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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    Date:2025-04-24
    Data Source:Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 24, 2025   No. 116  Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy to Taiwan’s African ally Eswatini, met with Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala and had an audience with King Mswati III on the afternoon of April 23. He and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a strategic oil reserve facility, broadening bilateral cooperation into a new area.
     
    The king and the queen mother expressed appreciation for President Lai’s appointment of Minister Lin as special envoy for the king’s 57th birthday celebrations. They thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in developing Eswatini’s infrastructure, which they said had played an important role in economic growth. The king and the queen mother reaffirmed the robust diplomatic partnership between the two countries and pledged to continue to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
     
    Special Envoy Lin extended birthday wishes to King Mswati III on behalf of President Lai and presented the king with a congratulatory letter from the president as well as special envoy credentials. He also delivered birthday gifts to the king, including cattle in accordance with local customs, high-tech products and delicacies from Taiwan, and a wooden sculpture entitled Infinite Wisdom by Taiwanese artist Kang Mu-xiang. 
     
    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin thanked King Mswati III for leading a delegation to the inauguration of President Lai in May 2024 to convey support for Taiwan’s new administration. He said that Taiwan, as an important ally of Eswatini, would continue to contribute to the development of key infrastructure projects. He commended the king for fully supporting the launch of the strategic oil reserve facility and noted that it was the largest cooperation project to be undertaken by the two nations since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Special Envoy Lin said the project demonstrated that Taiwan was Eswatini’s steadfast partner, adding that the two countries had always supported each other. He stressed that Taiwan would continue to promote and expand the scope of bilateral exchanges and cooperation to further assist Eswatini in realizing its development goals.
     
    Following their meeting, Special Envoy Lin and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the strategic oil reserve facility. The milestone in bilateral relations was witnessed by prominent leaders from all sectors of Eswatini society. King Mswati III also hosted a reception for Special Envoy Lin, the delegation, and other guests, demonstrating the high regard of the Eswatini royal family and government for the visitors and the project.
     
    Taiwan and Eswatini established diplomatic relations in 1968. Over the past 57 years, bilateral ties have been stable and cordial. The government of Eswatini has actively and unfailingly supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. It is one of Taiwan staunchest allies. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: GD scheme’s care service launches

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Social Welfare Department today announced that the New Home Association has been commissioned to provide Social & Care Support Service under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong starting from tomorrow to offer support to elderly participants and their families.

     

    The Social & Care Support Service is one of the measures announced in the 2024 Policy Address to help elderly participants of the scheme better adapt to life in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) on the Mainland and receive timely assistance when needed.

     

    The association will provide support services for the elderly participants under the scheme, especially during the initial six-month trial period upon admission into the RCHEs.

     

    Such services will assist them in understanding the Mainland’s medical systems and care services, maintaining connections with their families in Hong Kong, and providing them with suitable advice and assistance in handling situations such as housing, medical care, and financial matters in Hong Kong.

     

    Continuous support will also be rendered in accordance with their needs upon completion of the trial period.

     

    The Social & Care Support Service will also conduct assessments under the Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services and follow up applications for Hong Kong seniors who have settled in Guangdong Province and are interested in joining the scheme at their places of residence.

     

    Click here for details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves Fair and Remunerative Price of sugarcane payable by Sugar Mills to sugarcane farmers for sugar season 2025-26

    Source: Government of India

    Cabinet  approves Fair and Remunerative Price of sugarcane payable by Sugar Mills to sugarcane farmers for sugar season 2025-26

    Fair and Remunerative Price of Rs. 355/qtl approved for Sugarcane Farmers  

    Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers  and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:09PM by PIB Delhi

    Keeping in view interest of sugarcane farmers (GannaKisan), the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2025-26 (October – September) at Rs.355/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%, providing a premium of Rs.3.46/qtl for each 0.1% increase in recovery over and above 10.25%, & reduction in FRP by Rs.3.46/qtl for every 0.1% decrease in recovery.

    However, the Government with a view to protect interest of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs.329.05/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2025-26.

    The cost of production (A2 +FL) of sugarcane for the sugar season 2025-26 is Rs.173/qtl. This FRP of Rs.355/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25% is higher by 105.2% over production cost. The FRP for sugar season 2025-26 is 4.41% higher than current sugar season 2024-25.

    The FRP approved shall be applicable for purchase of sugarcane from the farmers in the sugar season 2025-26 (starting w.e.f. 1st October, 2025) by sugar mills. The sugar sector is an important agro-based sector that impacts the livelihood of about 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills, apart from those employed in various ancillary activities including farm labour and transportation.

    Background:

    The FRP has been determined on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with State Governments and other stake-holders.

    In the previous sugar season 2023-24, out of cane dues payable of ₹ 1,11,782 crores about Rs.1,11,703 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 28.04.2025; thus, 99.92% cane dues have been cleared. In the current sugar season 2024-25, out of cane dues payable of Rs.97,270 crore about Rs.85,094 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 28.04.2025; thus, 87% cane dues have been cleared.

    ****

    MJPS/BM

    (Release ID: 2125471) Visitor Counter : 170

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves development of Greenfield High-Speed Corridor of 166.80 km (NH-6) from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Source: Government of India

    Cabinet approves development of Greenfield High-Speed Corridor of 166.80 km (NH-6) from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Total capital cost of the corridor is Rs.22,864 crore

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:05PM by PIB Delhi

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for Development, Maintenance and Management of  4-lane Greenfield Access Controlled 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode as an access controlled greenfield High-Speed Corridor at a total capital cost of Rs.22,864 Crore. The project length of 166.80 km lies in Meghalaya (144.80 km)  and Assam (22.00 km).

    The proposed Greenfield high-speed corridor will improve the service level for the traffic moving from Guwahati to Silchar. The development of this corridor will improve the connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak Valley region of Assam from mainland and Guwahati with substantially reduced travel distance and travel time. This will, in turn, contribute to the enhancement of logistics efficiency of the nation.

    The corridor will improve connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya and will spur economic development, including development of industries in Meghalaya, as it passes through cement and coal production areas of Meghalaya. This corridor will cater to the national and international tourists coming from well-connected Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, Silchar Airport (via existing NH-06) connecting Guwahati to Silchar. This would connect scenic places of tourist attraction in the North-East and promote tourism.

    This critical infrastructure project will improve inter-city connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong & Silchar traverses through Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia hills, East Jaintia hills in Meghalaya and Cachar district in Assam reduce congestion on existing NH-06 and enhance transport infrastructure development in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

    The project alignment integrates with major transport corridors, including NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37 providing seamless connectivity to Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain..

    Upon completion, the Shillong – Silchar Corridor will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, improving connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala. The project aligns with the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, enhancing infrastructure while generating employment and fostering socio-economic development in Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

    Feature

    Details

    Project Name

    Development, Maintenance and Management of 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode

    Corridor

    Shillong – Silchar (NH-06)

    Length (km)

    166.8 Km

    Total Civil Cost

    Rs. 12,087 crore

    Land Acquisition Cost

    Rs. 3,503 crore

    Total Capital Cost

    Rs. 22,864 crore

    Mode

    Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Major Roads Connected

    NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37, SH-07, SH-08, SH-09, SH-38

    Economic / Social / Transport Nodes Connected

    Airports: Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, Silchar Airport

    Major Cities / Towns Connected

    Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain.

    Employment Generation Potential

    74 lakh man-days (direct) & 93 lakh man-days (indirect)

    Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) in FY-25

    Estimated at 19,000-20,000 Passenger Car Units (PCU)

     

    ****

    MJPS/BM

    (Release ID: 2125467) Visitor Counter : 184

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs steps up consumer protection work during Labour Day Golden Week of Mainland (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs steps up consumer protection work during Labour Day Golden Week of Mainland  
    Apart from patrolling popular shopping spots, Customs officers will also drive publicity at medicine shops, dried seafood and ginseng shops, jewellery shops and hawker pitches in different tourist shopping areas such as Yau Tsim Mong and Causeway Bay. Retail shops and practitioners in the tourist industry will be reminded to comply with the requirements of the TDO.
     
    Customs officers will also distribute pamphlets at land boundary control points to remind local consumers and visitors that they should patronise shops with a good reputation. They are also reminded to check carefully the unit price and total price of the goods before making a payment, and to retain transaction receipts and related records which can be served as the basis in case a complaint is lodged in the future. They are additionally reminded to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.
     
    Customs has long been concerned about visitors being misled into making purchases by unfair trade practices, and has established a Quick Response Team to handle urgent complaints lodged by short-term visitors. The complaints will be promptly referred to investigators to handle with priority.
     
    Under the TDO, any trader who adopts unfair trade practices, including making false trade descriptions in relation to goods, misleading omissions, aggressive commercial practices as well as bait and switch practices, or sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
     
    Members of the public may report suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 18:40

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pilot Study on Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE) to capture insights into the Incorporated Service Sector

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The pilot study was carried out in two phases using a GSTN frame primarily with an objective to test the suitability of the GSTN database as sampling frame, verify and update selected frame information (in Phase-I) and to test the operational modalities such as, response of the enterprises, adequacy of the instruction, structure of the questionnaire, collectability of information, etc. (in Phase-II).

    The pilot study covered those service sector enterprises from the GSTN database which are registered under Companies Act, 1956 or, Companies Act, 2013 or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008.

    The pilot provides valuable operational insights and a foundation for launching a robust, full-scale annual survey of incorporated service sector enterprises from January 2026.

    Objective of the Pilot Survey on ASSSE

    1. The service sector is a key driver of India’s economy, contributing more than 50% to the country’s GDP and providing millions of jobs. Accurate and comprehensive data on this sector is crucial for informed policymaking, strategic planning, and investment decisions. While the unincorporated part of the service sector is covered in Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) conducted by National Statistics Office, there is a lack of granular data on the economic and operational characteristics, employment, and other related aspects of the incorporated service sector. This gap in data is primarily due to the absence of a regular national-level survey covering the various sub-sectors of the incorporated non-agricultural non-manufacturing sectors.
    2. The main objective was to test operational processes – enterprise response, clarity of survey instructions, efficacy of the questionnaire and the availability of key data from official records such as books of accounts, profit and loss statements, and labour registers.

    Requirement of Pilot Study before launching full-fledged ASSSE

    To firm up the methodology, survey instruments and other operational aspects of conducting a full-fledged pan-India survey (ASSSE), there was a felt need to undertake a pilot. Accordingly, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has conducted the Pilot Study on ASSSE and releases its findings as a Technical Report in this press note.

    This pilot marks a pioneering effort in the Indian official survey ecosystem, utilizing a GSTN-based enterprise frame for the first time comprising of incorporated enterprises across the Construction, Trade, and Other Services categories including transport, accommodation and food services, information and communication, health, education, real estate, etc. Technical Report available in the website of the MoSPI viz. https://www.mospi.gov.in.

    Modalities of conducting the Pilot Study

    The Pilot Study on ASSSE has been conducted using an ‘enterprise approach’ where the term ‘enterprise’ is referred to as a GSTN unit conducting operations in a particular state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state. Combined data of all the additional places of businesses have been collected from the principal place of business in this pilot study.

    The two-phase pilot study, conducted through CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) on tablets, aimed to test the suitability of GSTN database as sampling frame, validate and update selected frame information, test operational processes, and assess data availability from business records including balance sheets, books of accounts and labour registers maintained by the enterprises for the financial year 2022–2023.

    Phase I of the pilot was conducted during May 2024–August 2024 covering 10,005 enterprises primarily to verify and update address and activity information along with collecting some quantitative information such as gross sale value, employment, etc.

    Phase-II of the Pilot Study on 5020 enterprises selected from the list of eligible enterprises of Phase-I took place during November 2024 to January 2025. Data for this phase were collected under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (as amended in 2017), with notices issued in October 2024.

    Major takeaway from the pilot study

    • Majority of the enterprises were found to be existent and operational.
    • Units with headquarters in other states required significant effort to collect the relevant data. Also, challenges were faced in bifurcating the GSTIN level information pertaining to the selected enterprises from Pan-India centralized records (often CIN based) maintained at headquarter level.
    • Majority of the responding units were found to be cooperative in furnishing information/data.
    • Barring a few blocks, the questionnaire was found to be reasonably easy to fill in.
    • The instructions were found to be mostly clear and unambiguous and easy to understand.

     

    Key finding of the pilot study (based on unweighted i.e without applying any multiplier on sample observations):

    1. Distribution of Enterprises by type of organization

    In Figure 1, distribution of enterprises by type of organization is presented. It can be seen that majority of the corporate entities in the pilot study on ASSSE are Private Limited Companies (82.40% at overall level) during FY 2022-23 followed by Public Limited Company and Limited Liability Partnership (each having nearly 8% share). The same trend is noticeable for all the Broad Activity Categories (BAC) i.e., Construction, Trade and Other Services.

    Figure 1: Distribution of enterprises by type of organization for each BAC

    1. Percentage share of economic indicators by different size classes of output (FY 2022-23)

    Size Class of Output (Rs.)

    No. of enterprises surveyed

    Indicator*

    Fixed Assets

    Net Fixed Capital Formation

    Gross Fixed Capital Formation

    Gross Value Added

    Net Value Added

    Total persons engaged

    Total compensation

    all-India

    Less than 10 cr.

