?

Reply:

President,

     Mega events bear strategic significance. Mega events in Hong Kong not only bring business opportunities and economic benefits to different industries, including hotel, catering, retail, transportation, but also generate positive publicity for Hong Kong in the globe to showcase the city's position as a liberal cosmopolitan with rich cultural heritage. We will continue to strive for mega events with both quality and quantity to attract tourists to experience Hong Kong, understand the diversity and vitality of Hong Kong, and make them the best ambassadors to tell the good stories of China and the city in their places.

     In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), my reply to the question raised by the Hon Jeffrey Lam is as follows:

(1) The Government compiles and continuously updates the calendars of mega events taking into account the readiness of mega events. The calendar of the first half of 2024 consists of 110 events of various areas, amongst which 31 are cultural, arts and creative events (28 per cent); 14 are sports events (13 per cent); 38 are conventions and exhibitions (34 per cent); 15 are finance, economy, innovation and technology related events (14 per cent); and 12 are festivals, celebrations, galas and carnivals (11 per cent). According to estimates, the mega events in the first half of 2024 attracted around 550 000 tourists to participate. They brought around $2.4 billion of spending and a value add of about $1.4 billion.

(2) and (3) The Mega Events Coordination Group (the Group) chaired by the Deputy Financial Secretary, with the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, as deputy, is responsible for the high-level steer in relation to mega events, strengthening the communication and collaboration amongst relevant bureaux/departments (B/Ds) and statutory bodies, and enhancing the culture of promoting, supporting and facilitating mega events to successfully take place in Hong Kong. The support required for different mega events varies. Relevant B/Ds and statutory bodies would closely communicate and co-operate in respect of mega events, and provide interdepartmental assistance depending on the actual situation and need.

     For example, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) serves as the first point of contact for mega events, and liaises with stakeholders, especially event organisers, to render various kinds of support, including reviewing and assessing proposals from organisers, helping organisers to search for venues, arranging site recces, advising on event planning such as date and content and assisting in publicity. On crowd management and traffic arrangements, relevant government departments, including the Police and the Transport Department (TD), will perform estimates and risk assessments, with regard to the information provided by the organisers of large scale events and/or the relevant responsible B/Ds, as well as the nature and scale of the event, to formulate appropriate special crowd management and traffic arrangements, such as routes for crowd dispersal, road closures and traffic diversions, accordingly. With reference to the temporary traffic arrangements, the TD will also co-ordinate various public transport (PT) operators to arrange service enhancements or provision of special PT services, based on the anticipated passenger flow and travelling demand, to facilitate crowd dispersal. Adjustment or curtailment of the routes, service suspension, etc, will also be arranged. Information will be disseminated to the public through appropriate means and channels to facilitate their advance planning of journeys.

     On the information and publicity of mega events, one of the Government's key purposes of compiling the calendars of mega events is to allow members of the public and tourists to learn about the various mega events in Hong Kong early, foster collaboration between different industries and mega events, and facilitate industries of tourism, hotel and catering to plan and design promotional activities and tourism products early. The RTHK has launched the newly-produced multimedia magazine-style information programme "Mega Events Mega Hong Kong", which provides daily updates on events in town through TV, radio and online platforms to keep the public abreast of upcoming events in Hong Kong. "Mega Events Mega Hong Kong" is broadcast daily on RTHK TV 31 and TV 32, with announcements broadcast on Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 5 and a Putonghua channel in different programmes daily. The hosts will introduce the event details to engage the entire community and the public to enjoy the joy and lively ambience brought about by the mega events. The ISD has set up a dedicated page titled Mega Events on the website for Brand Hong Kong, allowing the public to browse the calendars of mega events in Hong Kong and relevant information. The ISD also utilises the social media platforms for Brand Hong Kong and invites media from the Mainland and other countries to cover these events in Hong Kong. Efforts are made to promote the events on the Mainland's social platforms such as Xiaohongshu to enhance external publicity and promotion. Furthermore, the ISD produces monthly TV Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) and social media video clips to let a wider public learn about the mega events happening in Hong Kong.

The HKTB has leveraged the global network to carry out publicity in the Mainland and overseas. The HKTB shares information about mega events on social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and the Mainland social media accounts, such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin and other official channels. The HKTB also invites the trade, the media, influencers (KOL), etc, to experience Hong Kong's mega events in person to help establish the reputation and enhance publicity through their network. For example, riding on Art Basel Hong Kong and other mega arts events held in March this year, the HKTB stepped up global publicity through its Arts in Hong Kong year-round promotional platform, boosting the city's arts atmosphere and fervour. As for Hong Kong Sevens, the HKTB supported the organiser to bring in new elements and turn the event into a star-studded mega party with entertainment, food and beverage, and sports game all rolled into one. The HKTB and Hong Kong, China Rugby jointly invited Oliver Phelps and James Phelps, who played the twins in the "Harry Potter" films, to enjoy the rugby game in Hong Kong and promote the city. Representatives of seven top-tier sports media firms from Korea were also invited to watch the game, experience outdoor events like horse racing in Hong Kong, and immerse in Hong Kong's charm as the Events Capital.

     The HK$100 million is earmarked in the 2024-25 Budget for accommodating the Group's work in boosting mega event promotions over the next three years. The Government will review and, in response to ongoing developments and updates of the planning of mega event, optimise resources to enhance the publicity effort of mega events.]]><![CDATA[Inspection of aquatic products imported from Japan]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100378.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100378.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:30:00 +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 10 to noon today (December 11), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 246 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 104 703 samples of food imported from Japan (including 67 732 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 23 666 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.]]><![CDATA[LCQ5: Application of drones in police system]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100235.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100235.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:10:00 +0800
Question:

     It is learnt that patrolling with drones has become an important tool used in western countries and on the Mainland for enhancing the management of public safety and response to emergencies. There are views that against the background of promoting the development of low-altitude economy in Hong Kong, drone technology shows great potential of application in the police system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has plans to promote the application of drone technology in the police system and other disciplined services, especially for beat patrolling, crime prevention and traffic management; if so, whether there is a specific timetable and sufficient operating staff;

(2) whether it will conduct differentiated assessment of the effectiveness of patrolling with drones and set the relevant criteria of assessment in view of different environments and safety requirements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will, by drawing reference from the experience of other places, further improve the relevant rules and regulations on the application of drones for patrolling in Hong Kong, so as to promote technology advancement and protect the privacy and safety of members of the public at the same time?

Reply:

President,

     The Security Bureau (SB) has been actively encouraging and supporting the application of various new technologies in its disciplined services and auxiliary services to enhance service efficiency and quality. In particular, in view of the growing popularity of drone technology around the globe, the departments are using drone technology as appropriate through adopting different strategies and assessing the situation, in order to facilitate and enhance the delivery of various tasks.

     The reply to the Member's question is as follows:

(1) The disciplined services and auxiliary services are, having regard to their operational needs, equipped with drones of different sizes, weights and models, as well as various types of instrument systems that can be mounted on drones. The drones are deployed where applicable to enhance efficiency and better utilise manpower resources. The use of drone technology is increasingly common in the departments and are serving various functions in different situations, including:

Crime detection and investigation: In carrying out operations, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Customs and Excise Department and the Immigration Department (ImmD) use mounted high-resolution cameras on drones to assist in investigation and evidence collection at crime scenes, especially in the countryside and at the sea. Such video footage can be used as evidence in court when necessary.
Beat patrolling and crime prevention: The HKPF uses drones to conduct high-rise patrols at crime black spots. For instance, mounted thermography and infrared detection systems are used to detect the presence of suspicious persons lingering or hiding at remotely located places or at difficult terrains.
Maintaining public safety and order, crowd and traffic management: Drones are used by the HKPF to monitor crowd and traffic flow in large‑scale events. Through real-time images, potential safety hazards are promptly identified and dealt with. The HKPF is planning to introduce a system under which drones will be hovered at designated locations for a long period of time for illumination and broadcasting, sending messages to remind members of the public to stay vigilant.
Rescue operations: The HKPF, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Civil Aid Service use drones to surmount dangerous and harsh conditions, such as cliffs and mountains, and quickly reach the scenes to assist in the search for missing persons. Throughout the rescue process, drones can also conduct aerial surveillance to ensure safety at the site. In major and special incidents where the scenes are complicated, drones can take high resolution photographs of collapsed and deformed debris for the production of three-dimensional models, thereby facilitating the assessment and planning of rescue operations by the ground rescue party. If necessary, the airdrop system installed at the drones will be used to drop necessities to persons in need of rescue.
Firefighting: The FSD uses drones equipped with thermal detectors to monitor temperature changes of various locations at the fire scene from multiple angles in the air. Based on such data, incident commanders can devise the routes of entry into and evacuation from the fire scene and work out firefighting strategies, hence enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Management of prisons and detention facilities: To strengthen security of these facilities, drone technology is employed by the Correctional Services Department and the ImmD to assist in the inspection of security facilities by analysing the deteriorating conditions of boundary fencing and detecting anomalous objects at roof-tops of buildings, as well as in emergency response operations involving correctional institutions and detention facilities.

     The application of drone technology is a specialised skill and the departments attach great importance to the training of relevant personnel. In 2017, the FSD established the Unmanned Aircraft System Team which uses drones in firefighting and rescue tasks. In October this year, the HKPF formally established the Force Drone Cadre to assist all Regions in performing flight missions. As at November this year, there are a total of about 800 drone operators under the disciplined services who have been recognised by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) with Advanced Rating and are qualified to conduct advanced drone operations (including the use of drones weighing more than seven kilogrammes and up to 25 kilogrammes). The disciplined services will, based on operational needs, continue to train sufficient qualified operators to tie in with the development in the future.

(2) As drone technology matures, drones have become more versatile in terms of their functions. At present, in using drone technology, the disciplined services will conduct assessments and take various factors (including nature of operation, location, terrain and weather) into full account before deciding on the most suitable model of drones and the corresponding instrument systems to be used, so as to optimise the performance of different duties and functions. The disciplined services will periodically review the effectiveness of drone technology application in their operations and will keep in view the technological development, so as to devise strategies continuously for the use of drones in the long run.

(3) To further enhance the regulation of the application of drones, the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the CAD have commenced reviewing the existing civil aviation and other relevant legislation and regulatory regime. In the process, reference will be made to similar legislation and standards imposed by the civil aviation authorities of other major regions (including the Mainland China, Australia and Canada), with due consideration given to Hong Kong's present needs and long-term development. As a first step, the CAD will relax the existing restrictions on "beyond-line-of-sight flying activities" under the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order. Meanwhile, the Government will update the civil aviation legislation in phases, starting with amending the existing Small Unmanned Aircraft Order to cover drones weighing more than 25 kilograms and up to 150 kilograms. The Government will also consider the enactment of a new dedicated legislation for various types of Advanced Air Mobility weighing more than 150 kilograms.

     The disciplined services will, under Hong Kong's legislative framework, draw on the experience of other regions and apply drone technology where appropriate and feasible. In particular, the HKPF is exploring the introduction of an automatic patrol system, subject to the relaxation of "beyond-line-of-sight flying activities", to conduct automated aerial mission by allowing drones to fly according to default routes and analysing the images using artificial intelligence. This can lead to greater operational effectiveness and higher work quality. While developing drone technology, various departments will exercise stringent control and supervision in the course of enforcing the relevant legislation to ensure that the operation of the drone is safe and complies with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, so as to protect the privacy of the public.]]><![CDATA[LCQ11: Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100222.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100222.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
Question:

     The Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines (DHCM), a dedicated website established by the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute of the Department of Health, has been officially launched since March 26 this year. The public, Chinese medicine industry and scientific research institutions may use relevant information for purposes of identifying Chinese herbal medicines, testing and education. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the details of the digitalised information on Chinese medicines recorded in DHCM so far;

(2) of the number of public page views as well as the usage of and feedback on DHCM since its launch; and

(3) how the authorities will step up efforts to promote and enhance DHCM in the future?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Department of Health (DH), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong is as follows:

     Managed by the DH, the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) specialises in the testing of and scientific research on Chinese medicines. It employs state-of-the-art technology to develop and establish internationally recognised reference standards for the safety, quality and testing methodology of Chinese medicines. With continuous efforts in promoting the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicines, the GCMTI will help the Chinese medicines industry strengthen quality control of its products through transfer of technology, with a view to establishing the brand image of Hong Kong Chinese medicines and developing the city into an international hub for Chinese medicines testing and quality control.

     The Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines (DHCM) (www.cmherbarium.gov.hk) established by the GCMTI is the first online herbarium in the world that provides comprehensive digital information on Chinese medicines. It includes high-resolution images and related data of 220 commonly used Chinese materia medica (CMM) and their origin plant specimens, with chemical information, microscopic slides and DNA sequence data available for some CMM. The DHCM users may use the name of CMM or plants, their medicinal uses, collection locations, or medicinal parts, etc, as keywords to search for information of the Chinese medicines. Information on uses, precautions on proper use as well as storage methods, etc, is provided for each CMM. At present, the total number of data field entries in the DHCM have already exceeded 10 000, which is conducive to the promotion of innovative application of Chinese medicines data and resources.

     The DHCM is also the first in the world using photogrammetry to produce three dimensional (3D) images on traceable CMM specimens. Currently, it contains 3D images of a total of 27 CMM specimens.

     Besides, the DHCM uses virtual reality (VR) technology to provide users with a virtual tour of the GCMTI's Chinese Medicines Herbarium currently located in the Hong Kong Science Park. Users will be able to view the precious CMM specimens donated by the National Medical Products Administration through the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control.

