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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESS RELEASE – SVSG Village Representatives Launch First Activity to Celebrate 20th Anniversary

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    The Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) is marking an important milestone this year—20 years of dedicated service to the people of Samoa. Since its inception, SVSG has been at the forefront of advocating for the protection and well-being of vulnerable individuals, particularly women and children affected by violence.

    To commemorate this momentous occasion, the SVSG Village Representative Executive launched their first activity, setting the tone for a year of celebration, reflection, and continued commitment to their mission.

    On February 10th, they visited the children residing at the Campus of Hope, a safe haven for children who have endured various forms of abuse and hardship. The representatives arrived with an abundance of food groceries, ensuring that the children and their caregivers had the necessary provisions to sustain their daily needs.

    Their visit was not just about donations—it was a gesture of solidarity, demonstrating the unwavering support of SVSG’s leadership. During their time at the campus, the village representatives and children engaged in heartfelt prayers, seeking divine blessings for the continued success of SVSG’s work.

    The representatives reaffirmed their commitment to ending violence in Samoa, calling upon every village chief and leader to take an active role in protecting their communities from harm. They emphasized that true leadership is about standing up for the vulnerable and ensuring that no one suffers in silence.

    SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the village representatives for their dedication and willingness to serve. She acknowledged their tireless efforts in being the first point of contact for victims seeking help, often sacrificing their own time and resources to support those in need. “This 20th anniversary is not just a celebration of SVSG’s journey but a recognition of every individual who has contributed with the continued support of its village representatives, partners, and the wider Samoan community.

    END OF RELEASE.

    SOURCE – Samoa Victim Support Group

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Govt to optimise fiscal resources

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan today announced that the Government will adjust two transport subsidy schemes, including the $2 Scheme, in order to reduce government expenditure by about $6.2 billion in the next five years.

    This measure is part of the Government’s efforts to enhance the fiscal consolidation programme that was put forward in last year’s Budget.

    Unveiling the enhancements to the programme in his 2025-26 Budget this morning, Mr Chan said the Government will focus on strictly controlling its expenditure, supplemented by increasing revenue. The impact to the general public should be minimised.  

    The Government will lead by example to demonstrate its commitment to cutting expenditure while ensuring the delivery of high-standard public services. It will also continue to press ahead with infrastructure works projects in the Northern Metropolis and those related to the economy and people’s livelihood.

    Furthermore, it will maintain the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s simple and low tax regime, avoid a considerable increase in tax rates or introducing new taxes, and uphold the “user pays” and the “affordable users pay” principles as far as practicable while increasing revenue.

    Expenditure growth

    To strictly contain expenditure growth, the Government will step up the Productivity Enhancement Programme by increasing the rate of reduction in recurrent government expenditure from the original 1% to 2% in 2025‑26, and extending this arrangement for two more years to 2027‑28.

    Compared to 2023-24, recurrent government expenditure will decrease by around $3.9 billion in 2025-26, $19.5 billion in 2026-27, and $27.3 billion in 2027-28.

    Meanwhile, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, Social Security Allowance and statutory expenditure will not be affected.

    The civil service establishment will be reduced by 2% each in 2026-27 and 2027-28.  By April 1, 2027, about 10,000 posts are expected to be deleted within the current-term Government.

    The Government will provide a total of $68.1 billion in funding to the University Grants Committee-funded universities in the coming three years. This funding has reflected a 2% reduction target each year, in line with the magnitude of the Government’s recurrent expenditure cut.

    The finance chief emphasised that such a funding level is still higher than the $63.2 billion in the last triennium.

    Transport subsidies

    After a review, the Government proposed adjustments to the two transport subsidy schemes that incur relatively high expenditure with a rapid growth rate.

    On the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly & Eligible Persons with Disabilities or the $2 Scheme, the concessionary fare will be changed to “$2 flat rate and 80% discount”, while the targeted beneficiaries remain unchanged.

    Under the new arrangement, the beneficiaries will continue to pay $2 for trips with a fare below or equal to $10. For trips with a fare above $10, they will have to pay the full fare amount after the 80% discount. The number of concessionary trips will also be limited to 240 per month. 

    Mr Chan noted that this fine-tuned proposal preserves the Government’s policy intent while striking a balance between enhancing the scheme’s sustainability and minimising the impacts to the beneficiaries. 

    As for the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme, from June 2025 onwards, the threshold of monthly public transport expenses incurred for receiving the subsidy under the scheme will be raised from $400 to $500. 

    The Government will continue to provide a subsidy amounting to one-third of the expenses in excess of $500, and the prevailing subsidy cap will stay at $400 per month.

    Upon implementation of the refined arrangements, the Government is expected to save $6.2 billion in the coming five years.

    Pay freeze

    In addition, the Government put forward that for 2025-26, the executive authorities, the legislature, the Judiciary and District Council members take a pay freeze. 

    This involves the Chief Executive and politically appointed officials; Executive Council non-official members; civil service members; Legislative Council (LegCo) President, members and secretariat; Court of Final Appeal Chief Justice, judges of the courts at all levels, and other Judiciary members; and District Council members.

    Capital works

    The Development Bureau’s Project Strategy & Governance Office will support various departments in enhancing governance of public works projects on all fronts. 

    The office is also formulating policies for the procurement of construction materials and products, through direct procurement by relevant works departments and centralised procurement by a single department. 

    It has reviewed over 540 public works projects, achieving savings in construction costs by over 15%.      

    The Government is also reviewing the scale and mode of delivery of district cooling systems in new development areas, such as Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and the San Tin Technopole.

    The preliminary estimate of works expenditure savings is at least $40 billion. The Environment & Ecology Bureau will report the review results in the second quarter.

    Mr Chan has also requested the Audit Commission to organise workshops for the management of government department and public bodies to foster their understanding and adoption of principles and best practices in fiscal prudence and optimal use of public money.

    He also asked the relevant bureaus to review the expenditure on social welfare, healthcare and education. They should, having regard to the city’s demographic changes, optimise resources and review the sustainability of the use of resources.

    Increasing revenue

    The rate of air passenger departure tax will be increased from $120 to $200 per passenger starting the third quarter of 2025-26. Government revenue is expected to increase by about $1.6 billion per year.

    An application fee of $600 will be charged under various talent and capital investor admission schemes with immediate effect. The visa fees, to be charged based on the duration of limit of stay, will be raised to $600 or $1,300. It is estimated that government revenue will increase by about $620 million per year.

    The Transport & Logistics Bureau will review the tolls of relevant government tunnels and trunk roads, the annual licence fee for electric private cars, parking meter charges as well as the fixed penalties for traffic offences, for better traffic management. The various adjustments could generate about $2 billion additional revenue per year.

    The Government will explore introducing a boundary facilities fee on private cars departing via land boundary control points. Coaches, goods vehicles and the like will not be affected. Taking a fee of $200 per private car as an example, the measure will bring in revenue of about $1 billion per year.

    In January 2025, the Government submitted a bill to LegCo on the implementation of the global minimum tax proposal drawn up by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development to address base erosion and profit shifting. 

    It aims to apply the global minimum tax rate of 15% on large multinational enterprise groups with an annual consolidated group revenue of at least 750 million euros and impose the Hong Kong minimum top up tax.

    Subject to the passage of the bill, the proposal will bring in a tax revenue of about $15 billion for the Government annually starting 2027-28.

    Financial resources

    To consolidate and optimise the use of its financial resources, the Government reviewed the utilisation of the Anti‑epidemic Fund. Taking into account the expenditure requirements, the fund has a remaining balance of about $15 billion, which will be brought back to the Government’s accounts next month. This sum has been reflected in the revised estimate for 2024-25.

    It also reviewed the funds set up outside the Government’s accounts by bureaus and departments for specific purposes from time to time. Some of these funds are seed capital funds that only use investment returns to meet their expenditure.

    The Government proposes bringing back the first six seed capital funds with relatively large unspent balance, totalling about $62 billion, to its accounts in 2025-26, after setting aside resources to meet the necessary expenditure of these funds for the next five years so as not to affect their sustainable operation. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Akamai Arrival

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture Declaration Form

    ALOHA AND WELCOME TO HAWAI‘I!

    Many plants and animals from elsewhere in the world can be harmful to our unique environment, agriculture, and communities. Please help to protect Hawai‘i by not bringing harmful pests into our state.

    YOU ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO FILL OUT THIS AGRICULTURAL DECLARATION FORM FOR ALL INBOUND FLIGHTS FROM THE CONTINENTAL U.S. TO HAWAIʻI.

    Any person who defaces this declaration form, gives false information, or fails to declare, prohibited or restricted articles in their possession, including baggage, or fails to declare these items on cargo manifests is in violation of Chapter 150A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and may be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, in certain instances, by a maximum penalty of $25,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment. Intentionally smuggling a snake or other prohibited or restricted article into Hawaiʻi is, in certain circumstances, a Class C felony punishable by a maximum penalty of $200,000 and/or up to five years imprisonment.

    One adult member of a family may complete this declaration for other family members.

    The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (“HDOA”) is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, retaliation, or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or any other class as protected under federal or state law, with respect to any program or activity. For more information, including language accessibility and filing a complaint, please contact the HDOA Non-Discrimination Coordinator at (808) 973-9560, or visit HDOA’s website at https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/non-discrimination-notice/#english

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Stepping up monitoring of underground water mains

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ15: Stepping up monitoring of underground water mains
    LCQ15: Stepping up monitoring of underground water mains
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         Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:      It is learnt that there has been a rising trend in the number of road subsidence incidents on public roads occurred between 2021 and 2023. In addition, a few major road subsidence incidents also occurred in 2024, and in one such incident which took place at Lai Chi Kok Road in Cheung Sha Wan, a taxi fell into a pit and almost caused casualties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the total number of road subsidence incidents recorded in the whole year of 2024, as well as the location, cause and number of persons affected in each incident; (2) given that two serious road subsidence incidents occurred in Sham Shui Po District between May and September 2024, whether the authorities have assessed if the district is a high-risk area for road subsidence; whether the authorities conducted inspections and repairs for the underground water mains at the locations of the road subsidence incidents 12 months prior to the occurrence of the two incidents; (3) given that the Water Supplies Department completed the Risk-based Improvement Programme of Water Mains in 2015 to replace and rehabilitate aged water mains of about 3 000 kilometres, and has implemented the risk-based asset management programme for water mains since 2015 to replace or rehabilitate specific sections of water mains assessed to be of higher risk, whether the underground water mains at the locations of the two road subsidence incidents mentioned in (2) have been included in the latter programme; if not, whether the authorities will include the underground water mains concerned in the latter programme in the future for replacement and rehabilitation; and (4) given the frequent occurrence of extreme weather in recent years, whether the authorities have stepped up the monitoring of underground water mains facilities in the past year? Reply: President,      Generally speaking, the main causes of road subsidence include damage to underground pipes (e.g. water mains and drainage pipes), resulting in soil surrounding the pipes being washed away or soil and water flowing into the pipes through cracks and being carried away respectively; and improper handling of foundation works in sites adjoining roads (in particular those sites involving deep excavation and lowering of groundwater level), resulting in soil and water of the road base flowing into the excavation area of the works, creating voids. If the filled materials are not properly backfilled and compacted after road excavation works, the road surface may subside as a result of settlement of the underlying soil after being driven over by vehicles.      In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the relevant departments, the reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Leung is as follows: (1) In 2024, the Highways Department (HyD) received a total of 19 cases of road subsidence on public roads, a decrease compared to 2023. Details of the cases are shown in the Annex. In response to road subsidence incidents affecting road traffic, the relevant departments had promptly arranged temporary traffic measures and repaired the damaged road surfaces so as to resume the traffic to normal as soon as possible, minimising the impact of the incidents on the public. (2) Regarding the road subsidence cases that occurred in Sham Shui Po District last year, as shown in the Annex, they were caused by individual factors leading to the subsidence. Therefore, it does not necessarily indicate the presence of the same road subsidence risk in the underground environment of that district.       The Water Supplies Department (WSD) would inspect the underground water mains under its maintenance approximately every 18 months. Based on the inspection results, maintenance works would be carried out in a timely manner to reduce the risk of water mains burst or leak.           Two road subsidence incidents occurred in Sham Shui Po District on May 31 and September 29, 2024 at Hai Tan Street and Lai Chi Kok Road respectively. As there was no underground water mains managed by the WSD and in service at the road subsidence location at Hai Tan Street, the WSD did not conduct inspection or maintenance works for any water mains there in the preceding 12 months before the incident. As for the road subsidence location at Lai Chi Kok Road in Sham Shui Po, the WSD inspected the underground water mains in April 2024 and no irregularities were identified during the inspection. (3) From 2000 to 2015, the WSD carried out a territory-wide replacement and rehabilitation of water mains programme to replace and rehabilitate about 3 000 kilometres long aged water mains (including fresh and salt water mains), raising the operational effectiveness of water supply networks.      Since 2015, the WSD has implemented multi-pronged measures, including implementation of risk-based asset management programme for water mains by assessing the risk of water mains based on a number of factors such as period of usage, material, past burst or leak records, surrounding environment and consequence resulting from burst or leak, to replace or rehabilitate individual pipe sections with higher risk progressively, continue to enhance the overall healthiness of the water supply networks, and reduce the risk of water main bursts or leaks. As at December 2024, a total of approximately 540km long water mains have been included in the programme in which approximately 235km long water mains have been replaced or rehabilitated.      As mentioned in item (2) above, there was no underground water main managed by the WSD and in service at the location of road subsidence at Hai Tan Street. Regarding the road subsidence incident at Lai Chi Kok Road, the subject water main was a 300mm diameter cast iron pipe laid at a depth of about 1.5 metres below the ground in the 1960s. There have been no record of burst and leak in the past, and the inspection conducted by the WSD in April 2024 did not reflect any abnormalities. Therefore, this water main has not been included in the programme and accorded with a higher priority for replacement in the past.      The WSD has reviewed the mechanism of the programme to assess the weighting of the factors contributing to the risk of water main burst or leak. Specifically, we will increase the weighting assigned to factors involving the aged pipe materials (including cast iron pipes and pipes used more than 60 years), and the severity of the consequences for incidents occurring in water mains located at the major road sections, and reassess the risk of all water main bursts or leaks. This reassessment aims to prioritise the replacement or rehabilitation of the water mains at risk of bursting or leaking, expediting the replacement or rehabilitation of the above-mentioned cast iron water pipes commonly used in older designs. This proactive approach aims to avoid serious impact on traffic in the event of pipe burst.           In addition, to speed up the implementation of the works, the WSD set up an inter-departmental task force under the chairmanship of the Director of Water Supplies at the end of last year. The task force includes representatives from various relevant departments such as the Development Bureau, the WSD, the Transport Department, the HyD, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Home Affairs Department. They collaborate to discuss and formulate temporary traffic arrangement schemes and implementation programme, etc, related to the replacement of water mains, and formulate contingency plans earliest to minimise the potential impact of the projects on traffic and the public. (4) In general, if the road surface and road base are in normal condition, heavy rain itself will not cause road subsidence or interference with underground water mains. Nevertheless, the WSD is establishing approximately 2 400 Water Intelligent Network (WIN) district metering areas (DMAs) within the fresh water distribution networks in the territory (covering appropriately 80 per cent of the fresh water distribution networks) which facilitate detection of leakage of water mains and adjustment of the water pressure of the water mains to reduce the risks of water main burst or leak. As of end December 2024, the WSD has completed the establishment of about 2 360 DMAs and the remaining works are anticipated to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.      The WSD has commenced the enhancement of WIN, focusing on the following two aspects:(i) The WSD will expand the monitoring area of WIN to include fresh water trunk mains and the remaining part of the fresh water distribution mains (covering appropriately 20 per cent of the fresh water distribution networks) that are currently not covered by WIN by adding sensors to monitor water flow and pressure at strategic locations to provide more comprehensive coverage of the fresh water supply network.(ii) On the other hand, the WSD has started upgrading the functions of the existing WIN, which includes upgrading the sensors used for monitoring the water flow and pressure in phases to collect real-time data with a view to speeding up detection of any abnormal conditions in the pipe network.     The above expansion and upgrading work are expected to be completed in phases starting from the second quarter of 2025, with the entire project scheduled for completion by 2027.     The WSD would also study the use of advanced technologies, such as acoustic detection and optical fiber, to monitor underground water mains to facilitate early detection of leakage situations.           In addition, the WSD has strengthened emergency management of water supply incidents. The WSD has strengthened its communication mechanisms with various stakeholders through setting up instant messaging platforms to enhance communication with relevant departments and local parties including District Offices, District Council members and Care Teams. In the event of significant water supply incidents, timely updates on the latest information regarding the incident, temporary water supply locations, as well as the locations of water tanks and water wagons, can be rapidly disseminated. The WSD has also developed clear internal guidelines that outline specific factors to be considered for emergency repair of water mains and associated time required, ensuring more accurate communication of anticipated water resumption time and allowing local residents to make appropriate preparations.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 18:50