    2720

    2.64

    2.19

    2.44

    1.19

    1.07

    9.28

    3.17

    10 cr. or more, but less than  100 cr.

    927

    9.58

    6.00

    8.32

    9.45

    9.38

    20.03

    11.43

    100 cr. or more, but less than 500 cr.

    326

    25.00

    29.08

    26.96

    19.90

    19.33

    33.73

    22.24

    500 cr. or more

    113

    62.77

    62.73

    62.28

    69.47

    70.21

    36.96

    63.17

    All

    4086

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

     

    The following Table presents the percentage share of different important indicators over different size-classes of output.

    * generated based on sample data without using weights

    The data reveals that larger enterprises with output Rupees 500 crores and above dominate in terms of asset ownership (62.77%), net fixed capital formation (62.73%), gross value added (69.47%) and total compensation (63.17%). Further, data also reveals that enterprises (having output below Rupees 500 crores) make up almost  account for 63.03% of total employment and 36.84% of total compensation.

     

    Fig. 2: Enterprises with additional places of businesses in the state for each Broad Activity Categories.

    The above Figure (Figure 2) shows that overall, 28.5% of enterprises reported having additional places of business within the state. This percentage was observed to be the highest in the Trade sector with around 41.8% of enterprises belonging to this sector reported additional places of business in the state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state.

    Way Forward

    1. The pilot study on ASSSE represents a significant milestone in strengthening India’s statistical infrastructure for the service sector, a key contributor to both GDP and employment.
    2. The findings from the pilot study provide a strong foundation for launching the full-scale annual survey starting in January 2026.
    3. The pilot study confirmed the suitability of the GSTN database as a sampling frame for the survey.
    4. It highlighted the importance of proper verification and validation of survey instruments, the collectability of data from records maintained by selected enterprises and the challenges encountered during data collection.
    5. The pilot study offers valuable insights for planning and finalizing the sampling design, determining the sample size and refining the questionnaire for the full-fledged survey in consultation with major stakeholders.
    6. The major indicators of the survey include percentage share of Fixed Assets, Net fixed Capital Formation, Gross Fixed Capital Formation, GVA, NVA, number of persons engaged and compensation etc. over different size-classes of output.

     

    Important Caveat

    The basic purpose of the pilot study was experience gathering on various aspects of the survey (as mentioned in previous paras) rather than generating estimates. Considering the small sample size of only 5020 units and the fact that a number of selected units were found to be non-existing and/or non-responding for various reasons, no design-based estimate (using sampling weights) has been attempted in this pilot study. Hence the estimates of any sector or Broad Activity Category (BAC) obtained by summing the estimates of all enterprises belonging to that sector/BAC tend to be skewed towards the estimates of large units present in that sector/BAC. Thus, the estimates are not indicative of or comparable to the overall actual aggregates of the sector/BAC.

    ****

    Samrat/ Allen

    (Release ID: 2125454) Visitor Counter : 52

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

    19 states in the country to be benefitted

    Under CSR initiative around Rs 12 crores sanctioned

    It could bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM)

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    In a historic step Ministry of tribal affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) announced the setting up of “Space Labs” in 75 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) across 19 states in the country.

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India establishes EMRS to impart quality education to ST children thereby enabling them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get gainful employment in various sectors. EMRS in addition to imparting high quality education also takes care of their nutrition and overall health and development. As on date there are 470 functional EMRS across the country.

    BPCL has announced that it will support the tribal affairs Ministry under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to set up the Space Labs and has sanctioned around Rs 12 crores towards the same.

    Through this initiative, the Ministry seeks to bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). By providing exposure to space sciences at a young age, the ministry aims to lay the foundation for nurturing future scientists, technologists, and innovators from tribal communities. This project marks a significant step towards mainstreaming tribal students into India’s scientific advancement. It reflects the Government’s broader efforts under the NEP 2020 framework to create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all sections of society.

    The initiative will be technically supported by the Space tutor agencies recognized by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).Each such lab will have the advanced scientific equipment including the following components:

    1. LVM3 Launch Vehicle and EO satellite demo model with all dub system details
    2. Static model launch vehicles (PSLV, HRLV, IRNSS, GSAT)
    3. Table Top demo models of solar System, lunar Eclipse, phases of the moon, day and nights, 4 seasons, globe and time indicator
    4. Star tracker telescope 150/750mm and Cansat working model
    5. Space, Science, and Maths Teaching Learning Material (TLM) kits
    6. ISRO space bookand timelineexhibit

    These labs are to be established in EMRS of 19 states in India and includesAndhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal. More than 50,000 tribal students shall benefit through this initiative.

     

     

     

     *******

    RN/PIB

    (Release ID: 2125464) Visitor Counter : 34

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

    Along with conservation, Jalaj aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts: Shri C R Patil

    Union minister lauds the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasizes the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins

    Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 3:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil, chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of the Wildlife Institute of India’s livelihood-focused project JALAJ. The Jalaj program under the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), is a significant component of the Government’s Arth Ganga vision — linking people to rivers through sustainable economic activities. Along with livelihood focus, the project aims at creating societal awareness towards aquatic biodiversity conservation.

    Highlighting its pivotal role, the Union Minister emphasized that along with conservation, JALAJ aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts. Jalaj has successfully connected river conservation with livelihood generation by promoting eco-tourism, sustainable farming, skill development, and artisanal production across the Ganga basin. The initiative aims at establish 75 Jalaj centers, with various models such as Dolphin Safaris, Homestays, Livelihood Centers, and Awareness & Sale Points etc. Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states.

     

    It emerged in the review that JALAJ aims at symbiotic linkage between river and communities and helps in educating people on values of conserved Ganga river. The review noted that Jalaj has conducted 263 training programs and mass outreach efforts through digital and print media, including YouTube channel. Shri C.R. Patil reviewed efforts to further enhance the livelihood potential of Jalaj and stressed its role as a bridge connecting communities to river ecosystems, making river conservation an economically rewarding endeavour. He appreciated the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasized the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins like the Godavari, Periyar, Pampa and Barak whose ecological assessments were also reviewed in the meeting.

    To further strengthen outreach and awareness, a dedicated Jalaj informative website was launched by Sh. C.R. Patil. The website serves as a comprehensive resource hub, offering detailed insights into various Jalaj models such as Homestays, Dolphin Safaris, Livelihood Training Centers, and Awareness and Sale Centers. It also showcases success stories on how the Jalaj initiative has empowered community members, particularly women, by linking them to marketing centers. The website displays a range of eco-friendly products crafted by Ganga Praharis and aims to create widespread awareness about threatened aquatic biodiversity, including the Ganga River Dolphin, crocodilians, freshwater turtles, and water birds.

    Additionally, a Jalaj Products Catalogue was launched which has been developed, profiling sustainably produced goods prepared at Jalaj Production Centers, categorized into stationery items, home décor, apparels, body and skincare, and edibles. Furthermore, “SaanskritikLehren,” a special feature under Jalaj, was released by Sh. C.R. Patil which highlights the cultural ecosystem service value of the Ganga River, emphasizing its deep connection with India’s heritage, traditions, and the livelihoods of millions. Jalaj’s success has been widely recognized. The Hon’ble President of India lauded it during Gaj Utsav 2023, and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi mentioned Jalaj as a model for freshwater conservation in his “Mann Ki Baat” address and at ICCON 2023, Mysore.

    The Jalaj initiative, by linking conservation efforts with livelihood generation, stands today as a shining example of how environmental protection and socio-economic development can go hand-in-hand — truly realizing the vision of Arth Ganga.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    Director

    (Release ID: 2125460) Visitor Counter : 98

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Leasing arrangements announced for public market stalls in May

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (April 30) that open auctions for a total of 590 stalls in 45 public markets will be held in May. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on May 23 on a first-come, first-served basis.

    (1) Open auctions

    The types of stalls to be auctioned this time cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (chilled) poultry, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, service trades, siu mei and lo mei, mobile phones/mobile phone accessories/electronic products/electronic parts, pet goods and pet food, hardware/locksmith, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from June 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

    The date and the number of stalls are as follows:

    New Territories (1)
    ———————–
    Auction date: May 7 (Wednesday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 89

    New Territories (2)
    ———————
    Auction date: May 8 (Thursday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 76

    Hong Kong Island and Islands District (1)
    ———————————————-
    Auction date: May 12 (Monday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 119

    Aberdeen Market
    ——————-
    Auction date: May 12 (Monday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 20

    Hong Kong Island and Islands District (2)
    ———————————————-
    Auction date: May 13 (Tuesday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 75

    Hong Kong Island and Islands District (3)
    ———————————————-
    Auction date: May 13 (Tuesday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 64

    Kowloon (1)
    —————
    Auction date: May 14 (Wednesday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 79

    Lai Wan Market
    ——————–
    Auction date: May 14 (Wednesday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: two

    Kowloon (2)
    —————
    Auction date: May 15 (Thursday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 52

    Kowloon (3)
    —————
    Auction date: May 15 (Thursday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 14

    The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

    (2) Renting at upset prices on first-come, first-served basis

    The tenancy agreement of market stalls renting on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year fixed term from July 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website after the open auction.

    Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall at its upset price should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm on May 23:
     

    Districts in which the market stalls are located  Venues for selection of market stalls
    Hong Kong Island and Islands District  Hawkers and Markets Section (Hong Kong and Islands) Office,
    8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building,
    225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
    Kowloon Hawkers and Markets Section (Kowloon) Office,
    Room 301-302,
    3/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot,
    87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
    Kwai Tsing District  Kwai Tsing District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    9/F, Kwai Hing Government Offices,
    166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories
    North District North District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    4/F, Shek Wu Hui Municipal Services Building,
    13 Chi Cheong Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories
    Sai Kung District  Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
    38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories
    Sha Tin District Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, 12/F,
    Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza,
    138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories
    Tai Po District  Tai Po District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    3/F, Tai Po Complex,
    8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories
    Tsuen Wan District  Tsuen Wan District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    3/F, Yeung Uk Road Municipal Services Building,
    45 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
    Tuen Mun District  Tuen Mun District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    1/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices Building,
    1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories
    Yuen Long District Yuen Long District Environmental Hygiene Office,
    2/F, Yuen Long Government Offices,
    2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

    A spokesman for the FEHD said, “Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement.”

    ​Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Details on renting public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis will be uploaded to the FEHD website after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Planning of Hong Kong Island clusters

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question of the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):

    Question:

         It has been reported that according to the population projections, the catchment population in the Hong Kong East Cluster and the Hong Kong West Cluster will be reduced to around one million in future, and that the authorities plan to merge the two clusters (the cluster merger) and will review afresh the second ten-year Hospital Development Plan (HDP), including the plan to expand the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) to provide 500 additional beds. In addition, the Secretary for Health indicated at the special meeting of the Panel on Health Services of this Council on February 21 this year that some specialty services would be adjusted after the cluster merger. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether it knows the specific details of the cluster merger, including the arrangements for resource allocation and healthcare services of various hospitals after the merger, as well as the specialty services to be adjusted or merged;

    (2) as it is learnt that after the cluster merger, chest pain treatment services will be centralised at the chest pain centre of Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), whereas the travelling time from Eastern District to QMH is long, and the roads are congested from time to time, how the authorities will ensure that after the merger, patients with acute heart diseases in Eastern District can be transferred in time to the chest pain centre of QMH for treatment within the “golden treatment time”;

    (3) whether it knows if the emergency medical services (e.g. treatment of acute stroke, head trauma, etc.) and obstetric services of PYNEH will be cancelled after the cluster merger; if such services will be cancelled, how the authorities will ensure that emergency patients and pregnant women originally at PYNEH can receive timely and appropriate treatment or services;

    (4) of the expected completion time for the review of the second ten-year HDP; whether it will consider commencing the expansion project of PYNEH upon the cessation of the operation of Chai Wan Laundry at the end of this year; if so, of the timetable of the project; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (5) whether it will consult the staff of PYNEH and representatives of the residents in Eastern District on the detailed arrangements for the cluster merger; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

         In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip is as follows:

    (1), (2) and (3) Clustering is an administrative arrangement for hospital management involving the delineation of medical facilities and clinical services according to their geographical locations to facilitate planning and service rationalisation. The HA plans to merge the Hong Kong East Cluster (HKEC) and Hong Kong West Cluster (HKWC) to achieve rationalisation of administration and management, streamlining of administrative procedures, sharing of resources for better cost-effectiveness and enhancement of operational and management efficiency. The plan also has the objectives of improving the overall quality of healthcare services, optimising treatment procedures, as well as enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the utilisation of resources through consolidating the governance structure and enhancing the complementary co-ordination of professional resources of the two clusters. After the merger, the existing acute and critical care hospitals, including the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH), the Ruttonjee Hospital, the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), the Grantham Hospital and the St. John Hospital will continue to provide acute and critical care services, with general healthcare services and facilities being available to local residents within a reasonable geographical distance to ensure accessibility and convenience, in order that patients may receive a continuum of treatment under the same geographical setting.