     Since its launch in March 2024, the DHCM has recorded more than 700 000 page views. In the past few months, the DHCM was showcased at multiple major and international events including the InnoEX 2024, the World Health Organization's Expert Group Meeting on the Development of an International Herbal Pharmacopoeia, the kick-off event for the first Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival, and received acclaim from international experts.

     The Advisory Committee of the GCMTI (the Committee) is an advisory body set up for the GCMTI with members comprising representatives from the Government, Chinese medicine practice, Chinese medicines industry and academia, as well as the international experts of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards project. All along, the Committee has been providing advice for the GCMTI, bringing the DHCM on par with international standards. It has not only highly recognised the contents and functions of the DHCM since its launch, but also offered valuable advice on the DHCM's continuous development and on how to further leverage its functions of facilitating Chinese medicines testing, scientific research, education, culture promotion, etc. The GCMTI is actively following up on such advice to make continuous improvements to the contents and functions of the DHCM, such as showcasing the outcome of the National Survey of CMM Resources (Hong Kong Region) in the DHCM, as well as producing a new batch of 3D images of 30 kinds of CMM including those derived from animals and minerals. ]]><![CDATA[Government welcomes passage of Stamp Duty Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2024]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000412.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000412.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
A Government spokesman said, "The stamp duty waiver for the transfer of REIT shares or units and the jobbing business of options market makers will enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong REITs and reduce the transaction costs of options market makers. The revised stamp duty collection arrangement will facilitate a more efficient stamping and collection process under the USM environment. The Government will continue to work with financial regulators and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to keep abreast of the changes and needs of the market. Measures to further enhance the stock market will be examined, with a view to strengthening its competitiveness and fostering its sustainable development."

The Amendment Ordinance will be published in the Gazette on December 20. The stamp duty waiver for the transfer of REIT shares or units and the jobbing business of options market makers will be implemented on December 21.]]><![CDATA[Launch ceremony of "Window of Shenzhen" at Hong Kong Central Library held today]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000335.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000335.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
Through the exhibition, book display and a dedicated bookshelf, the HKCL aims to enable patrons to gain a deeper understanding of the history, culture and development of Shenzhen in "Window of Shenzhen", which also marks a further strengthening of cultural interaction and exchange between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

With photos and texts, the exhibition briefs visitors on the history, reform and opening up, cultural integration, nature and ecology of Shenzhen, as well as shared heritage between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, showcasing the richness, openness and innovations of Shenzhen. Selected landmark works in various fields donated by the Shenzhen Library are also on display at the exhibition.

The publications in the upcoming "Window of Shenzhen" dedicated bookshelf cover a wide range of topics that showcase the characteristics of Shenzhen, including history, political and economic development, folk culture, natural environment, tourism resources, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong relationship. There are also books published by the Shenzhen Library and the Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality for public reading and research reference.

Addressing the ceremony, the Director of the Shenzhen Library, Ms Zhang Yan, said that libraries have an integral role to play in promoting cultural exchange between the two places. The HKCL is the largest library with the greatest range of services in the Hong Kong Public Libraries network. The "Window of Shenzhen" dedicated bookshelf at the HKCL can further facilitate public understanding of Shenzhen's culture, history and development through the publications.

The Chief Librarian of the HKCL, Miss Melinda Lee, said at the ceremony that the establishment of the "Window of Shenzhen" dedicated bookshelf at the Hong Kong Central Library is not only a showcase of culture but also a symbol of friendship between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It is hoped that public libraries in both places will continue to maintain close ties and create more opportunities for collaboration in the future to jointly promote cultural exchange and development between the two cities.

    For details of the exhibition "Window of Shenzhen", please visit: www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/extension-activities/event-detail/267865/window-of-shenzhen.]]><![CDATA[Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Pearl River Delta Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network results for 2023 released]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024120400282.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024120400282.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0800
     The report reveals that 2023 annual average concentrations for these parameters have declined between 17 per cent and 86 per cent from their peak levels (shown in Annexes 1 and 2). The decline well demonstrates the effectiveness of emission reduction measures implemented across the three places in improving air quality in the Pearl River Delta region. However, ozone (O3) annual average concentrations have remained stagnant in recent years, indicating the need for alleviation of the regional photochemical pollution. In response, the study on "Characterization of photochemical ozone formation, regional and super-regional transportation in the Greater Bay Area" was carried out accordingly and concluded in early 2024, providing scientific data for further understanding on the causes and regional and super-regional transport characteristics of ozone within the region.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has continued to implement various air pollutant emission control measures covered in the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (EVs), the Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong 2035 and Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 on marine and land transport, power plants and non-road mobile machinery to enhance air quality. Since 2019, Hong Kong has collaborated with Greater Bay Area cities to establish a domestic marine emission control area in the Pearl River Delta, requiring all vessels to use compliant fuel within Hong Kong waters while sailing or at berth. Ocean-going vessels are also required to use cleaner fuel while at berth. Furthermore, the HKSAR Government is preparing to amend the Air Pollution Control (Marine Light Diesel) Regulation and tighten the cap on the sulphur content of locally supplied marine light diesel from 0.05 per cent to 0.001 per cent.

     For vehicles, the HKSAR Government is committed to phasing out approximately 40 000 Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles progressively by the end of 2027 through a subsidy scheme. The Government deploys roadside remote sensing equipment to control exhaust emissions from vehicles. New registrations of fuel-propelled private cars including hybrids will cease in 2035 or earlier, and approximately 700 electric buses and 3 000 electric taxis will be introduced by end-2027. The HKSAR Government has been actively implementing various measures to promote green transformation of vehicles, and is striving towards zero vehicular emissions by 2050. These efforts have produced early results, with the number of EVs in Hong Kong increasing roughly sevenfold in five years, from about 14 000 in 2019 to over 102 000 in September 2024.

     Guangdong Province published and implemented the "Notice on Implementation of Monitoring Requirements on Fugitive Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Factories Issued by Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province", the "Notice on Strengthening Control of VOCs Emissions in Storage and Transportation of Oil Depots and Petrochemical and Chemical Enterprises", the "Notice on Further Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides from Stationary and Mobile Sources issued by Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province", and the "Notice on Strengthening Environmental Control on Diesel Trucks of Key Vehicle-using Enterprises", as well as promulgating the local standard "Integrated Emission Standard of VOCs for Stationary Pollution Source" (DB44/2367-2022). Guangdong Province launched the hierarchical management of VOCs-related enterprises, enhanced the total VOCs management, advanced the control of industrial boilers and furnaces, upheld a co-ordinated approach across vehicle regulations, fuel standards, roadway management, and enterprise compliance to strengthen emissions regulations for diesel trucks operated by key enterprises, conduct compliance checks on new vehicles, improve emissions management for non-road mobile machinery and carry out regular sampling and inspection of the fuel quality and emissions of engineering machinery.

     The Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) Government has been committed to improving air quality. In 2023, the Government of the Macao SAR announced the Long-Term Decarbonization Strategy of Macao and a related specific plan, the Electric Vehicle Promotion Plan of Macao. By promoting the implementation of these strategies and plans, significant reductions in air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions are expected. The Macao SAR Government also continues to advance various measures on vehicular tailpipe emissions, the promotion of environmentally friendly vehicles, and the control of VOCs. These measures include reviewing and optimising tailpipe emission standards for both newly imported and in-use vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to phase out high-polluting old vehicles through the Subsidy Scheme for Phasing out Old Motorcycles with Replacement of New Electric Motorcycles and the Subsidy Scheme for Phasing Out Old Diesel Vehicles, promoting the use of electric vehicles and enhancing related ancillary facilities, implementing import controls on high-VOC automotive repair paints and varnishes, and continuously advancing the study on regulation of other products containing VOCs at a high level.

     The Network comprises a total of 23 air monitoring stations in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Centre of Guangdong, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of Hong Kong, the Macao Environmental Protection Bureau and the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau are responsible for the co-ordination, management and operation of the monitoring stations in the respective places and the release of quarterly and annual monitoring results. The relevant reports are available at the following websites:

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Regional Air Quality Monitoring Information System (gdeem.cn:20047/#/);
The Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province (gdee.gd.gov.cn);
The EPD of Hong Kong (www.epd.gov.hk); and
The Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (www.dspa.gov.mo) or the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (www.smg.gov.mo).

]]><![CDATA[LCQ1: Taking forward patriotic education]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100277.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100277.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:56:00 +0800
Question:

Established in April this year, the Working Group on Patriotic Education (the Working Group) harnesses collective wisdom, contributes insights and takes actions in respect of the work strategies, directions and plans for holistic implementation of patriotic education. On taking forward patriotic education, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as it is learnt that many galleries and exhibitions organised on the own initiative of community groups with an affection for the country and Hong Kong are crafted with ingenuity, skilfully blending patriotic education with exhibition contents and art, whether the Government has compiled statistics on the current total number of community-operated galleries for patriotic exhibitions in Hong Kong; whether the Working Group has specific plans to foster concerted efforts between government departments and non-‍governmental organisations in making good use of the valuable patriotic education resources in the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) given that the Working Group has set up an electronic mailbox to invite all sectors of the community to offer views and suggestions for more effective implementation of patriotic education, of the total number of valid views and suggestions received by the Working Group so far, and whether it has accordingly adjusted and refined its existing plans or launched new plans; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it knows the total numbers of schools, teachers and students participating in the activities of the Patriotic Education Centre since its establishment, and whether the Government has made recommendations on improvements to such activities?

Reply:

President,

Having consulted the Education Bureau (EDB), a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by Dr the Hon So Cheung-wing is as follows:

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the promotion of patriotic education and endeavours to build mainstream values in Hong Kong characterised by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of "one country, two systems". The Chief Executive has put forward various initiatives related to patriotic education in this year's and last year's Policy Address, including establishing the Working Group on Patriotic Education (the Working Group) under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration; organising activities in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance in the coming year; organising, by the EDB, a range of joint school and cross sectoral activities under the "Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country 3.0" series, continuing to enhance Chinese History and national geography education in primary and secondary schools, as well as enriching patriotism and history elements in Mainland exchange programmes; and etc.. As such, we hope to take the all out and all direction approach to vigorously promote the spirit of patriotism and cultivate an enhanced patriotic atmosphere in society, enabling patriotism to take root in Hong Kong as well as in people's minds.

Since its establishment in April this year, the Working Group has taken forward the relevant work in a proactive manner and proposed various short, medium and long-term policy measures in relation to patriotic education having regard to the actual circumstances of Hong Kong. The Working Group also understands that patriotic education is a matter of connection with people's heart and a task that requires ongoing effort, and should be conducted through a soft and heart-moving approach. At the same time, to achieve success in implementing patriotic education, apart from the Government's effort, it is vital to have active and collective participation of all sectors of the community and the general public.

To unite and strengthen efforts for promotion of patriotic education, since its establishment, the Working Group has taken the initiative to conduct research and studies by inviting all sectors of the community to offer suggestions on how to effectively promote patriotic education. We have received very enthusiastic responses. The Secretariat of the Working Group received a total of over 300 comments and suggestions, covering areas such as school education, Chinese culture, Chinese history, national development, use of media for promotion, education on history of the War of Resistance, and proactive facilitation of co-operation with the community groups. The relevant views and suggestions have been passed to the four sub-groups under the Working Group and relevant government departments for study and consideration. Based on the feasible suggestions, we will propose policy measures for consideration by the Working Group in due course.

In addition to widely soliciting opinions, the Government places great importance on patriotic education activities organised by community groups, including the development of patriotic education resources such as exhibition halls. To observe the related facilities and show support, members of the Working Group paid visits to various local patriotic education bases and exhibition centres. In July this year, the Working Group visited two community-operated facilities, namely the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall (the Law's House) and the exhibition hall for Hong Kong patriotic education in Wing Ping Tsuen, San Tin. The exhibition facilities displayed a number of artefacts on patriotic education and the history of the War of Resistance, facilitating members of the public to enhance their understanding of the country and foster the love for our motherland and Hong Kong. The Working Group also visited the National Security Exhibition Gallery at the Hong Kong Museum of History in October this year. The next step for the Working Group will be to continue with its site visits, including visits to the Patriotic Education Centre of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers and the Youth Development and National Education Base managed by the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association in Tsing Yi.

In fact, Hong Kong has rich patriotic education resources, including the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum as well as the Hong Kong Science Museum, where a wealth of patriotic educational materials on Chinese history, national achievements, fine traditions of Chinese culture, and the wartime journey of Hong Kong are displayed, and thematic exhibitions are organised from time to time. For example, the "Glorious Voyage: Splendid Achievements of the People's Republic of China in Its 75 Years" Exhibition Series has been held at the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Hong Kong Science Museum since September 27, illustrating the struggle that our country had been through and its perseverance for its extraordinary achievements in advancement over the past three-quarters of a century from a variety of perspectives.

Apart from the museums and exhibitions mentioned above, there are quite a number of landmarks and relics with historical value in Hong Kong, which can be leveraged to enrich the content and experience of patriotic education. Examples include Lion Rock Historic Walk, Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail, as well as the Memorial Monuments for Martyrs during World War II at Wu Kau Tang and Tsam Chuk Wan constructed to honour members of an anti-Japanese guerrilla force called the "Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column", and local civilians who sacrificed themselves to defend Hong Kong against the Japanese invaders. These two monuments have been incorporated into the "List of State Facilities and Sites Marking the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression" published by the State Council, highlighting their significant patriotic educational value.