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members speaks on Budget

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members speaks on Budget
    Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members speaks on Budget
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    ​The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:                Following are the remarks by the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo), Mrs Regina Ip, at a media session on the 2025-26 Budget in the Legislative Council Complex this afternoon (February 26):Reporter: Does the Executive Council believe that the cuts in measure in this current budget have been enough? Would it be able to lift Hong Kong out of the current deficit that we are encountering now? And the second question, does the city itself need to consider alternate revenue streams to help better balance the books in the long term, as stated by some observers? Will it consider things like sales tax or other forms of revenue increase for the Government? Thank you. Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members: The Financial Secretary made it quite clear that by the year 2027-28, I think, cumulatively, there will be 7 per cent cuts in Government expenditure. And, the Government will delete 10 000 Government positions and will ask the Director of Audit to discuss with Heads of Departments and Bureaux Directors how to achieve further savings. I think the Government is working very hard to cut back unnecessary Government expenditure. As for sources of revenue, I think it is entirely correct to stick to the “user pays” principle. The Government said that it would consider restoring tunnel fees and will consider charging cross-border private vehicles at land control points $200 per private vehicle, which is not a new proposal. It was first proposed by then Financial Secretary Anthony Leung back in 2003. And as the Government said, as the Government implements global minimum tax in accordance with the requirement of G20 nations, in the next five years, there will be $15 billion additional revenue, plus possible revenue after Government has studied the possibility of instituting basketball betting, that sort of thing, to counter illegal online betting. I think the Government is looking at different sources of revenue and also instituting cutbacks of government expenditure, which we fully welcome. Reporter: In this year’s financial budget, civil servants’ pay will be frozen and there is an adjustment on the $2 transport subsidy. What’s your opinion on such adjustment?Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members: I think freezing public servants’ pay, including our pay, legislators’ pay, is the best option forward in the present circumstances. Cutbacks will have ripple effects on the private sector, and it will affect the labour sector as well. As for the $2 transport concession, which has been the focus of much public attention, I think the Government measures introduced to make it sustainable are fairly moderate. No impact on the qualifying age of those benefiting from this concession, but would help to resolve the problem of paying very little fare for very long journeys. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 18:25

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ8:Promoting cooperation with the Belt and Road countries

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ8:Promoting cooperation with the Belt and Road countries
    LCQ8:Promoting cooperation with the Belt and Road countries
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         Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:      It has been reported that in recent years, the Government has been actively promoting Hong Kong’s advantages as an international financial, trade and investment hub to the Belt and Road (B&R) countries, in particular the Middle East countries, and has signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Middle East countries. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the number of MOUs signed between Hong Kong and the Middle East countries participating in the B&R Initiative (such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt) in the past three years, and set out the names of the countries, regions and relevant organizations which have signed the MOUs; (2) of the following information on the MOUs mentioned in (1): (i) the specific areas of cooperation covered, (ii) the current implementation situation, (iii) the specific assistance expected to be brought to Hong Kong’s economic development, and (iv) how to specifically implement the contents of such MOUs and ensure their effective implementation, so as to leverage their benefits to the fullest extent; and (3) whether it has plans to sign more MOUs or deepen the existing cooperation with the B&R countries, so as to attract more foreign direct investment, thereby enabling local enterprises to “go global” and consolidating Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector”? Reply: President,      Hong Kong is an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI). We have been fully participating and contributing to the B&RI, utilising the role as a functional platform for the Belt and Road (B&R) and serving our role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”. The Middle East region is a key area in the B&RI. The Government is committed to deepening the co-operation with B&R countries in the region through various measures.       In consultation with relevant bureaux, the consolidated reply to the Hon Tang Fei’s question is as follows: (1) and (2) The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSARG) and B&R countries in the Middle East region have signed Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) for co-operation to help drive all round, multi field collaboration for mutual benefit to Hong Kong and the Middle East region, thereby laying a solid foundation for long-term exchange and co-operation. In the past three years, the HKSARG signed 11 MOUs with governments and related organisations in various B&R countries in the Middle East region (tabulated at Annex), with scope covering finance, investment promotion, legal, anti-corruption co-operation and customs co-operation. Relevant bureaux and departments of the HKSARG have been implementing and taking forward the related co-operation, and continue to maintain close contact with relevant governments and related organisations in B&R countries in the Middle East region, with a view to boosting the benefits of these co-operation.      In addition, the business sector and relevant organisations in Hong Kong have been actively engaging in co-operation and signing MOUs with various B&R countries in the Middle East region. These non-governmental MOUs are not covered at Annex. (3) The Government will continue to deepen the co-operation with B&R countries in the Middle East region through a range of measures, including: (a) Expanding economic and trade networks      The Government will continue to expand our economic and trade networks, with a view to facilitating Hong Kong enterprises and investors in expanding into the Middle East region markets and promoting the long-term economic development of Hong Kong. The Government established the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Dubai in October 2021 to strengthen Hong Kong’s economic and trade relations with trading partners in the region. The Government is following up on the establishment of an ETO in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) set up a consultant office in Cairo, Egypt in July 2024 and commenced operation of its consultant office in Izmir, Türkiye’s third largest city, in January this year to explore emerging markets in the region; (b) Negotiating and signing bilateral agreements      Hong Kong has signed 24 Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) with 33 overseas economies (including B&R economies), including Bahrain, Kuwait, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Government is negotiating an IPPA with Saudi Arabia with a view to concluding the negotiations as soon as possible. We also plan to commence negotiations with Egypt. In addition, Hong Kong has signed Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements with 49 overseas jurisdictions (including B&R jurisdictions), including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Türkiye; (c) Organising outbound visits      In February 2023, the Chief Executive led an over 30-strong high-level business delegation, comprising representatives of the Government and the business sectors as well as professionals, to visit the Middle East region, promoting the unique advantages of Hong Kong to local government and business sectors in Saudi Arabia and the UAE;       In May 2024, the Secretary for Justice led a delegation comprising representatives from the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, InvestHK and related sectors to visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE to promote Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution services and enhance co-operation and exchanges between Hong Kong and the Middle East region;      In October 2024, the Financial Secretary led a business delegation of over 100 members, including representatives from the finance as well as innovation and technology (I&T) sectors, on a visit to Saudi Arabia. This visit aimed to strengthen and deepen connections between Hong Kong and the Middle East in trade, finance, and I&T, and included participation in the 8th Future Investment Initiative (FII) Conference. The visit yielded fruitful results, facilitated a number of joint projects, including the listing of two exchange-traded funds tracking Hong Kong stocks in the local market, investment pitches by over 20 Hong Kong startups during the FII Conference, and 11 co-operation agreements signed between Hong Kong institutions and companies and their Saudi counterparts. These co-operation agreements include an MOU signed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to jointly establish a US$1 billion investment fund focused on investing in companies connected to Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area engaged in sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy, fintech and healthcare, to expand in Saudi Arabia. This initiative will provide a platform for these companies to expand their international business. Additionally, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation signed a co-operation agreement with the FII Institute to enhance collaboration, exchange, and knowledge sharing;      The Government will continue to organise a number of outbound missions to markets in the Middle East region to assist Hong Kong enterprises and professional services to further expand business opportunities and build long-lasting collaborative relationships with relevant local enterprises and organisations; and (d) Organising major events      The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau will continue to actively organise various major events to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and facilitate business matching and project participation between Hong Kong and the Middle East region. In April 2024, the Belt and Road Office (BRO) partnered with NEOM of Saudi Arabia to organise the “Discover NEOM Hong Kong” roadshow, which attracted around 1 100 participants, including enterprises, investors and professional representatives from the Mainland and Hong Kong. During the roadshow, the BRO organised two business matching sessions, facilitating potential collaborations between 40 Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises and NEOM. Hong Kong has been organising the Belt and Road Summit (Summit) annually since 2016, and the Summit has been recognised by our country as a case of significance for the implementation of the B&RI in building a global community of shared future. The ninth Summit was held on September 11 and 12, 2024, and attracted around 6 000 government officials and business leaders from over 70 B&R countries and regions (including the Middle East region), as well as more than 100 delegations. The BRO has also organised 10 exchange sessions since November 2023, inviting Consul Generals from B&R countries (including relevant countries in the Middle East region) in Hong Kong as well as representatives of professional bodies and enterprises to share the opportunities and relevant experience in B&R countries.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 18:18

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea suspended

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Import of poultry meat and products from Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea suspended
    Import of poultry meat and products from Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea suspended
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         The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 26) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 80 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 21.9 million poultry eggs from Korea last year.     “The CFS has contacted the Korean authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 18:10

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Animal Welfare Board of India to Honour Champions of Animal Protection on February 27, 2025, in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Animal Welfare Board of India to Honour Champions of Animal Protection on February 27, 2025, in New Delhi

    Union Ministers of State Prof. S.P.Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian to Grace the Occasion

    Posted On: 26 FEB 2025 2:59PM by PIB Delhi

    The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has announced its Prani Mitra and Jeev Daya Award Ceremony, scheduled to be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 27th February 2025. The occasion will be graced by Union  Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel and  Shri George Kurian.  Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Animal Husbandry Commissioner and Chairman AWBI, representatives from State Animal Welfare Boards, District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCAs), Gau Seva Aayogs, Animal Lovers, Animal Welfare Organizations etc. will be present during the AWBI Award Ceremony.

    The awards will be presented under two major categories: Prani Mitra Award and Jeev Daya Award. The Prani Mitra Award will be conferred under five sub-categories, namely Advocacy (Individual), Innovative Idea (Individual), Lifetime Animal Service (Individual), along with two awards each for Animal Welfare Organizations and for Corporate, PSUs, Government Bodies, or Co-operatives. The Jeev Daya Award will be presented in three sub-categories: Individual, Animal Welfare Organization, and for either Schools, Institutions, Teachers, or Children.

    This initiative aims to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their remarkable contributions to animal welfare and protection. The primary objective of this celebration is to honour and encourage kindness and compassion towards animals in the society while raising awareness among citizens to treat animals in a humane manner.

    Click here to know more about Animal Welfare Board of India :

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    Aditi Agrawal

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Budget: Accelerating Development through Reform and Innovation

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Budget: Accelerating Development through Reform and Innovation
    Budget: Accelerating Development through Reform and Innovation
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         The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, unveiled today (February 26) his 2025-26 Budget. He noted that while geopolitical situation might bring risks, technology reform and artificial intelligence (AI) development are remoulding the global landscape, leading to the emergence of new industries, new forms of business, new products and new services. He stressed that Hong Kong must seize the opportunity to make the most out of this critical window to speed up development, establishing the new before abolishing the old. He also emphasised that transformation and innovation will lead the way into the future, and the Government is poised to fast-track the high-quality development of Hong Kong’s economy.      The Budget presents a series of measures aimed at accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces. On innovation and technology (I&T), the Government will promote Hong Kong into an international exchange and co-operation hub for the AI industry. Through frontier research and real-world application, the Government will endeavour to develop AI as a core industry and empower traditional industries in their upgrading and transformation. To spearhead and support Hong Kong’s innovative research and development as well as industrial application of AI, the Government will establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute and launch the Pilot Manufacturing and Production Line Upgrade Support Scheme (Manufacturing+). On finance, the Government will continue to take forward reforms to the listing regime, host the Hong Kong Global Financial and Industry Summit, and formulate a plan this year on promoting gold market development.      To seize the opportunities brought about by the rapid advancement of innovation and technology, the Budget highlights the need to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis, which is an investment in Hong Kong’s future. The Government will continue to accord priority to providing resources for this initiative, which primarily includes providing large tracts of I&T land at the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, together with San Tin Technopole; adopting an innovative mindset in piloting “large-scale land disposal”; developing a data facility cluster at Sandy Ridge; as well as identifying suitable sites in the Northern Metropolis for the construction of conference and exhibition facilities.     On the promotion of tourism, funding will be allocated to pursue the concept of “tourism is everywhere” and implement the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0. A study will be conducted on the development of the waterfront and former sites to the south of the Hung Hom Station into a new harbourfront landmark, including a yacht club.     Regarding land supply, Mr Chan announced that the Government will not roll out any commercial site for sale in the coming year in view of the high vacancy rates of offices in recent years to allow the market to absorb the existing supply. The Government will also consider rezoning some of the commercial sites into residential use and allowing greater flexibility of land use. To tie in with the relevant work, the deadline for completing in-situ land exchange for commercial sites in the town centre of the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area will be extended.     Mr Chan proposed a reinforced version of the fiscal consolidation programme to focus on strictly controlling government expenditure, supplemented by increasing revenue, to restore fiscal balance in the Operating Account, in a planned and progressive manner, within the current term of the Government. For 2025-26, the executive authorities, the legislature, the judiciary and members of the District Councils, including members of the civil service, take a pay freeze. The Government will step up the Productivity Enhancement Programme; compared with 2023-24, the recurrent expenditure in 2027-28 will record a cumulative reduction by 7 per cent and deliver a saving of $27.3 billion. By April 2027, about 10 000 posts of the civil service establishment are expected to be deleted within this term of Government. The Government will also deliver more efficient public services to citizens through leveraging technology, streamlining processes and driving the digital transformation of public services. In the Budget, it is proposed to adjust two transport subsidy schemes, namely putting forward the “$2 flat rate cum 80 per cent discount” in the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme), and raising the threshold for receiving the subsidy under the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme from $400 to $500, with the prevailing subsidy cap at $400 per month remaining unchanged. He will uphold the “user pays” and the “affordable users pay” principles as far as practicable while increasing revenue, including increasing the air passenger departure tax, and reviewing the tolls of government tunnels and trunk roads. The Government will suitably expand the size of bond issuance on the premise of maintaining healthy public finances and use the funds raised on infrastructure works in a proper and flexible manner to invest in Hong Kong’s future and create value for society.     Mr Chan concluded that he has full confidence in and high expectations for the future of Hong Kong, because Hong Kong people are intelligent, creative and tireless in contributing to the economic development. More importantly, he is confident due to the staunch and unwavering support received from the country and Hong Kong people’s profound insight into the major development trends of the future, as well as the city’s enviable and advantageous position.     For more details on the 2025-26 Budget, click here.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 17:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA GRACES A MASS WEDDING CEREMONY AT GADHA, CHHATARPUR

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 26 FEB 2025 2:40PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, graced a Mass Wedding ceremony, organised by Shri Bageshwar Jan Seva Samiti, at Gadha, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh today (February 26, 2025).

    Addressing the gathering, the President said that today, as our country moves from women-development to women-led development, we must all contribute to making our daughters and sisters strong and capable. She urged people to pay attention to women’s education, health, and safety. She said that our small efforts would empower them. She also advised women to make continuous efforts for their education and self-reliance.

    The President said that in our tradition, saints have shown the path to the people for centuries. They have raised their voice against the social evils prevalent in contemporary society. They have also raised their voice against discrimination based on caste, gender, etc. Be it Guru Nanak, Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir Das, Meera Bai, or Sant Tukaram, all have inspired people to follow the right path through their teachings. Their contribution to Indian society has given them a respectful place. She said that contemporary spiritual leaders could play an important role in building a self-reliant, harmonious, and environment-friendly India.