         During the planning of services of varying complexity, the HA has all along followed the principle of “localising where possible, centralising where necessary” in designing the system and service networks inside and outside the clusters. It is anticipated that after the merger of the clusters, the majority of the existing patients will be able to continue receiving services in hospitals in the vicinity, including those using the Accident and Emergency services, the general out-patient services and general specialty services with high volume and relatively lower complexity (including medicine, geriatric, general surgery, orthopaedics and traumatology, paediatrics and allied health services) on the Hong Kong Island. Besides, the clusters have non-acute hospitals which render rehabilitation and convalescent in-patient services, psychiatric in-patient services, as well as day surgery services. Following the consolidation, the existing facilities of each hospital will continue to perform their current key functions and uphold their expertise while complementing the strengths of the other hospitals within the cluster, thereby providing comprehensive healthcare services in a more effective manner.

         There are some specialty services with a relatively lower demand whose operation involves personnel with specialised clinical techniques and qualifications, or require sophisticated equipment and advanced technology (such as the organ transplant services and the first chest pain centre established in accordance with national accreditation standards at QMH, and the hyperbaric oxygen treatment at PYNEH). For these services, centralisation of specialists, specialised equipment and complicated cases for handling at designated hospitals will be arranged, with due consideration given to the accessibility of the designated hospitals. The teams of medical experts can accumulate techniques and experiences through an extensive period in treating different complex cases of the same disease, facilitating their acquisition of the most up-to-date medical knowledge to bring about the best treatment outcomes for patients and hence enhancing the clinical quality indicators and minimising the risk of complications. Currently, the major hospitals on the Hong Kong Island have their respective expertise in specialty services. The professional medical teams of the merged cluster will be able to further focus on developing the strengths of their respective specialty services. In addition, by collaborating with various service provision points of the relevant specialty services within the cluster, healthcare services with even better quality will be provided to those of complex medical cases which constitutes only a small number of the patients.

         It is anticipated that the service consolidation will achieve comprehensive enhancement of the set-up of medical teams, strengthen the co-ordination and flexibility of deployment of manpower and other resources of clinical and non-clinical departments, as well as minimise duplication of resources. As a result, the quality of clinical services provided in the cluster will be enhanced in the long run, facilitating the development of specialist services and providing more opportunities for staff training and their accumulation of experiences. To dovetail with the consolidation of cluster services, the HA will, in accordance with the prevailing mechanism, consider and deliberate the major direction(s), work plans and targets of the cluster, through the formulation of the annual plan, with a view to allocating additional resources to services which are newly introduced and with pressing needs.

         Regarding the emergency healthcare services provided by PYNEH, such services would not cease after the merger of the clusters. The hospital will, as mentioned above, continue to provide services to the acute and critical care services after the consolidation of the clusters. Acute and critically ill patients residing in the Eastern District will therefore continue to receive timely and appropriate treatments at the PYNEH which is in the vicinity.

         On cardiology services, apart from the chest pain centre established in accordance with national accreditation standards, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS) at QMH provides Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) and supports the treatment of severe complications related to acute coronary heart diseases. In collaboration with the Cardiology and Anesthesia departments, it forms a multidisciplinary heart team that manages complex cases and utilises advanced technology to deliver optimal treatment to patients. In addition, QMH and the Grantham Hospital also offer treatment for end-stage heart failure patients, including the implantation of ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation. The consolidation of HKEC and HKWC would further facilitate the development of the specialist strengths and provide patients with cardiology services of better quality.

    (4) The Government announced under the 2018 Policy Address that it has invited the HA to commence planning for the Second Hospital Development Plan (HDP) to meet the expected service demand up to 2036. With the changes in the planning and development situation of Hong Kong, the Health Bureau (HHB) and the HA are currently reviewing the Second HDP. Amongst others, in view of the city-wide and regional planning and development strategies as announced by the Planning Department, including the “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” and the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, as well as the corresponding population projections of Hong Kong including the latest changes in overall population, its distribution and demographics, and the population policy and talent attraction initiatives of the Government, the HHB and the HA have to adopt a planning horizon of up to 2040 and beyond for the Second HDP, and to project healthcare services demand and consider the supply and conditions of the land required, for optimising the Second HDP. The Government also considers factors such as the needs for and cost-effectiveness of renovation, refurbishment, redevelopment or addition of facilities for individual hospitals, and the convenience of public access to healthcare services under various major transport infrastructure development plans for determining the distribution, scale and priority, etc. of various hospital development projects (including the expansion of PYNEH and the use of the Chai Wan Laundry site after its relocation). Upon completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP in due course.  

    (5) The HA commenced the preparatory and engagement work for the consolidation of the hospital cluster services on Hong Kong Island early this year. Such work include seven staff forums and three workshop sessions which aim at briefing HA employees on the considerations of the cluster services consolidation and the future development of service provision, as well as listening to employees’ views. The consolidation of services is currently still at the stage of planning and deliberation. Regarding clinical services consolidation, the HA will set up task forces for particular specialties, initially to review existing services on the basis of facilitating the development of specialties and strengthening the existing service delivery models, while the next step will be to consider how to enhance the treatment procedures of patients as well as the efficiency and quality of the healthcare services. After the review, the HA will continue to communicate with stakeholders and service users on the overall direction of the development of the consolidation.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Onity Group Announces First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) (“Onity” or the “Company”) today announced its first quarter 2025 results and provided a business update.

    First Quarter 2025:

    • Net income attributable to common stockholders of $21 million; diluted EPS of $2.50; ROE of 19%
    • Adjusted pre-tax income* of $25 million, resulting in annualized adjusted ROE* of 22%
    • Book value per share improved to $58 as of March 31, 2025, up $2.15 year-over-year
    • $17 billion in total servicing additions
    • Average servicing UPB of $305 billion, up $13 billion year-over-year

    2025 Outlook:

    • Confirmed previous guidance including 2025 adjusted ROE* range of 16% – 18%
    • Some or all of $180 million deferred tax valuation allowance (US) as of December 31, 2024, could be released by year-end 2025

             * See “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below

    “We are thrilled to report another strong quarter, with growth in revenue, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted ROE, and book value per share compared to a year ago,” said Onity Group Chair, President and CEO Glen Messina. “Our results demonstrate the success of our strategy coupled with strong execution. Our balanced business continues to perform well regardless of interest rate cycles.”

    Messina continued, “We believe our demonstrated resiliency, customer focus, and award-winning servicing platform will enable us to successfully navigate interest rate volatility and economic uncertainties. We expect our actions to deliver balanced MSR and subservicing additions, expand high-margin products, and continuously strengthen recapture performance, will drive our growth in the coming quarters.”

    Additional First Quarter 2025 Operating and Business Highlights

    • Funded recapture volume up 2.7x year-over-year; refinance recapture rate is 1.6x industry average based on ICE Mortgage Monitor report as of April 2025
    • Originations volume of $7 billion, up 53% year-over-year, exceeding 8% industry growth
    • MSR additions (bulk purchases and originations) of $12 billion, up more than 2x year-over-year
    • Expanded high-margin products with launch of enhanced home equity and proprietary reverse mortgage (EquityIQ®) loans
    • Effective MSR hedge strategy resulting in minimal MSR fair value volatility in the quarter and continued alignment with operating and financial performance
    • Total liquidity (unrestricted cash plus available credit) at $239 million as of March 31, 2025

    Webcast and Conference Call

    Onity will hold a conference call on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to review the Company’s first quarter 2025 operating results and to provide a business update. All interested parties are welcome to participate. You can access the conference call by dialing (800) 579-2543 or (785) 424-1789 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call; please reference the conference ID “Onity.” Participants can also access the conference call through a live audio webcast available from the Shareholder Relations page at onitygroup.com under Events and Presentations. An investor presentation will accompany the conference call and be available by visiting the Shareholder Relations page at onitygroup.com prior to the call. A replay of the conference call will be available via the website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. A telephonic replay will also be available approximately three hours following the call’s completion through May 14, 2025, by dialing (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671; please reference access code 11158988.

    About Onity Group

    Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) is a leading non-bank financial services company providing mortgage servicing and originations solutions through its primary brands, PHH Mortgage and Liberty Reverse Mortgage. PHH Mortgage is one of the largest servicers in the country, focused on delivering a variety of servicing and lending programs to consumers and business clients. Liberty is one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lenders dedicated to providing loans that help customers meet their personal and financial needs. We are headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices and operations in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, India and the Philippines, and have been serving our customers since 1988. For additional information, please visit onitygroup.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may be identified by a reference to a future period or by the use of forward-looking terminology. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “expect”, “believe”, “foresee”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “goal”, “strategy”, “plan” “target” and “project” or conditional verbs such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “could” or “would” or the negative of these terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words, and includes statements in this press release regarding our 2025 outlook and guidance, our expectation of releasing our deferred tax valuation allowance by year-end 2025, our ability to drive growth, and navigate interest volatility and economic uncertainties. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Readers should bear these factors in mind when considering such statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements.

    Forward-looking statements involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. In the past, actual results have differed from those suggested by forward looking statements and this may happen again. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential for ongoing disruption in the financial markets and in commercial activity generally as a result of U.S. and global political events, changes in monetary and fiscal policy, and other sources of instability; the impacts of inflation, employment disruption, and other financial difficulties facing our borrowers; whether we will release some or all of the valuation allowance offsetting our net U.S. deferred tax asset, and the timing and amount of such release; the adequacy of our financial resources, including our sources of liquidity and ability to sell, fund and recover servicing advances, forward and reverse whole loans, future draws on existing reverse loans, and HECM and forward loan buyouts and put backs, as well as repay, renew and extend borrowings, borrow additional amounts as and when required, meet our MSR or other asset investment objectives and comply with our debt agreements, including the financial and other covenants contained in them; our ability to interpret correctly and comply with current or future liquidity, net worth and other financial and other requirements of regulators, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the GSEs), and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), including our ability to implement a cost-effective response to Ginnie Mae’s risk-based capital requirements by the extended deadline granted to us by Ginnie Mae of October 1, 2025; our ability to timely reduce operating costs, or generate offsetting revenue, in proportion to the industry-wide decrease in originations activity; the impact of cost-reduction initiatives on our business and operations; the impact of our rebranding initiative; the amount of senior debt or common stock or that we may repurchase under any repurchase programs, the timing of such repurchases, and the long-term impact, if any, of repurchases on the trading price of our securities or our financial condition; breach or failure of Onity’s, our contractual counterparties’, or our vendors’ information technology or other security systems or privacy protections, including any failure to protect customers’ data, resulting in disruption to our operations, loss of income, reputational damage, costly litigation and regulatory penalties; our reliance on our technology vendors to adequately maintain and support our systems, including our servicing systems, loan originations and financial reporting systems, and uncertainty relating to our ability to transition to alternative vendors, if necessary, without incurring significant cost or disruption to our operations; the future of our long-term relationship with Rithm Capital Corp. (Rithm); our ability to close acquisitions of MSRs and other transactions, including the ability to obtain regulatory approvals; our ability to grow our reverse servicing business; our ability to retain clients and employees of acquired businesses, and the extent to which acquisitions and our other strategic initiatives will contribute to achieving our growth objectives; increased servicing costs based on increased borrower delinquency levels or other factors; uncertainty related to past, present or future claims, litigation, cease and desist orders and investigations regarding our servicing, foreclosure, modification, origination and other practices brought by government agencies and private parties, including state regulators, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), State Attorneys General, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the reactions of key counterparties, including lenders, the GSEs and Ginnie Mae, to our regulatory engagements and litigation matters; increased regulatory scrutiny and media attention; any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings; our ability to effectively manage our regulatory and contractual compliance obligations; our ability to comply with our servicing agreements, including our ability to comply with the requirements of the GSEs and Ginnie Mae and maintain our seller/servicer and other statuses with them; our ability to fund future draws on existing loans in our reverse mortgage portfolio; our servicer and credit ratings as well as other actions from various rating agencies, including any future downgrades; as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed in our reports and filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Anyone wishing to understand Onity’s business should review our SEC filings. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, we disclaim any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release contains references to adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and adjusted ROE, both non-GAAP financial measures.

    We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a useful supplement to discussions and analysis of our financial condition, because they are measures that management uses to assess the financial performance of our operations and allocate resources. In addition, management believes that this presentation may assist investors with understanding and evaluating our initiatives to drive improved financial performance. Management believes, specifically, that the removal of fair value changes of our net MSR exposure due to changes in market interest rates and assumptions provides a useful, supplemental financial measure as it enables an assessment of our ability to generate earnings regardless of market conditions and the trends in our underlying businesses by removing the impact of fair value changes due to market interest rates and assumptions, which can vary significantly between periods. However, these measures should not be analyzed in isolation or as a substitute to analysis of our GAAP pre-tax income (loss) or GAAP pre-tax ROE nor a substitute for cash flows from operations. There are certain limitations to the analytical usefulness of the adjustments we make to GAAP pre-tax income (loss) and GAAP pre-tax ROE and, accordingly, we use these adjustments only for purposes of supplemental analysis. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Onity’s reported results under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Other companies may use non-GAAP financial measures with the same or similar titles that are calculated differently to our non-GAAP financial measures. As a result, comparability may be limited. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on analysis of the adjustments we make to GAAP pre-tax income (loss) and GAAP pre-tax ROE.

    The Company has not provided reconciliations of guidance for adjusted ROE, in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception provided under Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. The Company is unable, without unreasonable efforts, to forecast certain items required to develop meaningful comparable GAAP financial measures. These items include the change in fair value of our net MSR exposure due to changes in market interest rates and assumptions which can vary significantly between periods and are difficult to predict in advance in order to include in a GAAP estimate.