The Government highly encourages the community to promote patriotic education together and continue to develop various patriotic education resources, including education bases, exhibition halls and historic sites, or patriotic figures and heroic deeds, etc. The Working Group will actively study how to consolidate community efforts and make the best use of such valuable patriotic education resources, so as to comprehensively take forward the promotion of patriotic education in a diversified manner.

As for the Patriotic Education Centre (the Centre) established by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, the Centre has been actively echoing the effort of the HKSAR Government in promoting national education by organising activities such as educational visits and teacher professional development since its establishment in 2022. According to the information provided by the Centre, since its commencement of operation in September 2022, as of November 2024, about 330 schools and 70 organisations joined the national studies activities of the Centre, with a total attendance of about 27 600. Besides, the Centre organised over 150 on-site seminars at schools with an attendance of about 15 000 teachers and students in total.

In addition to the activities organised by the Centre on its own initiative, the EDB commissioned the Centre through established procedures to provide Onsite Enrichment Seminars on National Security Education for primary and secondary schools implementing the local curriculum. From March to the end of August 2024, the Centre provided onsite seminars for over 3 400 teachers from 64 secondary schools, receiving positive feedback. With reference to teachers' feedback, the EDB has continued to make suggestions with a view to improving the design of the activities. Besides, the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education subvented by the EDB collaborated with the Centre to organise programmes relating to diplomacy for the gifted, and provided suggestions suited to the learning needs of gifted students when developing the content of the programmes.]]><![CDATA[LCQ2: Promoting development of industry and commerce]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100283.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100283.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:45:00 +0800
Question:

To promote the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries while actively nurturing emerging ones, the 2024 Policy Address announced the formulation of a medium to long-term development plan for new industrialisation in Hong Kong (the Plan). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) in formulating the Plan, apart from working out the overall development direction of traditional and emerging industries from a macro perspective, whether it will also examine the current development situation and comparative advantages of different industries from a micro perspective, including identifying those industries which are more competitive in areas such as innovative research and development, product development, production and manufacturing, supply chain management, market internationalisation and tariff advantages, in order to formulate relevant medium to long-term development strategies and support measures targeting at individual industrial sectors with relative advantages and potentials, so as to map out more precisely the development of new industrialisation in Hong Kong to drive different industries to accelerate the formation of industrial clusters as well as the vigorous development of the ecosystems;

(2) how to promote better interface and deeper cooperation between the various industries in Hong Kong (including the textiles and garment industry) and the departments, organisations, associations, chambers and enterprises of the corresponding industries in the Mainland to strengthen Hong Kong's roles as a super-connector and a super value-adder; and

(3) how to make good use of the commercial and trade networks of overseas and the Mainland Economic and Trade Offices to jointly deepen the regional co-operation and exchanges on industry and commerce between local industries and Hong Kong enterprises in the Mainland and overseas by leveraging the advantages of their extensive international connections?

Reply:

President,

On the basis of the development directions and strategies outlined in the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint (the Blueprint), the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) has been accelerating the development of new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, and expeditiously propelling new industrialisation, through various measures. For instance, we have supported local manufacturers to upgrade to smart manufacturing through the New Industrialisation Funding Scheme, which has, up to the present day, supported over 90 production lines with subsidy of around $365 million. In addition, we launched in September this year the $10 billion New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme to provide matching grants for strategic enterprises to set up new smart manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong. These measures have all displayed the determination of the current-term Government in promoting new industrialisation.

With regard to the Hon Sunny Tan's questions, my reply is as follows:

(1) The ITIB will engage a professional consultancy firm to, on the basis of the Blueprint, launch a study to provide recommendations on new industrialisation and relevant professional services in Hong Kong, including looking into the development status, constraints and difficulties faced. At the same time, we will explore Hong Kong's unique advantages under the "one country, two systems" and the economic development trends in the region, and to dissect the competitive edges of Hong Kong vis-à-vis that of our regional competitors in view of the impact and opportunities brought about by Hong Kong's development of strategic emerging and future industries. On such basis, we will deliberate an appropriate proposal to leverage the development of new quality productive forces, with an aim to consolidating and enhancing the economic value of Hong Kong's manufacturing industry through new industrialisation, and, in turn, support the formulation of a modern industrial ecosystem with advanced manufacturing as its backbone. This process will require making reference to relevant experiences in the Mainland and overseas in order to provide policy recommendations for the way forward. We are proactively making relevant preparations with a view of commencing the study as soon as practicable.

(2) In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, our reply to the second and third parts of the question is as follows:

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is committed to giving full play to our roles as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", thereby assisting Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises and professional services in exploring Belt and Road (B&R) business opportunities. Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) are setting up a mechanism to enhance their interfaces for attracting Mainland enterprises with potentials to establish international or regional headquarters in Hong Kong for managing offshore trading and supply chain, while providing one-stop diversified professional advisory services for enterprises in Hong Kong looking to go global. The HKTDC's overseas network will also provide on-site support services to these enterprises for developing their supply chains.

In addition to the overseas visits and the signing of relevant memoranda of understanding and agreements by local business delegations led by the Chief Executive and Secretaries of Departments and Directors of Bureaux to encourage collaboration on various fronts and to strengthen commercial and trade ties, the Belt and Road Summit, held by the CEDB and the HKTDC over the years, has provided a quality platform for enterprises from Hong Kong, the Mainland and countries along the B&R to explore business opportunities together. The HKSAR Government plans to organise a B&R cross-professional forum and examine the establishment of a B&R capacity building centre next year, with a view to forging ties with the B&R countries and regions by using our soft power, thereby paving way for collaboration.

(3) Currently, the HKSAR Government has five Mainland Offices and 11 liaison units on the Mainland, and 14 overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs). Together with the offices of InvestHK and the HKTDC worldwide, Hong Kong has set up offices in 66 cities around the world, covering 129 countries.

The various Mainland Offices and ETOs will continue their efforts to fully dovetail with the relevant policy measures of the HKSAR Government in promoting Hong Kong through different events, with a view to attracting investment and talents to develop in Hong Kong, and facilitate Hong Kong enterprises in expanding into the Mainland and overseas markets. They will also collaborate closely with provincial and municipal governments on the Mainland, and other relevant agencies to promote and explain the HKSAR Government's major policies, Hong Kong's unique advantages, and opportunities brought about by the B&R and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Government will continue to examine how to expand its global office network, and strengthen Hong Kong's economic and trade connection with partners around the globe, in particular emerging markets.]]><![CDATA[LCQ17: Hospitals in Northern Metropolis]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100274.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100274.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:35:00 +0800
Question:

The Government indicated in 2021 that there would be three hospitals in the Northern Metropolis, namely the Kwu Tung North Hospital, the Hung Shui Kiu Hospital and the expanded North District Hospital (NDH). Under the Second Ten-year Hospital Development Plan, the Kwu Tung North Hospital is expected to become the core hospital in the Northern Metropolis, providing at least 1 600 beds according to preliminary estimates. However, according to the 2024 Policy Address, while the expanded NDH will be ready for service, and the Government will set aside sites in Ngau Tam Mei to build a new campus and an integrated medical teaching and research hospital for a third medical school, there is no more mention of the Kwu Tung North Hospital. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the total number of hospital beds expected to be provided in the Northern Metropolis over the next decade according to the current plan; whether it has assessed if such number is sufficient to meet the demand of the population in the Northern Metropolis by then;

(2) given that according to the information on the NDH Expansion website, NDH's new acute block will be completed in 2028, how the authorities will ensure the completion of the relevant works as scheduled; as the Government indicated that NDH will provide 1 500 ‍additional beds upon completion of the expansion project, of the expected timetable for putting such beds into service;

(3) as the last-term Government has pointed out that the Kwu Tung North Hospital would be developed into a research hospital with comprehensive functions to provide treatment and consultation services, and it would also be developed for medical research and development and teaching purposes to achieve synergy with life sciences industry in the San Tin Technopole, and at least 1 600 beds would be provided in the hospital according to preliminary estimates, whether the aforesaid positioning of the Kwu Tung North Hospital has changed under the Government's latest planning; if so, of the reasons for that; if not, the details of the Kwu Tung North Hospital construction plan;

(4) as it has been reported that some 3 000 beds would be provided in the integrated medical teaching and research hospital preliminarily planned to be built in Ngau Tam Mei under the 2024 Policy Address, of the division of work between the Kwu Tung North Hospital and the integrated medical teaching and research hospital, as well as their respective positionings; and

(5) as the last-term Government has indicated that the Government had plans to allocate land for the development of private hospitals in the Northern Metropolis, of the specific planning at present (including the location where sites are to be set aside for private hospital development, as well as the relevant implementation plan and timetable)?

Reply:

President,

In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Lau Kwok-fan is as follows:

(1) and (2) The HA plans and develops various public healthcare services on a cluster basis, taking into account a number of factors, including the increase of service demand arising from population growth and demographic changes, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, technology advancement, manpower supply as well as service arrangements of the clusters. The HA monitors the utilisation of various healthcare services and plans future hospital services according to the population projection parameters of various districts of Hong Kong and the development plans of the Government.

The Northern Metropolis (NM) is located within the current catchment areas of the New Territories East (NTE) and New Territories West (NTW) Clusters. Under the First Hospital Development Plan (HDP), there are three projects in these two clusters, including the expansion of North District Hospital (NDH), the redevelopment of Prince of Wales Hospital, phase 2 (stage 1) and the extension of Operating Theatre Block for Tuen Mun Hospital. It is anticipated that a total of 1 950 additional beds and other hospital facilities will be provided by 2031 in the New Territories after the progressive completion of the three projects, bringing the physical bed capacity in the NTE and NTW Clusters to a total of about 12 000 beds by then.

Among these projects, the main works of the expansion of NDH project already commenced in September 2024 for target completion in about six and a half years and with the aim of completing the new acute block in 2028 for gradual commissioning of services starting from 2029. This can alleviate the projected short- to medium-term service demand in the NTE Cluster under the First HDP. The HA and its consultant team will closely monitor the works progress to ensure the completion of the expansion project as scheduled. Upon completion of the expansion project, the HA will flexibly deploy internal resources to further formulate the detailed arrangements, such as the number of beds and the corresponding manpower requirements in different specialties, for commissioning the services in a phased approach.

Regarding the long-term demand in the NM as well as the entire New Territories, the Health Bureau (HHB) and the HA are reviewing the Second HDP by taking into account the future city-wide planning (including the latest developments of the NM and other new development areas), the Government's latest population statistics, anticipated population distribution and projected healthcare service demand, and the supply and status of the sites required, etc. In view of the latest developments of the NM, the HA will consider stepping up the provision of hospital beds and facilities in relevant districts and rationalising the existing service provisions of hospital clusters, so as to propose distribution of projects to meet the projected service demand. After the completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP in due course.

(3) and (4) The Government announced in the 2024 Policy Address that, to dovetail with the development of the NM and local demand, a site of about nine hectares has been reserved by the Government in the central part of Ngau Tam Mei (NTM) for developing a new integrated medical teaching and research hospital which will become the flagship hospital of the NM with about 3 000 beds, providing comprehensive healthcare services for the new population in the NM.

As mentioned above, the HHB and the HA are reviewing the Second HDP, which involves the study of the details and implementation schedules of the various hospital development projects (including the construction of a new integrated medical teaching and research hospital at NTM); the prioritisation of the proposed projects under the Second HDP for optimisation of use of public resources required for construction of such hospitals; and the consideration of providing hospital beds and facilities in relevant districts as necessary in view of the developments of the NM and rationalisation of the role delineation and distribution of the existing hospitals in clusters and the proposed development projects.

In particular, considering that the relatively small size of the site reserved for healthcare facilities at Kwu Tung North (KTN) New Development Area and the constraints in surrounding areas for site expansion, the HHB has identified and reserved another site for healthcare facilities at NTM, with this site being more than double of that at KTN in terms of size and adjacent to the site reserved for the campus of the third medical school. The Government plans to replace the previously proposed new hospital at KTN with the new integrated medical teaching and research hospital planned for construction at NTM. This will better meet the local healthcare demand and be more cost effective.

Regarding the role delineation among and positioning of hospitals, the HA plans and develops various public healthcare services on a cluster basis. The HA delineates the role and positioning of each hospital within each cluster by taking into account a number of factors to ensure smooth referral of patients among various public healthcare units and transition of treatments in a bid to deliver comprehensive and appropriate healthcare services for supporting the patient journey. Given the anticipated significant changes in the future distribution of the overall population in Hong Kong, while reviewing the Second HDP, the Government will also review the need for re-organising the existing management structure and cluster delineation for the public healthcare services provided by the HA having regard to the population distribution and structure, with a view to providing optimal healthcare services to the public.

After the completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP in due course.

(5) In line with the NM Development Strategy, the Chief Executive in Council approved the draft San Tin Technopole Outline Zoning Plan in September 2024. A site of about two hectares therein has been reserved for development of healthcare facilities which may include private hospital use. The HHB will continue to work with the relevant bureaux/ departments to explore the development timetable following land resumption and site formation, while the actual planning of the site will be subject to market response.]]><![CDATA[LCQ4: Curbing sexual assault incidents in residential care homes for persons with disabilities]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100298.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100298.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:34:11 +0800
Question:

     It has been reported that a few months ago a staff member of a residential care home for persons with disabilities (RCHD) was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting residents in the RCHD and the RCHD operator concerned did not make public the incident until two months later, arousing public concern about the criteria and policy adopted by the Government in handling similar incidents. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as this is not the first time that similar incidents have occurred, whether the Government has established criteria and guidelines for the timing of announcing such incidents; if not, whether it will immediately review and consult the stakeholders (e.g. the victims and their families, the residents and their families, the relevant professionals and operators), and announce the criteria and guidelines for the timing of announcing such incidents after striking a balance between considering the emotions of the victims and their families and ensuring the public's right to know; and

(2) given that after the occurrence of the aforesaid incident, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare indicated that the Social Welfare Department (SWD) had strictly followed the monitoring procedures and issued a written warning to the operator concerned, but some members of the public have criticised that the relevant monitoring procedures and penalty mechanism are not at all effective in curbing such incidents, whether the SWD will learn from the bitter experiences and address the urgent needs of the families of RCHD residents by comprehensively reviewing the relevant monitoring mechanism and introducing effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents?