    Please click here to see the President’s speech – 

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ5: Modular Integrated Construction method

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ5: Modular Integrated Construction method
    LCQ5: Modular Integrated Construction method
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         Following is a question by the Hon Eunice Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:      ​There are views pointing out that in recent years, the Government has been actively promoting the construction of buildings by adopting the Modular Integrated Construction method (MiC), but the buildings constructed by adopting MiC vary in quality (e.g. more serious water leakage or seepage), and there are more design constraints (e.g. thicker walls and standardised flat layouts). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it has compiled statistics on the following information on buildings constructed by adopting MiC: (i) the number of buildings (set out by types of buildings); (ii) the respective numbers of buildings and units provided under transitional housing, public rental housing, Home Ownership Scheme and private developments constructed by adopting MiC in each of the past five years; and (iii) the number of complaints about building quality problems received by the Government in the past five years and, among them, the respective numbers of cases which were successfully handled and could not be handled, with a breakdown by the contents of the complaints (including (a) water leakage, (b) ‍water seepage and (c) others); (2) of the following information on buildings constructed by adopting MiC and involved alteration of layouts in the past five years: (i) the number of applications for change of layout plans received by the Government, as well as the number of applications approved and the reasons for unsuccessful applications; and (ii) the number of cases in which the Government found that the buildings concerned involved unauthorised alterations to the layouts, and the details of the follow-up actions taken; (3) as there are views that more buildings problems have occurred in buildings constructed by adopting MiC, whether the Government has conducted studies in this regard and whether it has plans to further enhance regulation so as to improve the quality of such buildings; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (4) whether the Government has plans to further promote the adoption of MiC; if so, how the Government will ameliorate the problems related to building quality and design arising from the adoption of MiC, and how it will encourage the industry to adopt MiC; if not, of the reasons for that? Reply: President,      ​Hong Kong construction industry has been facing challenges, including declining productivity, relatively high construction costs, and site safety issues. In recent years, the industry has been encouraged to adopt innovative construction technologies, new construction materials, and new construction methodologies to address these challenges comprehensively. Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) is one of the key initiatives  promoted by the Development Bureau (DEVB) since 2017. MiC is based on the “factory assembly followed by on-site installation” concept, which transfers the traditional on-site construction processes to factories. Freestanding MiC modules, including structure, interior fitting-outs and mechanical and electrical installations, are pre-fabricated off-site in factories and then transported to the site for assembly into buildings.      My reply in response to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Eunice Yung is as follows: (1) Completed MiC Projects in the past five years (2020-2024) (excluding emergency anti-epidemic facilities established in past years): 

    MiC Project
    Completed Projects (MiC Units)

    A. Public Works Programme

    4 (approx. 120)

    Elderly Care Homes

    1 (approx. 290)

    5 (approx. 4 300)

    Government Offices

    1 (approx. 20)

    B. Public Housing

    Transitional Housing

    32 (approx. 15 900)

    Elderly Housing

    1 (approx. 60)

    Subsidised Sale Housing

    1 (approx. 300)

    C. Private Housing
    1 (approx. 200)

    D. Others (Single-unit building)
    5 (approx. 5)

              Among the above completed MiC projects, according to records maintained by the relevant management parties, approximately one per cent of the units experienced cases of water leakage or water seepage. This percentage is lower than that of traditional construction methods, and there is no evidence to suggest that the water leakage or water seepage was related to the use of MiC. Most of these cases have been resolved, with only a few remaining under processing. (2) For MiC projects that are planned, under construction, or already completed as aforementioned, government departments have not received any applications for modifications to MiC partitions. (3) In terms of quality, MiC modules are assembled in factories using advanced automation and process management technologies. This allows manufacturers and supervisors to accurately and effectively monitor every detail of the assembly process, including material quality and deployment, assembly procedures, and product testing, ensuring that all completed MiC modules meet quality requirements.  Taking product testing as an example, each MiC module undergoes a series of tests related to structure, finishes, and electrical and mechanical installations before leaving the factory, including comprehensive water leakage and water seepage tests. If any quality issues arise, the causes can be easily and accurately identified and rectified. Additionally, each MiC module is equipped with an identification code to facilitate future maintenance. In terms of design, MiC is suitable for various layouts and building types, including housing, hostels, elderly care homes, schools, office buildings, data centres, and medical buildings. Large rooms such as classrooms and medical wards can be formed by combining multiple MiC modules. Currently, MiC construction technologies can minimise wall thickness and avoid double partition between modules, thereby enhancing the usability of indoor space. Besides its high quality and versatility, MiC also helps reduce on-site labour demand and shorten construction time, improving construction efficiency, reducing material waste, and enhancing site safety.      The University of Hong Kong conducted research on MiC pilot projects and found that the construction time for MiC is shortened by approximately 30 per cent to 50 per cent compared to traditional construction methods, on-site productivity increased by 100 per cent to 400 per cent, and construction costs are reduced by at least 10 per cent. In addition, the research confirmed that MiC outperforms traditional construction methods in terms of quality, environmental protection, and safety.      To enhance industry confidence in MiC quality, the DEVB has commissioned the Building Technology Research Institute (BTRi) to implement the MiC Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme, which started accepting applications in November last year. This scheme ensures that certified MiC manufacturers meet project requirements in management, production, and transportation, while also complying with relevant laws and regulations. (4) The Government leads by example through pilot projects and public works projects that adopt MiC, gaining experience and sharing it with the industry to promote wider use of MiC. To improve project design, the DEVB has established a MiC Dedicated Section that provides advice, technical support, and shares past project experiences during the MiC project design phase to optimise MiC design and fully leverage its advantages.      To encourage wider use of MiC by developers, the Government has introduced several measures, including a 10 per cent concession on MiC gross floor area and site coverage, a four per cent storey height concession for MiC floors, subsidies under the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund, and enhanced communication and collaboration with relevant departments to facilitate project approvals.      Additionally, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council, Hong Kong Institute of Construction, and related associations are collaborating to enhance MiC site personnel training, including workers, supervisors, technicians, and project managers. They are also encouraging construction professionals to engage in more technological innovation and high-quality design to promote the development of the MiC industry.      In March of last year, the DEVB and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province signed the Letter of Intent on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction and Related Engineering Sectors, deepening co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in construction and engineering sectors. This includes developing MiC as a quality productive force to contribute to the high-quality national development. The goal is to make the Greater Bay Area a centre of MiC technology centre, turning MiC into a strategic industry that facilitates the exploration of overseas markets.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 17:02

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Telangana Chief Minister meets Prime Minister

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 26 FEB 2025 1:35PM by PIB Delhi

    The Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Revanth Reddy met the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today.

    The Prime Minister’s Office handle posted on X:

    “Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri @revanth_anumula, met Prime Minister @narendramodi.

    @TelanganaCMO”

     

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ6: Commemorative activities for 80th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ6: Commemorative activities for 80th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance
    LCQ6: Commemorative activities for 80th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance
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         Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:      This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and it is learnt that the Government will host a series of commemorative activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it will set up a “Preparatory Committee for commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of Hong Kong’s victory in the War ‍of Resistance” led by the Working Group on Patriotic Education, and extensively invite the participation of representatives of community organisations to co-ordinate the relevant activities; if so, of the expected time to commence such work; (2) of the key activities to be hosted to commemorate the 80th ‍anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, so as to strengthen the sense of patriotism among the public while disseminating the message of peace; (3) how it will take the opportunity to make good use of the rich resources of the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong to promote the development of red tourism; and (4) how it will collaborate with the relevant Central authorities and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in jointly commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance? Reply: President,      Having consulted the relevant bureaux, a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Yung is as follows:           This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will host commemorative activities to strengthen the sense of patriotism. In terms of implementation, the Working Group on Patriotic Education led by the Chief Secretary for Administration will co-ordinate relevant bureaux and departments in launching a series of commemorative activities, including: (a) The HKSAR Government will host a solemn official ceremony at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden on September 3, the Victory Day of the War of Resistance, to honour the occasion. The commemoration will feature a rendition of the national anthem, ceremonial flag raising, a Rifle Volley by the Police Rifle Squad, an observation of silence, and bowing in tribute. The attendance at the ceremony will include the Chief Executive and senior government officials, representatives of the organs of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong, former Chief Executives, members of the Executive Council, members of the Legislative Council, representatives of war veterans’ groups, HKSAR deputies to the National People’s Congress, HKSAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, representatives of District Councils, representatives of Heung Yee Kuk, representatives of district organisations, members of uniformed groups and youth groups, etc; (b) With the funding and support from the Home Affairs Department, three major associations, namely the Hong Kong Island Federation, the Kowloon Federation of Associations and the New Territories Association of Societies, will organise activities on September 3 to commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance. Examples of these activities include a talk by veterans to recount their experiences during the War and a film show about the War, with a view to deepening the understanding among members of the public about the historical events of the War of Resistance on the Mainland and in Hong Kong and fostering their sense of patriotism; (c) The Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH) under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is currently liaising closely with the National Museum of China on co-organising a large-scale thematic exhibition scheduled to launch in early September for a period of about three months. The exhibition will mainly feature our country’s unyielding spirit of resistance during the War, as well as contents on Hong Kong people’s support for the Mainland compatriots, and the three years and eight months of Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, with a view to giving Hong Kong citizens (particularly the younger generation) a better understanding of the War of Resistance; (d) The Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence (MWRCD) is planning to collaborate with the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History to jointly organise a thematic exhibition on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The exhibition will focus on an overview of the anti war activities of the Chinese Communist Party in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong during the War of Resistance. Through the display of valuable exhibits, historical photographs and multi-media programmes, the exhibition aims to enlighten the public about the history of the War, thereby promoting and inheriting the spirit of patriotic education; (e) The LCSD museums will also organise a diverse array of public and educational programmes, including thematic talks, workshops, field trips, and film screenings to raise public awareness of the history of the War of Resistance; (f) The LCSD will, from August to December, organise a thematic talk “Reapproaching the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong from interactive map, 1941-1945” and a book display “Days of War” at the Hong Kong Central Library, as well as book displays, photo exhibitions and thematic talks at public libraries in different districts to introduce relevant collections and information, so as to enable citizens to learn about the history of the War of Resistance as well as the unity and resilience of the Chinese people in the fight for peace. These include the thematic talk cum roving exhibition “War of Resistance in Hong Kong: Sai Kung” to be held in Sai Kung District, guided tours of the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-war Memorial Hall to be held in North District, and thematic talk series “Wartime Sham Shui Po” to be held in Sham Shui Po District, etc; (g) In terms of teachers and students, the Education Bureau (EDB) has always attached great emphasis on the education about the history of the War of Resistance, and continuously organises relevant activities for teachers and students to help them understand the history of the War and the heroic deeds of the martyrs, experience the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, learn to cherish peace through remembering history, as well as cultivate their sense of identity, belonging, responsibility and patriotic spirit. On teacher training activities, the EDB plans to organise an academic seminar on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, lecture on the contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column, visits to places such as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall, and the Wu Kau Tang Martyrs Memorial Garden, as well as a study tour for teachers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area themed on the footprints in relation to the War of Resistance. On student activities, the EDB plans to roll out the “Visual Narrative of the War of Resistance: Territory-wide Creative Competition”, the History e-Reading Award Scheme themed on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, the second “Learn from Museums – Novice Curator Training Programme” co-organised with the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, as well as field study activities related to the history of the War of Resistance in both the local region and the Mainland; and (h) The Information Services Department is actively planning to collaborate with relevant government organisations on programme production under the theme of “Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance”, so as to promote patriotic education through storytelling in a vivid manner.      To make good use of the abundant resources relating to the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong to promoting characteristic tourism, the Tourism Commission, in collaboration with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), has been taking forward the Enhancement of Hiking Trails (the Project) since 2018 to enhance the tourism supporting facilities of 20 hiking trails in country parks which are popular and with tourism potential. The Project covers hiking trails relating to war history, namely Lion Rock Historic Walk, Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail. The AFCD completed the enhancement works at Lion Rock Historic Walk in December 2023, whereas those at Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail are expected to be completed progressively in 2026. In addition, the AFCD installed at the Robin’s Nest Country Park interpretation panels about its war relics and the deeds of nearby villagers at the War of Resistance, and produced a video for broadcasting on social media platforms, thereby showcasing the history of the War of Resistance at the Robin’s Nest Country Park. The HKSAR Government will continue to encourage the trade to make better use of the abundant resources relating to the history of the War of Resistance to develop more unique tourism products covering different themes of in-depth tours.           Besides, to preserve the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong, the MWRCD has commenced relevant historical research with a view to providing related historical information for the War of Resistance heritage trails to be set up by responsible government departments in the future. The information will offer the public an insight into the history of the War of Resistance, and enrich their travel experience.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 15:30

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ4: Tobacco control and combating trading activities of duty-not-paid cigarettes

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Lai Tung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):Question:     At present, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health is mainly responsible for matters relating to tobacco control and taking enforcement action under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371). From time to time, TACO conducts plainclothes inspections or test purchases, and conducts investigations in the form of joint operations with other law enforcement departments, while the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) combats smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes on different fronts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the number of inspections conducted and fixed penalty notices issued by TACO in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by smoking offences;(2) of the respective establishment and strength of frontline law enforcement officers of different ranks in TACO in each of the past three years;(3) of the details and results of C&ED’s efforts to combat smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes in the past three years;(4) on import cases, of the following information in each of the past three years: the number of referrals received by TACO from C&ED and the number of summonses issued, the number of cases convicted in the court, and other details of the relevant cases;(5) on in-town enforcement, of the number and results of various investigation actions (including plainclothes inspections, test purchases, and joint operations) conducted by TACO in each of the past three years; and(6) how the authorities plan to enhance interdepartmental collaboration in the future to combat the sale of duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products?Reply:President,     Having consulted the Department of Health (DH) and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Lai Tung-kwok’s question is as follows:     The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH is the principal enforcement agency for the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 600) (with the number of full-time enforcement staff in the approved establishment provided at Annex I). The TACO mainly enforces (i) offences relating to illegal smoking in statutory no-smoking area (including aiding and abetting smoking offences and obstruction of inspectors’ duties); (ii) offences relating to tobacco advertisement and sale; and (iii) offences relating to alternative smoking products (ASPs). The C&ED is the principal enforcement agency responsible for the suppression of smuggling activities, including collecting and protecting revenue from dutiable commodities stipulated in the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The numbers of inspections conducted, fixed penalty notices (FPNs)/summonses issued by the TACO between 2022 and 2024 for smoking and other related offences are at Annex II.     As regards illegal smoking offences, under the prevailing legislation, any person who commits the act of smoking in a designated no smoking area is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. To effectively mitigate the impact of secondhand smoking on the public and enhance the deterrent effect against illegal smoking, the TACO has flexibly deployed resources and adopted new enforcement strategies since 2023, which included extending the time of surveillance and inspections in no smoking areas, deploying plain-clothes officers to take proactive enforcement actions, and would issue FPNs to smoking offenders without warning.     The number of prosecutions against illegal smoking has surged due to the aforementioned new enforcement strategies. The number of FPNs issued increased from 6 296 in 2022 to 10 261 in 2023 and 13 488 in 2024. Besides, to step up efforts in targeting venues (e.g. bars and restaurants) that offer waterpipe tobacco to customers, the TACO, on its own and in conjunction with the Police, has taken over 400 enforcement actions in the past three years. In addition to prosecution against illegal smoking, the TACO has also initiated prosecutions against persons suspected of inciting, aiding and abetting smoking offenders (including bar operators who have committed aiding and abetting smoking offences).     As regards smoking product advertisements, under the prevailing legislation, no person shall display or distribute smoking product advertisements (including leaflets) or place smoking product advertisements on the Internet. Offenders are liable to a fine of $50,000. The TACO has been actively conducting market surveillance, and in order to further curb the situation of illicit cigarette leaflets, the TACO has been strengthening joint operations since 2023, including joint operations with the Police, the Housing Department (HD) and the C&ED against complaints of distributing illicit cigarette leaflets. A total of over 250 joint operations were conducted in the past three years. Since 2021, the TACO has successfully prosecuted 17 offenders for distributing smoking product leaflets. The highest penalty for these convicted cases was a fine of $8,000. For online advertisement, apart from conducting investigations and prosecutions upon receipt of complaints or referrals, the TACO also actively carries out online surveillance. Upon identification of smoking product advertisements, the TACO will ask the relevant internet service providers and social media platforms to remove such contents as soon as possible. The TACO has removed over 3 200 webpages and social media accounts or posts involving smoking product advertisements in aggregate in the past three years.     As regards the ASP ban, with effect from April 30, 2022, no person may import, promote, manufacture, sell, or possess for commercial purposes ASPs, in accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). The C&ED is responsible for intercepting illegally-imported ASPs at import level with intercepted cases referred to the TACO for follow-up and prosecution, the TACO is also responsible for market surveillance and instituting prosecution.     For cases involving import of ASPs, as at December 31, 2024, the TACO issued 1 272 summonses to offenders of importing cases, of which offenders in 694 cases were convicted by court and were fined $300 to $42,000. During the same period, the C&ED detected 52 cases involving offences under the C&ED’s enforcement and illegal import of ASPs concurrently, of which 26 were convicted and the highest fine and sentence imposed were $5,000 and four months’ imprisonment respectively. Besides, the TACO also monitors the sale of ASP on the Internet, and conducts test buy for follow-up investigation, as well as liaises with relevant organisation to assist in removing the illegal online content. For cases of suspected sale or possession for commercial purposes of ASPs, the TACO issued 24 summonses to offenders, of which 20 cases were convicted by court and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at most.     The relevant ban on ASPs has been in force for nearly three years. At present, there are no legal channels to import or purchase ASPs, and ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. Prevailing legislation does not prohibit the possession of ASPs for non-commercial use. To suppress the continued circulation of ASPs, which are hazardous novel tobacco products, in Hong Kong and to tackle the problem of using e-cigarette devices to abuse drugs at its root, the Health Bureau will further strengthen the regulation of ASPs, including banning the possession of relevant products. Details will be announced later.     On the other hand, as an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy, the Government will spare no efforts in combating illicit cigarettes. At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The C&ED will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach and take stringent enforcement actions at all levels to combat the sale of illicit cigarettes. The C&ED exchanges intelligence with the Police from time to time and conducts joint operations in a timely manner, including combating cases of cigarette smuggling and illicit cigarette storage in downtown. In addition, the C&ED has been maintaining close intelligence exchange and co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies to combat cross-boundary cigarette smuggling activities.     The enforcement figures against illicit cigarettes (including smuggling, storage and distribution as well as sale) in the past three years are set out at Annex III. The increase in the number of seizures of illicit cigarettes reflects the effectiveness of the C&ED’s stepped-up actions against illicit cigarettes and the success of its enforcement strategy does not denote an expanding scale of illicit cigarettes activities. The Government announced the “10 measures for tobacco control” in June last year. Stepping up actions against illicit cigarettes was accorded the highest priority among the 10 measures, including:(i) introducing a duty stamp system to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from non-duty-paid cigarettes;(ii) requiring tobacco products being sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty need to be proved duty-paid;(iii) increasing the maximum penalty for handling, possessing, selling or buying duty-not-paid cigarettes; and (iv) listing the relevant offences under the Schedule of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO) (Cap. 455), so as to enable the C&ED to freeze and confiscate illicit proceeds and assets associated with illicit cigarette activities by virtue of the OSCO.     On duty stamp system, taking into account factors such as enforcement effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, the Government proposes to require the affixing of duty-paid labels on the retail packages of cigarettes at this stage. Through the application of anti-forgery features and related digital technologies, frontline officers of the C&ED would be able to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones in a more effective manner, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency. The C&ED expects that a pilot scheme on the duty stamp system will be rolled out in the middle of this year to work out the practical operating requirement of the relevant scheme, which will then be launched next year at the earliest. The Government expects that the above measures will increase the deterrent effect and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement departments in combating illicit cigarettes.      The relevant Government departments, including the TACO, the C&ED, the Police and the HD will continue to work together to enhance intelligence exchange and deepen the co-operation mechanism, as well as to make adjustments to their enforcement strategies having regard to the actual situation, and to take joint enforcement actions and refer suspected illegal cases, with a view to taking forward the work of tobacco control and enforcing the relevant legislation.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government appoints Professor Tsui Lap-chee as expert advisor to Task Group on New Medical School

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Government announced today (February 26) the appointment of Professor Tsui Lap-chee as an expert advisor to the Task Group on New Medical School.