    Notables

    In the table below, we adjust GAAP pre-tax income for the following factors: MSR valuation adjustments, expense notables, and other income statement notables. MSR valuation adjustments are comprised of changes to Forward MSR and Reverse mortgage valuations due to rates and assumption changes. Expense notables include significant legal and regulatory settlement expenses, severance and retention costs, LTIP stock price changes, consolidation of office facilities and other expenses (such as costs associated with strategic transactions). Other income statement notables include non-routine transactions that are not categorized in the above.

    Beginning with the three months ended December 31, 2024, for purposes of calculating Income Statement Notables and Adjusted Pre-Tax Income, we changed the methodology used to calculate Other Income Statement Notables to include change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts (reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value). We made this change to align with the change to our risk management approach to include changes in fair value of reverse loan buyouts due to interest rates in our MSR hedge strategy, consistent with other notables, such as Forward MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net and Reverse Mortgage Fair Value Change due to rates and assumption changes.

    Other Income Statement Notables (a component of Other Notables) for the first three quarters of 2024 have been revised from prior presentations to reflect the methodology we adopted during the fourth quarter of 2024.

     (Dollars in millions) Q1’25 Q4’24 Q1’24
    I Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stockholders 21 (29) 30
      A. Preferred Stock Dividend (1) (1) –
    II Reported Net Income (Loss) [I – A] 22 (28) 30
      B. Income Tax Benefit (Expense) 13 6 (2)
    III Reported Pre-Tax Income (Loss) [II – B] 9 (34) 32
      Forward MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net (a)(b) (12) 14 18
      Reverse Mortgage Fair Value Change due to rates and assumption changes (b)(c) 10 (15) 1
    IV Total MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net (2) (1) 19
      Significant legal and regulatory settlement expenses (14) (2) (2)
      Severance and retention (d) (0) (0) (2)
      LTIP stock price changes (e) 0 (1) 3
      Office facilities consolidation (0) (0) (0)
      Other expense notables (f) 1 (0) (1)
      C. Total Expense Notables (14) (4) (2)
      D. Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt – (51) 1
      E. Gain on sale of MAV canopy – 14 –
      F. Other Income Statement Notables (g) (0) (3) (2)
    V Total Other Notables [C + D + E + F] (14) (44) (2)
    VI Total Notables (h) [IV + V] (16) (45) 17
    VII Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (i) [III – VI] 25 11 15
    a) MSR valuation adjustments that are due to changes in market interest rates, valuation inputs or other assumptions, net of overall fair value gains / (losses) on MSR hedge, including FV changes of Pledged MSR liabilities associated with MSR transferred to MAV, Rithm and others and ESS financing liabilities that are due to changes in market interest rates, valuation inputs or other assumptions, a component of MSR valuation adjustments, net
    b) The changes in fair value due to market interest rates were measured by isolating the impact of market interest rate changes on the valuation model output as provided by our third-party valuation expert
    c) FV changes of loans HFI and HMBS related borrowings due to market interest rates and assumptions, a component of gain on reverse loans held for investment and HMBS-related borrowings, net
    d) Severance and retention due to organizational rightsizing or reorganization
    e) Long-term incentive program (LTIP) compensation expense changes attributable to stock price changes during the period
    f) Contains costs associated with but not limited to rebranding and other strategic initiatives and transactions
    g) Contains non-routine transactions including but not limited to fair value assumption changes on other investments recorded in other income/expense
    h) Certain previously presented notable categories with nil numbers for each period shown have been omitted
    i) Effective in Q4’24, change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts is now recognized as a notable (previously reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value); presentation of past periods has been conformed to the current presentation; without this change, adjusted PTI would be $14M in Q1’24 and $8M in Q4’24; see note titled “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information
       

    Adjusted ROE Calculation

    (Dollars in millions) Q1’25 Q4’24 Q1’24
      GAAP ROE (after tax) 19% (25%) 29%
    I Reported Net Income (Loss) 22 (28) 30
    II Notable Items (16) (45) 17
    III Income Tax Benefit (Expense) 13 6 (2)
    IV Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (Loss) [I – II – III] 25 11 15
    V Annualized Adjusted Pre-tax Income [IV * 4 for qtr.] 102 46 59
      Equity      
           A Beginning Period Equity 443 468 402
                C Ending Period Equity 460 443 432
                D Equity Impact of Notables 16 45 (17)
           B Adjusted Ending Period Equity [C + D] 477 488 415
    VI Average Adjusted Equity [(A + B) / 2] 460 478 408
    VII Adjusted ROE (a) [V / VI] 22% 10% 14%
    a) Effective in Q4’24, change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts is now recognized as a notable (previously reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value); presentation of past periods has been conformed to the current presentation; without this change, adjusted pre-tax income would be $14M in Q1’24 and $8M in Q4’24; without this change, adjusted ROE would be 14% in Q1’24 and 7% in Q4’24; see note titled “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information
       

    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

    Assets (Dollars in millions) March 31,
    2025
    December 31,
    2024
    March 31,
    2024
    Cash and cash equivalents 178.0 184.8 185.1
    Restricted cash 58.9 80.8 66.1
    Mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), at fair value 2,547.4 2,466.3 2,374.7
    Advances, net 514.0 577.2 602.7
    Loans held for sale, at fair value 1,402.2 1,290.2 1,028.9
    Loans held for investment, at fair value 10,812.5 11,125.3 8,130.5
    Receivables, net 222.3 176.4 152.1
    Investment in equity method investee – – 37.6
    Premises and equipment, net 10.8 11.0 11.8
    Other assets 106.0 111.3 84.3
    Contingent loan repurchase asset 407.2 412.2 416.3
    Total Assets 16,259.3 16,435.4 13,090.1
           
    Liabilities, Mezzanine & Stockholders’ Equity (Dollars in millions) March 31,
    2025
    December 31,
    2024
    March 31,
    2024
    Home Equity Conversion Mortgage-Backed Securities (HMBS) related borrowings, at fair value 10,587.6 10,872.1 7,945.0
    Other financing liabilities, at fair value 835.5 846.9 906.8
    Advance match funded liabilities 377.5 417.1 440.2
    Mortgage loan financing facilities, net 1,577.4 1,528.2 1,108.9
    MSR financing facilities, net 1,136.0 957.9 964.1
    Senior notes, net 488.0 487.4 552.0
    Other liabilities 340.0 420.6 324.7
    Contingent loan repurchase liability 407.2 412.2 416.3
    Total Liabilities 15,749.2 15,942.5 12,658.0
    Mezzanine Equity 49.9 49.9 –
    Stockholders’ Equity 460.2 442.9 432.1
    Total Liabilities, Mezzanine and Stockholders’ Equity 16,259.3 16,435.4 13,090.1
           

    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

      For the Quarter Ending
    (Dollars in millions) March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 March 31, 2024
    Revenue      
    Servicing and subservicing fees 203.3 206.0 204.5
    Gain on reverse loans held for investment and HMBS-related borrowings, net 23.8 0.6 15.4
    Gain on loans held for sale, net 11.8 5.9 10.9
    Other revenue, net 10.9 12.4 8.3
    Total revenue 249.8 224.8 239.1
    MSR valuation adjustments, net (38.9) (20.4) (11.6)
    Operating expenses      
    Compensation and benefits 57.4 64.3 53.6
    Servicing and origination 13.0 12.3 15.0
    Technology and communications 15.0 14.1 12.7
    Professional services 22.6 12.5 12.0
    Occupancy, equipment and mailing 8.2 8.3 7.7
    Other expenses 3.6 4.1 3.4
    Total operating expenses 119.9 115.6 104.4
    Other income (expense)      
    Interest income 26.2 28.8 17.5
    Interest expense (67.0) (74.2) (67.4)
    Pledged MSR liability expense (41.9) (42.1) (44.9)
    Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt – (51.2) 1.4
    Earnings of equity method investee – 16.2 2.7
    Other, net 0.9 0.1 (0.6)
    Other income (expense), net (81.9) (122.4) (91.3)
    Income before income taxes 9.1 (33.7) 31.8
    Income tax expense (13.0) (5.6) 1.7
    Net Income (Loss) 22.1 (28.1) 30.1
    Preferred stock dividend (1.0) (0.5) –
    Net Income (Loss) attributable to common stockholders 21.1 (28.6) 30.1
    Basic EPS $2.68 ($ 3.63) $3.91
    Diluted EPS $2.50 ($ 3.63) $3.74
           

    For Further Information Contact:

    Investors:

    Valerie Haertel, VP, Investor Relations
    (561) 570-2969
    shareholderrelations@onitygroup.com

    Media:

    Dico Akseraylian, SVP, Corporate Communications
    (856) 917-0066
    mediarelations@onitygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Bishop in Madhya Pradesh: “Pope Francis’ welcoming approach has improved interreligious coexistence”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    CBCI Matters india

    Indore (Fides) – “What surprised us positively is like a surprise from the Holy Spirit: so many people, so many non-Christians, who spontaneously appreciate Pope Francis as a man of dialogue, welcome, and compassion, have somehow changed their attitude towards us Catholics. Many non-Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs came to offer their condolences and express their solidarity. Pope Francis’ approach has had a positive impact on our lives, in terms of coexistence with people of other faiths. And this is very important and a beautiful legacy in our diocese (18,000 Catholics out of a population of 8 million, ed. ) and in a state like Madhya Pradesh, where there are sometimes interreligious tensions, is very important and a beautiful legacy,” Bishop Thomas Mathew Kuttimackal of Indore, a diocese in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the second largest and fifth most populous state in India with over 72 million inhabitants, told Fides.The proportion of Christians in Madhya Pradesh is small: less than 0.3% compared to a national average of 2.3%. Catholics in the Diocese of Indore, as in other dioceses in the central Indian state, watched the funeral Mass for Pope Francis on television and celebrated memorial Masses in memory of the late Pope in their parishes. Bishop Kuttimackal remarked, “We remember him as a shepherd of dialogue and mercy: our Catholic communities feel a sense of gratitude, also because they see how the Pope’s words and gestures in recent years have touched hearts, even here in our area, which is so far from Rome and which Francis never visited in person.”Recently, tensions have also arisen in the state with radical Hindu groups accusing Christians and Muslims of “proselytism.” And the state government, led by the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has at times supported this narrative. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a public speech last March that he wanted to “introduce the death penalty to punish what he called ‘forced religious conversion of women.’”Radical Hindu groups sometimes accuse Muslims and Christians of converting members of tribal groups from lower castes using allegedly illicit means, such as money. In Madhya Pradesh, a so-called “anti-conversion law” has been in force since 2021, which provides for penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those who use violence or deception to persuade people to convert to another religion. In this context, according to the bishop, “the faithful of Indore are experiencing the Holy Year as ‘pilgrims of hope’, also with a view to improving the climate of interreligious coexistence.”The evangelical message proclaimed and lived by Pope Francis is also represented in Indore by the “Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace,” a network of Catholic religious communities of men and women who are particularly committed to humanitarian issues and the “care of our common home.” The religious are committed to implementing the “integral ecology” mentioned and described in the encyclical Laudato si’, starting from their closeness to the poorest and most marginalized communities, but also promoting respect for natural resources and the promotion and dissemination of sustainable lifestyles. (PA) ( Fides Agency 30/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Thundery Showers On Most Days In First Fortnight Of May 2025

    Source: Government of Singapore

    Singapore, 30 April 2025 – Inter-monsoon conditions are expected to continue in the first fortnight of May 2025, with winds mainly light and variable in direction.

    2          During the fortnight, thundery showers are expected over parts of the island on some afternoons. The showers may extend into the evening on a few of these days. In addition, Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds in the morning on some days. The total rainfall for the first fortnight of May 2025 is forecast to be near average over most parts of the island.

    3          The daily maximum temperatures are likely to be around 34 degrees Celsius on most days and reach 35 degrees Celsius on some days.

    4          For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.

     REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (16 – 29 APRIL 2025)

    5          Inter-monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region with the winds generally light and variable in direction.

    6          In the second fortnight of April 2025, moderate to heavy thundery showers affected parts of the island on most days. On 20 April 2025, regional convergence of winds brought heavy thundery showers over many areas of Singapore in the afternoon. The daily total rainfall of 113.6mm recorded at Bukit Timah that day was the highest rainfall recorded for the second fortnight of April 2025.

     7          The second fortnight of April 2025 was warm, with daily maximum temperatures registering above 34 degrees Celsius on 11 days. The highest daily maximum temperature of 36.0 degree Celsius was recorded at Admiralty on 25 April 2025.

     8          Most parts of Singapore recorded above average rainfall in the second fortnight of April 2025. The rainfall around Bukit Timah was about 110 per cent above average and the rainfall around Tai Seng about 45 per cent below average.

    CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

     Long-term Statistics for May
     (Climatological reference period: 1991-2020)
    Average daily maximum temperature: 32.3      °C
    Average daily minimum temperature: 25.7 °C
    Average monthly temperature: 28.6 °C
         
    Average rainfall: 164.3 mm
    Average number of rain days: 15  
     
    Historical Extremes for May
     (Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)
    Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature: 33.6  °C (1997)
    Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature: 23.5  °C (1974)
         
    Highest monthly rainfall ever recorded:  386.6  mm (1892)
    Lowest monthly rainfall ever recorded: 41.6  mm (1997)

     
    METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE

    30 Apr 2025

    ~~ End ~~

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tax concessions bill passed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Government today welcomed the passage of the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2025 by the Legislative Council.