Reply:

President,

     My reply to the Hon Michael Tien's question is as follows:

(1) The Social Welfare Department (SWD) regulates the operation of residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) in accordance with the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance (Cap. 613) (the Ordinance), Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Regulation (Cap. 613A) (the Regulation) and Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) (Code of Practice). Under the existing requirement, in the event of a special incident, the RCHD shall inform the Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (LORCHD) of the SWD timely and submit a special incident report to LORCHD within three calendar days after a special incident has occurred. The Government will consider the nature and severity of the incident, the impact on service users, the follow-up actions of the operating organisation and law enforcement bodies, etc, to determine whether it is necessary to disclose the incident. When determining the appropriate timing of announcement, it is necessary to strike a balance carefully. Prior counselling and support would be provided to the victims, their families and other affected persons, and their emotions will also be taken care of. Since each special incident is unique and the factors for consideration vary, it is not suitable to set a fixed time frame for announcement.

(2) The Government attaches great importance to the service quality of residential care homes (RCHs) and strives to strengthen the monitoring of their operations and management to improve their service standards.

     In the monitoring of RCHDs, dedicated teams of LORCHD of the SWD regularly conduct surprise inspections at RCHDs and take strict enforcement actions against non-compliant RCHDs. Depending on the nature and severity of the non-compliant items, the SWD will issue advisory letters, warning letters or written directions for remedial measures to the RCHDs and urge the RCHDs to implement corresponding improvement measures. If an RCHD continues to show no improvement, the SWD will consider instigating prosecution actions.

     To enhance the transparency of the RCHD monitoring mechanism, warning records of non-compliant RCHDs would be uploaded onto the SWD's website and the Information Website for RCHDs, where they are kept for 12 months. In addition, records of convictions for violating the Ordinance or the Regulation would be posted on these websites and kept for 24 months.

     To safeguard the well-being of residents, the Code of Practice stipulates that all staff of an RCHD (including home managers, nurses, health workers, care workers and ancillary workers) should undergo the Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme implemented by the Security Bureau through the Hong Kong Police Force prior to employment or renewal of employment contracts. RCHDs are also required to be equipped with CCTV surveillance systems that have recording functions to enhance security and supervision of their operations, thus protecting the safety of residents.

     The Government has been implementing the Residential Care Homes Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2023 by phases, including enhancing the accountability of RCH operators, raising the minimum staffing requirements, introducing a registration system for home managers, to ensure sufficient supervision of the operation, management and control of RCHs, thereby protecting the interests and safety of residents.

     To increase the deterrent effect on law-breakers, the SWD has updated the security facility requirements in the Code of Practice in October 2024, requiring RCHDs to formulate policies and mechanisms for monitoring CCTV surveillance systems and viewing CCTV footage to enhance the monitoring of daily operations of RCHDs by the management.

     Strengthening RCHD staff's knowledge of identifying, preventing, and handling abuse incidents is crucial in preventing abuse. The SWD hosted a seminar in October 2024 for management and general staff from all RCHDs on protecting residents from abuse. Relevant training will continue to be provided to RCHD staff to enhance their vigilance against similar incidents. To minimise the risk of abuse in RCHDs, the SWD has urged RCHDs to formulate effective measures, provide clear work guidelines, and arrange continuous on-the-job training and supervision for their staff.

     In addition, enhancing knowledge and skills in protecting service users from abuse is one of the training themes of the SWD's Dedicated Fund in 2025. Social welfare organisations can apply for additional funding to strengthen relevant staff training.

     Thank you, President.]]><![CDATA[LCQ16: Non-farebox revenue of franchised bus operators]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100267.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100267.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:33:00 +0800
Question:

     Three franchised bus operators have recently applied for fare increases. There are views pointing out that the Government should allow the operators to further improve their non-farebox revenue to alleviate the pressure of passing the bus fare increases onto the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows if, currently, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) and Citybus Limited (CTB) have other sources of income apart from fare receipts;

(2) whether it knows the proportion of the non-farebox revenue of KMB and CTB in their total receipts over the last decade;

(3) given that facilities such as kiosks erected by the operators on government land are currently charged with market rents, and it has been reported that the Lands Department will also require operators who offer advertising spaces on the external walls of their bus depots to pay a land premium, whether the Government will waive such requirements so as to reduce the expenses of the operators; and

(4) whether it will consider allowing KMB and CTB to further improve their non-farebox revenue, such as allowing them to set up small convenience shops and cafes at public transport interchanges or bus termini and even use one or two lower ground floors of their bus depots for other commercial purposes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Government has been encouraging and assisting franchised bus operators (FBOs) to increase revenue and reduce expenditure through a multi-pronged approach, including optimising the bus service network and further enhancing operational efficiency through bus route rationalisation, as well as exploring different ways to increase non-farebox revenue, so as to alleviate part of the pressure for fare increase.

My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Lee Chun-keung is as follows:

(1) On the premise of upholding the effective and safe operation of franchised bus services, currently the operators are already allowed to earn non-farebox revenue through various channels, including displaying advertisements on bus bodies, bus compartments, and bus shelters; offering free rides to the public through commercial co-operation or sponsorship; providing repair and maintenance services to non-franchised buses at bus depots; leasing out part of the parking spaces or vehicle examination spaces at individual bus depots or some of the floors of depots; installing revenue-generating facilities at suitable public transport interchanges/terminals such as vending machines, self-pickup smart lockers, etc.; and setting up customer service kiosks at suitable bus-bus interchanges or public transport interchanges/terminals.

(2) Amongst the bus franchises which submitted applications for fare increase earlier this year, the proportion of non-farebox revenue to total revenue for The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited and Citybus Limited (Franchise for the Urban and New Territories bus network) over the past ten years are set out in Annex. It is worth noting that the fall in patronage during the epidemic caused a significant drop in fare revenue of FBOs, which led to increase in the proportion of non-farebox revenue to total revenue during the relevant years (i.e. 2020 to 2022). With the resumption of social and economic activities, there has been recovery in patronage and fare revenue, which causes the proportion of non-farebox revenue to total revenue to drop accordingly. In fact, FBOs have been actively expanding their non-farebox revenue in recent years, and therefore there have been more sources of non-farebox revenue.

(3) FBOs have been providing voluntary half-price fare concession to elderly persons aged 65 or above under the Elderly Concessionary Fares Scheme. Having regard to the amount of fare concession provided by the operators under the said Scheme, the Government would waive payment of annual vehicle licence fees and reimburse the rentals paid in respect of use of government land and premises by the operators, so as to encourage the operators to maintain the relevant fare concession and alleviate the associated financial burden. Currently, the relevant revenue forgone of the operators could only be partly offset by the fee exemption/rental reimbursement under the said Scheme, and the remainder would be absorbed by the operators.

Because currently the amount of fare concession provided exceeds the amount of waived fees/reimbursed rentals for all franchises, any new or additional rentals paid in respect of new tenancies of government land or modifications to terms of tenancies of government land could generally be reimbursed under the Elderly Concessionary Fares Scheme.

(4) The Government would continue to assist FBOs to apply the successful initiatives of earning non-farebox revenue as mentioned in part (1) above to a wider scope or more locations, and also encourage them to broaden the sources of non-farebox revenue.

The Government will actively follow up all new applications from FBOs in relation to non-farebox initiatives, and examine their feasibility according to established mechanisms. The feasibility of individual proposals depends on a host of factors, including the impact on bus services operation, passenger flow, traffic management and safety, as well as requirements under relevant laws and regulations. During the process, the Transport Department would assist operators in liaising with other government departments, with a view to expediting the processing of applications.]]><![CDATA[LCQ20: Planning for vacant kindergarten premises]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100186.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100186.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:25:00 +0800
Question:

It has been reported that nearly 80 kindergartens in Hong Kong have ceased operation in the past four years, and some of the premises of these kindergartens are located in public housing estates or government properties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the statistics on kindergartens ceasing operation in the past five years, including geographical distribution, floor areas of the involved premises, and whether the premises concerned are government properties (including those of the Hong Kong Housing Authority); if the premises concerned are government properties, of their current or planned uses;

(2) given the persistent low birth rate and population ageing in Hong Kong, whether the Government will consider converting some of the vacant kindergarten premises in its possession to elderly homes or other elderly facilities; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(3) given that the Government had announced in the 2019-20 Budget that it would allocate $20 billion to purchase properties for accommodating welfare facilities, but as of March 31, 2023, the Social Welfare Department had only used about $150 million of that funding for such purposes, and there are views that the measure is obviously ineffective, whether the Government will first make good use of the aforesaid vacant kindergarten premises for welfare purposes and consider reallocating all or part of the aforesaid funding for other purposes?

Reply:

President,

Kindergartens (KGs) in Hong Kong are all along privately run with diverse modes of operation. Individual school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) or operators may, having regard to their different development targets and circumstances, consider setting up KGs at a variety of premises, such as self-owned premises, privately-leased premises or premises in public housing estates. Every year, there may be new registrations of KGs in different districts, or some KGs may decide to cease operation owing to a variety of factors (such as profitability and tenancy matters).

Having consulted the Housing Bureau and the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the consolidated reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

(1) The number of KGs which ceased operation in the past five school years is tabulated at Annex 1. The number of vacant KG premises located in non-domestic premises under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) upon termination of the tenancy and surrender of the premises is tabulated at Annex 2.

If the tenant of a KG premises located in a public housing estate ceases to operate the KG during the tenancy period or decides not to renew the tenancy upon expiry, the HA will notify and invite the Education Bureau (EDB) to consider whether there is a need to nominate new non-profit-making KG SSBs or operators to rent the relevant units. Factors to be considered include the supply of and demand for KG places in the areas concerned, whether the floor area, location and building condition of the vacant KG premises are suitable for reallocation for KG development. Upon confirmation that the vacant KG premises are not required for EDB Kindergarten Premises Allocation Exercise through which SSBs or operators are nominated to rent the vacant units at a concessionary rate (approximately half of the market rent), the HA will offer such vacant units for lease at market rent through open tender for other organisations to operate KGs. If the units cannot be leased out through open tender for KG operation, the HA will consider converting the units for other uses (including welfare purposes) so as to make good use of resources. Any proposed change of use of the units will be subject to the outcome of feasibility studies, including whether it is in compliance with the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) and relevant regulations, land use restrictions, planning restrictions, environmental factors and views of residents or stakeholders.

(2) To address the increasing demand for elderly services arising from an ageing population, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) increases the supply of subsidised residential care places through a multi-pronged approach, such as liaising with relevant departments to identify suitable sites for the construction of new contract residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), or converting vacant government premises/school sites into RCHEs. Nonetheless, KG premises are not suitable for the provision of RCHEs as their settings and facilities are generally speaking not designed for providing residential care services for frail elderly persons.

(3) The Government has all along been adopting a multi-pronged approach to identify suitable sites or premises for the provision of welfare services to meet their acute demand.

The SWD has been maintaining close contact with relevant departments to identify suitable sites in the development or redevelopment of public housing estates and urban renewal projects for providing welfare facilities. The Government also endeavours to increase the provision of welfare facilities as appropriate through the Land Sale Programmes and the Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses. In addition, the Government will make the best use of available government accommodation including vacant school premises and explore whether they are suitable for conversion into welfare facilities.

In parallel, the SWD identifies suitable premises for purchase in the private market for welfare purpose. As at end-November 2024, the SWD has spent about $240 million for the purchase of five premises for operating a Parents/Relatives Resource Centre, a Support Centre for Persons with Autism and a neighbourhood elderly centre, and for providing on-site pre-school rehabilitation services. The progress of purchasing premises depends on the availability of suitable properties in the market and various external factors, including whether the properties for sale have fire safety and barrier-free access facilities, whether the size and location meet operational requirements, whether the surrounding land uses are compatible with welfare uses, and whether the selling prices fall within the acceptable price range determined by the Government Property Agency (GPA) with reference to market value. The SWD and the GPA will continue to identify and purchase premises for the provision of welfare facilities in accordance with the ambit of the funds approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.]]><![CDATA[LCQ3: Developing a green maritime fuel bunkering centre ]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100311.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100311.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:04:34 +0800
Question:

     The latest Policy Address has proposed to develop a green maritime fuel bunkering centre. There are views pointing out that green energy bunkering has become a high ground fiercely contested by major hub ports and a key factor in attracting the berthing of vessels on international voyages. The Shenzhen Port has already achieved scalable operation in this area, with this year's liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering volume expected to triple that of Singapore and its costs also lower than that of Singapore. However, the relevant development in Hong Kong is at an initial stage, and it faces problems of low capacity and high costs in the production of new energy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will consider first co-operating with neighbouring ports, e.g. allowing green energy bunkering vessels from the Shenzhen Port to provide new energy bunkering for international cargo vessels at designated waters of Hong Kong and streamlining the relevant maritime approval process for the provision of "cross-boundary vessel" services;

(2) whether it will, on the basis of the existing offshore LNG terminal, make long-term plans for dedicated berthing places and ancillary backup storage facilities for methanol and hydrogen energy bunkering in Kwai Tsing or suitable locations, and provide, with reference drawn from the practices of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, subsidies on the investment and operation of vessels to bunkering service operators, so as to attract them to expand their businesses in Hong Kong; and

(3) whether it will consider making plans for the development of green energy production bases in the Northern Metropolis and embarking on recyclable green energy production by integrating refuse handling facilities, so as to dovetail with the development of the green maritime fuel bunkering centre?

Reply:

President:

     Hong Kong, as an international maritime centre with advantages such as an excellent geographical location and good port security record, has long been the top bunkering port in South China and ranked seventh in the world in terms of bunkering volume internationally in 2023.

     In view of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s target to reach net-zero carbon emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, the industry has started to switch to using low or even zero-carbon green maritime fuels. Therefore, Hong Kong should expedite its development into a high-quality green maritime fuel bunkering centre, so as to give full play to our existing advantages, increase port competitiveness and consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international maritime centre.

     For this, the Government promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering last month, setting out five strategies and 10 actions to promote the development of green maritime fuel bunkering in Hong Kong and get prepared to cater for future market development.

     Regarding the Hon Yim Kong's questions, the reply prepared in consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau is as follows:

(1) Hong Kong's maritime fuel bunkering has always been operated freely, with no entry barrier or regulation. To start such business within Hong Kong waters, service operators only need to conduct quantitative risk assessment and marine traffic impact assessment in respect of their bunkering operations and their proposed designated waters or berths for bunkering, and obtain approval from the Marine Department for their mode of operation, as well as ensure that the bunkering vessels are locally licensed vessels compliant with the prevailing statutory requirements on ship safety, dangerous goods control, etc. We are committed to continuously keeping the market open, maintaining market flexibility and promoting fair competition.

     I am pleased to learn that some enterprises have expressed interest in starting green maritime fuel bunkering businesses in Hong Kong. To expedite development, the Marine Department will introduce facilitation measures to approve temporary local licences to suitable service operators for their bunkering vessels, so that they can provide bunkering services using non-local licenced vessels (including those from other cities in the Greater Bay Area and beyond).

     The Marine Department is also streamlining the approval process for green maritime fuel bunkering to provide efficient and facilitating services with clear requirements for future bunkering businesses.

(2) The focus of the promulgation of the Action Plan is the adoption of a development direction of multi-fuel strategy and the fostering of establishment and development of an ecosystem for the bunkering industry, including providing support for the industry to develop facilities for the storage of various types of fuels. In terms of biofuels, we will explore relaxing the administrative regulations on the storage and transportation of biodiesel at higher concentrations. On LNG, the Government will explore using the offshore LNG terminal built by the two power companies to provide LNG for bunkering purpose, on the condition that it would not affect electricity generation and prices. On green methanol, the Government has identified a port back-up land parcel in Tsing Yi South, and will commence preparatory work for applying for the relevant planning permission for using the site for storage of dangerous goods. The Government also welcomes companies to retrofit some of the current oil storage tanks for storage of green maritime fuels and will provide suitable assistance in relation to the administrative procedures.

     The development of hydrogen is at an early stage, with few hydrogen-powered vessels in operation or on order. The current demand for hydrogen from the industry is temporarily limited. Nevertheless, we are monitoring the market situation and will conduct a feasibility study on the development of bunkering of hydrogen and green ammonia in Hong Kong starting next year to get a head start.

     We will introduce four measures to support industry development, including (i) setting up a dedicated team at the Marine Department to provide one-stop services for green shipping-related companies interested in setting up businesses in Hong Kong; (ii) setting up a collaborative platform for stakeholders in the relevant businesses to catalyse the development of the industrial chain and ecosystem; (iii) developing green-friendly port facilities arrangements, including giving priority for green maritime fuel-powered vessels to use anchorages for bunkering if necessary; and (iv) launching a Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme next year to grant subsidies to pioneer companies after they have completed preparatory work such as quantitative risk assessment and marine traffic impact assessment and provided bunkering services to vessels within a specified period of time.

(3) Mainland is a major production base for multiple green maritime fuels, including green methanol, and its operations are also relatively competitive. With the advantage of enjoying the support of the Motherland, Hong Kong can better meet its needs through importing green maritime fuels from Mainland to establish a stable supply chain.

     Currently, some enterprises in Hong Kong are already producing biodiesel. The Government welcomes suggestions from the industry for producing more types of green maritime fuels in Hong Kong. We will provide necessary assistance in relation to the administrative procedures. At present, Hong Kong is also taking forward the construction of waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities, with a view to moving away from the reliance on landfills for direct disposal of domestic waste by 2035. The Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1 (I∙PARK1) currently under construction next to Shek Kwu Chau and the planned I∙PARK2 in Tuen Mun both adopt incineration technology to convert waste into thermal energy for power generation. Apart from facility operation, surplus electricity can also be exported to the power grid. The Government is identifying a suitable site in the Northern Metropolis for building the third advanced WtE facility. The specific planning and development timetable of the facility will depend on the projected amount of waste that will be generated in relation to long-term population and economic growth dynamics, as well as the actual volume of waste reduced and recycled.

     Thank you, President.]]><![CDATA[ICHO launches "Fun in ICH" Series to introduce traditional funeral rite "Breaking Hell Gate" and Nanyin (with photos)]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000244.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000244.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0800
     The majority of traditional funeral rites were performed for ground burial, and some communities in the New Territories still keep the practice of the ground burial, while people in urban areas usually adopt cremation and hold funerals at funeral parlours. Traditional funeral rites include chanting scriptures, breaking hell gate, buying water, placing the dead body in a coffin, encircling the coffin, bidding farewell, holding a funerary feast when the mourning period is over, and consolation feast rites. Taoist priests play a vital role in the rituals. Mr Leung is an eighth-generation descendant from a family of Taoist priests of the Zhengyi School. He joined his father in the funeral industry when he was 12 years old and has been practising in the industry for over 30 years. He hopes to reshape public perceptions of Taoist priests through participating in film production.

     Mr Leung will hold two talks at the Theatre on the first floor of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for two consecutive Sundays in December. The talk, "'Nahm Mouh' Master: Myth Breaking the Traditional Funeral Rites", to be held from 2.30pm to 4pm on December 15, will unveil the traditional funeral rites and their underlying meaning; the talk "'Nahm Mouh' Master: The Communicator in Traditional Funeral Rites", to be held from 2.30pm to 4pm on December 22, will unveil the role and significance of a Taoist priest, serving as a guide to lead the deceased. The venue will open for admission 15 minutes before the event starts. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

     Nanyin is a kind of traditional music popular in the Pearl River Delta region. It is performed in Cantonese operas, Guangdong "murmuring prayers", Taoist rituals, celebrations and funeral rites. Musicians usually accompany themselves on the instruments while they sing. Nanyin is featured throughout the movie "The Last Dance". The performance "'A Wanderer's Autumn Grief' - Nanyin", will be performed by the local troupe The Gong Strikes One from 2pm to 3pm on December 21 (Saturday) at the Hall on the first floor of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The troupe will also introduce the structure, history and culture connotations of Nanyin, particularly its connection with funeral rites. There will also be a live Nanyin performance for the audience to experience and enjoy the music. Members of the public are welcome to join.

     For programme details of the "Fun in ICH" Series – "Myth Breaker on Breaking Hell Gate and Nanyin", please visit https://www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/fun_in_ich.html or call 2851 6134 for enquiries.

     The programme is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.

]]><![CDATA[Mammals Section of Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens to reopen on December 13]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100259.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100259.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:51:00 +0800
     The LCSD closed the Mammals Section of the HKZBG from October 14 having regard to the death of monkeys caused by bacterial infection. Multiple preventive and control measures have immediately been implemented, including thoroughly disinfecting and cleansing the animal cages, arranging for staff who take care of the animals to put on protective gear and reminding them to closely monitor their own health conditions. Bacterial tests for staff have shown negative results, while samples collected from surrounding soil and water have also tested negative. The animals and staff taking care of them are in normal health conditions. The LCSD will reopen the Mammals Section of the HKZBG.

     To ensure the safety of visitors, staff and animals, rigorous environmental hygiene management measures and work guidelines will continue to be implemented in the HKZBG. Visitors should observe HKZBG staff's guidance as well as the safety instructions in the park. Visitors should not touch, feed or throw anything to the animals. Hand-washing facilities are provided in the park for visitors to keep their hands clean. Persons feeling unwell should not visit the park.

     The LCSD will continue to communicate with the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, review the work guidelines in a timely manner, and implement the necessary control and protective measures.]]><![CDATA[Result of tenders of RMB Sovereign Bonds held on December 11, 2024]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100281.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100281.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:50:00 +0800
     Result of the tenders of RMB Sovereign Bonds held on December 11, 2024:

Tender Result
*********************************************************************
Tender Date	:	December 11, 2024
Bonds available for Tender	:	2-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB24001 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	December 13, 2024
Maturity Date	:	March 15, 2026 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	2.20 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 5,690 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 2,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	100.67
Lowest Accepted Price	:	100.62
Highest Accepted Price	:	100.81
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 2.73 per cent

Tender Result
*********************************************************************
Tender Date	:	December 11, 2024
Bonds available for Tender	:	3-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB24002 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	December 13, 2024
Maturity Date	:	March 15, 2027 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	2.28 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 7,910 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 2,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	101.36
Lowest Accepted Price	:	101.28
Highest Accepted Price	:	101.50
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 52.94 per cent

Tender Result
*********************************************************************
Tender Date	:	December 11, 2024
Bonds available for Tender	:	5-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB24003 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	December 13, 2024
Maturity Date	:	March 15, 2029 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	2.39 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 7,870 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 2,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	102.60
Lowest Accepted Price	:	102.41
Highest Accepted Price	:	102.82
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 31.67 per cent

]]><![CDATA[LCQ14: Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100219.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100219.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0800
     Question:

     It has been reported that since the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) resumed services early last year, the demand for cross-boundary passenger services has become increasingly keen, with the daily patronage hitting a record high of over 100 000 passenger trips. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the respective average daily patronages and the highest daily patronages (with dates) at the XRL West Kowloon Station (WKS) for last year and as at October 31 of this year, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by train service (i.e. (a) short-haul service (i.e. to and from (i) Futian, (ii) Shenzhenbei, (iii) Humen and (iv) Guangzhounan), and (b) long-haul service) and day of the week (i.e. ‍(I) Monday to Thursday, (II) Friday to Sunday, and (III) all days);

Table 1 Year:______

Train service		Average daily patronage			Highest daily patronage (with date)
Train service		(I)	(II)	(III)	Highest daily patronage (with date)
(a)	(i)
	……
	(iv)
(b)
Total

(2) whether it knows the respective average daily patronages of local and non-local passengers at WKS for last year and as at October 31 of this year, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by train service (i.e. ‍(a) ‍short-haul service (i.e. to and from (i) Futian, (ii) ‍Shenzhenbei, (iii) ‍Humen and (iv) Guangzhounan), and (b) long-haul service); how such data compare with the forecast data set out in the paper of the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways of this Council ("Subcommittee") in 2018 (LC Paper No. CB(4)268/18-19(05));

Table 2

Train service		Average daily patronage
		2023		2024 (as at October 31)
		Local passengers	Non-local passengers	Local passengers	Non-local passengers
(a)	(i)
	……
	(iv)
(b)
Total

(3) as there are views pointing out that the existing layout and queuing arrangements of the waiting hall for departing passengers at WKS cannot cope with the demand arising from an upsurge of travellers during holidays, and the daily patronage forecast for XRL for 2031 ‍was as high as 129 300 according to a previous paper provided by the Government, whether such forecast has been updated and whether the Government has discussed with the MTR Corporation Limited about carrying out enhancement works to cope with the patronage growth over the next decade; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether it knows (i) the operating revenue (including (a) fare and (b) ‍non-fare revenues), (ii) operating cost (including (c) energy, (d) ‍non-staff operating and maintenance, (e) staff cost, (f) support services, (g) rent and rates, and (h) others), (iii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), and (iv) ‍operating margin of WKS respectively for last year and as at October 31 of this year (set out in Table 3); how such data compare with the projected data set out in the aforesaid paper of the Subcommittee; and

Table 3

Operational data item		2023	2024 (as at 31 October)
(i)	(a)
(i)	(b)
(ii)	(c)
	……
	(h)
(iii)
(iv)

(5) as there are views pointing out that passengers' experience at WKS is marred by the absence of stores selling cooked food in the waiting hall for departing passengers and the sell-out of food at the cooked food stores in the departing concourse as early as in the evening, whereas the Government has indicated earlier on that discussion with the relevant Mainland authorities had been initiated on how to provide catering facilities for departing passengers, of the progress of the relevant work?

Reply:

President,

Having consulted the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Gary Zhang is as follows:

(1) Since the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) on September 23, 2018, the number of directly connected destinations has increased from 44 to 80. Amongst them, the number of short-haul destinations has increased from six (i.e. Futian, Shenzhenbei, Guangmingcheng, Humen, Qingsheng and Guangzhounan) to 10 currently; the number of long-haul destinations has increased to 70. According to the XRL ticket sales in 2023 and 2024 provided by the MTRCL, the patronage for trips between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and short-haul and long-haul destinations are tabulated below. For short-haul destinations, more than 60 per cent of short-haul passengers are destined for stations in Shenzhen (i.e. Futian and Shenzhenbei), and nearly 30 per cent are destined for Guangzhoudong and Guangzhounan. Less than 10 per cent travel to the remaining short-haul destinations (i.e. Guangmingcheng, Humen, Qingsheng, Dongguannan, Changping and Dongguan).