         The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “Professor Tsui is an internationally renowned expert in the field of molecular human genetics, the incumbent Chair of the College Council of the Hong Kong Chu Hai College and the former President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, with extensive experience in leading both the higher education sector and the area of academic research. The next stage of the work of the Task Group will be to assess the proposals submitted by universities interested in establishing the new medical school according to the devised parameters. I am very confident that Professor Tsui will definitely be able to provide invaluable advice to the Task Group in its new stage of work, particularly in the consideration of the governance and scientific research development strategies of the new medical school.”

         The Chief Executive announced in his 2024 Policy Address that the Government supports the establishment of a third medical school by a local university, with a view to nurturing more talented medical practitioners in support of the local healthcare system to provide quality service, while at the same time driving Hong Kong’s development into an international medical training, research and innovation hub. The Government invited seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics for medical teaching and university management, professionals, the Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, together with relevant Directors of Bureaux and Heads of Departments of the Government, to form the Task Group. The Task Group is responsible for devising the direction and parameters for the new medical school, as well as selecting a suitable university for setting up the new medical school. 
         
         â€‹Since its establishment in October 2024, the Task Group has formulated the directions and parameters for establishing the new medical school, and issued a letter of invitation in December last year to local universities interested in establishing the new medical school for submission of proposals by March 17 this year. In the next stage of the work of the Task Group, concrete criteria for assessing proposals will be formulated to ensure that a qualified and eligible university will be selected in a transparent and fair manner for the establishment of the new medical school. It is anticipated that the Task Group will complete its assessments and make recommendations to the Government within this year.

         The biography of Professor Tsui is as follows:

         Professor Tsui is an expert in the field of molecular human genetics with outstanding achievements in the realms of genetic research and medical innovation. Professor Tsui served as the 14th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong and is the Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences. He is also currently the Chairman of the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Educational Development and Research, and Emeritus University Professor at the University of Toronto.

         The membership of the Task Group with effect from February 26, 2025, is as follows:

    Co-chairmen
    ————
    Secretary for Education
    Secretary for Health

    Alternate Co-chairmen
    ——————
    Permanent Secretary for Education/Under Secretary for Education
    Permanent Secretary for Health/Under Secretary for Health

    Expert advisors
    ————
    Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong
    President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (or representative)
    Professor Nivritti Gajanan Patil
    Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu
    Professor Zhao Yupei
    Professor Tsui Lap-chee *
    Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung

    Official members
    ————
    Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) (or representative)
    Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (or representative)
    Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee (or representative)
    Director of Health (or representative)
    Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative)
    Deputy Secretary for Education (1)
    Deputy Secretary for Health 3
    Commissioner for Primary Healthcare (or representative)

    * New appointment

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ22: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
    LCQ22: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
    *************************************

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):Question:     To safeguard public health, the Government is implementing a territory-wide COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Vaccination Programme) free of charge for eligible persons. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the respective numbers of received vaccination doses and vaccination rates under the Vaccination Programme in the past two years; among them, the respective numbers of received doses and vaccination rates for initial and booster doses;(2) of the respective numbers of received booster doses and booster vaccination rates in the past two years for various priority groups eligible for free booster vaccination, i.e. (i) older adults aged 50 or above (including those living in residential care homes), (ii) persons aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities, (iii) persons with immunocompromising conditions aged six months and above, (iv) pregnant women, and (v) healthcare workers;(3) of the financial expenditure incurred by the Government in implementing the Vaccination Programme in each of the past two years;(4) whether it knows the number of deaths due to COVID-19 infection in the past two years, and the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received by the deceased prior to their death; and(5) since the restoration of normalcy after the pandemic, what measures the Government has put in place to promote COVID-19 vaccination among the public, particularly high-risk groups, in order to effectively prevent COVID-19?Reply:President,     With the ever evolvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the prevention and treatment capacities of the local healthcare system and society as a whole have been enhanced significantly.  COVID-19 has been managed as an upper respiratory tract illness by the Government since early 2023. Despite this, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that high-risk persons should receive COVID-19 booster doses at appropriate times to lower the risks of serious illness and death. With reference to the recommendations from the WHO as well as the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (JSC) under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH), the Government is currently providing the JN.1 lineage COVID-19 vaccines for eligible individuals aged six months or above.     As the vast majority of the public had past COVID-19 infection, according to the recommendation of the JSC, the Government has simplified the arrangements for initial vaccination, which replaced the previous three-dose definition for initial vaccination, since August 19, 2024. Under the new arrangement, in general, persons aged five or above (regardless of their history of infection with COVID-19) are considered to have completed initial vaccination by receiving one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Persons aged six months to four years who have been infected with COVID-19 are considered to have completed initial vaccination by receiving one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. For those who have not been infected, they should receive two or three doses of vaccines in accordance with the recommendations of the vaccine manufacturers to be considered as having completed initial vaccination.  In addition, the JSC recommended that high-risk priority groups, including individuals aged 50 or above and those with chronic diseases, should receive a booster dose at least six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later), regardless of the number of doses received previously, in order to enhance protection.     Between 2023 and 2024, the activity level of SARS-CoV-2 virus followed a cyclical pattern, with minor waves occurring every four to six months. For example, the virus became active in early January 2024 with a positive rate of 6.8 per cent among respiratory specimens, peaking at 16.8 per cent in early March before decreasing to lower levels in June. The subsequent wave peaked at 9.06 per cent from late July to early August before subsiding. As of the week ending on February 8, 2025, the positive rate for COVID-19 testing remained at a low level of 0.46 per cent.  Regarding the monitoring of variant strains, the JN.1 and its descendant lineages were the most prevalent variant strains.     The reply, in consultation with the DH and the Hospital Authority (HA), to the question regarding the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme raised by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong is as follows:(1) As at January 31, 2025, a total of more than 21 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. In 2023 and 2024, about 586 000 and about 222 000 doses were administered respectively. The definition for initial vaccination was updated since August 19, 2024. Starting from August 19, 2024, about 61 000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered, including about 1 000 initial doses and about 60 000 booster doses. The estimated proportion of people that completed COVID-19 initial vaccination in Hong Kong is about 94 per cent.(2) According to the recommendation of the JSC, since April 20, 2023, citizens have to declare themselves as priority groups to continue receiving free boosters. Therefore, the DH only maintains records of the actual number of vaccinations for individuals who declared themselves as belonging to a priority group on or after April 20, 2023.     From April 20, 2023 to 2024, around 342 000 booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered for the self-reported priority groups. The vaccination figures broken down by the priority groups are as follows: 

    Self-reported priority group
    Number of booster doses administered

    Persons aged 50 or above and adult residents living in residential care homes
    332 000

    Healthcare workers
    6 000

    Persons aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities
    3 000

    Persons aged six months or above with immunocompromising conditions
    1 000

    Pregnant women
    Less than 400

    Total
    Around 342 000

    Note: Due to the lack of data on the population size of some priority groups, the vaccination rate cannot be calculated.(3) The expenditure figures of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 (as at January 31, 2025) were $230 million and $124 million respectively.(4) According to the data of the Deaths Registries, a total of 2 944 cases died of COVID-19 between January 2023 and December 2024, with over 98 per cent involving adults aged 50 or above, and among them, nearly 80 per cent had not received COVID-19 vaccination within six months prior to death. In addition, among those fatal cases with available information, nearly 90 per cent had history of known chronic diseases. The data showed that timely booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines for high-risk persons help lower the risk of severe illness and death.(5) Since the launch of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, the Government has set up an online booking system which is available around the clock. Members of the public may make a booking through the system for COVID-19 vaccination at Private Clinic COVID-19 Vaccination Stations, Children Community Vaccination Centre, designated general out-patient clinics under the HA, as well as designated Student Health Service Centres, Maternal and Child Health Centres or Elderly Health Centres under the DH. The Government also provides vaccination for adult residents of residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly and RCHs for persons with disabilities through outreach services under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme.     The Centre for Health Protection has been disseminating health messages on prevention of communicable diseases and maintaining personal and environmental hygiene through various channels, such as TV and radio announcements in the public interest, social media, printed media, Health Education Infoline, media and radio interviews, advertisements on public transport, outdoor and digital media. The messages also cover the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. The Centre for Health Protection will continue to strengthen relevant publicity and health education through various channels. The DH has also encouraged and assisted the elderly in the community, especially elderly singletons, to receive necessary vaccines including COVID-19 vaccine via district networks, such as District Services and Community Care Teams. District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres under the Social Welfare Department, District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses under the Health Bureau, as well as Elderly Health Centres under the DH, will also provide assistance to the elderly in need to make online bookings for COVID-19 vaccination.       In addition, the HA provides COVID-19 vaccination services at its 18 designated general out-patient clinics, 13 designated specialist out-patient clinics, the Children Community Vaccination Centre located at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, as well as its staff vaccination depots. The HA also encourages eligible long-stay patients to receive COVID-19 vaccination to reduce the risk of severe cases and fatalities.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 15:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New application fee and raised visa fee for talent and capital investment admission schemes introduced

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The 2025-26 Budget announced that a new application fee will be introduced under various admission schemes to attract talent and capital investors, and the visa/entry permit issuance fees for approved applications will be raised based on the length of the limit of stay to peg to their costs and reflect the “user pays” principle. To implement these fees, the Immigration (Amendment) Regulation 2025 has been published in the Gazette and came into effect from 11am today (February 26) (commencement time).

         With effect from the commencement time, principal applicants under specified admission schemes and their dependants will be required to pay an application fee of $600 for each application under a specified admission scheme for entry, change of conditions of stay or extension of limit of stay; and the visa/entry permit fee for an approved application will be increased, based on the length of the limit of stay, from the original flat rate of $230 to $600 (with a limit of stay of 180 days or below) or $1,300 (with a limit of stay of 181 days or more). Pursuant to the amended Immigration Regulations (Cap. 115 sub. leg. A), the Director of Immigration has specified that the above fees apply to the following admission schemes:

         1. Top Talent Pass Scheme;
         2. General Employment Policy;
         3. Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals;
         4. Quality Migrant Admission Scheme;
         5. Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates;
         6. Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents;
         7. New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme;
         8. Capital Investment Entrant Scheme;
         9. Technology Talent Admission Scheme; and
         10. Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme.

         A Government spokesman said, “The various admission schemes for talent and capital investors have been well-received since their introduction or enhancement. The number of applications for different talent admission schemes has grown from around 58 000 in 2022 to more than 221 000 in 2023 and around 208 000 in 2024, representing an increase of more than 250 per cent compared with 2022. Processing such applications involved substantial administrative resources. With reference to the fees charged for similar applications in overseas jurisdictions, the Government has decided to introduce a universal application fee and raise the visa/entry permit issuance fees for applications under the specified schemes to recover as far as possible the administrative costs incurred in processing the applications.

         “The Government will continue to review and enhance the various talent admission arrangements, promote Hong Kong’s unique strengths and development opportunities, and provide comprehensive support services to incoming talent to attract global talent with diverse backgrounds to pursue development in Hong Kong. We are confident that the newly implemented measures would not affect Hong Kong’s quest for talent,” the spokesman added.

         The existing fees applicable to other types of visas/entry permits other than those applied under the specified schemes remain unchanged.

         The list of specified schemes and the fee structure have been uploaded to the dedicated website of the Immigration Department (ImmD) (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/specifiedschemes.html). For enquiries, please contact the ImmD by enquiry hotline (2824 6111), by fax (2877 7711) or by email (enquiry@immd.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN ARMY PROCURES CRITICAL CBRN DEFENCE EQUIPMENT

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 26 FEB 2025 12:28PM by PIB Delhi

    Indian Army has signed a contract on 25 February 2025 for procurement of 223 Automatic Chemical Agent Detection and Alarm (ACADA) systems with M/s L&T Ltd at a cost of Rs 80.43 Cr, under the Buy Indian (IDDM) category. This will give a significant boost to the GoI’s Atamnirbharta drive since more than 80% of the components and sub-systems of the equipment will be sourced locally.

    ACADA has been designed and developed by DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior and marks a significant milestone in the nation’s indigenisation initiative in the niche CBRN domain.

    The ACADA system is used to detect chemical warfare agents (CWA) and programmed toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) by sampling the air from the environment. It works on the principle of Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) and contains two highly sensitive IMS cells for continuous detection and simultaneous monitoring of harmful/ toxic substances. Induction of ACADA in the field units will substantially enhance Indian Army’s defensive CBRN capability for operations, as also for peacetime, especially for responding to disaster relief situations related to industrial accidents.

    ****

    SC

    (Release ID: 2106362) Visitor Counter : 71

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ19: Improving the Government’s human resources planning

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:     It is learnt that the number of posts in the civil service establishment dropped from around 193 000 as at March 31, 2022 to 191 742 as at September 30 last year, while the civil service strength fell from around 176 000 to 172 499. On the other hand, there are views that the Government may further enhance its administrative efficiency by making good use of innovative technology and improving the existing human resources planning. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) whether the Government will review the existing establishment structure and integrate posts with similar or overlapping functions as appropriate; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;(2) given that as indicated on November 20 last year in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council, the Government had started to provide a generative AI document processing copilot application (the AI application) developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center for internal trial use by government staff to perform document processing work like drafting, translation and summarisation of documents, of the following information regarding the AI application: (i) the government departments using the AI application on a trial basis, (ii) the percentage of government documents drafted with the assistance of the AI application out of the total number of government documents and (iii) the Government’s savings in time and manpower costs after using the AI application;(3) whether the Government will further utilise the AI application to handle more routine document processing work so as to further release manpower; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;(4) whether the Government has currently formulated policies and measures to streamline the government structure and enhance administrative efficiency; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and(5) whether the Government will consider setting up a high-level steering committee to assist itself in reviewing on a regular basis the establishment and functions of various government departments, as well as the application of various innovative technologies in government departments, and to make recommendations on the addition or deletion of posts within the establishment; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     Regarding the question raised by Hon Mrs Regina IP, we have consulted the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, and our consolidated reply is as follows: (1), (4) & (5) The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has been committed to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service, encouraging various policy bureaux/departments (B/Ds) to regularly review and appropriately deploy their manpower to effectively implement government policies and initiatives.     To strictly control the civil service establishment and ensure the sustainability of public finances, the Government has implemented the zero-growth policy in the overall civil service establishment since 2021-22. B/Ds have improved their work efficiency through re-organisation of work and internal redeployment, etc. It is anticipated that by March 31, 2025, the civil service establishment will have reduced, on a cumulative basis, by approximately 2 000 posts from the level as at end-March 2021.     The adjustment of the civil service establishment must adhere to the two principles of stability and sustainable development, balancing the manpower requirements of B/Ds to effectively provide existing and new services and the need to streamline the civil service. The current term Government will continue to strictly control the growth of the civil service establishment and optimise the use of manpower resources through the application of technology, for serving the society and citizens with dedication.     We have all along been mindful of the functions of different grades and ranks as to whether they are very similar or largely overlap, and will make adjustments or consolidation accordingly. We are also mindful of the need to update and adjust the functions of certain grades due to technology advancement. For instance, the demand for typing services has significantly dropped following the prevalence of the use of computers. As a result, the Government stopped the recruitment of Typists more than two decades ago and gradually re-appointed the serving Typists as Clerical Assistants through the In-service Appointment Scheme (IAS) and the provision of appropriate training. Apart from the continued delivery of clerical services, those Clerical Assistants re-appointed from Typists also provide frontline customer services and carry out various supporting work at B/Ds. After multiple rounds of IAS and through natural wastage, the number of Typists, which once exceeded 3 000 at its peak, has been successfully reduced to some 120 at the end of last year. The functions of the Typists now remaining have also been adjusted. In addition to handling Chinese and English clerical work through the use of word-processing softwares, they perform data entry or other clerical duties in law enforcement departments or departments which process large amounts of personal data (e.g. Inland Revenue Department).     Individual civil service grades whose future manpower needs are uncertain, such as those with surplus staff or those undergoing institutional reviews, are classified as “Controlled Grades” by the CSB. These grades require the CSB’s approval before open recruitment, which is not lightly granted unless they have clear prospect for development and the demand for manpower is obvious and certain. Under these “controlled” circumstances, B/Ds must seek alternative solutions to handle the responsibilities of these grades, including integrating the duties of the “Controlled Grades” with other grades.     The above-mentioned work has been carried out by the Government on a long-term basis without a fixed timeline.     The operation of B/Ds and the work of civil servants must keep pace with the times. The Supplement to the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address has set out the initiative of promoting the adoption of management measures and digitalisation among B/Ds to reprioritise and re-organise their work, capitalise on technology solutions, and streamline work processes, with a view to optimising the use of the civil service manpower resources. With assistance from the Digital Policy Office (DPO), the CSB will drive these initiatives among B/Ds in 2025, with a view to deploying human resources more appropriately and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service. The DPO will continue to lead various B/Ds in applying innovative technologies and accelerating the development of digital government. The DPO will also actively support the above-mentioned measures of promoting digitalisation for optimising the use of civil service manpower resources, thereby enhancing government efficiency and services.(2) & (3) The Government has started the pilot use of a generative artificial intelligence document processing copilot application (the Application) developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI) under InnoHK since mid-2024 to assist government officers in handling document processing tasks such as drafting, translation, and summarisation of documents. The DPO has invited all B/Ds to arrange their officers of different grades to participate in this pilot use exercise.     The Application is currently at the development stage. The purpose of conducting the pilot use exercise is to collect the government officers’ feedback on using the Application according to their operational needs, thus facilitating HKGAI in further training and optimising its large language model and the Application. The DPO does not, at the current stage, maintain information on the percentage of documents processed in the pilot use against all the government documents, as well as the time and manpower costs saved. In the longer term, the Application will help reduce the manpower required for government officers to handle general document processing tasks, allowing manpower to be deployed to other areas of need, thereby creating maximum value.     The DPO will continue to co-ordinate with various B/Ds to extend the pilot use of the Application to more government officers in handling the tasks of drafting, translation, and summarisation of documents, and through the collection of user feedback, to assist HKGAI in optimising the Application’s performance in handling document processing work.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Developing family-friendly tourism