    The bill gives effect to the one-off tax concessions proposed in the 2025-26 Budget. These will reduce salaries tax, tax under personal assessment, and profits tax for the 2024-25 year of assessment by 100%, subject to a ceiling of $1,500 per case.

    The Government said the concessions will benefit about 2.14 million taxpayers and about 165,400 taxpaying businesses, with about 16% of taxpayers and 12% of taxpaying businesses not needing to pay tax for 2024-25. Government revenue will be reduced by about $3.1 billion.

    The bill as passed will be published in the Government Gazette on May 9.

    The tax concessions will be reflected in taxpayers’ final tax payable for the 2024-25 year of assessment.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Europeans celebrate 75 Years of unity and solidarity on Europe Day 2025

    Source: European Parliament 3

    The Schuman Declaration laid the foundations for the European Union and paved the way for an unprecedented era of prosperity, peace, democracy, solidarity and cooperation in Europe.

    To mark the occasion, many events will take place in EU Member States and around the world, bringing together citizens from all walks of life. The EU institutions will open their doors and invite citizens to visit their premises, discover their work and engage in a wide range of educational and entertaining activities.

    Landmark buildings and monuments across the globe will be illuminated in the EU colours, while a special Europe Day programme is planned for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

    In times of global uncertainty, Europe remains an anchor of stability – a place of opportunity and protection for its citizens. The EU and its institutions are working towards the common goal of ensuring prosperity and competitiveness, guaranteeing our security and defence, while upholding the fundamental values Europeans care about.

    European Parliament

    On 4 May, citizens of all ages will be able to attend the official Europe Day opening ceremony and take a seat in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The ceremony will begin with a video message from President Roberta Metsola, followed by a speech from Vice-President Younous Omarjee, and a musical performance by the Voix de Stras’ ensemble. Through various exhibits and interactive activities, visitors will learn how the Parliament works, how laws are made, and why European politics matters. Visitors will also be able to visit the “Changemakers” exhibition. On 10 May, the public will once again be given the chance to discover European democracy in action at the Parliament’s hemicycle in Brussels, with day-long activities emphasising the importance of citizen participation. In Luxembourg, special activities will mark the first anniversary of the Visitors’ Centre on 9 May, including the recently inaugurated Europa Experience. The following day, a rich cultural programme is planned in the Echternach Abbey courtyard. Full programme and events organised in the 27 EU countries.

    European Council/Council of the European Union

    On 10 May, the Council of the European Union will also open its doors, granting citizens an opportunity to follow in EU leaders’ footsteps. Guided tours throughout the day will offer visitors a rare look at where important European decisions are made. Each of the 27 Member States will host a stand, showcasing their culture, traditions, culinary specialties and more. Younger visitors can also expect tailor-made activities, including a treasure hunt and a “fun fact” quest designed specifically for kids. In honour of the Council’s 50th anniversary, the public will even be able to travel back in time and take a selfie with the leaders of 1974.

    European Commission

    On 10 May, citizens will also have the opportunity to visit the Commission’s iconic Berlaymont building in Brussels. Here, they will have the chance to learn about the Commission’s role and priorities, engage in series of activities, and find out more about initiatives and concrete benefits for their daily lives. Among others, visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the Commission’s efforts to boost European competitiveness both, promote social cohesion, protect democracy and protect fundamental rights, at home and abroad.

    European Central Bank

    As part of its Europe Day celebrations on 10 May, the European Central Bank (ECB) will bring the vibrant spirit of Europe to its hometown, Frankfurt am Main, by participating in the city’s Europa-Fest. Visitors will find the ECB at the “European Marketplace” on the Römerberg plaza, alongside Frankfurt-based European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism. In such a special year, celebrating 40 years of Schengen and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, many themed activities have been organised, with the ECB even planning a lightshow, to be projected onto the west wing of the city’s Grossmarkthalle. In Brussels, the ECB will also host its own stand at the Commission’s Europe Day event.

    European Investment Bank

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group will welcome visitors to its stand at the Council of the European Union’s Justus Lipsius building as part of its Open Day on 10 May in Brussels. EIB Group staff will inform visitors of how its financing and advisory services improve lives and advance EU policy goals. This includes anything from innovation, security and defence to social and territorial cohesion, and the transition towards a net-zero economy. The stand itself will be enhanced by various activities and media, such as quizzes, games and audiovisual material showcasing EIB-financed projects.

    European Court of Auditors

    On 10 May, as part of the Europe Day celebrations in Echternach, EU auditors will host a series of interactive and engaging activities at the European Court of Auditors’ premises. Among other things, visitors will have the chance to partake in an engaging quiz to test their audit skills. Families and people of all ages are welcome to discover how the European Court of Auditors, the guardian of the EU’s finances, helps protect EU citizens’ money.

    European External Action Service

    The European External Action Service (EEAS) will open its doors to the public on 10 May for its “Travel the World in a Day“. Travel the World in a Day” event. Visitors to the EU’s diplomatic headquarters in Brussels will be given an opportunity to learn about the work of the EEAS and its 144 delegations and offices worldwide. Through interactive exhibits and activities, visitors will discover the EU’s role as a global leader and reliable partner for prosperity, peace, security, multilateralism, democracy, and a rules-based order. The event will also include a digital booth to help explore the EU pavilion at Expo 2025 in Japan, as well as live dance performances, workshops and family-friendly activities that celebrate global diversity.

    European Economic and Social Committee

    This year, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will also host a special celebration of the Schuman Declaration’s 75th anniversary. To honour this seminal text, the EESC – the house of European organised civil society – is putting together a range of activities on its premises, through which it will inform and engage with citizens, while offering insights into its various Sections’ and Groups’ advisory work. The day itself will offer entertainment for all, with a real-time voting simulation allowing visitors to step into EESC members’ shoes and discover the process for themselves.

    European Committee of the Regions

    On 10 May, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) – ideally located between the European Parliament and Council in Brussels – will open its doors to the public as well, showcasing how it represents regions and cities in the EU, and everything that regional and local elected politicians do for citizens. Visitors will learn how their region voices its interests in the EU, and they will have the chance to meet local and regional elected politicians and discuss European issues in a direct, informal atmosphere. The traditional Festival of Regions and Cities will treat visitors to a showcase of their preferred tourist spots, traditional music and dance, and various culinary specialties.

    Background

    Europe Day held on 9 May every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the ‘Schuman declaration’, a historic proposal made by Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, in 1950 that laid out the foundation of European cooperation. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.

    In 2025, Europe Day is a special occasion, as we are celebrating 75 years since the Schuman declaration. To learn more about each institution’s programme, visit the Europe Day 2025 website.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit – March 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for the month1 of March 2025 collected from 41 select scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), accounting for about 95 per cent of the total non-food credit deployed by all SCBs, are set out in Statements I and II.

    On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, non-food bank credit2 as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, grew3 by 12.0 per cent as compared to 16.3 per cent during the corresponding fortnight of the previous year (i.e., March 22, 2024).

    Highlights of the sectoral deployment of bank credit3 are given below:

    • Credit to agriculture and allied activities registered a growth of 10.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.0 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year).

    • Credit to industry expanded by 8.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, same as in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year. Among major industries, outstanding credit to ‘petroleum, coal products and nuclear fuels’, ‘basic metal and metal products’, ‘all engineering’ and ‘construction’ recorded an accelerated y-o-y growth. However, credit growth in the infrastructure segment decelerated.

    • Credit to services sector increased by 13.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.8 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year), primarily due to decelerated growth in credit to ‘non-banking financial companies’ (NBFCs). Credit growth (y-o-y) to ‘professional services’ and ‘trade’ segments remained robust.

    • Credit to personal loans segment registered a growth of 14.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, as compared with 17.6 per cent a year ago, largely due to decline in growth in ‘other personal loans’, ‘vehicle loans’ and ‘credit card outstanding’.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/217


    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Chief Executives appointed to lead TRA

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New Chief Executives appointed to lead TRA

    The UK Trade Remedies Authority has confirmed the appointment of Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez as Chief Executives in a jobshare arrangement.

    The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today confirmed the appointment of Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez as Chief Executives in a jobshare arrangement. They will take up the role from 2 June.

    The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK’s independent public body responsible for investigating allegations of unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports that cause injury to UK industry. It makes evidence-based recommendations to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. 

    The TRA’s Chair Nick Baird recently met with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to agree how during the current global trade turmoil, the TRA will be stepping up its active data monitoring of emerging trade risks to help the Government spot and tackle the potential dumping of unfairly low-priced goods into the UK.

    New leadership on trade remedies

    Jessica and Carmen join the TRA from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and have held a number of senior roles both within and outside government, with a particular focus on trade, investment and regulation.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  

    “This Government is standing up for our national interest, and as part of our Plan for Change, creating a level playing field where UK businesses can thrive and grow.

    The work of the TRA has never been more important in achieving this objective, and I’m delighted to welcome Jessica and Carmen to their new role. Their skills will be vital to ensure the TRA continues to protect British producers from unfairly low-priced imports.”

    Jessica and Carmen have jobshared since 2017. Their senior roles together have included: leading the Department for Business’ (BEIS) analytical work on EU Exit and international trade; the coordination of the UK Government work on no-deal business readiness; Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) for the level playing field chapter of the UK/EU trade negotiations (including subsidy control and remedial measures); establishing the UK’s domestic subsidy control regime; leading on Brexit Opportunities and regulatory reform in Cabinet Office; and most recently, leading the delivery of local growth funds and Freeports in MHCLG.

    Before joining the Civil Service, Jessica’s career featured 12 years working in Investment Banking, providing strategic and financial advice to CEOs and boards of directors on mergers, acquisitions and capital raisings in London, Singapore and Sydney. After joining the Civil Service in 2010, she led analytical work in BEIS’ Better Regulation Executive and then the Europe Directorate.

    Carmen joined the Civil Service in 2017 from the Financial Conduct Authority, where she led on embedding competition in financial regulation. Previously, she worked at the Competition and Markets Authority and Office of Fair Trading. including as lead on a number of market studies and head of evaluation. Before these Civil Service roles, she was Chief Economist at the National Farmers Union of England and Wales.

    TRA Chair Nick Baird said: ‘I am delighted that two leaders of Jessica and Carmen’s quality have joined us at this turbulent time in the international trade environment. They have exactly the skills and experience to lead the TRA through the changes that are needed to help UK business navigate this new world.’

    New appointees Carmen and Jessica said: “We are thrilled to be joining the TRA and look forward to working with its Board, staff and stakeholders to ensure that trade remedies, particularly at this crucial time, are a cornerstone of the UK’s international standing and growth ambitions.”

    Background Information

    • Trade remedy measures are a trade defence tool to protect domestic industries against injury caused by unfair trade practices or unforeseen increases in imports. They are a specific type of tariffs allowed under World Trade Organization rules when specific criteria are met (evidence of dumping, subsidy or a surge in imports). They usually take the form of an additional duty placed on imports of specific products, which are collected by HMRC prior to a good entering into free circulation.
    • The TRA has been led by Steve O’Donoghue as interim Chief Executive since March 2025, when the TRA’s previous Chief Executive Oliver Griffiths left to take up a new role – TRA announces interim CEO and confirms board leadership – GOV.UK.

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    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: KE Holdings Inc. to Report First Quarter 2025 Financial Results on May 15, 2025 Eastern Time

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEIJING, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KE Holdings Inc. (“Beike” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BEKE; HKEX: 2423), a leading integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2025 before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

    The Company’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 15, 2025 (8:00 P.M. Beijing Time on Thursday, May 15, 2025).

    For participants who wish to join the conference using dial-in numbers, please complete online registration using the link provided below at least 20 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Dial-in numbers, passcode and unique access PIN would be provided upon registering.

    Participant Online Registration:

    English Line: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10046740-j8h7g6.html

    Chinese Simultaneous Interpretation Line (listen-only mode): https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10046741-h6g53.html

    A replay of the conference call will be accessible through May 22, 2025, by dialing the following numbers:

    United States: +1-855-883-1031
    Mainland, China: 400-1209-216
    Hong Kong, China: 800-930-639
    International: +61-7-3107-6325
    Replay PIN (English line): 10046740
    Replay PIN (Chinese simultaneous interpretation line): 10046741
       

    A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s investor relations website at https://investors.ke.com.

    About KE Holdings Inc.

    KE Holdings Inc. is a leading integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services. The Company is a pioneer in building infrastructure and standards to reinvent how service providers and customers efficiently navigate and complete housing transactions and services in China, ranging from existing and new home sales, home rentals, to home renovation and furnishing, and other services. The Company owns and operates Lianjia, China’s leading real estate brokerage brand and an integral part of its Beike platform. With more than 23 years of operating experience through Lianjia since its inception in 2001, the Company believes the success and proven track record of Lianjia pave the way for it to build its infrastructure and standards and drive the rapid and sustainable growth of Beike.