XRL Train Services	Average Daily Patronage			Highest Daily Patronage
XRL Train Services	Monday to Thursday	Friday to Sunday and Public Holiday	All Days	Highest Daily Patronage
2023
Short-haul Services	39 000	56 000	47 000	105 000 (December 23, 2023)
Long-haul Services	9 000	11 000	10 000	25 000 (September 29, 2023)
Total (Note)	48 000	67 000	57 000	127 000 (December 23, 2023)
2024 (as of October 31)
Short-haul Services	48 000	70 000	58 000	99 000 (February 12, 2024)
Long-haul Services	12 000	15 000	13 000	26 000 (October 1, 2024)
Total (Note)	59 000	84 000	72 000	120 000 (February 12, 2024)

Note: Individual figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

(2) The MTRCL does not have a breakdown of the local and non-local patronage. According to the statistics on daily passenger traffic of the Immigration Department, the average daily ratio of Hong Kong residents and visitors travelling to and from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station is tabulated below.

Year	Passenger Traffic
Year	Hong Kong Residents	Visitors
2023	45%	55%
2024 (as of October 31)	46%	54%

     In the first 10 months of 2024, the patronage of the XRL Hong Kong Section exceeded 21 million passenger trips, exceeding the annual total in 2023. As tabulated above, the average daily patronage in the first 10 months of 2024 has reached almost 90 per cent of the forecast in 2018. The patronage of short-haul services resumed to 87 per cent, while that of long-haul services resumed to 95 per cent.

(3) and (5) The layout of the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station was designed based on the blueprint and patronage forecast of the railway development between the Mainland and Hong Kong at the time of project planning. Since the commissioning of the XRL Hong Kong Section and the West Kowloon Station in 2018, the MTRCL, as the Hong Kong operator of the XRL Hong Kong Section, has been closely monitoring the operation of the station, as well as travellers' travelling pattern and demand, and has continuously enhanced station facilities and XRL services as necessary.

     Regarding station facilities and layout, in addition to the reconfiguration of the layout on the B1 departure level in early 2023, the MTRCL re-planned the queueing layout and the design of the waiting hall on level B3 in April 2024. They include extending the entrances of some of the boarding gates towards the centre of the hall, enhancing signage and using large-scale electronic displays to provide train information to facilitate passengers to enter the boarding gates and board the train, and providing more seats at the waiting hall for passengers' use.

     Furthermore, a wide variety of shops are provided at the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to meet the needs of travellers, such as duty free shops, catering outlets, souvenir and retail shops, convenience stores, bakeries, travel agents, banks and financial service providers. The MTRCL has ongoing communication with the tenants with a view to enhancing services and customer experience, and reviews the operation of the shops regularly, so as to meet passengers' needs. To provide better services and greater convenience to passengers, the HKSAR Government is actively working with the MTRCL on the details of the arrangement for providing food and beverages services and shops in the waiting hall located in the Mainland Port Area, so as to further enhance passengers' travelling experience at the West Kowloon Station.

     On passenger flow management, the MTRCL will, on the eve of festive holidays and peak passenger traffic periods, provide data on ticket pre-sale for reference by relevant authorities (including control point authorities of Hong Kong and the Mainland) for jointly discussing and formulating the passenger flow management measures on station operation and clearance at boundary control points. The MTRCL and relevant authorities will also strengthen manpower to assist passengers during the peak periods with a view to facilitating passengers' clearance and enjoyment of the fast and convenient XRL services in a safe and comfortable environment.

     The HKSAR Government and the MTRCL will closely monitor the operation and patronage of the XRL Hong Kong Section and the West Kowloon Station, and will timely review and upgrade station facilities to meet the long term demand of passengers and development of the XRL. The Government and the MTRCL do not have an updated projection for XRL-related forecast figures.

(4) In 2023, the XRL Hong Kong Section brought about HK$2.5 billion of revenue from transport operations for the MTRCL. As for the operating costs, while the MTRCL has made projections on various operating costs items during the planning of the XRL project, in the actual operation, the MTRCL does not have a breakdown of the various operating costs figures.]]><![CDATA[LCQ15: Policy on digital assets]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000348.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121000348.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0800
Question:

     It has been reported that financial enterprises around the world have increased their investment in digital assets one after another, with the price of bitcoins, hailed as "digital gold", rocketing in tandem since this year, and the development of the global currencies will move toward digitalisation. Moreover, some overseas regions plan to position bitcoins as strategic reserve assets of the government, and even propose to set up a dedicated commissioner in charge of formulating and implementing the relevant policies, as well as promoting the development of the cryptocurrency industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as there are views pointing out that while the cryptocurrency industry is fast flourishing, the current regulatory regime related to cryptocurrencies has yet to be improved in Hong Kong, whether the Government will further expedite improvement to the relevant regulatory regime;

(2) whether the Government will consider setting up a new dedicated department or commissioner to study and formulate policies relating to digital assets and cryptocurrencies;

(3) as there are views that bitcoins have been gaining recognition worldwide, and as a digital asset, bitcoins are characterised by decentralisation despite having inherent risks, whether the Government will consider including digital assets and cryptocurrencies in its fiscal reserves and acquiring the same continuously through the Exchange Fund for long-term holding; and

(4) whether the Government has assessed and studied the impact of positioning bitcoins as strategic reserve assets by foreign countries on the financial security of China and Hong Kong (e.g. whether this will in the long run put pressure on the Hong Kong dollar system and its economic situation); if the Government has, of the relevant impact, together with the Government's corresponding measures in place, including whether it will leverage Hong Kong's first-mover advantages and unique resources in the field of cryptocurrencies to formulate sound strategic deployment, with a view to contributing to safeguarding national financial security?

Reply:

President,

     On Dr the Hon Johnny Ng's question, upon consulting the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), my reply is as follows:

(1) and (2) The rapidly evolving virtual asset (VA) sector is bringing new opportunities for financial innovation and inclusion while adding complexities to the financial system. In respect of regulation, the interconnectedness between the traditional financial system and the VA markets appear to be more apparent and rising, with international organisations and standard-setting bodies (SSBs) having accorded considerable attention to the potential risks posed by the prevalence of VAs on monetary and financial stability. Among others, in July 2023, the Financial Stability Board, in consultation with relevant SSBs, published a finalised global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities. The framework provides recommendations relating to the regulation, supervision and oversight of crypto-asset activities and markets as well as global stablecoin arrangements. As a leading international financial centre in Asia, Hong Kong has key influence in the regulation and development of VA. In this connection, to facilitate the long-term sustainable development of industries related to VA, the Financial Secretary established the Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development in 2023 to make suggestions to the Government in respect of the sustainable and responsible development of the industries. Besides, in October 2022, the Government also issued the Policy Statement on Virtual Assets Development in Hong Kong, setting out that the Government and regulators would adhere to the principle of "same activities, same risks, same regulations" in enhancing VA-related regulatory frameworks.

     In respect of VA-specific regulatory policies and measures, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) is responsible for formulating relevant policies and co-ordinating various departments and financial regulators. Among others, the Government has amended the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) to introduce a licensing regime for VA service providers, ensuring that VA trading platforms comply with relevant international requirements on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing while protecting investors. Further to the commencement of the licensing regime last year, FSTB has consulted the Panel on Financial Affairs of the Legislative Council (LegCo) this year on the regulatory regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers, and will introduce the relevant legislative Bill to the LegCo within this month. Besides, regarding the over-the-counter trading services of VA, we are adjusting the proposal taking into account outcomes of the public consultation conducted early this year, and will conduct the second public consultation next year. We will also introduce a proposed licensing regime to regulate VA custodian services next year.

(3) The Exchange Fund invests in globally diversified asset classes and markets to diversify risks and enhance long-term returns. While crypto-assets are not the target assets of the Exchange Fund, the external managers appointed by the HKMA also invest in diversified asset classes and markets around the world. It cannot be ruled out that there may be investments involving crypto-assets during the investment operations of the external managers at different points of time, but the relevant proportion is minimal.

(4) The Linked Exchange Rate System (LERS) has been operating for more than four decades since its establishment in 1983, weathering many economic and interest rate cycles, as well as multiple global and regional economic and financial crises. It is the cornerstone of financial and monetary stability in Hong Kong and has continued to work well. Operating under the robust regime of the currency board arrangement, the LERS enjoys strong credibility in the global financial and monetary markets. International organisations such as the International Monetary Fund have continuously endorsed the suitability of the LERS as the monetary system for Hong Kong.

     As mentioned above, the VA sector is having increasing interconnectedness with traditional financial activities. On one hand, the development of VA and related technologies can bring potential benefits to the financial market as a whole. For example, the efficiency and transparency of economic and financial activities could be enhanced by utilising blockchain technology. On the other hand, VA is associated with risks in different aspects including financial stability, money laundering and investor protection. The Government and regulators will continue to formulate regulatory regimes to address such risks under the principle of "same activities, same risks, same regulations". This approach can create a facilitative environment to foster innovation in a sustainable and responsible manner, while ensuring financial safety at the same time, so as to strengthen Hong Kong's key role as an international financial centre.

     Other than enhancing the regulatory regime, the Government and regulators have also launched measures to facilitate market development. On tokenisation, to enhance market clarity, the SFC issued two circulars in November last year, respectively on intermediaries engaging in tokenised securities-related activities and on tokenisation of SFC-authorised investment products to shed light on the regulatory expectations from an investor protection perspective. The SFC also announced in October this year a number of measures to facilitate the VA development in Hong Kong, including a swift licensing process for VA trading platforms, and establishing a consultative panel for licensed trading platforms which is expected to operate from early next year.]]><![CDATA[LCQ19: Remuneration and benefits for politically appointed officials]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100254.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100254.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:28:00 +0800
Question:

     Since the Government introduced the political appointment system in 2002, politically appointed officials (PAOs) have experienced four pay reductions in 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2020. There are views that nowadays the real value of the remuneration and benefits packages for PAOs has declined substantially. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) in each of the past 10 years, of (i) the monthly cash remuneration levels for various tiers of PAOs, (ii) the percentage increase or decrease compared to the previous year, (iii) the total weighted average cost of the remuneration package for civil servants at D8 ‍level, and (iv) the respective differences in actual value and percentage between (i) and (iii) mentioned above;

(2) whether the Government will consider following the practice of employing contract staff on Non-Civil Service Contract terms and offering an end-of-contract gratuity to principal officials, so as to attract and retain outstanding political talents to take up such posts; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that PAOs are eligible for medical and dental benefits on the same basis as those provided to civil servants during their term of employment, but there are views that the current utilisation rates of the six families clinics under the Department of Health are close to saturation, whether the Government will consider providing PAOs with a medical insurance allowance; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The reply to the Hon Mrs Regina Ip's question is as follows:

(1) The monthly cash remuneration for each tier of Politically-Appointed Officials (PAOs) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the past 10 years, as well as the percentage change as compared to the previous year are at Annex 1. As regards the average monthly salary for a civil servant at Point 8 of the Directorate Pay Scale and its comparison with the monthly cash remuneration of a politically-appointed Director of Bureau, please see Annex 2. Other than the salary mentioned above, the staff cost for civil servants covers other staff benefits, including retirement protection, housing benefits, annual leave, education allowance, and medical and dental benefits, and etc. Civil servants are eligible for these benefits according to relevant conditions and actual circumstances.

(2) The political appointment system has been implemented since 2002. According to the remuneration package at that time, PAOs are, apart from cash remuneration, entitled to annual leave, medical and dental benefits as those provided to civil servants, Mandatory Provident Fund contribution by the Government, as well as a car and driver during their term of office, while their remuneration package has been so structured that there are no housing allowance, no leave passage, no children's education allowance and no gratuity or retirement benefits. When the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the HKSAR (the Commission) reviewed the remuneration package of PAOs in 2016, the Commission proposed some enhancement measures, including a one-off increment of 12 per cent on their cash remuneration, as well as an annual adjustment in line with the average movements of Consumer Price Index (C) thereafter. The proposal was approved and passed by the Legislative Council Finance Committee and is still in use today. As regards other components of the remuneration package, the Commission's recommendation at that time was to make no change, and the relevant arrangements are maintained until now. The Commission will carry out periodic review on the remuneration package of PAOs, so as to ensure it is commensurate with their responsibilities, and that it is fair, reasonable and sustainable for the recruitment and retention of high calibre talents.

(3) When the Commission carried out a review on the remuneration package of PAOs again in 2022, it considered that the level of medical and dental benefits that different layers of PAOs should be entitled to require careful examination and justification. The Commission will study and discuss the subject further before the end of March 2025.]]><![CDATA[LCQ18: Promoting application of hydrogen energy]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100180.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100180.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:21:00 +0800
Question:

     There are views pointing out that the completion of the first public hydrogen refuelling station in Hong Kong last month has provided the infrastructural support for Hong Kong to increase the application scenarios of hydrogen energy and the development of Hong Kong as a demonstration centre of hydrogen energy for the country. Regarding promoting the application of hydrogen energy, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will take the initiative to invite commercial organisations owning large fleets of vehicles (e.g. commercial organisations with a fleet size of 100 or more vehicles) to participate in trial programmes of hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles, so as to promote the wider application and practical use of hydrogen energy;

(2) whether it will take the initiative to invite cross-boundary cargo transportation companies to explore the feasibility of using hydrogen-powered goods vehicles for cross-boundary cargo transportation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it has sought to understand the future plans of the two power companies regarding hybrid hydrogen power generation; whether it will require the two power companies to include a specific proportion of hydrogen co-firing power generation in all of their new gas-fired power plants in the future; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether it will launch trial schemes for the wide application of hydrogen energy in the transport and construction industries, such as the use of hydrogen battery-powered fork-lift trucks for cargo movement and the use of hydrogen-powered shifting machines (e.g. ‍bulldozers, loaders, excavators and trucks) at construction sites;

(5) whether it has plans to step up the nurturing of relevant local talents in the hydrogen energy industry; if so, of the details; and

(6) whether it will strengthen co-operation with other Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in respect of the promotion of the application and practical use of hydrogen energy, so as to jointly promote the development of the hydrogen energy industry in GBA?

Reply:

President,

     Hydrogen energy is a promising new energy source with a wide range of applications. The world is expediting the development of hydrogen economy and applications. Though the scarce land resources and dense population have rendered it difficult for Hong Kong to develop into a major manufacturing base for green energy, we can still promote green transformation by leveraging hydrogen energy in our pursuit of carbon neutrality. As an international city, Hong Kong can also serve as a demonstration platform for green and low-carbon technologies, and facilitate the export of technologies and products developed in the Mainland and Hong Kong. As an international financial centre, Hong Kong can even help provide green financing and professional services for the green transformation in different areas and regions. The Government promulgated the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong in June 2024, with a view to creating a local environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy in a prudent and orderly manner.

     To help Hong Kong capitalise on the environmental and economic opportunities brought about by the development of hydrogen energy, the Environment and Ecology Bureau set up the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel (the Working Group) in 2022 to jointly formulate best practices, regulations and standards, etc, for the safe applications of hydrogen energy in the local context, and actively study the development and commercialisation pathways of various hydrogen energy technologies through promoting local trial projects on hydrogen energy, having regard to the development needs of Hong Kong. To date, the Working Group has successively given agreement-in-principle to a total of 18 applications of hydrogen energy trial projects.

     In consultation with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), my reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:

(1), (2) and (4) The Working Group has been co-ordinating the work of various bureaux and departments in promoting the local application of hydrogen energy through trial projects. Trials on hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) heavy vehicles that have commenced or are under planning include a double-decker bus, street washing vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, coaches and minibuses for providing shuttle service to the construction site for workers, cross-boundary passenger buses and logistics vehicles, etc. The Working Group welcomes more fleets and cross-boundary logistics enterprises to carry out trials so as to collect more trial data and experience for evaluating the operational performance of HFC heavy vehicles as compared with that of conventional fuel-propelled vehicles in the local context. Larger logistics enterprises taking part in the relevant trials are likely to have an edge in resource allocation and experience sharing. The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address announced the earmarking of funds under the New Energy Transport Fund to launch the Subsidy Scheme for Trials of HFC Heavy Vehicles. We will announce the details of the acceptance of invitations under this scheme in due course.

     Hydrogen energy, as a transportable and highly energy-efficient energy, is particularly suitable in areas such as mobile machinery, including vehicles used at construction sites. The construction industry in Hong Kong has already started to explore the feasibility of distributed electricity supply using hydrogen to replace traditional diesel generators to supply electricity to site offices and machinery at construction sites in remote areas without access to adequate electricity supply, including large-scale construction sites in new development areas. The Government continues to communicate with relevant industry stakeholders (such as the Construction Industry Council) to actively explore the potential for using hydrogen energy equipment in engineering projects and to test out various hydrogen application scenarios in Hong Kong. As at end of November this year, the Working Group has given agreement-in-principle to multiple applications involving the application of hydrogen as fuel at construction sites, including the trial of HFC forklift trucks and use of hydrogen power generation equipment to supply electricity to site offices and electrical machinery at construction sites.

(3) To align with the development of hydrogen in Hong Kong, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) and Hongkong Electric Company Limited (HEC) are actively exploring the possibility of blending hydrogen with natural gas in electricity generation. CLP has stated that it is preparing for the long-term application of new energy in electricity generation and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with General Electric Company to jointly explore the feasibility of using hydrogen blended with natural gas for power generation at CLP's Black Point Power Station. Additionally, HEC has mentioned that it is exploring the application of hydrogen energy by blending it with natural gas for the gas-fired units, with the goal of gradually transitioning to 100 per cent green hydrogen fuel and achieving carbon neutrality in power generation.

(5) Capacity building is critical to the long-term development of the local hydrogen industry. The EMSD actively promotes the training of professionals in hydrogen energy technology, and is exploring with the Vocational Training Council (VTC) and hydrogen fuel system suppliers the organisation of relevant safety training courses for hydrogen fuel practitioners. With the EMSD's support, the VTC has signed memorandums of co-operation with the China Inspection Company, a standard and testing institution, and Shanghai REFIRE Group, manufacturers of hydrogen fuel system, on June 14 and 18 respectively. Leveraging the companies' expertise in hydrogen energy, this collaboration aims to cultivate more technical talents for Hong Kong's hydrogen energy industry.

(6) The EMSD has maintained close technical exchanges with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC). In particular, the EMSD has jointly established with GACC the "Green Corridor" for the transport of hydrogen samples, and simplified customs clearance arrangements for hydrogen conveyance vehicles, in order to facilitate the transportation of hydrogen used as fuel from the Mainland to Hong Kong by cross-boundary hydrogen conveyance vehicles. In addition, the EMSD has also maintained close communication with SAMR to ensure effective implementation of safety management and monitoring as well as quality control, and to actively promote exchanges and co-operation on manufacturing, storage, transport, application along the industry chain of hydrogen energy. The EMSD is exploring with SAMR on promoting the alignment of Hong Kong's and the Mainland's standards on safety monitoring and testing, with a view to formulating the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) standards, group standards and Guobiao, and even jointly participating in the formulation of international standards.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development and Application of Hydrogen Energy in Hong Kong on November 25. The MOU strengthens collaboration between both parties in promoting the development, demonstration of application, as well as capacity building for the hydrogen energy industry. The MOU covers technical exchanges and experience sharing in the hydrogen energy industry. Sinopec Corp will build a green hydrogen production facility for demonstration purposes at a restored landfill of the EPD. The hydrogen produced by the facility will serve the local market with a view to supporting wider applications of hydrogen and facilitating the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong. Sinopec Corp will also assist the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in promoting publicity and education about hydrogen energy, enabling the public to better understand global development trends in the safe use of hydrogen energy.

     Our country has a solid foundation for the development of the hydrogen industry, and the Nanhai District of Foshan in GBA is one of the pioneering demonstration zones for hydrogen industry development in the Mainland. The Government will continue to be committed to promoting hydrogen development through regional collaboration, including actively following up on the co-ordination mechanisms between the HKSAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, as well as the provincial GBA Office. This can complement regional co-operation mechanisms on other issues including the Pearl River Delta Air Quality Management and Monitoring Special Panel under the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection for taking forward the demonstration projects of new energy cross-boundary goods vehicles, as well as the EMSD's connections and collaborations with SAMR and GACC on the technical level.

     Hong Kong will continue to leverage its distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, and capitalise on its important role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" between the country and the international community, with a view to creating opportunities for talent, financing and further development. We will strive to facilitate the export of the country's advanced green hydrogen technologies and products to gain international market recognition and bolster competitive advantages, complement the strengths of other regions in the GBA in helping our country go global and attract foreign investment, and integrate into the overall development of the country.]]><![CDATA[Revision of limits of liability in Montreal Convention to be gazetted Friday]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100146.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100146.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 12:13:00 +0800
     Details of the revision are as follows:

(a) the limit of liability for each passenger for damage sustained in case of death or bodily injury of a passenger is increased from 128,821 Special Drawing Rights as defined by the International Monetary Fund (SDRs) (Note) to 151,880 SDRs;

(b) the limit of liability for each passenger in relation to damage caused by delay in the carriage of persons is increased from 5,346 SDRs to 6,303 SDRs;

(c) the limit of liability for each passenger in case of destruction, loss, damage or delay in relation to the carriage of baggage is increased from 1,288 SDRs to 1,519 SDRs; and

(d) the limit of liability in case of destruction, loss, damage or delay in relation to the carriage of cargo is increased from 22 SDRs per kilogram to 26 SDRs per kilogram.

     The limits of liability in respect of the carriage of passengers, baggage and cargo stipulated in the Montreal Convention are subject to regular review by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) every five years based on a built-in mechanism. The liability limits will be revised if an inflation factor exceeds 10 per cent to enable timely updating of the liability limits to reflect changing prices.

     A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "As advised by the ICAO recently, the latest review has been completed and concluded that the inflation factor is 17.9 per cent and the limits of liability will be revised with effect from December 28."

     Airlines operating scheduled services to and from Hong Kong, including all Hong Kong Air Operator's Certificate holders and Board of Airline Representatives in Hong Kong, have been notified of the review of limits of liability conducted by the ICAO and the revision to the limits of liability.

     The Montreal Convention is an international instrument governing carriers' liability for injury or death of passengers, damage or loss of baggage and cargo and losses caused by delays. Hong Kong has implemented it through the Carriage by Air Ordinance (Cap 500). The limits of liability specified in Schedule 1A and 3 are revised pursuant to Section 21 of the Ordinance.

Note: Special Drawing Right is an international monetary unit established by the International Monetary Fund. At current market exchange rate, 1 SDR roughly equals US$1.3.]]><![CDATA[LCQ7: China's Standards and GBA Standards]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100449.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100449.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 11:40:00 +0800
Question:

     It is learnt that the Governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have been proactively developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Standards (GBA Standards) for different products or services in recent years, and a total of over 200 items have been announced to date. Meanwhile, many Belt and Road countries are gradually adopting the National Standards of the People's Republic of China (China's Standards). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of government departments and enterprises which have currently adopted the GBA Standards and China's Standards, as well as collated information on the details of the standards adopted by such departments and enterprises; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has plans to develop the GBA Standards in more fields; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) of the number and contents of the relevant publicity activities organised by the Government since the announcement of the first batch of the GBA Standards; and

(4) whether the Government has plans to further promote the GBA Standards and China's Standards in Hong Kong, so as to encourage adoption by more enterprises; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     To grasp the development opportunities brought about by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are dedicated to formulating the GBA Standards of various products and services for relevant trades to adopt on a voluntary basis, with a view to improving product and service quality, promoting the interconnectivity and integrated development of the three places, as well as deepening Hong Kong's economic and trade exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland and Macao. As for the mandatory national standards of the Mainland, or Guobiao, products falling short of which shall not be produced, sold, imported into or supplied on the Mainland.

     Having consulted the Development Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the consolidated reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:

GBA Standards

     The governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao signed a Memorandum of Understanding on jointly promoting the development of GBA Standards on April 24, 2023, and promulgated the first batch of a total of 110 GBA Standards. To date, a total of 215 GBA Standards have been developed and promulgated, including 32 most recently developed and promulgated on July 31, 2024. The 215 GBA Standards cover items in the fields of food quality and safety, Cantonese cuisine, prepared dishes, transportation, mechanical and electrical products, as well as medical care, nursing care, education, e-sports and environmental, social and governance, etc. According to the statistics of the Standardization Research Center for the GBA, more than 1 000 enterprises, organisations or entities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have declared the adoption of one or more GBA Standards, including more than 130 Hong Kong enterprises, organisations or units. The Government will continue to maintain contact with the Guangdong authorities on the extent of utilisation of the GBA Standards.

     At the same time, the Government will continue to liaise and co-operate with the Guangdong and Macao authorities to promote the expansion of the list of the GBA Standards to cover more products and services in different fields. The development of the GBA Standards involves many sectors, as well as relevant technical and professional knowledge. Relevant trade associations, enterprises or organisations of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are welcome to jointly draw up the GBA Standards and submit applications to the Standardization Research Center for the GBA.

     The Trade and Industry Department (TID) has been coordinating the participation of relevant Government bureaux and departments in the work on the GBA Standards and, at the same time, invites them to encourage relevant organisations and enterprises to participate in the formulation and use of the GBA Standards. Since the promulgation of the first batch of the GBA Standards, the TID has held or attended four briefings and meetings to introduce and promote the use of GBA Standards to major industrial and trade organisations (ITOs) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, and to encourage the trade's active participation in the formulation of GBA Standards. At the meetings and exchanges with individual ITOs, the TID also invites them to encourage their member enterprises to actively participate in the formulation and use of the GBA Standards in accordance with market situation and needs, with a view to helping promote their products and services in the GBA. In addition, the TID issues Commercial Information Circulars to provide the trade with information on the GBA Standards.

     Other bureaux and departments also actively participate in the promotion of the GBA Standards. For example, the Development Bureau is collaborating with the Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region to formulate the GBA Standards on the skill levels of skilled workers and technicians in the construction sector, and will take forward the "One Examination, Multiple Certification" arrangement. The purpose of formulating the GBA Standards is to enhance the quality of construction training in the GBA. Hence, the GBA Standards will be established based on the principle of "adopting the higher standards, and covering more elements", so as to follow the higher standards among the three places and cover the key elements in the individual syllabuses of the three places. Those who pass the examinations adopting the GBA Standards can concurrently obtain vocational skill certificates issued by the three places. This will contribute to the nurturing of construction talents in the GBA. We aim to announce the GBA Standards and take forward the "One Examination, Multiple Certification" arrangement for the first pilot trade by the first quarter of 2025. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has also set up a dedicated webpage on the GBA Standards for food with a view to explaining the relevant details to, and consolidating useful references for, the trade. In the meantime, the CFS has also been promoting the adoption of the GBA Standards via the regular communications or meetings with the trade and stakeholders.

     The TID will continue to invite bureaux and departments to promote the use of the GBA Standards in their policy areas, including engaging relevant government agencies of Guangdong and Macao to jointly consider promoting the formulation and application of the GBA Standards in businesses involving Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, with a view to bringing facilitation and other specific benefits to the trade, thereby encouraging their use of the GBA Standards.

Guobiao

     The Government has not compiled statistics on the number of government departments and/or enterprises which have currently adopted Guobiao in its policy/business areas.

     As regards the introduction of vehicle brands and models from the Mainland, the Transport Department (TD) has been accepting submissions of Guobiao from the trade to substantiate that the vehicles or their components comply with the objective vehicle construction standards stipulated in the legislation. The TD has also been regularly reviewing existing laws and guidelines in response to relevant vehicle standards on the Mainland and in different regions. When amending related legislation, the TD would suitably include Guobiao as one of the approved specifications in vehicle construction standards. As of end October 2024, the TD has approved 144 electric vehicle models from the Mainland.

     Besides, the CFS will take into account the latest development of relevant food regulations, including the standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and relevant food safety standards of major sources of import (e.g. Guobiao), and consider local food consumption pattern, dietary practices, results of risk assessments and stakeholders' concerns, in formulating and updating local food safety standards.

     As regards building standards, the Development Bureau will review and enhance Hong Kong's building standards, which have been in place for many years, through the Building Technology Research Institute by making reference to overseas building standards and Guobiao, with a view to promoting local application of high-quality and cost-effective construction materials from the Mainland and overseas. At the same time, the Development Bureau will also closely liaise with its counterparts in the Guangdong Province to take forward the formulation of the GBA Construction Standards.]]><![CDATA[LCQ21: Employment support services]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100211.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100211.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 11:37:00 +0800
Question:

     As pointed out in the Report on 2023 Manpower Projection recently released by the Government, Hong Kong's labour market was tight last year, with a shortage of approximately 50 000 workers. There are views that in spite of the manpower shortage, young people face greater difficulties in securing employment due to their lack of work experience and qualifications, and there may even be manpower mismatch. Regarding employment support services, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of job seekers registered with the Labour Department (LD) for employment services in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by their age distribution and education level;

(2) of the total number of job vacancies the LD received from the private sector, as well as the number of cases in which placements were achieved through job seekers' direct application to employers who advertised the vacancies this year to date; of the number of job referrals made through the LD's employment services this year to date and, among them, the number of those securing employment, together with a breakdown by age distribution of recruited persons;

(3) of the number of members of the Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.) set up by the Government in the past three years, together with a breakdown by age distribution, academic qualifications and type of service targets (including students, non-engaged youths, employed youths, self-employed youths and youths participating in the Youth Employment and Training Programme); the respective numbers and proportions of members who had received Career Consultation Service of Y.E.S. and those who had participated in the value-added training programmes tailor-made by Y.E.S. to meet young people's different needs in each of the past three years;

(4) whether it will enhance the one-stop services provided by Y.E.S., including strengthening support for young people having received tertiary education, assisting young people in pursuing further studies and upgrading their skills, as well as offering them with help and referrals when they change jobs, so as to fulfil the manpower and skills requirements of key industries relevant to the "eight centres" and promote crucial industries; whether it will consider offering services in New Development Areas as well as other Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), so as to provide employment support for Hong Kong young people;

(5) as there are views that students who come to study in Hong Kong and overseas young people coming to Hong Kong are the future resources for Hong Kong's workforce, whether the authorities will, by drawing on overseas experience, set up teams or centres specifically for providing local employment support services for overseas students studying in Hong Kong and new arrivals in the future; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(6) whether the authorities have plans to further enhance the measures to support youth employment in order to tie in with the restructuring of industries and development of a knowledge-based economy in Hong Kong, for example, whether they will strengthen co-operation between the LD and the employment service units of various tertiary institutions, organise more on-campus events for job placement and for promoting employment in the GBA, as well as increase employment and training support for the key industries relevant to the "eight centres" and those key industries with manpower shortage; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Labour Department (LD) provides diversified pre-employment and on-the-job training, underpinned by career guidance services, and in tandem collaborates with employers of various industries and other stakeholders to support and promote youth employment.

     In response to the Member's question, the reply is provided as follows:

(1) and (2) The LD provides diversified and free employment services to job seekers. From 2022 to 2024 (as at November), there were respectively 26 998, 35 379 and 46 300 job seekers registered to use the services of LD's job centres in each year. Breakdowns by age and educational attainment are at Annex 1. Currently, the vast majority (99 per cent) of job vacancies advertised through the LD are open for direct application to employers by job seekers. After obtaining the vacancy information through the Interactive Employment Service website or mobile application, job seekers can use the LD's employment services without the need for registration or visiting the job centres.

     In 2024 (as at November), the LD handled a total of 766 268 vacancies from private sectors and recorded 112 333 placements. Of which, 106 133 placements were achieved through job seekers' direct application to employers who advertised the vacancies or their participation in LD's employment programme, and there were 6 200 placements secured through the LD's referral. A breakdown by age is at Annex 2.

(3) The Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.) of the LD provides one-stop integrated support services on employment and self-employment for young people aged 15 to 29 (including non-local students and young new arrivals who are lawfully employable in Hong Kong).   The numbers of Y.E.S. members from 2022 to 2024 (as at November) with breakdowns by age, educational attainment, and employment status are at Annex 3. The numbers of patronage of receiving career guidance services and attending training courses at the Y.E.S. in the same period are at Annex 4.

(4) and (5) Based on the needs of young people and the employment market situation, the Y.E.S. provides career guidance services and organises varied training courses to enhance young people's understanding about different industries (including related industries under the "eight centres") and acquire relevant job skills. In order to attract young people to join the industries, the Y.E.S. organises activities such as seminars, recruitment days and visits to promote information about industries including artificial intelligence in business application, aviation and financial industries. Besides, young people can keep abreast of the latest development of the industries related to the "eight centres" through links to relevant websites on the Y.E.S. webpage. Taking into account the social and economic development, the Y.E.S. will continue to boost cross-sector collaboration to refine and strengthen the promotion of services.

(6) In this year's Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced measures to strengthen employment services and support for young people, including relaxing the eligibility requirements for the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (GBA YES) to allow young people aged 29 or below with sub‑degree or higher qualifications to join the scheme while increasing the limit of monthly allowance granted to enterprises to $12,000. We will also relax the upper age limit for participants of the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) to 29, and introduce workplace attachment opportunities in the Greater Bay Area under YETP to assist young people to enhance employability and promote sustainable development.

     The LD will continue to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders (including the student employment services units of tertiary institutes), organise on-campus seminars and exhibitions, and participate in on-campus recruitment activities, etc, to publicise the services of the Y.E.S., YETP and GBA YES for supporting and promoting youth employment. ]]><![CDATA[LCQ22: Passenger transport services by taxis and hire cars]]>https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100157.htmhttps://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/11/P2024121100157.htmWed, 11 Dec 2024 11:30:00 +0800
Question:

     Under the existing legislation, New Territories taxis and Lantau taxis have their designated operating areas, while urban taxis operate in most areas in Hong Kong. There are views that as the Northern Metropolis is the engine of Hong Kong's future development, the inaccessibility of New Territories taxis to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island will hinder the development of "dual-core planning" of "South-North dual engine (finance-I&T)" in Hong Kong, hence the territory-based taxi demarcation arrangement has become obsolete. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will review the categorisation of various types of taxis in the light of the South-North dual-engine planning for the Northern Metropolis, and consider lifting the restrictions on the designated operating areas of various types of taxis; if so, of the specific timetable and details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) of the policy considerations and criteria adopted by the Government for the issuance of new taxi licences, including whether the public demand for taxi services is taken into account;

(3) given that Hong Kong's population has increased from about 6.16 ‍million in 1995 to about 7.5 million in mid-2024, whether the Government will issue additional taxi licences accordingly to meet the new population's demand for personalised point-to-point transport services;

(4) of the reasons why the Government has not issued new urban taxi licences and New Territories taxi licences since 1994; and

(5) whether it will examine the feasibility of increasing the number of hire car permits (and lowering the application thresholds) and issuing licences for other types of taxis in order to facilitate the entry of service providers into the hire car market?

Reply:

President,

     Our reply to the Hon Chan Siu-hung's question is as follows:

     To maintain sustainable development and effective utilisation of limited road resources, the Government has adhered to a public transport oriented transportation policy, with heavy rail as the backbone, complemented by high capacity mass carriers (i.e. franchised buses and light rail) and other public transport services (e.g. public light buses, taxis) which play a supplementary role. Currently, taxis constitute the majority of personalised point-to-point transport services. Taxi service provides an alternative to private cars for passengers who are willing to pay higher fare in exchange for personalised service. As for hire cars with permits, they mainly supplement services that are not provided by existing public transport modes, with a view to meeting specific travel needs.

(1) At present, there are 18 163 registered taxis in Hong Kong, of which 15 250 are urban taxis, 2 838 are New Territories (NT) taxis and 75 are Lantau taxis.

     According to the law, both NT taxis and Lantau taxis have designated operating areas. The relevant permitted operating areas are specified in Schedule 7 to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374E). On the other hand, urban taxis are not subject to the relevant requirement and can pick up passengers and take them anywhere (except Tung Chung Road and roads in South Lantau).

     The Government's objective in introducing NT and Lantau taxis is to ensure that there are sufficient taxis to provide taxi services to the rural area in the NT and remote area. NT taxis' permitted operating area is mainly confined to the north-eastern NT (i.e. north of Sha Tin) and the north-western NT (i.e. north of Tsuen Wan), so as to ensure that there is an adequate provision of NT taxi services in their permitted operating areas. In response to the changing circumstances and requests from NT taxi operators and NT residents, the Government reviews the permitted operating areas of NT taxis from time to time and makes appropriate adjustments, including allowing NT taxis to provide service at certain locations, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, Sha Tin Racecourse, Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, and Hang Hau MTR Station. The Government will continue to maintain communication with the trade, and review the situation as appropriate, taking into account factors such as the original roles and operating areas of different types of taxis, transportation development in the New Development Areas and the commencement of major infrastructure facilities.

(2) to (4) The Government has all along followed the established practice in considering the need to issue new taxi licenses. Relevant considerations include the public demand for taxi services, operating conditions of the taxi trade, and the likely impact of the increase in the number of taxis on traffic conditions.

     The public demand for taxi services is affected by different factors. Apart from population growth, the development of the overall railway network and other public transport services also need to be taken into consideration. As regards the operating conditions of the taxi trade, taxi operation has been affected by the epidemic and economic factors over the past few years. Although the overall public transport patronage gradually recovered since the re-opening of the border with the Mainland in February 2023, the taxi trade is still facing some difficulties in its operation. According to the trade, there are still a small number of idle taxis now. Having considered the market demand and relevant factors, we have no plan to issue new taxi licenses at present.

     As opposed to the number of taxis, we are of the view that the public is more concerned about the overall quality of taxi service in recent years. In view of this, the Government introduced a series of measures to enhance the quality of taxi service, including the introduction of a new taxi fleet regime, with a view to encouraging healthy competition among different taxi fleets, as well as between fleet and non-fleet taxis. This may motivate the trade to strive for excellence and make concerted efforts to enhance the quality of taxi service. The Transport Department (TD) announced the result of the application for Taxi Fleet Licences in July this year and issued conditional grants to the five selected operators. The operators are currently gearing up and will gradually commence operation before July 2025.

     Besides, to better understand passengers' demand for taxi services and the operating condition of the taxi trade, the TD conducts surveys annually on the overall taxi service level. It includes the collection of data about the number of taxi journeys, passenger waiting time and occupancy rate of taxis at major taxi stands and roadside observation points across the territory, as well as collection of feedback from the taxi trade and passengers. The latest survey was conducted in early 2024 and the results indicated that the supply of taxis has remained largely stable in recent years.

     In future, we will continue to collect market information through different channels, closely monitor the supply of taxi services and maintain communication with the taxi trade, so as to ensure the stability of taxi services and the healthy development of the trade.

(5) To facilitate the entry of new service providers into the hire car market, the TD has introduced relevant measures, including allowing interested applicants for hire car permits (HCPs) to make a request for "pre-application assessment" without the need to submit vehicle registration documents, so that they may purchase vehicles after knowing that their HCP applications are likely to be approved. Meanwhile, in respect of applications for private service (limousine) HCPs, even if the applicants cannot provide hiring records or valid hire service contracts, they may provide adequate justifications on the proposed business model and document proof to support their applications. The TD will give special consideration to these applications.

     In addition, with a view to enhancing personalised point-to-point transport services, the TD is studying and examining the overall demand and supply of such services, including conducting surveys on passenger demand and changes; as well as considering relevant information including the current operation modes and regulatory arrangement in respect of the provision of personalised point-to-point transport services in Hong Kong and other places. After taking into account findings of the study in a holistic manner and listening to the views of stakeholders, the Government will formulate legislative proposals including the regulation of the types and number of vehicles for providing compliant services, as well as the licensing requirements for the vehicles and drivers in 2025.]]>