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that the family-friendly tourism market has been developing gradually in recent years, and family travel has become a popular choice. There are views pointing out that while Hong Kong has various family-friendly tourism resources, such as theme parks, playgrounds, museums and country parks, the overall resources have not been consolidated, the planning of which is rather fragmented, and there is a lack of systematic ancillary facilities for family-friendly tourism. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it has plans to consolidate the family-friendly tourism resources in Hong Kong, introduce a clear and user-friendly map of family-friendly tourism resources to centrally display various types of facilities (e.g. theme parks, playgrounds, museums, country parks and outdoor activity venues), and provide one-stop information services for family tourists, with a view to helping parents plan their trips more conveniently; if so, of the mode to be adopted (e.g.‍ whether mobile applications or online platforms will be included), the implementation details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) whether it will further improve the family-friendly ancillary facilities (including family-friendly toilets, lactation rooms and child-safe facilities) in the family-friendly attractions, as well as the transport links between the attractions, so as to provide a convenient and comfortable experience for family tourists; and
     
    (3) as there are views that the potential of Hong Kong’s family-friendly tourism market has not yet been fully realised, how the Government will enhance the quality of existing facilities and introduce innovative family-friendly tourism products (e.g. organising more interactive exhibitions and parent-child activities combining education and entertainment, and providing more suitable indoor and outdoor children’s spaces); whether it will introduce preferential policies or subsidies in support of family-friendly tourism, so as to attract more family tourists to choose Hong Kong as their vacation destination?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         As an international city and a tourism hub with diverse culture, Hong Kong has world-class resources in the areas of culture, sports, tourism, ecology, etc. and has long been one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world attracting many family visitors every year. Hong Kong has the edge to further develop family tourism in terms of tourism products and facilities. Strengthening Hong Kong’s status as the premier tourism destination for family visitors is one of the strategies under the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 promulgated by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) last year.

         In respect of the questions raised by the Hon Nixie Lam, the consolidated reply is as follows:

         In terms of tourism products, there are various family-friendly itineraries and products available in the market, such as theme parks, family hiking trails, beaches in close proximity to the city, a variety of cultural and historical experience centres, museums. The Government has also been encouraging and facilitating the tourism industry to develop more family-friendly itineraries and products to showcase the unique characteristics of Hong Kong with a view to attracting more family visitors to Hong Kong. The two theme parks in Hong Kong, i.e. Ocean Park (OP) and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL), constantly provide family visitors with offers of discount tickets and hotel packages, and introduce a wide range of suitable activities to provide family visitors with unique travel experiences. The gifting of another two giant pandas, An An and Ke Ke, by the Central Government last year, together with Ying Ying, Le Le and their twin cubs, has made Hong Kong home to the largest number of giant pandas outside Mainland China at present. Our promotion of panda tourism as a priority is particularly appealing to family visitors. Besides, this year marks the 20th anniversary of HKDL, and there will be a year-long celebration which will be highly attractive to family visitors. Additionally, the Government encourages different organisations to launch diversified activities targeting at family visitors. For example, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) offers a variety of family-friendly facilities, including innovative play spaces for children and places to learn about plants and animals, which are highly sought after among parents and children. Examples include Hong Kong Park, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Sham Shui Po Park, Cha Kwo Ling Promenade, Tuen Mun Park. The LCSD also organises The International Arts Carnival and “Summer Family Cine Fest” from July to August every year, as well as Fun@Museum Carnival and fun days during Muse Fest HK every November. Further to the Adventure Night @HKPM: Family Sleepover and various family workshops held in the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ respectively last year, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will roll out a family arts event WestK FunFest 2025 from March to April this year.

         In terms of information dissemination, to facilitate itinerary planning by family visitors, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has listed on its one-stop travel information platform, DiscoverHongKong.com, various points of interest that are suitable for family visitors, including the dedicated page, “Hong Kong attractions for families of all ages”, which consolidates various attractions suitable to family visitors like theme parks, Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP), on an interactive map; and featured articles recommending itineraries for family travel, providing transportation guide and offering recommendations on indoor family activities such as playgrounds, malls, workshops. The dedicated webpage also covers “12 museums for family days out in Hong Kong” and “Best family-friendly picnic spots in Hong Kong” to offer unique travel experiences to family visitors.

         In the meantime, the HKTB will continue to enhance its one-stop travel information platform to consolidate other important travel-related websites and applications (covering, for example, information relating to leisure and cultural facilities of the Government, hiking trails and camping), with a view to providing family visitors with more comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date travel information and citywide offers. The HKTB will develop Live Travel Map and the Smart Itinerary Planner, which will provide visitors with real-time recommendations of nearby attractions, activities, offers, personalised itinerary suggestions that cater for their interests and preferences, and thereby providing them with unique travel experiences. These smart tourism initiatives are conducive to facilitating and enhancing the experiences of all visitors, including family visitors. 

         In terms of supporting facilities, the Government has all along been encouraging the hotel industry and various tourist attractions to continuously improve their supporting facilities, including family-friendly facilities such as hotel rooms with family elements and themed on giant pandas and kids. Some hotels are already equipped with family-friendly facilities such as playgrounds, kids clubs and toy rooms.

         Moreover, various tourist attractions are well-equipped with family-friendly facilities and services. For example, OP and Water World, HKDL, HKWP, different LCSD venues, the two museums in West Kowloon Cultural District, Ngong Ping Village, provide visitors with family-friendly facilities such as family toilets, changing rooms, nursery rooms. Some attractions also offer strollers and baby carriages rental service. Different attractions will continue to enhance their family-friendly facilities and services having regard to the preferences and needs of family visitors.

         The CSTB will, together with the HKTB, relevant bureaux and departments as well as the trade, continue to explore means to further promote the development of family tourism, develop and promote itineraries and products with unique Hong Kong characteristics, as well as provide suitable accommodation, supporting facilities and tailor-made travel experiences. We will target at not only family visitors but also MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) and business travellers attracting them to visit Hong Kong with their families, with a view to developing Hong Kong into a premier tourism destination for family visitors.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by CS on 2025-26 Budget

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at a media session at the Legislative Council Complex after the Financial Secretary delivered the Speech on the 2025-26 Budget today (February 26):

         Just now, the Financial Secretary delivered the 2025-26 Budget.

         Over the past year, the Government has worked closely with various sectors of the community to strive for economic growth and development, actively seizing national and international opportunities to drive the economy forward.

         However, as a small and externally oriented economy, Hong Kong has inevitably encountered various challenges in the face of a complicated and volatile external environment.

         This year’s Budget is comprehensive, well balanced, and pragmatic.  While promoting development, reform and innovation, it also focuses on controlling government expenditure and increasing government revenue where appropriate, demonstrating the Government’s determination to make the best use of public resources for sustainable economic development.

         Some highlights of the Budget include: 

         First, aligning with the national strategy of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.  

         The Budget strategically allocates resources to promote artificial intelligence as a core industry and empower industry development through technology, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub.  

         In particular, through the development of the Hetao Co-operation Zone, we will accelerate the development of emerging industries and achieve a more diversified economic structure.    

         Second, strengthening foundation to accelerate development.

         The Budget proposes a number of measures to leverage our strategic positioning as the “three centres and a hub”, that is international financial, shipping and trade centres, and international hub for high-calibre talent, to strengthen industries with a competitive edge, and enhance collaboration with cities in the Greater Bay Area.  

         We will attract more enterprises to establish their presence in Hong Kong, and proactively deepen the co-operation with emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with a view to attracting enterprises, capital and talent from all over the world.

         Third, reinforcing fiscal consolidation programme. 

         In the face of the pressure on public finances, the Budget introduces various measures to manage expenditure growth, make good use of the Government’s fiscal resources, and identify new revenue sources with a view to ensuring fiscal health for development and future investment.  

         At the same time, the Government will ensure the delivery of high-standard public services, maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness, and minimise the impact to the general public.  

         In addition, the Budget continues to support citizens and businesses, providing taxes and rates reduction, injection into the BUD Fund (Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales) and the Export Marketing and Trade and Industrial Organisation Support Fund, and extra allowance for social security payment recipients.

         All in all, I fully support this year’s Budget, and hope the Legislative Council will promptly scrutinise and approve the appropriation bill.  

         With the strong support of our country, the Government will continue to join hands with all sectors of the community to seize opportunities and leverage our advantages under “one country, two systems” to strengthen the economy and build a better future for all of us.

         Thank you very much.

    (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ21: Addressing the problem of manpower shortage

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:
     
         In the report on the 2023 Manpower Projection published by the Government in November last year, it was projected that the manpower shortage in Hong Kong would be widened to 180 000 by 2028. In particular, skilled technical workers, manual labourers and service industry workers would experience manpower shortage. It was projected that there would be a shortage of 147 000 to 162 000 workers in total by then. Some members of the industrial and commercial sectors are worried that the problem of manpower shortage will limit the development of relevant sectors, and they have urged the Government to introduce more targeted measures to address the problem. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the respective numbers of quotas used under the various sector-‍specific labour importation schemes so far; whether the authorities will study increasing the quotas for such schemes to address the problem of manpower shortage, as well as expanding the relevant schemes to cover more sectors with manpower shortage; if so, of the details;
     
    (2) as the Government launched the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) in September 2023 under which the general exclusion of the 26 job categories as well as unskilled or low-skilled posts from labour importation would be suspended for two years, of the number of labour importation applications approved under the ESLS so far and the number of workers involved, together with a breakdown by 26 job categories; whether the authorities will extend the ESLS or even regularise it; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (3) as it is learnt that applications under the ESLS and sector-specific labour importation schemes are in general required to be subject to a manning ratio of imported labour to full-time local staff (i.e. 1:2), but such a requirement may be waived under special circumstances, whether the authorities have waived the manning ratio requirement in respect of individual applications under such schemes in the past; if so, of the details; whether consideration will be given to relaxing the manning ratio requirement of such schemes; if so, of the details;
     
    (4) whether consideration will be given to relaxing the requirement that wages of workers imported under the ESLS and sector-specific labour importation schemes should not be lower than the prevailing median monthly wage of a comparable position in the market; if so, of the details;
     
    (5) as employers participating in the ESLS and sector-specific labour importation schemes are currently allowed to deduct up to 10 per cent of the wages of imported workers as the accommodation fee for the period that the imported workers occupy the accommodation provided by their employers, whether the authorities will consider raising the percentage; if so, of the details; and
     
    (6) whether it will introduce more new measures to address the problem of manpower shortage in the future; if so, of the details?

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         To cope with the challenges brought by manpower shortage and on the premise of ensuring employment priority for local workers, the Government has enhanced the mechanism for importation of labour. On June 19, 2023, the Labour and Welfare Bureau introduced the Special Scheme to Import Care Workers for Residential Care Homes (Care Workers Scheme) for the residential care home (RCH) sector. On July 17, 2023, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) respectively launched sector-specific labour importation schemes for the construction and transport sectors. In addition, the Labour Department (LD) has implemented the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) since September 4, 2023 to enhance the coverage and operation of the Supplementary Labour Scheme (SLS) including suspending the general exclusion of the 26 job categories as well as unskilled or low-skilled posts from labour importation for two years.
     
         In consultation with the DEVB and the TLB, our reply to the Hon Jimmy Ng’s questions is as follows:
     
    (1) Since the launch of the Care Workers Scheme and sector-specific labour importation schemes, a total of around 23 800 quotas for importation of workers were approved as at January 31, 2025. A breakdown by labour importation schemes is as follows:

    Labour Importation Scheme
    Quota ceiling
    Quotas approved

    Care Workers Scheme
    15 000
    Around 7 200 (Note 1)

    Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector
    (Construction Sector Scheme)
    12 000
    9 109 (Note 2)

    Labour Importation Scheme for the Aviation Sector
    (Aviation Sector Scheme)
    6 300
    5 823

    Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Public Light Bus (PLB)/ Coach Trade
    (Transport Sector Scheme)
    1 700
    (PLB: 900
    Coach trade: 800)
    1 700

    Note 1: Including the new quotas approved since the implementation of the Scheme in June 2023 and the quotas for renewal in respect of care workers previously imported through SLS.
    Note 2: Quota allocation is on a rolling basis, i.e. quotas will be released for new application after the completion of the relevant construction projects. As of end-2024, there were a total of 9 109 approved and active quotas under the Scheme.

         For the Care Workers Scheme, the Government reviewed the manpower situation of care workers in the RCH sector and in July 2024 announced that it would provide additional 8 000 quotas in the coming three years. Having regard to the overall demand for and supply of care workers in the RCH sector, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare will make timely adjustments to the number of overall quotas, as well as the number and pace of quotas allotted in each batch, with a view to responding flexibly and swiftly to changes in the manpower supply and demand in the RCH sector. Regarding the Construction Sector Scheme, on the premise of ensuring priority for local workers’ employment, the DEVB will carefully consider the allotment of the remaining quotas based on the labour market condition and construction project needs, and take note of the updates on manpower forecast to continuously monitor the use of quotas. In respect of the Aviation Sector Scheme, the TLB will make reference to a number of relevant factors such as the results of the latest airport manpower survey conducted by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the implementation of the Scheme, stakeholders’ views, etc. to decide the future direction of the Scheme. Besides, TLB and the Transport Department are reviewing the implementation of the Transport Sector Scheme and assessing the manpower demand of the sector in the coming few years. We shall announce the way forward of the Schemes in good time subject to the review results.

    (2) From September 4, 2023 to January 31, 2025, 6 762 applications involving 47 474 quotas of imported workers were approved under ESLS. A breakdown of the number of quotas of imported workers approved by the 26 job categories, unskilled/ low-skilled posts and other posts is at Annex.
     
    The LD has been closely monitoring the implementation of ESLS and has commenced the review of ESLS. The LD will fully consider the views of stakeholders including employer associations and labour organisations in mapping out the way forward.
     
    (3) According to the general requirements of the sector-specific labour importation schemes and ESLS, employers shall fulfill a manning ratio of 2:1 for full-time local employees to imported workers. Under the Construction Sector Scheme, individual applications with special circumstances, such as applications involving special trades/ disciplines with very limited local supply (e.g. overhead linesman (high voltage)), will be exempted. For ESLS, exceptions include farm workers for which the standard of manpower requirement is specified by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. On the Care Workers Scheme, subvented RCHs and contract RCHs may for every two full-time local employees apply to import a maximum of one care worker only (i.e. a 2:1 ratio), and private RCHs and self-financing RCHs may for every full-time local employee apply to import a maximum of one care worker only (i.e. a 1:1 ratio). The Government has no plan to further relax relevant requirements.
     
    (4) to (6) To safeguard employment priority for local workers, applicant employers of respective labour importation schemes must undertake local open recruitment and give priority to employing suitable local workers to fill the vacancies at a salary not lower than the prevailing median monthly wage of a comparable position in the market. At the same time, employers approved to import workers are required to sign a Standard Employment Contract (SEC) with imported workers, and shall pay a salary not lower than the median monthly wage of a comparable position. Besides, in accordance with SEC, the employer may deduct the actual cost of accommodation in respect of a period that an imported worker occupies the accommodation from the wages payable to the worker for the corresponding period or 10 per cent of the amount of wages (excluding any overtime pay) payable to the worker for the corresponding period, whichever is the less.
     