    For more information, please visit: https://investors.ke.com.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    In China:
    KE Holdings Inc.
    Investor Relations
    Siting Li
    E-mail: ir@ke.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Jenny Cai
    Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
    E-mail: ke@tpg-ir.com

    In the United States:
    Piacente Financial Communications
    Brandi Piacente
    Tel: +1-212-481-2050
    E-mail: ke@tpg-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ10: Dog keeping in public rental housing

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ10: Dog keeping in public rental housing 
    Question:
     
         The Hong Kong Housing Authority has, since 2003, implemented a one-off “temporary permission” arrangement for dog keeping (the arrangement) whereby public rental housing (PRH) tenants who have been keeping dogs before August 1, 2003 are allowed to register with the Housing Department (HD), and their dogs can continue to be kept only after their applications are approved, and they are not allowed to register any new dogs thereafter. Although the arrangement has been in place for nearly 22 years, it has been reported that quite a number of PRH tenants are still keeping dogs without authorisation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the current number of PRH tenants who have registered with and obtained approval from HD for keeping dogs lawfully; 
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         In formulating the policy of animal keeping in Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates, the ultimate consideration of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to achieve a harmonious community whereby different interests of all PRH residents are being respected at large. While under the current policy and as stipulated in the Tenancy Agreement signed between the HA and the tenant that the tenant should not keep any animal in the premises without the prior written consent of the landlord (HA), in consideration of residents with special needs, such as visually impaired/hearing impaired residents who need to keep guide dogs, or for residents who are recommended by medical practitioners to keep companion dogs for mental support, tenants may submit written applications to the HA. The HA will consider approving such applications at its discretion, subject to the principle of not causing nuisance.
     
         In May 2003, the HA introduced the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates (Marking Scheme), and “Keeping animal, bird or livestock inside leased premises without prior written consent of the Landlord” is one of the misdeeds that will result in points allotment under the Marking Scheme which applies to dogs. The HA subsequently implemented the “Temporary Permission Rule” (TPR) in November 2003 as a one-off measure to allow eligible PRH tenants to continue to keep small dogs that had been kept in PRH flats before August 1, 2003 until the dogs passed away. At present, all dogs which were allowed under the TPR had passed away.
     
         The reply in response to the question raised by the Hon Lee Chun-keung is as follows:
     
    (1) As at end-December 2024, about 1 700 service dogs were kept under special approval by the HA.Issued at HKT 12:50

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ21: Measures to promote STEAM education

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Lillian Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (April 30): 

    Question:

         It is learnt that the Government is committed to promoting STEAM (i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and has provided schools with support measures, including offering learning grant schemes, optimising curriculum framework and enhancing teacher training. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the frequency of upgrading artificial intelligence (AI) teaching equipment and the coverage of smart classrooms in various publicly-funded primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong over the past three years;

    (2) whether the Government will formulate guidelines and specifications in relation to AI ethics education and data security for schools; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3) given that the Quality Education Fund (QEF) has implemented the e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme to promote co-operation between the education and business sectors for the development of e-learning ancillary facilities that meet local education needs, and that the QEF will also sponsor schools to use the deliverables of the projects under the Programme, of the number of schools which have purchased the e-learning ancillary facilities developed under the Programme with the subsidy of the QEF since the launch of the Programme, and the details of such ancillary facilities; and

    (4) of the number of schools currently adopting the teaching materials of the Enriched Module on Coding Education for Upper Primary Level and the Module on AI for Junior Secondary Level, and whether the Government will step up its efforts in promoting the adoption of such teaching materials by schools; if so, of the details?

    Reply:

    President,

         The Education Bureau (EDB) has been stepping up its efforts to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and digital education in primary and secondary schools. Through a range of diversified strategies, including ongoing curriculum renewal, strengthening teacher training, optimising education ancillary infrastructure, providing resource support, and organising student activities, the EDB assists schools in harnessing innovation and technology (I&T) (including artificial intelligence (AI)) to enhance the digital literacy and competence of both teachers and students, and foster learning and teaching effectiveness, with a view to nurturing talent for the future. Meanwhile, we have been enhancing our efforts in promoting media and information literacy to enable students to use digital technology effectively and ethically in daily life and learning.

         Our consolidated reply to the written question raised by the Hon Lillian Kwok is as follows:

    Enhancing curriculum related to I&T (including AI)

         The EDB launched the Module on AI for Junior Secondary Level in the 2023/24 school year, with the aim of developing students’ understanding of AI and its applications. The EDB also launched the Enriched Module on Coding Education for Upper Primary Level to prepare primary school students for further studying the basics and applications of AI and big data in secondary schools. The Module on AI for Junior Secondary Level covers topics such as AI basics, AI ethics, societal impact and future of work, and enables teachers and students to learn about the ethics and appropriate application scenarios of AI, as well as relevant security topics such as personal data privacy and data security. At present, almost all publicly-funded primary and secondary schools have implemented the enriched coding education and AI education at the upper primary level and the junior secondary level respectively.

    Developing relevant learning and teaching resources

         Last year, the EDB launched the updated “Information Literacy for Hong Kong Students” Learning Framework (2024) to cover education on AI ethics and data security. Apart from this, the EDB has also been developing various learning and teaching resources, including those on AI ethics education and data security. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Journalism Education Foundation, the EDB has launched the learning and teaching resources on Cyber Security and Technology Crime Information and Media and Information Literacy respectively, which include content to enhance students’ ability to discern the authenticity of information and promote the proper use of social media.

    Providing professional development training for in-service teachers

         To tie in with the implementation of the above I&T curriculum modules, the EDB has continuously enhanced teacher training and strengthened the promotion and support for schools to adopt these modules. Since the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has organised 22 sessions of professional development programmes on AI education for the junior secondary level, with over 650 participating teachers. As for primary schools, a total of over 60 sessions of training programmes on coding education have been organised, with the attendance of over 1 550 teachers. The training programmes are conducted in both online and offline modes to benefit a greater number of teachers. In addition, the EDB has actively provided teachers with AI-related professional development programmes, covering topics like the development of AI, planning of applying AI in teaching and learning, as well as the application of AI tools in different subjects, and including such themes as safeguarding data security.

    Strengthening digital education ancillary infrastructure

         The Quality Education Fund (QEF) has included STEM/STEAM education as one of the priority themes and implemented the Dedicated Funding Programme for Publicly-funded Schools starting from the 2018/19 school year. From the 2018/19 to 2023/24 school years, the QEF approved over 1 200 projects related to information technology (IT) in education and STEM/STEAM education through the Priority Themes Funding Programme and the Dedicated Funding Programme for Publicly-funded Schools, with a total funding of over $1.1 billion. The measures included enhancing facilities and support for schools to develop school-based STEM/STEAM education.

         Moreover, to optimise education ancillary infrastructure, the QEF has allocated $500 million for the implementation of the e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme to develop e-learning ancillary facilities that meet local learning and teaching needs through co-operation between the education and business sectors. A total of 22 projects have been funded under the Programme and have commenced in the beginning of the 2023/24 school year. The learning platforms and resources developed under these projects deploy innovative technologies such as big data and AI to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness in a wide array of subjects/areas. The development period of each project ranges from two to three years. As at end-March 2025, around 400 schools participated in the collaborative development projects, involving around 31 000 students. It is expected that the deliverables of the projects will be successively released for subscription by schools in mid-2025 and will be available for use starting from the 2025/26 school year. The QEF will also sponsor publicly-funded schools to use the deliverables of the projects to facilitate the sustainable development of the projects. As the Programme is still at the development stage, figures on the numbers of subscribing schools and student beneficiaries, as well as the sponsored amount are not available for the time being.

    Providing resource support

         In applying digital technology to facilitate teaching, starting from the 2004/05 school year, the EDB has been providing all public sector schools with the Composite Information Technology Grant (CITG). Schools may deploy the grant flexibly, according to their school-based pedagogical needs, to purchase and enhance various kinds of hardware and software for teaching (including AI teaching equipment and smart classroom-related facilities), subscribe to Wi-Fi services, and strengthen their IT staffing support. In the 2024/25 school year, the rate of CITG for each school ranges from $275,355 to $898,390, depending on the school type and the number of classes. The grant rates will be adjusted annually in accordance with the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index.

         Over the years, publicly-funded primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong have been flexibly updating the hardware and equipment in schools, having regard to the school-based circumstances and the learning and teaching needs of students and teachers. The relevant expenditures are subject to vetting by the school management committees/incorporated management committees. The EDB does not maintain relevant statistics on the updating of teaching equipment including AI equipment and the coverage rate of smart classrooms in schools.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ19: Services and facilities provided by Government in new towns

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hok-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):
     
    Question:
     
    There are views pointing out that the Government has proposed to construct the second government complex in Tseung Kwan O, a new town with a population of nearly 500 000, while it has no plan to provide any government complex in Tung Chung, even though there will be a population of almost 300 000 in Tung Chung upon completion of the expansion of Tung Chung East and Tung Chung West. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the criteria for providing government complexes in new towns (e.g. the population in and accessibility of the district, etc); whether it has plans to construct a government complex in Tung Chung Area 1; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) given that the proposed second government complex in Tseung Kwan O will provide medical and health facilities, day care centre for the elderly, government offices, a public vehicle park and other facilities, how the Government determines the services and facilities to be provided in the government complex, so as to realise the land use principle of “single site, multiple use”;
     
    (3) given that some residents of Tung Chung have relayed to me that they need to go to the Immigration Department’s Regional Office in Tuen Mun for registration of persons and travel document applications, whether the Government will consider providing services in relation to registration of persons and travel document applications in Tung Chung; if so, of the implementation timetable;
     
    (4) whether the Government had extensively promoted the use of electronic government services (e-government services) in Tung Chung in the past three years; if so, of the details; whether the Government has formulated any publicity plan for the coming year to promote the use of e-government services by more Tung Chung residents, so as to fill the service gap arising from the Government’s failure to provide a government complex in the district; and
     
    (5) given that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department currently provides different types of leisure and cultural services facilities in Tung Chung (e.g. Tung Chung North Park, Tung Chung Road Soccer Pitch, Tung Chung Man Tung Road Sports Centre, Tung Chung Public Library, etc), whether the Government has plans to extensively cultivate iconic species of plants at such facilities, so as to create a scenic landscape comprising government facilities in Tung Chung; if so, of the details?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    After consultation with the relevant policy bureaux and departments, the reply to the questions is as follows:
     
    (1) When developing New Towns/New Development Areas, the Government reserves sufficient land for “Government, Institution or Community” uses so as to meet the daily needs of the public. In general, the Government will take into account the population density of the relevant area when determining the type and quantity of facilities to be provided. With reference to the actual needs of local users, the supply of land or space, and views from other relevant departments, the departments responsible for providing the relevant services would plan accordingly, including whether developing Joint-user Complexes (JUCs) is the suitable approach to provide the public services needed by the relevant community.
     
    For the site of Tung Chung Area 1, nearby sits the Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, which is around 500 metres away. The building is near the MTR Tung Chung Station, within which there are various facilities such as a community hall, a public library, a sports centre, and elderly care facilities. In fact, within the public housing estates and private developments of the Tung Chung area, many community facilities have been provided, including health centres and post offices, etc, so as to serve the needs of Tung Chung residents. While there are currently no plans to develop JUCs at the site of Tung Chung Area 1, the Government will continue to take note of the view from the community on how this lot can be effectively utilised.
     
    (2) When considering the mix of services and facilities to be provided in a JUC, the Government mainly considers factors including local demand for public services, the space requirements of departments for providing such public services and setting up offices, compatibility of different facilities, and cost effectiveness, etc.
     
    (3) According to the Immigration Department (ImmD), there are currently seven Registration of Persons Offices and seven Immigration Branch Offices throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, providing registration of persons and document services to members of the public in various districts. These offices are of high accessibility, located near MTR stations and Public Transport Interchanges. Since the ImmD has already set up offices serving the public in areas conveniently accessible to Tung Chung residents, the Government does not have plans to set up additional offices in Tung Chung at the moment. The ImmD will continue to review the service demand in each district to ensure the continuous provision of efficient and high-quality services to the public while making optimal use of resources.
     
    In fact, to facilitate the public and align with the Government’s objective of full digitalisation of services, the ImmD has been proactively promoting electronic services. Members of the public can submit applications for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport through the Internet or the ImmD Mobile Application. In recent years, the ImmD has also launched various electronic services, obviating the need for residents to visit the offices in person and thus saving queuing and form-filling time. These online services include birth registration, death registration, and application for Certificate of Registered Particulars, where applicants may also choose to receive relevant certificates by mail. Starting from January 2025, applications for certain visas/entry permits and extensions of stay will only be accepted electronically, and applicants will not need to visit ImmD offices in person throughout the entire process.
     
    (4) The Government has been striving to drive the full digitalisation of government services, and whether there is a JUC in a particular district has no bearing on the Government’s effort in this regard. According to the information provided by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), all licences and government services involving application and approval (about 1 480 items in total) and forms (over 3 800) have been digitalised since mid-2024, thereby enabling submission of application, payment and collection of documents by electronic means for relevant licences and services. If in-person submission or collection of documents is required by law or international practices, applicants will only need to visit the relevant government office no more than once.
     
    The DPO will strengthen the promotion of “iAM Smart” and related online services, and work with Care Teams to assist citizens and elderly people in various districts in registering and using “iAM Smart”. Moreover, the DPO has set up community-based help desks in suitable locations across all districts to provide regular and fixed-point training and technical support, teaching elderly people to use various digital government service applications.
     
    (5) The Development Bureau advocates the policy of “Right Plant, Right Place”, which involves taking into account planting space, adaptability, characteristics and matching of species, as well as compatibility with landscape designs and the surrounding environment. In this regard, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has been planting various conspicuous flowering or foliage plants in its recreational venues to beautify the environment. When pursuing recreational facility projects, the LCSD collaborates with works departments and design teams to select suitable plants based on factors including site condition, etc. When choosing plant species for open spaces in the Tung Chung area, the LCSD will make reference to the Greening Theme, Theme Plants, and Recommended Tree List for the Islands District in the Greening Master Plan drawn up by the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD).
     
    Currently, over 30 Tabebuia chrysantha trees have been planted in Man Tung Road Park in Tung Chung, attracting many residents of the district during their spring blossom. In Tung Chung North Park, various themed trees have been planted, including nearly 50 Liquidambar formosana trees, the leaves colour of which changes through seasons. The red foliage in late autumn is particularly popular among visitors. For the Open Space Development in Tung Chung New Town Extension (East), the works of which will commence shortly, the LCSD plans to plant Pennisetum alopecuroides, Melastoma sanguineum, Cassia bakeriana, and other species, as well as install trellises adorned with distinctive climbers, to create a richly layered and vibrantly coloured landscape and greenery in Tung Chung. In addition to the above plants, in early 2023, the CEDD set up a trial nursery at the seafront of the newly reclaimed land in Tung Chung East to assess the growth performance of different tree species, with a view to selecting more suitable species for the Open Space Development in Tung Chung New Town Extension (East).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Promoting the sports atmosphere in schools

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):

    Question:
     
         It has been reported that the Schools Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China (HKSSF) has earlier on launched the inaugural HKSSF Finals, featuring a number of Jing Ying tournaments or inter-area competitions held at the Kai Tak Sports Park, which have brought heightened interest and attention to inter-school competitions. In addition, the Chief Executive has proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to include Physical Education (PE) in the primary school internal assessments starting from the 2026/27 school year, so as to encourage student participation in physical activities on a regular basis. Regarding the promotion of the sports atmosphere in schools, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as it is learnt that about 30 000 inter-school competitions are currently held each year in Hong Kong, and quite a number of new sports or urban sports have emerged in recent years, whether the authorities have plans to allocate additional resources to the HKSSF to enhance the arrangements of inter-school competitions, thus enabling the school sector to organise more varieties of competitions of high quality;
     
    (2) given that at present there are Jing Ying tournaments and all Hong Kong inter-school competitions in nine and eight sports events respectively for secondary schools, whether the authorities have plans to introduce more territory-wide inter-school competitions (especially elite sports that are popular among students, such as fencing and cycling), so as to enable student participation in more high-level competitions, thereby identifying more athletes with potential for training and better dovetailing with the development of elite sports; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (3) as it has been reported that there are four major assessment domains (i.e. physical fitness, attitudes, sports skills and knowledge) for the PE subject in the primary school internal assessments, of the criteria based on which schools are required to determine students’ scores in the subject; how the authorities will encourage schools to make use of this opportunity to further cultivate students’ interest in doing sports; and
     
    (4) whether the authorities have plans to assist schools in organising more new or interesting sports events and allowing students to participate on their own terms, thereby promoting the sports atmosphere in schools; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         In consultation with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Schools Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China (HKSSF), our consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Vincent Cheng is as follows:
     
     (1) and (2) The Government actively supports the development of sports and promotes sports in the community through subsidising various national sports associations (NSAs), including the HKSSF. With the completion of the Kai Tak Sports Park, the Government also provides quality competition venues to host different inter-school sports events, with a view to attracting the participation of more young people and students and enhancing the sports ambience in schools.
     
         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has allocated around $620 million in 2025-26 as block grant under the Sports Subvention Scheme to various NSAs to promote sports in the community, youth training programmes, community participation, squad training at all levels and overseas exchange programmes and competitions. Over the past six years, the block grant provided by the LCSD to the NSAs has increased from around $300 million per year to over $600 million per year. In approving funding for each NSA (including the HKSSF) each year, the LCSD considers factors including the annual plans submitted by the NSAs, as well as their past performance, expenditure patterns, programme arrangements, and subvention management.
     
         The HKSSF, a recognised NSA of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China subsidised by government departments including the LCSD and the Education Bureau (EDB), organises and participates in various local and overseas inter-school sports competitions. To better dovetail with the development of elite sports, the HKSSF has established with other NSAs a system of training and selection for elite athletes to provide student athletes with specific sports training of a high standard, thereby feeding potential athletes to relevant NSAs and preparing them for higher-level competitions in future. In the past year, over 1 000 primary and secondary schools across the territory participated in activities organised by the HKSSF, accounting for about 97 per cent of the total number of schools in Hong Kong; around 130 000 students participated in inter-school competitions, covering about 37 sports, approximately 70 per cent of which were elite sports such as fencing, swimming, and athletics. These competitions also involved urban sports such as 3-on-3 basketball and futsal. With dedicated efforts of the Government, there are already a great variety of high quality sports competitions in the school sector, enabling students’ participation in more high-level competitions and facilitating the identification of more athletes with potential.
     
    (3) In October 2024, the EDB announced the optimised arrangement of the weighting of subjects in the Internal Assessments (IA) for the Secondary School Places Allocation. Physical Education (PE) will be included in the IA in the second term of Primary five from the 2026/27 school year, so as to further help students develop a habit of joining sports activities from young age for strengthening their physique as well as provide them with the motivation to understand and improve their physical fitness, thereby achieving the learning goal of “Healthy Lifestyle”. The new measure has received general support from various stakeholders.
     
         Promoting the healthy growth of students is the first and foremost aim of the IA of PE, with an emphasis on foundation skills as well as objective and achievable health ratings. The IA of PE also builds on the domains and standards of PE assessment currently adopted by schools in general, including Physical Fitness, Attitudes, Sports Skills, and Knowledge (abbreviated as F.A.S.K.), and is a regular task of schools. Schools will refer to the relevant curriculum documents published by the EDB, including curriculum guides, the “Physical Education Learning Outcomes Framework”, and the assessment standards for physical fitness specified in the School Physical Fitness Award Scheme (Note 1) in adopting diversified modes of assessment, so as to enhance the effectiveness in learning and teaching through allowing students to demonstrate their learning outcomes in various ways and catering for their diverse potential, abilities and needs. Schools are required to set out clear learning objectives, scope of assessment, focus and format of assessment, and assessment criteria, etc, to enable students and parents to understand the relevant assessment criteria and arrangements. 
     
         The EDB will continue to update curriculum documents, develop learning and teaching resources, and organise professional development programmes for teachers. In addition, the EDB will provide a series of support measures to promote PE development in schools with a life-wide learning approach, including organising briefing sessions for schools and parents, and setting up a professional network of “Primary School PE Assessment Learning Circle”, so as to further assist students in developing an active and healthy lifestyle.
     
    (4) The EDB has included the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that children and adolescents aged five to 17 should accumulate at least an average of 60 minutes daily of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activities (MVPA60) across the week as one of the directions of the PE curriculum. It has also introduced the “MVPA60 Award Scheme” with the slogan “Let’s exercise every day, exercise together and exercise with others” to encourage students to exercise regularly with their families, classmates or friends. More than 210 000 students have participated in the Scheme since its inception. In addition, the “Active Students, Active People” Campaign (Note 1) has also been launched since the 2021/22 school year to rally the efforts of schools and parents as well as other stakeholders to promote an optimised sports ambience in schools and in society. The Campaign offers a series of PE activities as well as learning and teaching resources to support schools in mobilising students’ participation in physical activities and further engaging them in developing an active and healthy lifestyle. Demonstrations of different sports and experiences of Olympic and emerging sports are featured in these activities to enhance students’ interest and provide them with opportunities in participating in physical activities, thus promoting the sports ambience in schools. The Campaign has recorded the participation of more than 60 000 students since its launch. The EDB will inject new elements into the Campaign in a timely manner so as to meet the needs of schools.
     
         In addition, the EDB disbursed a one-off grant of $150,000 to schools in March 2024 to support them in organising various activities, subsidising students’ participation in diversified sports activities (e.g. emerging or fun sports), purchasing or upgrading PE/sports equipment in schools, etc., with a view to increasing opportunities for students to participate in sports and promoting the sports ambience in schools on all fronts.
     
         Regarding teacher training, the EDB collaborates with local universities to organise the annual Hong Kong Physical Education Teachers Conference, which brings together various experts in PE to conduct thematic sharing. Teaching workshops on various sports, including urban sports such as 3-on-3 basketball and sport climbing, and such emerging sports as pickleball, tchoukball, floorball and Baseball5, are also held to enrich teachers’ professional knowledge and assist them in organising diversified activities for students within and outside the classroom, with a view to promoting students’ participation in different kinds of sports activities and enriching their sports learning experiences.
     
         Moreover, the EDB has been collaborating with government departments, relevant bodies and organisations to organise various physical activities and sports programmes, such as the School Sports Programme, as well as “Project MuSE” and “Jump Rope Together” Rope Skipping Scheme 2.0 funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, to provide students with more opportunities to participate in sports activities during leisure time, foster a sporting culture in schools and identify student athletes with potential for further training.
     
    Note 1: The School Physical Fitness Award Scheme (spfas.hkuhealth.com), jointly developed by the EDB, the Hong Kong Childhealth Foundation and the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, has been in place and developed in the school sector for over 35 years.
     
    Note 2: www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/pe/asap/index.html

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic and transport arrangements for Tam Kung Festival on Hong Kong Island

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Special traffic and transport arrangements for Tam Kung Festival on Hong Kong Island 
    Road closures
     
         Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented on roads in the vicinity of Shau Kei Wan Road, Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Tam Kung Temple Road from 6.30am to 6.30pm that day. Intermittent road closures will be implemented on roads in the vicinity of Tai Hang in Wan Chai District from 10.30am that day until crowds disperse and roads are reopened. Vehicular access to and from car parks within the affected areas may not be allowed during the period of road closures.

    Public transport service arrangements 
    (ii) The public light bus stand, public light bus parking space and motorcycle parking spaces at Kam Wah Street between Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Mong Lung Street will be temporarily suspended from 8am on May 4 to 6.30pm the next day;
     
    (iii) All on-street parking spaces within closed road sections in Shau Kei Wan (including metered parking, motorcycle parking and disabled parking spaces) will be temporarily suspended from 10pm on May 4 to 6.30pm the next day; and 
         The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or “HKeMobility”.
    Issued at HKT 12:20

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    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: Allocation arrangements for public housing

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    (7) of the three most common reasons given by ordinary families waiting for PRH for refusing the units allocated to them; whether the Government has reviewed the savings in administrative costs in processing PRH applications with successful allocations on the first offer as compared to those requiring several offers before an allocation is successful?

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The objective of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide public rental housing (PRH) to those who cannot afford private rental accommodation. With regard to the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu, my reply is as follows:
     
    (1) Given the limited PRH resources, it is the prevailing policy of the HA to accord priority to general applicants (i.e. family applicants and elderly-one person applicants) over non-elderly one-person applicants in the allocation of PRH flats. The relative priority of flat allocation to general applicants is determined according to the principle of rational allocation of PRH resources and strictly in accordance with the order of registration date/G-number Equivalent Date (Note) (if any) of applications. Apart from the general applicants, we have set another queue for non-elderly one-person applicants and the priority of flat allocation is determined by the Quota and Points System (QPS). Unlike that of general applicants, the order of the applications is not in accordance with the sequence of the date of registration, but is determined by the total points accumulated by such applicants under QPS.
     
         To cater to the housing needs of the elderly, encourage younger families to take care of their elderly parents or dependent relatives, and provide incentives to families applicants to encourage childbearing, there are several allocation priority schemes under the HA, including “Elderly Persons Priority Scheme”, “Harmonious Families Priority Scheme”, “Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme” and “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme”. Eligible applications under individual priority schemes will generally be processed earlier than applications by ordinary families. For example, eligible applications under the “Harmonious Families Priority Scheme” and “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme” will be processed earlier by six months and one year respectively, and will be assigned a G-number Equivalent Date. Details on the above-mentioned schemes and arrangement are set out at Annex.
     
    (2) The progress of PRH allocation depends on various factors, including the applicants’ choice of district, the number of applications with same family size in individual districts, the supply of new and refurbished PRH flats in individual districts, the acceptance of flat offers by other applicants of higher priorities, the change of family particulars during the waiting period, etc. Therefore, the waiting time of applicants in individual districts may vary. For individual applicants, the latest allocation status of PRH applications in various districts can better enable them to estimate the waiting time required for them to be housed. In this regard, the Housing Department (HD) would publish in newspapers the latest allocation status of each district on a monthly basis, and would upload relevant information to the HA’s/HD’s website (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/flat-application/allocation-status/index.html 
         Moreover, general applicants can make reference to the future supply of PRH in different districts so as to estimate their waiting time. To this end, the Housing Bureau (HB) would update and publish the public housing production forecast for the next five years, and would upload the relevant public housing project information (including name of project, location, estimated number of flats, completion year, etc.) to the HB’s website (
    www.hb.gov.hk/eng/publications/housing/public/phpf/index.html 
    (3) The HA has enhanced the allocation mechanism since September 2023 by taking into account an applicant’s place of residence when allocating flats based on his/her choice of district. In processing individual application under the enhanced allocation mechanism, the computer system will allocate a PRH flat which is near to the applicant’s place of residence to the applicant, subject to the availability of public housing resources in the applicant’s chosen district, in order to increase the applicant’s chance of accepting the allocated PRH flat nearer to his/her current place of residence. Following the system enhancement, the proportion of applicants who are allocated with flats near their place of residence has increased by about 10 per cent, and the acceptance rate has increased by about 5 per cent accordingly.
     
         Eligible applicants are entitled to three housing offers (one at a time). If applicants have special requests for PRH allocation (such as wishing to be accommodated to a specific area or a specific type of PRH flat in their choice of district) and have obtained the recommendation from government departments or organisations concerned (such as the Social Welfare Department or the Hospital Authority) supporting their special requests, the HD will, having regard to the applicants’ individual circumstances and subject to the availability of resources, arrange allocation of PRH flats to the applicants according to the area or type of flat recommended as far as practicable. If the applicant can furnish sufficient reasons that are acceptable by the HD for refusing the housing offer, the HD will arrange an extra flat offer for him/her according to his/her special need.
     
    (4) In view of the supply and demand situation as well as the distribution of PRH flats, the HA had, on several occasions, reviewed and regrouped the geographical districts to speed up the allocation of suitable flats to applicants. Due to the different number of flats supply and distribution in all geographical districts, the choices available for applicants in different district may vary. Therefore, the smaller the district boundary, the chance for successful flat allocation will be lower. In order to improve the situation, the HA consolidated the number of PRH districts from fourteen to eight in 1993. This could expedite the allocation process and enable early allocation of suitable flats to applicants.
     
         In tandem with urban development, the number of public transportation facilities connecting various districts is increasing, which greatly shortens the travelling time between districts. The HA further reduced the number of PRH districts from eight to four in 1998 in order to speed up the allocation work even more flexibly and further expedite the PRH allocation. The prevailing arrangement with four districts allows a more even distribution of supply of flats in each district and more effective allocation work. In fact, the Average Waiting Time (AWT) of general applications as at March 1998 was 6.6 years. Upon consolidating the PRH districts to four districts by the HA, and coupled with the increased supply of PRH, the AWT gradually reduced to around two years in 2000, proven that it is a good arrangement for consolidating the districts.
     
    (5) Comparing with the 1990s, the infrastructure and transportation facilities in Tung Chung are well-developed today. The public transport links between districts are also very convenient. Reservation of some newly completed PRH flats in Tung Chung for special allocation arrangements would be unfair to other applicants who are waiting for allocation.
     
    (6) Among the general applicants who were allocated PRH flats in the past three years (i.e. from 2022-23 to 2024-25), around 43 per cent of the applicants accepted the first offer, while around 27 per cent and 30 per cent of the applicants accepted the second and third offer respectively. If a flat is not accepted by an applicant, we will immediately allocate it to another applicant.
     
    (7) Putting into consideration that each applicant has different housing needs for PRH flats, the HA will provide up to three housing offers to eligible applicants. Applicants can decide whether to accept the offers in accordance with their individual preferences and circumstances. Applicants may refuse to accept the housing offer for different reasons (not limited to a single reason). The HA does not maintain relevant statistical information.
     
    Note: The HA will issue a registration date to the applicant upon registration of a PRH application. As the registration date cannot be changed, the HA will issue an adjusted registration date (i.e. G-number Equivalent Date) reflecting the adjusted waiting time due to implementation of PRH allocation policies (e.g. waiting time credit of one year will be given for “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme”, waiting time will be frozen for one year if all members included in the application are currently living in PRH, etc). If there is a G-number equivalent date in the application, that date will be taken as the basis for future flat allocation and implementation of PRH application policies. When a G-number Equivalent Date is issued, the applicant will, at the same time, be issued with a corresponding range of application numbers which may be used as a reference for enquiring about the PRH application status.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Bringing dogs onto food premises

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ15: Bringing dogs onto food premises 
    (1) There are restaurants that advertise themselves as pet-friendly in recent years, but there is no specific or consistent definition of this type of restaurants. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) does not have statistics on the number of all self-claimed pet-friendly restaurants. 

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ5: Boarding facilities in primary and secondary schools

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ5: Boarding facilities in primary and secondary schools
    Hong Kong’s diverse and quality education is one of the factors attracting talent to Hong Kong. In recent years, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has introduced and enhanced various talent schemes to attract talent conducive to Hong Kong’s development and enrich the local talent pool. The Education Bureau (EDB) provides various educational support services to facilitate the school placement of accompanying children (i.e. dependants) of individuals admitted to Hong Kong under various talent admission schemes, and help them integrate into the local learning environment as soon as possible. 

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Treatment of waste lead-acid batteries

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ22: Treatment of waste lead-acid batteries 
    Question:
     
         Under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (the Convention), member countries (Parties) are expected to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to their place of generation and to prevent and minimise the generation of wastes at source, and waste lead-acid batteries are hazardous waste regulated under the Convention. China is a Party to the Convention, the Convention is therefore applicable to Hong Kong as well. It has been reported that at present, most of the waste lead-acid batteries in Hong Kong were exported to other places (including Korea) after treatment, and those recycled locally only accounted for a small portion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the quantity of waste lead-acid batteries generated in Hong Kong in each of the past three years, as well as the respective quantities of waste lead-acid batteries preliminarily processed locally, exported to overseas advanced facilities for recycling (with a breakdown by export areas) and recycled locally;
     
    (2) of the respective maximum annual treatment capacities of the facilities for (i) preliminary treatment and (ii) recycling of waste lead-acid batteries in Hong Kong;
     
    (3) of the details of projects relating to waste lead-acid batteries subsidised by the Recycling Fund in the past three years (including but not limited to the amount of subsidy granted for each project and the content of the subsidy);
     
    (4) of the current progress of the implementation of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on waste lead-acid batteries, as well as the recovery target for local waste lead-acid batteries after the implementation of the Scheme; and
     
    (5) whether the authorities have formulated a contingency plan to cope with the situation where the collection of treated waste lead-acid batteries exported from Hong Kong will be suspended in the event of policy adjustments by Korea or other places; if so, of the specific proposals; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Handling of waste lead-acid batteries is strictly regulated under the Waste Disposal Ordinance, and the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation including registration as chemical waste producers, applications for chemical waste collection and disposal licences, reporting the quantities of waste lead-acid batteries produced, collected and disposed of, and regulating the transboundary movements of waste lead-acid batteries according to the Basel Convention (the Convention).
     
        Any person intending to export waste lead-acid batteries for recycling should apply to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for an export permit. Prior to issuing the permit, the EPD will obtain written consent from the relevant authority of the concerned state of import to ensure that the waste lead-acid batteries will be transported to an approved recycling facility in the destination location for recycling in an environmentally sound manner.
     
         The Convention encourages the Parties of the Convention to dispose of controlled waste within the country of origin as far as possible, but it does not prohibit the import or export of such waste under certain conditions, including that the state of import needs the waste as a raw material for recycling or recovery use. Currently, the waste lead-acid batteries exported from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region comply with the above principles. Under the permit control system, approval from the competent authority of the concerned state of import must be obtained prior to the export of waste lead-acid batteries, which must be recycled in facilities equipped with processing capacity in waste lead-acid batteries.
     
         The EPD will continue to combat illegal collection and disposal of waste lead-acid batteries, and promote proper disposal of waste lead-acid batteries and the relevant legal requirements to the trade.
     
         The reply to the question raised by the Hon Judy Chan is as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) Currently, there are approximately 700 000 fuel-powered or gas-powered vehicles in Hong Kong, amounting to an estimation of around 3 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries generated annually. In addition to other applications including uninterruptible power supply systems (e.g. data centres and emergency lighting), non-road mobile machineries (e.g. forklifts), vessels, and emergency generators in industrial and commercial buildings, an additional 3 500 to 4 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries are generated each year. Thus, it is estimated that a total of 6 500 to 7 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries are generated in Hong Kong annually. In recent years, the number of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has been steadily increasing. There were 110 014 electric vehicles in Hong Kong in 2024, representing about 12.2 per cent of the total number of vehicles. As newly launched electric vehicles no longer use lead-acid batteries, it is expected that the quantity of waste lead-acid batteries generated will gradually decline in the future.    
     
         Currently, there are eight licensed disposal facilities for disposal of waste lead-acid batteries, seven of which conduct preliminary treatment such as sorting, insulation, and packaging before exporting the waste lead-acid batteries to overseas facilities for recycling. According to the capacity stipulated in their licences, these seven facilities can collectively process up to approximately 42 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries annually. Another licensed facility located at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun processes waste lead-acid batteries into lead bullion by dismantling waste lead-acid batteries into lead grid and lead paste by means of high temperature smelting. The maximum annual disposal capacity (for lead bullion production) stipulated in its licence is about 8 000 tonnes.
     
         In the past three years, the quantities of waste lead-acid batteries treated locally and exported overseas are listed as follows:
     

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    Year 
    (3) Over the past three years (i.e. 2022 to 2024), the Recycling Fund approved a total subsidy of about $1.03 million for seven waste lead-acid batteries recyclers. The approved funding was to subsidise the purchase of equipment, such as packaging machine, scissor lift and electric pallet truck for enhancing their productivity, and provide a one-off subsidy to frontline recycling staff to help the recycling industry to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.
     
    (4) The Government has introduced the Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal of Products (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025 (Amendment Bill) to the Legislative Council on April 2 this year to establish a common legislative framework for the producer responsibility schemes (PRSs) applicable to different products. After the passage of the Amendment Bill, we will extend PRSs to more products (including lead-acid batteries) as and when appropriate by means of subsidiary legislation.
     
         The EPD has conducted consultations on the proposed PRS on lead-acid batteries from June 2023 to April 2025. We hitherto have met with more than 40 companies or organisations including trade associations of automotive batteries and tyres industry, traders of automotive parts, suppliers of uninterrupted power supplies, medical devices and forklifts, as well as engineering contractors and recyclers, with a view to considering the trade’s opinions when drawing up the implementation details. We will maintain a close communication with the trades and take into account their views for the sake of fine-tuning the operational details of the scheme as appropriate, including setting appropriate recycling targets in light of the prevailing circumstances.
     
    (5) After proper treatment of waste lead-acid batteries, valuable lead materials can be recovered, which have considerable value in the international recycling market. Therefore, there is a market for purchasing waste lead-acid batteries for recycling. Apart from Korea, many countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Mexico, Greece, and Canada, possess the capability to process waste lead-acid batteries and import them from other places for recycling purposes. The local recycling facility located at the EcoPark is also capable of treating locally generated waste lead-acid batteries. Therefore, even if certain places adjust their policies and cease importing treated waste lead-acid batteries, the market is still capable of handling them.
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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CFS announces food safety report for March

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 30) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 5 400 food samples tested (including food items purchased online) were found to be satisfactory except for two unsatisfactory samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.

    A CFS spokesman said about 1 900 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 3 500 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.

    The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.

    The samples comprised about 1 700 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 400 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 800 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 700 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1 100 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

    The two unsatisfactory samples comprised a papaya sample detected with a pesticide residue at a level exceeding the legal limit and a prepackaged double cream sample detected with a total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit.

    The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples, including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items, and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

    The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

    Separately, in response to the Japanese Government’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the CFS will continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food, and make reference to the risk assessment results to adjust relevant surveillance work in a timely manner. The CFS will announce every working day on its dedicated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/daily_japan_nuclear_incidents.html) the radiological test results of the samples of food imported from Japan, with a view to enabling the trade and members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

    PM announces ex-gratia from PMNRF

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 9:36AM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today condoled the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the injured.

    The PMO India handle in post on X said:

    “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.

    An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi”

    Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.

    An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The…

    — PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 30, 2025

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    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2125333) Visitor Counter : 74

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ECI strengthens field readiness with 2-day training for electoral officers at IIIDEM

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 12:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Shri Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated a two-day capacity-building training programme for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from Bihar, and EROs and BLO Supervisors from Haryana, NCT of Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi today. The training programme is part of the Election Commission of India’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies. A total of 369 grassroots election officials are taking part in this mixed-batch training programme.

    2. In his inaugural address CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that the BLOs and EROs along with the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are responsible for ensuring correct and updated electoral rolls and they are to function strictly as per the Representation of People Act 1950, Registration of Electors Rules 1960 and instructions issued by the ECI from time to time. Earlier this month, around 280 BLAs from Bihar of 10 recognised political parties were also trained at IIDEM.

    3. The training is designed to enhance participants’ practical understanding especially in the areas of voter registration, form handling, and field-level implementation of electoral procedures. The officials will also be provided technical demonstrations and training of EVMs and VVPATs. The participants were also familiarised with the provisions of first and second appeals against the final electoral rolls as published with the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950 and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under section 24(b) respectively. It may be recalled that no appeals were filed from Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.

    4. The curriculum includes interactive sessions, role plays simulating house-to-house surveys, case studies, and hands-on exercises for filling Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8. Additionally, participants will receive practical training on the Voter Helpline App (VHA) and the BLO App.

    5.   Sessions are being conducted by experienced National Level Master Trainers (NLMTs) and expert Resource Persons from the IT and EVM Divisions of the Commission. The sessions are interactive and will address common field-level errors and how to avoid them.

    ******

    PK/GDH/RP

    (Release ID: 2125387) Visitor Counter : 139

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 30, 2025
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