         As explained in items (1) and (2) of the reply, the Government has been closely monitoring and reviewing the implementation of labour importation schemes. Relevant bureaux have been implementing appropriate measures in light of the situation to enhance the arrangement and operation of the Schemes. The LD has also commenced the review of ESLS. In addition, the Government will continue to adopt a multi-pronged strategy, including promoting training and retraining, providing appropriate employment support and driving technology adoption for productivity uplifting, to address the manpower shortage problem.
     
         The Government is also exploring the introduction of a new channel under the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals to attract a specified number of young non-degree talents possessing relevant professional technical skills and experience to apply for entry into Hong Kong to join the skilled trades facing acute manpower shortage.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ12: Reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as an offshore Renminbi business hub

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Adrian Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:
     
         The Chief Executive has proposed in the 2024 Policy Address that the Government will continue to enhance the mutual market access regime and reinforce Hong Kong’s status as the world’s largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub, contributing to the internationalisation of RMB. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) launched the “Hong Kong Dollar-Renminbi Dual Counter Model” (dual-counter model) in June 2023 to provide investors with a variety of trading currency options and more investment opportunities, and investors’ holdings in Hong Kong Dollar and RMB counters of the same security can be seamlessly switched, of the total transaction amount recorded since the implementation of the dual-‍counter model and its proportion in the securities market;
     
    (2) whether it has assessed the operation and effectiveness of the dual-‍counter model based on the figures in (1); of the policies to be implemented in the future to enhance promotion, so as to encourage more listed companies and investors to adopt the dual counter model;
     
    (3) given that the HKEX has announced earlier the launch of a Single Tranche Multiple Counter this year to optimise the settlement procedures for Multi-‍counter Eligible Securities (including dual-‍counter securities) within the Central Clearing and Settlement System, of the progress of implementing such arrangement; and
     
    (4) given that the Government has indicated that it, in co-ordination with the regulators and the HKEX, will continue to make efforts in promoting offshore RMB business and strengthening product ecosystem at various levels, of the policies and measures in place to further enrich the RMB investment product suite in Hong Kong (e.g. incentivising more institutions to issue RMB-denominated exchange-traded funds and other products), so as to consolidate Hong ‍Kong’s position as an offshore RMB hub?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Hong Kong is a premier global offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub which possesses the world’s largest offshore pool of RMB funds, and operates the largest offshore RMB foreign exchange and over-the-counter interest rate derivatives market. Hong Kong also provides a diversified range of RMB products and services. With the support of the Central People’s Government, the Government, regulators and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) have all along been leveraging the unique advantages under “one country, two systems” to continuously enhance the mutual market access mechanism, further strengthening Hong Kong’s function as a global offshore RMB business hub while promoting the progress of RMB internationalisation.
     
         In consultation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the HKEX, my reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) To meet the increasing demand from global investors for allocating RMB assets, the Government, regulators and the HKEX actively promote the issuance and trading of RMB securities in Hong Kong. To this end, the HKEX launched the “Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)-RMB Dual Counter Model” (dual-counter model) in 2023 to provide investors with more diversified trading options and flexibility to trade securities in HKD or RMB according to their needs. The HKEX also introduced the “Dual Counter Market Maker” (DCMM) regime, under which buy and sell quotes are offered through the RMB counter to promote liquidity of RMB-denominated stocks. To create favorable conditions for market makers to conduct market making and liquidity providing activities at lower transaction costs, the Government has made legislative amendments to exempt the stamp duty of specific transactions by DCMMs.
     
         Since implementation, the dual-counter model and the DCMM regime have been operating smoothly. Currently, a total of 24 issuers have adopted the dual-counter model to provide HKD and RMB securities trading. Meanwhile, 12 exchange participants have been designated as DCMMs to conduct market making and liquidity providing activities. Since the launch of the regime in June 2023 until mid-February 2025, the total trading volume of the HKD counter and RMB counter of dual-counter securities reached approximately HKD16.5 trillion and RMB42 billion respectively, accounting for about 31 per cent of the total turnover of the cash securities market in total. Under the dual-counter model, the HKEX and market participants (including listed companies, investors, brokers, banks and market makers) have accumulated considerable practical experience in issuing, trading, settling and converting the same stocks, especially the highly liquid ones, in different currencies. This helps consolidate readiness for further developing the RMB securities market.
     
         With the sustained growth of RMB cross-boundary payment and its share in global payment, we believe that the number of offshore investors holding RMB will gradually increase. Meanwhile, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced in 2024 its support for the inclusion of RMB stock trading counter under Southbound trading of Stock Connect. The regulators and exchanges of the two places are conducting relevant technical preparations at full speed, so as to enable Mainland investors to trade Hong Kong stocks in RMB as soon as possible. The Government and the HKEX will also continue to expand and deepen the coverage of listed and potential issuers through various channels such as key promotional activities, roadshow events, thematic speeches and forum exchanges, and introduce in detail the advantages of the dual-counter model in Hong Kong with a view to gradually attracting more listed companies to adopt it.
     
    (3) To improve the efficiency and scalability of trading and settlement of multi-counter securities (such as dual-counter securities and exchange-traded products), the HKEX has announced the upcoming launch of the single tranche multiple counter arrangement to optimise the settlement procedures for multi-counter eligible securities within the Central Clearing and Settlement System. Under the enhanced arrangement, trading under different trading counters of securities will be reflected under the domain settlement counter for clearing and settlement purposes. It will spare clearing participants from inter-counter transfer, obviating the need for separate clearing and settlement for individual trading counters. Moreover, a “same stock netting” procedure will be added to allow offsetting the position of one currency counter against the position with opposite direction of another currency counter of the same securities.
     
         The enhanced measures will better utilise the characteristics of multi-counter securities as a single security and improve settlement efficiency. Relevant information including launch arrangements, technical documents, sample reports and data files, and frequently asked questions have been uploaded to the HKEX’s dedicated website (Note). To facilitate market participants to familiarise with the operation of the single tranche multiple counter arrangement, the HKEX will hold practice sessions in the second quarter of this year. Relevant details will be announced in due course. Subject to technical preparations and regulatory approval, the enhanced arrangement is targeted for implementation by the end of June this year.
     
    (4) The Government, in collaboration with the regulators and the HKEX, have been committed to promoting the development of Hong Kong’s offshore RMB business and enriching the RMB product ecosystem. Apart from stock trading, we have been supporting Mainland institutions to issue more offshore RMB bonds and promoting more institutions to issue RMB denominated exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other products, etc.
     
         The Ministry of Finance has issued RMB sovereign bonds in Hong Kong for 17 consecutive years since 2009. The cumulative issuance amount reached RMB366 billion as of end-2024. Earlier this month, it further issued five series of RMB sovereign bonds totalling RMB12.5 billion.
     
         Over the past year, various measures have been introduced to enrich and support offshore RMB business. The eligible product scope of equity ETFs under Stock Connect was further expanded in July 2024, including 91 new ETFs in total. The Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds arrangement has been enhanced with effect from January this year. The measures, including relaxation of sales restriction, will significantly enhance the scale of funds. On the other hand, OTC Clearing Hong Kong Limited has allowed offshore investors to use Mainland Government Bonds and Policy Bank Bonds held through Bond Connect as margin collateral for Northbound Swap Connect, providing greater flexibility to international investors and enhancing their capital efficiency, which are conducive to further attracting participation of overseas investors.
     
         In addition, the Hong Kong and Mainland regulators announced in January new measures to deepen financial co-operation between the two places. Notably, the extension of settlement time under the Central Securities Depositories (CSDs) and supporting of settlement of multi-currency bonds through the CSDs linkage under Southbound Bond Connect were implemented in January this year, while expansion of the scope of eligible Mainland investors will be taken forward in due course. Offshore RMB repurchase business using Northbound Bond Connect bonds as collateral was also implemented smoothly on February 10, with multiple repurchase transactions completed on the first day of implementation. The RMB Trade Financing Liquidity Facility arrangement will be launched on February 28, with a view to facilitating banks in providing RMB trade finance services to corporates. The total facility size is RMB100 billion.
     
         In terms of insurance, the insurance industry has been developing RMB-denominated policies, and has recently introduced multi-currency insurance products including those in RMB to meet market needs.
     
         We will continue to spare no efforts in building the offshore RMB ecosystem, taking forward mutual market access measures that are supported by regulators of the two places, including the inclusion of real estate investment trusts under Stock Connect, and exploring new initiatives with the Mainland regulators. We will also continue to support Hong Kong financial institutions to further expand the suite of attractive investment products for providing more investment opportunities for domestic and overseas investors and consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an offshore RMB business centre.
     
    Note 1: The HKEX’s dedicated website: www.hkex.com.hk/Services/Clearing/Securities/What_s-New/Enhancement-of-Settlement-Arrangement-for-Multi-counter-Eligible-Securities?sc_lang=en

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EDB progressively relaxes quota for admission of Mainland students by self-financing institutions

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (February 26) that an agreement by the Ministry of Education (MoE) has been obtained to progressively relax the quota for admission of Mainland students by the six self-financing institutions with the approval to admit Mainland students to degree programmes, and to allow relevant institutions to admit students from all provinces (regions/municipalities) of the country, with a view to further supporting the healthy and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary education sector, making more proactive contributions to Hong Kong’s development into an international post-secondary education hub. The six institutions concerned are Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Tung Wah College, and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong under the Vocational Training Council.
     
         The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said, “I am very grateful for the support of the MoE towards the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of self-financing post-secondary institutions. Following the doubling of the enrolment ceilings for non-local students of Government-funded post-secondary institutions to 40 per cent from the 2024/25 academic year, this relaxation arrangement can help harness the advantages of Hong Kong’s self-financing sector in terms of its flexibility and diversity to nurture talent for the country and Hong Kong, supporting the high-quality development of the country, while adding impetus to Hong Kong.”
     
         She said, “The EDB has long been supporting the healthy development and continuous quality enhancement of the self-financing sector by providing targeted support and strengthening regulation, including the plan to introduce a bill to amend the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320) into the Legislative Council shortly. The EDB will continue to keep in view institutions’ track record of operating self-financing programmes, performance in student admissions and utilisation of the prevailing quota, and liaise with the MoE to explore feasible further enhancements as and when appropriate. The EDB will also continue to collaborate with institutions to attract more students from around the world to build Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent.”
     
         With effect from the 2025/26 academic year, the quota for Mainland, Macao and Taiwan (MMT) students of full-time locally-accredited self-financing local sub-degree and undergraduate (including top-up degree) programmes of relevant institutions will be increased in phases to 40 per cent, in accordance with an orderly and progressive approach having regard to the utilisation of the prevailing quota by relevant institutions. The EDB will require relevant institutions to submit reports on matters and statistics pertinent to, among others, their admission arrangements and student support services to determine the quota applicable to each institution.
     
         At the same time, the EDB will rationalise the calculation methodology of the relevant quota, with a view to providing self-financing institutions with greater certainty in admission planning and more effectively utilising the educational resources of institutions. The EDB will maintain communication with relevant institutions to facilitate their understanding and implementation of the relevant admission arrangements, while upholding a robust quality assurance mechanism to ensure the quality of self-financing post-secondary programmes and safeguarding students’ interests.
     
         In accordance with the prevailing policy, save for MMT students, there is no quota restriction on the admission of non-local students to full-time locally-accredited self-financing local sub-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Currently, the quota for MMT students enrolling in full-time locally-accredited self-financing local sub-degree and undergraduate (including top-up degree) programmes is 10 to 20 per cent. There is no quota restriction for postgraduate programmes. So far, there are a total of six local self-financing institutions which have been approved by the MoE to admit Mainland students to their degree programmes (including undergraduate and postgraduate programmes). 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: After-school care and support services for students

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ13: After-school care and support services for students
    LCQ13: After-school care and support services for students
    **********************************************************

         Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26): Question:      In order to enable students in need to stay at school outside school hours for care and learning support and allow their parents to take up jobs, the Government has proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to extend the School-‍based After-School Care Service Scheme to cover over 110 primary schools in the 18 districts across the territory. In parallel, the Education Bureau has set up the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes to support schools in providing after-school learning activities for needy students. Alongside in the community, after-school care services run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) provide homework guidance, skill development and social activities for primary school children. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the respective numbers of (i) Primary One to Primary Six students and (ii) primary schools in various districts, as well as (I) ‍participating schools/centres (with the number of their service places) and (II) beneficiaries (with the utilisation rates) of (a) the School-based After-School Care Service Scheme, (b) the School-‍based After-school Learning and Support Programmes and (c) the after-school care services run by NGOs over the past two years (set out by District Council district in the following table);

    District Council district
    (i)
    (ii)
    (a)
    (b)
    (c)

    (I)
    (II)
    (I)
    (II)
    (I)
    (II)

    ……
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Total
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     (2) in respect of the three types of after-school care and support service/scheme/programme mentioned in (1)(a) to (c), of the following information for each of them over the past two years: (i) ‍the overall expenditure, (ii) the average amount of government funding received by each school/centre in respect of the relevant service/scheme/programme and (iii) the amount of subsidy per student; (3) in respect of the three types of after-school care and support service/scheme/programme mentioned in (1)(a) to (c), of the respective numbers of beneficiaries under each of them over the past two years who were from (i) single-parent families, (ii) families receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and (iii) ‍families receiving full grant under the Student Financial Assistance Schemes for primary and secondary school students, as well as the respective percentages of students with special educational needs under each type of service/scheme/programme; (4) of the current number of after-school care service units mentioned in (1)(c) which offer pick-up and drop-off arrangements for students so that students can be sent to such units after school for care services; whether the authorities have provided resources to assist these service units in offering pick-up and drop-off arrangements; if not, of the reasons for that; (5) given that many dual working parents have indicated that one of the difficulties they encounter is bringing their children to and from schools, whether the authorities will, in the long run, consider developing student escort platforms or services in the community using different modes such as innovative technology and neighbourhood support, so as to facilitate dual working parents in picking up and dropping off their children; and (6) as there are views pointing out that while the three types of after-‍school care and support service/scheme/programme mentioned in (1)(a) to (c) are mainly targeted at underprivileged families at present, dual working families in general have a need for such services too, whether the authorities will conduct a comprehensive review and consolidate such service/scheme/programme, so that they can be extended to cover dual working families; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?Reply: President,      The Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have implemented the School-based After School Care Service Scheme since the 2023/24 school year. Under the Scheme, participating schools will provide venues, and the Community Care Fund will provide funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide services for students in need (particularly those from single-parent families) to stay at school after-school hours for care and learning support in a safe and familiar environment, thereby allowing their parents to take up jobs. In addition, the EDB implements the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes (SALSP) to support needy students to participate in after-school learning activities with a view to facilitating their whole-person and all-round development. The SWD provides the Fee-waiving Subsidy Scheme (FWSS) under After School Care Programme (ASCP) to support primary students from low-income families to receive the ASCP service operated by NGOs.      After consulting the EDB, our consolidated reply to the Hon Kenneth Leung’s question is as follows: (1) SALSP and ASCP, implemented by the EDB and the SWD respectively, are existing programmes, while the School-based After School Care Service Scheme is a new scheme implemented by the Government in the 2023/24 school year. The information on the utilisation of the aforementioned three types of scheme/programme is set out in Annex 1. The School-based After School Care Service Scheme was implemented at 59 primary schools located at seven districts offering some 3 000 service places in the 2023/24 school year, and expanded to cover more than 120 primary schools in all 18 districts across the territory offering about 6 000 service places in the 2024/25 school year. Subject to actual utilisation and outcome of the Scheme, the Government plans to encourage more schools to participate in the Scheme, without capping the number of places, in the 2025/26 school year.      As regards SALSP, which has been implemented since the 2005/06 school year, its aim is to support needy students to participate in after-school learning activities with a view to facilitating their whole-person and all-round development. All public sector schools (including special schools) and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme can make application and there is no school quota. The main target beneficiaries of SALSP are Primary 1 to Secondary 6 students in receipt of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or full grant under the Student Financial Assistance Schemes (SFAS). Participating schools could exercise discretion to benefit those students who are not in receipt of CSSA or full grant of SFAS but identified by schools as needy. The discretionary quota is capped at 25 per cent of the number of eligible students of the respective schools. Also under SALSP is the Community-based Projects, activities of which are organised in the respective districts by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and collaborating schools. Eligible students may participate in various activities under the School-based Grant and Community-based Projects at the same time. As such, the actual number of beneficiaries and utilisation rate are not applicable to the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes. The EDB encourages schools to flexibly deploy the School-based Grant and other related funding to enhance synergy, thereby organising diversified after-school learning activities for needy students. (2) In respect of the School-based After School Care Service Scheme and ASCP, (i) the overall expenditure, (ii) the average amount of funding allocated to each school/centre under the scheme/programme and (iii) the amount of subsidy for each student, over the past two years (2022-23 and 2023-24) are set out in Annex 2.      As for SALSP, the amount of School-based Grant that a school receives is calculated based on its number of students in receipt of CSSA or full grant under the SFAS as at the end of March of the respective school year, as well as its number of approved classes in the following school year. When calculating the amount of the grant, the rate for each of the above student is $400. Should schools have an 80 per cent or above utilisation rate of the School-based Grant in the previous school year, the rate of $600 per eligible student will be adopted as an incentive. As for the Community-based Projects, the applications submitted by NGOs are assessed on the basis of the content and nature of the activities, as well as the number of students and sessions involved, etc, and therefore the amount of funding for each activity differs. Eligible students may participate in various activities based on their needs and interests. In the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school year, $140 million and $137 million were provided to primary schools and NGOs respectively. (3) In respect of the aforementioned three types of scheme/programme, the respective numbers of beneficiaries that were (i) from single-parent families, (ii) receiving CSSA and (iii) receiving full level of assistance under the Student Financial Assistance Schemes, and the respective percentages of students with special educational needs (SEN) over the past two years (2022-23 and 2023-24) are set out in Annex 3. (4) ASCP aims at providing care services for children whose parents are unable to give proper care to them during after-school hours because of work or other reasons. It is operated by NGOs on a self-financing and fee-charging basis, providing care and support services for primary school children, including homework guidance, parental guidance and education, skill learning and social activities. The SWD provides financial assistance for the low-income families in need through the Fee-waiving Subsidy Scheme. The SWD does not maintain information of the service unit providing escort service for children attending ASCP. (5) and (6) The Government will complete the evaluation of the School-based After School Care Service Scheme in the 2025/26 school year to decide on the way forward. 

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 14:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Unleashing elderly labour force

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         ​Following is a question by the Hon Lee Chun-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):Question:      ​According to the statistics of the Census and Statistics Department, the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 or above accounts for about 23 per cent of Hong Kong’s total population in 2023. There are views that while the silver-haired group is a huge potential labour force in society, it is learnt that at present, elderly persons aged between 65 and 70 living with their family in public rental housing (PRH) flats will have their income counted towards the PRH income limits, and the monthly income limit for the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) is $10,770 for a single person, which in effect hinder elderly persons from engaging in employment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the number of elderly persons aged 65 or above in the labour force and their average monthly income over the past five years; (2) whether it has plans to relax the PRH income limit requirements for households with elderly members, for example, excluding the income of elderly members aged between 65 and 70 when calculating the income limit for such households; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; (3) whether it has considered relaxing the monthly income limit requirements for OALA recipients, so as to increase the incentive for the elderly to rejoin the workforce; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (4) of the future plans to unleash the elderly labour force in Hong Kong and encourage employers to consider hiring more elderly persons?Reply: President,      ​The Government is committed to encouraging and promoting the employment of older persons. In response to the Member’s question and after consulting the Housing Bureau and the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), a consolidated reply is provided as follows:(1) According to survey results of the General Household Survey of the C&SD, the statistical figures for the labour force and median monthly employment earnings of employed persons aged 65 and over in Hong Kong from 2019 to 2023 (excluding foreign domestic helpers) are listed at Annex.(2) Under the “Well-off Tenants Policies” of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), public rental housing (PRH) tenants who have been residing in PRH for ten years or more are required to declare their income, assets and whether they own any domestic property in Hong Kong biennially. The income and asset limits for ordinary households are set according to the household size. Under the existing policy, a PRH household will only be required to vacate their flat if their average monthly household income exceeds five times the prevailing income limit for PRH. For example, a four-person household with a monthly income limit of about $150,000 is required to vacate their flat. If all members of the same PRH flat are aged 60 or above, they are exempted from the “Well-off Tenants Policies” and are not required to declare their income and assets. The above exemption has been set up in recognition of the fact that retirees and near-retirees may need to rely on their savings and assets to support themselves in the future, and thus a more lenient standard has been adopted. We have no plan to further relax the existing arrangement for the time being.(3) As part of Hong Kong’s social security system, the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) aims to supplement the living expenses of elderly persons aged 65 or above in need of financial support. OALA recipients are not required to make any contributions, but must pass a means test by meeting income and asset limits. The Government adjusts the income and asset limits annually in accordance with an established mechanism. In addition, the Normal OALA and the Higher OALA have been merged since September 2022 with more lenient asset limits adopted across-the-board. This allows elderly recipients to retain more assets, while receiving the payment rate of Higher OALA. Mindful of targeting finite welfare resources at the needy elderly, the Government has no plan to relax the income limits of the means test for the OALA at this stage. (4) With a view to supporting the employment of older persons and encouraging employers to engage older employees, the Government will continue strengthening the provision of training and employment services as well as staging publicity and promotion, which include:(i) The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) provides around 700 market oriented training courses straddling across 28 industries and generic skills for eligible persons including older persons. The ERB also provides training courses which gear towards the employment needs of older persons aged 50 or above to encourage the potential workforce to enter the labour market. Apart from general training courses, the ERB organises the Post-50 Internship Programme for older persons aged 50 or above to facilitate their understanding of the current employment market situation. Under the “Hire and Train” Scheme, the ERB encourages the participating employers to provide suitable job vacancies for trainees (including persons who have recently retired), adjust the working hours and leave arrangements to cater for trainees’ family and personal situations, and provide on-the-job training and other related support measures so as to encourage the potential workforce to enter the labour market. The ERB will continue to implement these measures, and explore the provision of more measures that meet the market demand to support older persons with training and employment needs.(ii) The Labour Department (LD) provides diversified employment services to job seekers including older persons, and launched the three-year Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme (REA Scheme) on July 15 last year to encourage older or middle-aged persons aged 40 or above who have not been in paid employment for three consecutive months or more to re-join the labour market. The REA Scheme covers full-time jobs, part-time jobs, and qualified “casual work” promoting flexible employment for older and middle-aged persons. During the implementation period of the Scheme, each eligible participant who has worked for 12 consecutive months can receive a maximum re-employment allowance of $20,000. As at end-January 2025, the REA Scheme recorded over 32 000 participants and over 12 000 placements. Of which, about 23 per cent of participants and 24 per cent of placements are older persons aged 60 or above. The response is very favourable. The re-employment allowance is not counted as income under the means test for the OALA.      In tandem with the REA Scheme, the LD implements the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged (EPEM) to encourage employers to hire persons aged 40 or above and provide them with on-the-job training (OJT). Employers engaging each job seeker aged 60 or above who has left the workforce can receive a maximum OJT allowance of $5,000 per month for six to 12 months, while engaging each unemployed job seeker aged 40 to 59 is entitled to a maximum OJT allowance of $4,000 per month for three to six months. EPEM covers all industries, as well as full-time and part-time jobs. The Government welcomes employers taking on participants of the REA Scheme to join the EPEM. (iii) The Government will continue to encourage employers, having regard to their individual circumstances, to adopt elderly-friendly employment practices to facilitate more older persons to stay in or re-join the labour market. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ2: Cases of child maltreatment

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Tik Chi-yuen and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:
     
         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) will take effect on January 20 next year. According to the data of the Child Protection Registry Statistical Report, the number of maltreatment cases involving children with disabilities is rising rapidly. For example, the number of children with disabilities who had been subjected to sexual abuse increased from 125 in 2022 to 175 in 2023. There are views pointing out that this trend attracts little media coverage or attention, and the actual situation of child maltreatment is not well-known. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as there are views pointing out that some victims of child maltreatment cases choose to cover up the incident and refrain from reporting to the Police or the Social Welfare Department’s Family and Child Protective Services Unit, given the “secondary damage” caused to them by the fact that they have to recall the course of the incident when facing judicial proceedings (e.g. taking statements and giving evidence in court proceedings), how the Government will deal with such situation upon commencement of the Ordinance; whether it will consider amending the legislation to mitigate the secondary damage caused to the victims; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) given the increase in the number of child maltreatment cases (especially sexual abuse), whether the Government has conducted any in-depth investigation into this trend; if so, of the main reasons for such trend according to the findings of the investigation; whether it has formulated preventive measures targeting schools or youth groups;
     
    (3) as it is learnt that children with mental and physical disabilities are the major group of victims of child abuse cases involving children with disabilities, whether the Government has provided additional resources or protective measures to address the special needs of this group of people;

    (4) as the Secretary for Labour and Welfare has pointed out that the anticipated number of reported child abuse cases will increase substantially after the commencement of the Ordinance, whether the Government has sufficient resources to support child victims, such as enhancing the relevant psychological counselling, placement and rehabilitation mechanisms;
     
    (5) whether it will consider setting up a dedicated committee or organization to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Ordinance, coordinate the relevant policies and initiatives, and regularly disclose to the public the data on case reports and the effectiveness of its efforts in handling the cases; and
     
    (6) as it has been reported that the Budget is going to propose a reduction in the funding for social welfare organisations, how the Government will tackle an increasing number of child maltreatment cases in the light of reduced funding and shortage of social workers, and whether it has estimated the average number of relevant cases that each social worker will need to handle after the reduction in funding?

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) mandates specified professionals in the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors to report serious child abuse cases, creating a comprehensive and effective protection web for children and sending a strong deterrent message to potential perpetrators that their abuse behaviours will be easily exposed. The consolidated reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with Education Bureau (EDB) and Security Bureau (SB), is as follows:

    (1) Various government departments and the Judiciary have been protecting child victims and witnesses through administrative procedures, guidelines and measures to encourage and facilitate them to report and give evidence in child harm/abuse cases and to lessen their trauma in the process. The Social Welfare Department (SWD), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Judiciary, has taken a number of measures to protect children. For example, during criminal investigations, the relevant departments may arrange children to give evidence through video-recorded interviews (VRI) in appropriate circumstances. These VRIs are conducted in a comfortable home-like environment by specially trained police officers, social workers, and/or clinical psychologists. The video-recorded evidence can be admitted as valid evidence at the trial, saving the children from recounting the incidents in the courtroom, thereby alleviating their embarrassment and trauma. During trials, the children can enter and exit court rooms through special access. In addition, they can also testify in another room by means of live television link in the company of trained witness-support persons to avoid facing the defendant and the public directly, thereby alleviating their psychological stress. In addition, the HKPF and the Department of Justice jointly established the Vulnerable Witness and Child Protection Task Force in 2022 to speed up and improve the evidence collection, prosecution and follow-up investigation work with collective efforts. The SWD and the HKPF will continue to organise training courses and review the procedures for handling sexual violence cases to enhance the skills and sensitivity of different professionals in order to effectively assist child victims and ensure that they receive appropriate protection and support.

    (2) Through the Child Protection Registry, the SWD has been collecting and compiling statistics on information of registered cases involving children who have been harmed/abused or currently at risk of being harmed/abused. The annual statistics are uploaded onto the SWD’s website for public reference. There were 1 367 newly registered child protection cases in 2021 and 1 457 cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 6.6 per cent in three years. Among them, there were 448 sexual abuse cases in 2021 and 509 sexual abuse cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 13.6 per cent. According to the SWD’s analysis, possible reasons for the increase in registered cases include: growing public awareness on child protection and more proactive reporting of cases as a result of the legislative exercise of the Ordinance as well as publicity and public education on child protection in recent years; more children are using social media, messaging apps, chat applications, or online games in recent years; and children having more opportunities to interact with others in resumption of normalcy after the epidemic.
     
         On publicity and education in the community, the SWD has been launching the publicity campaign on “Strengthening Families and Combating Violence” to raise public awareness on child protection and prevention of domestic violence and encourage those in need to seek help early through large scale publicity events and district-based activities. In 2022, the SWD has produced a series of videos on “Heart and Hut Classroom: Online Sexual Abuse Pitfalls” and broadcasted on social media to remind young people and parents of the risk factors, prevention and handling of online sexual abuse. The HKPF has been organising the “Let’s T.A.L.K. Child Protection Campaign” every year since 2021 to raise public awareness of child protection through a series of publicity and promotional activities. In addition, the HKPF organised a multi-disciplinary seminar on “Child Sexual Abuse in the Cyber World” on March 21, 2024, together with experts and representatives from relevant sectors and discussed with more than 500 parents, principals, teachers, social workers, Police officers and child service workers online and offline on how to effectively protect children from online sexual crimes, thereby enhancing their understanding of children’s online safety and their awareness and response capabilities to protect children from such crimes, and promoting collaboration among different professions.
     
         In respect of preventive work targeting schools or youth groups, the EDB has all along been assisting schools in the prevention, early identification and appropriate intervention of suspected child abuse cases through various measures. These measures include issuance of circulars and guidelines requiring schools to devise relevant mechanisms, procedures and measures to handle such cases; strengthening school social work service to assist schools in the early identification of suspected abused students and potential issues in their families; encouraging schools to implement Comprehensive Student Guidance Service, under which all teachers collaborate with school social workers, other student guidance personnel or specialists to provide comprehensive and extensive guidance service to students in need; as well as supporting schools to adopt a whole school approach, through cross-sector collaboration among professionals from different disciplines in schools (including student guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists), to intervene and follow up as early as possible, and to provide students with appropriate support. At the same time, the EDB actively promotes the “Positive Parent Campaign” to foster parents’ positive attitude and understanding in nurturing their children, so as to enable students grow up healthily and prevent child abuse incidents. In addition, the EDB has been working closely with the SWD and the HKPF to organise various training activities with a view to strengthening school staff’s knowledge, skills and abilities in handling suspected child abuse cases.

    (3), (4) and (6) The Government has allocated an additional provision in 2023-24 for enhancing the Government’s enforcement and support capacity, providing appropriate training to practitioners in the relevant professions and strengthening the promotion and public education work on child protection, with a view to supporting the implementation of the mandatory reporting regime (MRR) for child abuse cases.
     
         The Government has further allocated an additional provision in 2024-25 to increase emergency places for residential child care service and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families to prepare for the potential increase in the reported child abuse cases upon the implementation of the MRR. Among which, two new residential child care centres will commence operation before the Ordinance comes into effect, offering a total of 96 additional service places each year and are expected to provide emergency placement for 384 children in need (in the estimation that each place of residential child care centre can take care of 4 children on average per year).
     
         The SWD will also strengthen the professional support to actual or suspected child abuse victims (including pre-primary children with special needs) and their families. Starting from March 2025, the SWD will subsidise non-governmental organisations to implement various child protection support services, including Home Visitation Support, therapeutic/psycho-social groups, educational and family enrichment activities, to complement the work of social workers of the Family and Child Protective Services Unit of the SWD or related casework service units in providing focused support services for children and families in need.
     
         Child protection (including pre-primary children with special needs) work and cases are being handled and followed up in a multi-disciplinary manner (including social welfare, education, law enforcement, healthcare). Professionals from different service units, including social workers, work together to provide professional support to children and families in need. The SWD does not maintain information on the average number of child protection cases handled by each social worker.

    (5) The Labour and Welfare Bureau, the EDB, the Health Bureau and the SB have formed a Cross-bureaux Working Group to make preparations for the implementation of MRR in January next year. The SWD and the HKPF are jointly developing the internal work flow and mandatory reporting platform to facilitate mandated reporters in making reports and collecting relevant data, ensuring efficient and effective follow-up on reported cases. Relevant bureaux and departments will continue to monitor the operation of MRR and the trend of the number of reports after its implementation. The number of cases reported through the MRR will be incorporated into the statistics of the Child Protection Registry and disseminated to the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ3: Enhancing prevention of potential non-refoulement claimants at source

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Carmen Kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):

    Question:

         The Immigration Department officially launched the Advance Passenger Information (API) System on September 3 last year to prevent undesirables, including potential non-refoulement claimants, from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether the authorities have, since the launch of the API System, compiled statistics and kept information on the number of undesirables prevented from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong each month, the distribution of their nationalities, points of embarkation, and the airlines they chose; if so, of the details (set out in a table); if not, the reasons for that;

    (2) of the number and names of aircraft operators which have connected to the API System since its launch, and their percentage in the total number of aircraft operators operating inbound flights to Hong Kong (set out in a table); among the aircraft operators which have connected to the API System, of the number of those which have successfully prevented undesirables from entering Hong Kong by providing API, and the reasons why some aircraft operators have not yet connected to the API System;

    (3) as there are views that the authorities should take the opportunity to review the entire mechanism of preventing undesirables from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong by the time when all aircraft operators are required to connect to the API System after the 12-‍month transitional period, whether the authorities have, in the light of the operational experience gained during the transitional period, reviewed the direction of optimising the aforesaid mechanism; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4) given that the API System can only prevent undesirables from coming to Hong Kong by flights, whether the authorities have stepped up efforts to prevent entry of such persons through other channels; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (5) given that as stated in the 2024 Policy Address, the Government has since October 16, 2024 relaxed the criteria for nationals of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar applying for multiple-entry visas for travel and business, and extended the validity period of multiple-entry visas from two years to three years for these countries (as well as Vietnam which has enjoyed the relaxation since 2023), of the number of undesirables from these four countries coming to Hong Kong each month since the implementation of the relaxation, and whether there is a rising trend;

    (6) as there are views that with the relaxation of the visa-free entry policies by the Mainland earlier on, undesirables may possibly come to Hong Kong via the Mainland (including by legal and illegal means), how the authorities step up co-operation with the Mainland in preventing entry of such persons to Hong Kong via the Mainland; and

    (7) as there are views that there are signs of an increasing number of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) who prematurely terminate their employment contracts and subsequently lodge non-refoulement claims in order to extend their stay in Hong Kong for the purpose of applying for government subsidies or engaging in illegal employment, etc., of the number of such cases in each of the past five years, the nationalities of the FDHs involved, and the average number of days of their extended stay in Hong Kong (with a tabulated breakdown by quarter); of the measures put in place by the authorities to prevent and curb the abuse of the non-refoulement claim mechanism by such individuals?

    Reply:

    President,

         To meet the aviation security requirements of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and to align Hong Kong with other aviation hubs worldwide, as well as to enable the Immigration Department (ImmD) to further enhance its passenger clearance and enforcement capabilities to prevent undesirables, including potential non-refoulement claimants, from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong, the ImmD has implemented the Advance Passenger Information (API) system since September 3, 2024, requiring aircraft operators to comply with the Immigration (Advance Passenger Information) Regulation (Cap. 115Q) (the Regulation) by transmitting advance information to the ImmD about flights and passengers heading to Hong Kong.

         To allow sufficient time for aircraft operators to connect to the API system and to ensure the system will run in a smooth and orderly manner, the rollout has been carried out in phases. A transitional period of around 12 months was also adopted. The offences and defences, and the miscellaneous provisions under Part 4 and 5 of the Regulation will come into effect after the transitional period, starting from September 1, 2025.

         In consultation with the ImmD and the Labour Department (LD), my reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Carmen Kan is as follows:

    (1) to (3) Since the rollout in phases of the API system on September 3, 2024, as at February 21, 2025, 82 airline operators have been connected to the system, including Hong Kong-based airline operators, such as the Cathay Pacific Airways, the Hong Kong Airlines, the Greater Bay Airlines and the Hong Kong Express Airways, etc. As for the nearly 70 remaining airline operators, the ImmD will continue to maintain close communication with them with a view to ensuring that relevant system connection works will be completed in an orderly manner before September 1, 2025. The list and number of airline operators connected to the API system, and the percentage out of the total number of relevant airline operators are at Annex.

         In just a few months of operation, the API system has been effective in successfully identifying and denying boarding of flights by ineligible persons, including persons who had lodged non-refoulement claims in Hong Kong but were eventually rejected and repatriated to their places of origin. As regards the relevant figures, as well as the nationality distribution, the places of departure and the airlines chosen for the cases concerned, it is considered not suitable to disclose such information due to security reasons as sensitive internal procedures are involved.

         The ImmD will make reference to the operational experience of the API system during the transitional period and maintain close communication with the airline operators and relevant stakeholders, with a view to continuously reviewing and optimising the system and the related operational procedures.

    (4) and (6) In addition to the API system, the ImmD will continue to examine arriving passengers in a stringent manner at all control points and enhance intelligence exchanges with law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong and other places through various channels to prevent the entry of undesirable persons into Hong Kong. 

         On the other hand, the Government will also continue to spare no efforts in preventing entry of illegal immigrants (IIs) into Hong Kong. In view of the general resumption of international flights on the Mainland after the pandemic, the Mainland visa-issuing authorities abroad have resumed issuing visas to Mainland China to foreigners since March 2023. Coupled with rumours inducing IIs to come to Hong Kong, the number of non-ethnic Chinese (NEC) IIs intercepted had once increased in the second half of 2023. The Mainland and local law enforcement agencies have worked together to strengthen intelligence exchange; tighten the issuance of visas to Mainland China and control over the entry of NEC tourists into the Mainland; investigate syndicates organising cross-boundary illegal immigration; conduct interception at black spots in the Mainland and joint patrols at sea to deter NEC IIs from entering Hong Kong.

         With the concerted efforts of various parties, the number of NEC IIs intercepted in Hong Kong dropped significantly by 84 per cent from the peak of 364 in October 2023 to a monthly average of 57 in 2024, and the number of NEC IIs intercepted further reduced to 37 in January 2025. The ImmD will continue to maintain intelligence exchange with the law enforcement agencies in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao through the established anti-smuggling collaborative mechanism, and timely conduct joint enforcement operations to deter NEC IIs smuggling into Hong Kong on all fronts.

    (5) Following the relaxation of criteria for Vietnamese nationals applying for multiple-entry visas for travel or business on October 25, 2023, to foster closer ties with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ImmD has extended the relaxation to include nationals of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar starting from October 16, 2024. Meanwhile, the validity period of multiple-entry visas for nationals of these four ASEAN countries has also been extended from two years to three years. Since the commencement of relevant measures and up to end-January 2025, the ImmD has issued some 4 700 multiple-entry visas to applicants from those four countries. The ImmD does not maintain the number of persons refused entry by nationality.

         The ImmD has all along been playing a stringent gatekeeping role to ensure that only applicants meeting the relevant requirements will be granted visas. During immigration examination on arrival, in addition to considering whether the visitor possesses a valid travel document (including visas (if necessary)) and meets normal immigration requirements, the ImmD also decides whether to allow entry of relevant visitor with due consideration to the actual circumstances, having regard to the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and prevailing immigration policies.

    (7) Over the past five years, the number of non-refoulement claims raised by former foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) are tabulated below, with breakdown by nationality and quarter:
     

    Year
    Indonesian
    Filipino
    Others
    Total

    2020
    1st quarter
    13
    13
    8
    34

    2nd quarter
    28
    15
    8
    51

    3rd quarter
    22
    11
    6
    39

    4th quarter
    52
    35
    23
    110

    Full Year
    115
    74
    45
    234

    2021
    1st quarter
    161
    47
    37
    245

    2nd quarter
    305
    109
    79
    493

    3rd quarter
    86
    41
    27
    154

    4th quarter
    106
    30
    13
    149

    Full Year
    658
    227
    156
    1 041

    2022
    1st quarter
    41
    13
    3
    57

    2nd quarter
    134
    36
    16
    186

    3rd quarter
    186
    46
    21
    253

    4th quarter
    157
    52
    22
    231

    Full Year
    518
    147
    62
    727

    2023
    1st quarter
    133
    45
    21
    199

    2nd quarter
    139
    25
    10
    174

    3rd quarter
    134
    26
    21
    181

    4th quarter
    135
    31
    16
    182

    Full Year
    541
    127
    68
    736

    2024
    1st quarter
    128
    32
    13
    173

    2nd quarter
    89
    23
    15
    127

    3rd quarter
    101
    31
    14
    146

    4th quarter
    111
    38
    19
    168

    Full Year
    429
    124
    61
    614

         â€‹The Government actively combats the abuse of premature termination of employment contracts by FDHs to change employers (commonly known as job-hopping), including stringently vetting employment visa applications from FDHs who have frequently changed employers. In May 2024, the LD also promulgated a revised Code of Practice for Employment Agencies to request employment agencies to clearly brief FDH job seekers on the relevant immigration regulations, and not to adopt business practices such as providing monetary incentives to induce FDHs in employment to prematurely terminate their employment contracts. The Government has also all along been maintaining close communication and co-operation with Consulates-General of the major source countries of FDHs. The relevant Consulates-General agreed to step up efforts in providing correct information to their nationals about the non-refoulement claim mechanism and the fact that illegal employment is a serious offence liable to imprisonment in Hong Kong.

         Under the Government’s multi-pronged strategy in handling the relevant issue, the situation of former FDHs raising claims has improved. The number of claims raised by former FDHs in 2024 was reduced by 41 per cent compared to the peak in 2021, while the portion to the total claims received in the respective year also dropped from 41 per cent to 22 per cent. The Government will continue to actively co-operate with relevant stakeholders and step up publicity and education. The ImmD does not maintain the breakdown of other statistics mentioned in this question.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ18: Promotion of directorate Administrative Officers

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:

         Regarding the promotion of directorate Administrative Officers (AOs) of the AO grade structure, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the current establishment and strength of AOs at the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade C;

    (2) of the average length of service as an Administrative Officer Staff Grade C for those who were promoted by one rank to become an Administrative Officer Staff Grade B in the past five years; and

    (3) whether any AOs at the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade C or above were exceptionally promoted to more than one rank in the past five years; if so, of the details?

    Reply:

    President,

         The Administrative Service is a cadre of multi-skilled professional administrators who play leadership roles in different bureaux and departments, and are core members of the executive authorities and the governing team of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Administrative Officer Grade comprises seven ranks, including Administrative Officer, Senior Administrative Officer, Administrative Officer Staff Grade C (AOSGC), Administrative Officer Staff Grade B (AOSGB), Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1, Administrative Officer Staff Grade A and Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1. Officers promoted to AOSGC rank normally serve as Assistant Director in departments or Principal Assistant Secretary in the Government Secretariat.

         Our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

    (1) As at January 1, 2025, the establishment and strength of AOSGC stood at 216 and 196 respectively. Of note is that not all AOSGC posts are filled by officers of the same substantive rank. Some AOSGC officers are acting up at the AOSGB rank, while some AOSGC posts are being acted up by Senior Administrative Officers.

    (2) and (3) Promotion in the Administrative Officer Grade is based on objective criteria, such as personality, ability, performance, experience and potential. Administrative Officers are selected and promoted through a fair process, rather than according to their seniority. Promotion boards are convened on a regular basis to assess candidates’ suitability for promotion to the next higher rank. No Administrative Officer can be promoted for more than one rank at a time.

         In the past five years, it generally took more than 10 years for AOSGC officers to be promoted to the next higher rank at AOSGB; the longest case took 22 years while the shortest was about 10 years. The average length of service is as follows:
     

     
    2020
    2021
    2022
    2023
    2024

    Years of service at AOSGC rank
    15
    13
    13
    12
    12

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Commercial premises under Hong Kong Housing Authority

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):

    Question:

         Regarding the leasing status of commercial premises under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the respective vacancy rates of shopping centres and markets under HA in the past three years (set out in a table);

    (2) of the respective areas of HA’s commercial premises designated in each of the past three years for (i) leasing to government departments, (ii) handover to government departments for allocation on its behalf, and (iii) leasing to non-governmental organisations at concessionary rent, together with the respective vacancy rates of such areas (set out in a table); the respective ratios of the areas leased out or utilised under these three arrangements to the total area of the commercial premises;

    (3) given that nine of HA’s shopping centres do not have western medical clinics, whether HA will consider inviting Chinese medicine practitioners to set up clinics in these shopping centres to increase healthcare services in the respective districts;

    (4) given that HA has earlier launched the “Well Being•Start-Up” Programme in its shopping centres, which offers rent-free shop premises to young people, of the current status of implementation of the programme; whether HA will consider renewing the tenancies of such commercial tenants after the programme ends, and whether it will seek other business premises to continue the implementation of the programme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (5) whether the authorities have reviewed if the trade mix of HA’s shopping centres can provide an adequate and comprehensive range of social services for the respective districts (e.g. to address the problem of ageing population in public rental housing estates); if they have, of the details; if not, whether they will undertake such a review from the perspective of usage?

    Reply:
     
    President,

         The reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:

    (1) The policy objective of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide affordable rental housing to low-income families with housing needs. The HA also provides, where appropriate, various ancillary facilities such as retail facilities and actively introduces different trades of goods and services to bring shopping convenience to residents, with a view to catering for and meeting their basic needs in daily life. As at end-December 2024, the overall vacancy rate (Note) of the HA’s commercial premises was 3.87 per cent, indicating an improvement compared with the rate of 3.95 per cent in the previous quarter (at September 2024). Compared with the rate of about 7.8 per cent in the private sector in the same period (at December 2024), the leasing status of the HA’s commercial premises was relatively better. At present, about 85 per cent of the HA’s retail facilities have maintained a vacancy rate lower than four per cent despite the impact brought by the changes in consumption patterns (such as going north for spending and shopping online) of some residents. In many of the HA’s shopping centres, including Ching Long Shopping Centre, JoysMark, Ying Tung Shopping Centre and Ping Yan Shopping Centre, most of the commercial premises, if not all, have been leased out. As for the HA’s markets, all the shopstalls in many of the markets have been leased out, including Choi Hung Estate Market, Ping Shek Estate Market, Ying Tung Market, Mun Tung Market and Tin Yan Market.

         The vacancy rates of shopping centres and markets under the HA in the past three years are set out as follows: 

     
    Vacancy Rate　(As at January 31 of each year)

    HA’s Retail Facilities
    2023
    2024
    2025

    Shopping centres
    1.2 per cent
    2.52 per cent
    3.73 per cent

    Markets
    7.01 per cent
    10.71 per cent
    13.32 per cent

    (2) When planning for public housing projects, the HA follows relevant government policies as well as planning requirements and liaises with relevant departments to reserve space for the provision of suitable welfare, community and recreational as well as sports facilities to serve the residents. 

         The non-domestic space in public housing estates (PHEs) is limited and the demand of residents for various non-domestic facilities to cater for their daily needs, such as retail shops, community, education and welfare facilities, car parks and ward offices, is keen. Over the past three years, no commercial premises under the HA have been designated for leasing to government departments or handover to departments for allocation on the behalf of the HA. As for leasing of non-domestic premises at a concessionary rent to eligible non-government organisations (NGOs) for the provision of welfare or community services to residents, the HA strives to provide suitable premises in PHEs as welfare premises. We will keep in view the use of non-domestic properties in PHEs and will update information on vacant welfare premises available for direct application by NGOs on a monthly basis. The information will also be uploaded onto the HA/Housing Department’s websites, allowing eligible NGOs which are interested in leasing welfare premises to make applications. 

    (3) and (5) The HA has all along been letting out its commercial premises through invitation of tenders in accordance with business principles, and the rental amount is assessed based on the prevailing market value. It has been the HA’s established policy to accord priority to business trades that are able to meet the basic needs of residents, such as pharmacies and Chinese and western medical clinic services catering for the daily needs of the elderly.
         
         Currently, among the nine HA’s shopping centres which are not equipped with western medical clinics, apart from Tin Ching Shopping Centre, there is at least one Chinese medical clinic and/or a pharmacy with provision of Chinese medicine consultation services, providing healthcare services to residents at their convenience. As for Tin Ching Shopping Centre, in its vicinity, there is a Jockey Club Tin Shui Wai Community Health Centre in the Tin Ching Amenity and Community Building, which provides healthcare services such as Chinese and western medical consultation and treatment as well as health checks. In the past, the HA had attempted for many times to invite tenders for the vacant premises in the shopping centre for Chinese and western medical clinics or relevant trades, but the tenders were unsuccessful. To better utilise the resources, the premises concerned were eventually leased out for other trades and all of the premises in Tin Ching Shopping Centre are now occupied.

         The HA has been collaborating with charitable organisations and NGOs to provide regular and convenient mobile Chinese medical or physiotherapy services in PHEs. Equipped with various medical equipment such as lifting platforms for the disabled, the “mobile Chinese medical vehicles” provide healthcare services including a range of medical services such as acupuncture, to residents in PHEs where Chinese medical or physiotherapy services are not available. From November 2023 to October 2024, the “mobile Chinese medical vehicles” have provided to 33 PHEs a total of more than 1 800 days of Chinese medical or physiotherapy services. 

         The HA will review the trade mix of its commercial facilities from time to time and will conduct appropriate and timely feasibility studies on the conversion of vacant premises for other suitable trades. The HA will adopt flexible marketing and leasing strategies and respond duly to the ever-changing market trends and customer expectations, with a view to providing more shopping choices and a wide variety of services to the residents and local community. In estates with a higher population ratio of elderly residents, the HA will take the initiative to approach potential tenants/organisations which target at serving the needs of the elderly and invite them to operate trades such as sale of rehabilitation and medical products, pharmacies, clinics and community centres to cater for the daily needs of the elderly. In addition, the HA has set up a hotline to provide leasing information on its commercial premises to facilitate potential tenants to contact the HA directly. To increase the chance of successful letting, QR codes have also been posted at shopping centres and markets, enabling potential tenants to browse the latest tender notices and subscribe to tender information related to commercial premises. Over the past year (from February 2024 to January 2025), the HA has successfully leased out over 200 shops and market shopstalls, with a certain portion of shops catering for the needs of the elderly for healthy lifestyles. These shop premises were successfully leased out after marketing efforts and formulation of/change for suitable trades in response to market trends. Examples include the Chinese and western medical clinic(s) in Lai Kok Estate, Ching Tao Court, Fuk Loi Estate and Shek Kip Mei Estate, the shop(s) selling rehabilitation and medical products in Tin Ching Estate, as well as the community service centres (with Chinese medicine services) run by NGOs in Shek Mun Shopping Centre and Shui Chuen O Plaza. This demonstrates the positive impact of the abovementioned flexible, effective and comprehensive leasing strategies.

    (4) To encourage and support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams, the HA launched the “Well Being • Start-Up” Programme last year, offering rent-free shop premises in its shopping centres for young people to trial their business plans. If the participants make a profit from the programme, 20 per cent of the net profits will go to the HA to fund and sustain the development of the programme. The programme has been well received since its launch, with about 180 applications received. Currently, 17 selected teams are operating in different shopping centres under the HA. In view of the widespread support from young people and various sectors of the community for the programme, the HA is now actively considering the expansion of the programme. Private shopping arcades and landlords in the commercial sector will be encouraged to provide more chances for young people to start their businesses, make use of the vitality and innovative ideas of young people to provide residents with a more diversified choice of goods and shopping experience, and provide young people with more resources and opportunities to start their businesses and realise business plans with great potential.
         
         Note: Overall vacancy rate is calculated by: vacant lettable indoor floor area/lettable indoor floor area x 100 per cent.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –