Nova Scotia opened a new centre that will see internationally trained physicians get licensed faster to practise in communities across the province.
The Physician Assessment Centre of Excellence and its clinic are now open with four internationally trained physicians who will be providing primary care to 2,600 patients. All patients are assigned from the Need a Family Practice Registry.
“We know there are many talented and in-demand internationally trained doctors who are eager to practise primary care medicine in our beautiful province. This assessment centre is the first of its kind in North America, and it will get these doctors seeing patients much faster than before while providing the quality of care Nova Scotians expect,” said Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness.
The internationally trained physicians are supervised by a team of Nova Scotia physicians who will assess them for independent licensure. The program takes about 12 weeks to complete, and individuals who become licensed will be required to sign a three-year return-of-service agreement to practise in the province.
The centre takes over from Dalhousie University’s Practice Ready Assessment Program, which did similar work and since 2019, issued 39 licences. The timeline was about 18 months from the date of application to licensure.
It is anticipated that once the program is fully implemented, it will issue more licences than have been issued over the last five years. The duration of the new program is 12 continuous weeks if the candidate meets all requirements.
Over time, the centre will expand to include five physician-led teams of up to three internationally trained physicians each. At full scale, the clinic will have capacity for 6,500 patients.
The new centre is a partnership between the Province, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and the Medical Council of Canada, which oversees physician assessment standards in Canada.
Quotes:
“Having been a family physician for over 20 years in a more rural setting, I understand some of what internationally trained primary care providers will experience in our healthcare system. I welcomed the opportunity to become trained in workplace-based physician assessment, and I am excited to make a contribution to improving access to care by assessing internationally trained family care providers for practise in Nova Scotia.” — Dr. Andria MacAulay, physician assessor, Physician Assessment Centre of Excellence
“PACE will help improve access to care for Nova Scotians. PACE has a hybrid mission: it will assess internationally trained family care providers for independent licensure while delivering excellent primary care in a busy clinic. It is the first primary care model of its kind in Canada.” — Dr. Gus Grant, Registrar and CEO, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
28 per cent of new physicians who began practising in Nova Scotia last year were recruited internationally
Additional Resources:
News Release – New Centre to Support More International Medical Graduates: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/10/08/new-centre-support-more-international-medical-graduates
Other than cropping, Province of Noa Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 25, 2025
Durbin asked for unanimous consent from the Senate to pass a resolution in support of NIH; Republicans rejected it
WASHINGTON – Today, in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as President Trump and Elon Musk continue to illegally cut funding and resources at NIH. The resolution simply says that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirms that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress. U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) rejected Durbin’s UC request.
“All the progress we have made [at NIH], all the progress we hope to make is in danger because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. That’s right—these two men promised to bring down the price of eggs, gasoline, and make housing more affordable. None of that has happened. Instead, they are carrying out an unprecedented and devastating campaign to cut research funding for cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infectious diseases,” Durbin said. “Instead of making life better for Americans, they want to slash research funding for the National Institutes of Health.”
Durbin continued, “NIH funding is why people are beating cancer, why babies are being spared from preventable illnesses, why HIV is no longer a death sentence, why progress is being made on dementia and other neurological diseases.”
Since the start of this Administration, the White House has unleashed a lawless, chaotic attack on everything from funding for farmers to biomedical research.
“Let me tell you this—there is nothing to cheer about when it comes to [cutting] medical research. It was this bizarre memo from the Office of Management and Budget that illegally froze federal grant funding. They even prohibited the recipients of federal grants and medical research from physically meeting in the same place… The cuts that were announced by this Administration were quickly halted by a federal judge… but it seems even though the Court made a ruling, this Administration is still holding up funding, in violation of the court’s order. As a result, NIH has delayed awarding approximately $1 billion in grant funding—delaying research at institutions nationwide,” Durbin said.
Durbin spoke about how the Administration’s cuts to NIH is harming one of his constituents, Dr. Timothy Koh—a Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago. For 15 years, Dr. Koh has been researching why people with diabetes develop wounds that do not heal, as well as researching treatments to address these wounds. While having steady federal funding for his research through the years, Dr. Koh was recently informed that his NIH grant application is on hold because of the federal funding freeze. His current grant is scheduled to end on Friday, and if his grant is not renewed, he will have to lay off lab staff and will see major setbacks in his research. Dr. Koh recently said, “It’s going to potentially put an end to my research career, and we won’t be able to develop these new therapies for diabetic [patients].”
“Make no mistake: under the Constitution, Congress is supposed to have the ‘power of the purse’ and over the past decade, bipartisan members of Congress have worked on a bipartisan basis to [increase] NIH’s funding [by 60 percent]… We did this because we know that NIH funding leads to new cures and treatments for patients in need, it supports well-paying jobs nationwide, and it cements our global leadership,” Durbin continued.
Illinois universities and hospitals receive approximately $1.2 billion in NIH funding—which supports 14,000 jobs in the state and $3.5 billion in economic activity. Reports indicate that 1,200 NIH employees have been fired so far under President Trump and Musk’s direction—from experienced vaccine researchers to the next generation of scientists, to the Acting Director of the NIH’s Alzheimer’s and dementia program. Further, President Trump and Musk have reportedly ended a popular trainee program that brought 1,600 young scientists just out of college to the NIH’s world-renowned campus in Maryland to help run labs.
Durbin concluded, “NIH research leads to the new cures and treatments that extend, improve, and save lives which is why I am introducing a resolution today to simply say of Senators on both sides of the aisle: let’s pledge support to make NIH an exception. Let’s not let wanton cuts stop something very valuable. This resolution is straight-forward—it says that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirms that the workforce of the NIH is essential to sustaining medical progress… This is not controversial—Americans get sick on a bipartisan basis—shouldn’t we support medical research on a bipartisan basis? For as long as I can stand, for as long as I can speak, I will fight to protect NIH and the medical research it supports… I hope my Republican colleagues wake up and join me before it’s too late.”
Van Hollen and Alsobrooks—whose state is home to NIH’s campus—helped lead the introduction of today’s resolution with Durbin. Along with Durbin, Van Hollen, and Alsobrooks, today’s resolution was cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Angus King (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Jack Reed (D-RI).
“The dedicated civil servants at NIH work tirelessly on behalf of the American people to develop medical advancements that save lives. Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless efforts to attack the agency are not only throwing this critical work into chaos, they’re also flat-out illegal. It’s disgraceful that Republicans refuse to join us in defending what has been a long record of bipartisan investment in biomedical research that helps Americans live longer, healthier lives,” said Van Hollen.
“The Marylanders who work at NIH are contributing to lifesaving research and medical advancements. To stop this work will literally cost lives. The President and this Administration are no longer just targeting civil servants—they’re targeting the American people,” said Alsobrooks.
Video of Durbin’sremarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
Washington, D.C., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MissionSquare Retirement is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Bouchard as its new Defined Contribution Investment Only (DCIO) Platform Director, alongside Niles Monica, who joined earlier this year as Institutional Client Advisor. Both will work together to enhance the organization’s investment offerings and accelerate its growth in the DCIO market.
Bouchard is a highly accomplished leader in retirement plan sales and DCIO, with a proven track-record of driving revenue growth and building high-performing programs. His extensive experience in sales leadership, business development, and relationship management positions MissionSquare to expand its investment strategies and strengthen its presence in both public and private retirement markets.
Niles Monica brings over 20 years of experience in sales and sales management, specializing in distribution of asset management and technology solutions to large institutions, consultants, advisors, and defined contribution providers. His expertise in fintech and asset management will be instrumental in connecting emerging businesses in the industry to the audiences that can meaningfully grow their revenue with a scalable distribution strategy.
“This appointment underscores MissionSquare’s strategic commitment to the DCIO market, reflecting our focus on providing innovative and effective investment solutions that help retirement plan participants and sponsors achieve their financial goals,” said Andre Robinson, CEO and President of MissionSquare Retirement. “With the combined leadership of Brian and Niles, we are confident that their expertise and vision will help position MissionSquare as a premier provider of investment solutions for defined contribution plans.”
Bouchard joins MissionSquare from the TransamericaSM DCIO team, where he served as Vice President of Institutional Retirement. During his industry tenure, Bouchard achieved multiple top sales awards and successfully expanded distribution within the retirement consulting marketplace. His previous leadership roles at Morgan Stanley and as Head of Investment Only at USAA® further demonstrate his ability to build relationships, execute strategic initiatives, and grow market share.
Monica, currently serving as Institutional Client Advisor at MissionSquare Retirement, has held senior level roles at multiple fintech firms and spent over a decade with JP Morgan Asset Management’s Defined Contribution business. Leveraging his extensive experience in fintech and asset management, Monica develops and implements scalable distribution strategies that drive innovation and growth. His expertise in connecting emerging businesses with key market players supports MissionSquare’s strategic vision of expanding its footprint in the DCIO space and delivering cutting-edge investment solutions that create substantial value for clients and partners.
Bouchard holds a Graduate Certificate in Administration and Management from Harvard University Extension School and a Bachelor of Arts from The Catholic University of America. He is also a registered representative. Monica holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Villanova University.
For more information about MissionSquare Retirement’s investment solutions, visit MissionSquare Retirement .
About MissionSquare Retirement Since our founding in 1972, MissionSquare Retirement has been dedicated to simplifying the path to retirement security for public service employees. As a mission-based financial services company, we manage and administer over $72.0 billion in assets.* Our commitment to delivering results-oriented retirement plans, education, investments, and financial education sets us apart. Explore how we enable public service workers to build a secure financial future. For more information, visit www.missionsq.org or follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
*As of December 31, 2024. Includes 457(b), 401(k), 403(b), Retirement Health Savings (RHS) plans, Employer Investment Program (EIP) plans, affiliated IRAs, and investment-only assets.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matthew Borus, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Disabled people’s employment rights and access to free health care are among the policy issues that the Trump administration is aiming to change. Catherine McQueen/Moment/Getty Images
While policy debates on immigration, abortion and other issues took center stage in the 2024 presidential election, the first months of the Trump administration have also signaled major changes in federal disability policy.
An estimated 20% to 25% of Americans have a disability of some kind, including physical, sensory, psychological and intellectual disabilities.
Disability experts, myself included, fear that the Trump administration is creating new barriers for disabled people to being hired at a job, getting a quality education and providing for basic needs, including health insurance.
Here are four key areas of disability policy to watch over the coming years.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which became law in 1990, requires that employers with more than 15 employees not discriminate against otherwise qualified candidates on the basis of their disability. It also requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to disabled workers. This means, for instance, that a new or renovated workplace should have accessible entrances so that a worker who uses a wheelchair can enter.
Despite these protections, I have spoken to many disabled workers in my research who are reluctant to ask for accommodations for fear that a supervisor might think that they were too demanding or not worth continuing to employ.
Trump’s actions in his first days in office have likely reinforced such fears.
In one of the many executive orders Trump signed on Jan. 20, 2025, he called for the relevant government agencies to terminate what he called “all discriminatory programs,” including all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies, programs and activities that Trump deems “immoral.”
The next day, Trump put workers in federal DEIA and accessibility positions on administrative leave.
Advocates quickly pushed back, pointing out that disabled workers meet all qualifications for federal and private sector jobs they are hired to perform.
2. The federal workforce
Many government disability programs have complex rules designed to limit the number of people who qualify for support.
For instance, I study supplemental security income, a federal program that provides very modest cash support – on average, totaling US$697 a month in 2024 – to 7.4 million people who are disabled, blind or over 65 if they also have very low income and assets.
It can take months or even years for someone to go through the process to initially document their disability and finances and show they qualify for SSI. Once approved, many beneficiaries want to make sure they don’t accidentally put their benefits at risk in situations where they are working very limited hours, for example.
To get answers, they can go to a Social Security office or call an agency phone line. But there are already not enough agency workers to process applications or answer questions quickly. I spoke in 2022 with more than 10 SSI beneficiaries who waited on hold for hours while they tried to get more information about their cases, only to receive unclear or conflicting information.
Such situations may grow even more severe, as Trump and billionaire Elon Musk try to eliminate large numbers of federal employee positions. So far, tens of thousands of federal workers have been laid off from their jobs in 2025. More layoffs may be coming – on Feb. 12, 2025, Trump instructed federal agency heads to prepare for further “large-scale reductions in force.”
At the same time, multiple Social Security Administration offices have also been marked for closure since January 2025. An overall effect of these changes will be fewer workers to answer questions from disabled citizens.
3. Educational opportunities
Students with disabilities, like all students, are legally entitled to a free public education. This right is guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, passed in 1975. IDEA is enforced by the federal Education Department.
But Trump is reportedly in the process of dismantling the Education Department, with the goal of eventually closing it. It is not clear what this will mean for Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act enforcement, but one possibility is laid out in the Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership, a policy blueprint with broad support in Trump’s administration.
Project 2025 proposes that Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act funds “should be converted into a no-strings formula block grant.” Block grants are a funding structure by which federal funds are reduced and each state is given a lump sum rather than designating the programs the funds will support. In practice, this can mean that states divert the money to other programs or policy areas, which can create opportunities for funds to be misused.
With block grants, local school districts would be subject to less federal oversight meant to ensure that they provide every student with an adequate education. Families who already must fight to ensure that their children receive the schooling they deserve will be put on weaker footing if the federal government signals that states can redirect the money as they wish.
4. Health care
Before President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, many disabled people lived with the knowledge that an insurer could regard a disability as a preexisting condition and thereby deny them coverage or charge more for their insurance.
These deep cuts might include turning Medicaid into another block grant. They could also partly take the form of imposing work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries, which could serve as grounds on which to disqualify people from receiving benefits.
While proponents of work requirements often claim that disabled people will be exempt, research shows that many will still lose health coverage, and that Medicaid coverage itself often supports people who are working.
Medicaid is also a crucial source of funding for home- and community-based services, including personal attendants who help many people perform daily activities and live on their own. This helps disabled people live independently in their communities, rather than in institutional settings. Notably, Project 2025 points to so-called “nonmedical” services covered under Medicaid as part of the program’s “burden” on states.
When home- and community-based services are unavailable, some disabled people have no options but to move into nursing homes. One recent analysis found that nursing homes housed roughly 210,000 long-term residents under age 65 with disabilities. Many nursing facilities are understaffed, which contributed to the brutal toll of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes.
In response to both the pandemic and years of advocacy, the Biden administration mandated higher staffing ratios at nursing homes receiving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. But Republicans are eyeing repealing that rule, according to Politico’s reporting.
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, right, speaks during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2025, on efforts to protect Medicaid from cuts. Nathan Poser/Anadolu via Getty Images
Daunting task
Tracking potential changes to disability policy is a complicated endeavor. There is no federal department of disability policy, for example.
Instead, relevant laws and programs are spread throughout what we often think of as separate policy areas. So while disability policy includes obvious areas such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is also vitally relevant in areas such as immigration and emergency response.
These issues of health care, education and more could impact millions of lives, but they are far from the only ones where Trump administration changes threaten to harm disabled people.
Different programs have their own definitions of disability, which people seeking assistance must work to keep track of.
This was a daunting task in 2024. Now it may become even more difficult.
Matthew Borus received funding in the past from ARDRAW, a small grant program for graduate students working on disability research. The program was run by Policy Research, Inc. and funded by the Social Security Administration. The opinions and conclusions expressed here are solely the author’s.
Responding to the government’s announcement that it will accept all the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (1), Green MP Carla Denyer urged the government to accept her Private Members’ Bill on preventing future deaths.
Carla’s Bill calls for the creation of a National Oversight Mechanism which would have responsibility for ensuring that recommendations made following inquests and inquiries are followed. Currently, there is no body which has this responsibility.
Reacting to the government’s statement, Carla Denyer MP said:
“The deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell tower fire was an unimaginable tragedy, but worse, it was an avoidable tragedy. We owe it to those who lost their lives to make sure nothing like this happens again.
“I welcome the Government’s commitment to taking forward all of the report’s recommendations, a vital first step towards justice.
“The Grenfell Inquiry recognised a failure of the state to properly follow up on the recommendations made by inquests and inquiries – meaning that too often, changes needed to prevent people from harm are simply not made. Time and time again, bereaved families go through the trauma of reliving the circumstances of a loved one’s death at an inquest only for the lessons from that death to be forgotten.
“We urgently need an organisation responsible for making sure that recommendations from inquests and inquiries are actually followed, rather than being forgotten. I have put forward a Bill to create a National Oversight Mechanism for state-related deaths, which would do just that. It would be an independent body, able to scrutinise government action so bereaved families don’t have to be the ones fighting for change.
“The National Oversight Mechanism proposal has the support of over 70 organisations, including Grenfell United, Amnesty, the Mayor of London, and the Institute for Government. It recently featured as a recommendation in the Health Services Safety Investigations Body’s report on deaths of mental health patients. It’s clear that this is badly needed, and I hope the government will support my Bill.”
TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cority, the global leader in enterprise Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Sustainability software, has announced a strategic partnership with Arcadia, the industry leader in utility data and energy management solutions. This collaboration enables Cority customers to leverage Arcadia’s expansive data platform, reducing manual processes and enhancing the quality of sustainability reporting across large enterprises.
The integration aligns Arcadia’s utility data platform with CorityOne, the company’s comprehensive and integrated EHS and sustainability SaaS-based ecosystem, creating a powerful solution for organizations managing complex energy portfolios. By automating data acquisition, cleansing, and standardization, the partnership empowers sustainability, energy management, and compliance teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than labor-intensive manual data entry processes.
Simplifying sustainability reporting: Accurate energy data at scale The Arcadia partnership unlocks easy access to accurate global energy data for Cority customers. Arcadia’s platform leverages AI-driven processes to clean and fill data gaps and draws on insights from a database of over three million utility accounts. The company’s global data coverage encompasses more than 9,500 utility data providers — including electric, gas, water, and more — in 52 countries, and over 95% of residential and commercial accounts in the US.
The breadth of utility data from Arcadia and ease of integration with Cority ensures companies can meet complex and ever-changing regulatory requirements seamlessly, including reasonable assurance standards under the EU’s CSRD regulation and the IFRS-S2 climate-related disclosures.
“Large organizations often struggle with fragmented data collection, whether it’s keyed in manually or pulled from inconsistent spreadsheets,” said Alex Hardwick, director of sustainability, planning and enablement at Cority. “With Arcadia, our customers now have access to a scalable, automated solution that ensures reliable, traceable data for sustainability reporting and energy management. It’s a game changer for companies with extensive site networks.”
CorityOne: A unified ecosystem for sustainability data management CorityOne’s unified ecosystem is built on the principles of interoperability and integration, allowing organizations to consolidate their sustainability and EHS data in one platform. By partnering with Arcadia, Cority strengthens its ability to deliver a comprehensive data management solution that streamlines processes, improves accuracy, and eliminates silos.
“Organizations are under growing pressure to deliver accurate sustainability reports, but many are still relying on manual data collection processes that are time-intensive, prone to error, and often limited to a one-time annual exercise,” said Curtis Snyder, SVP & GM at Arcadia. “Cority’s focus on EHS and sustainability provides the perfect foundation for a single source of truth. By combining Arcadia’s automated utility data capabilities with Cority’s unified ecosystem, we’re helping enterprises move beyond static reporting to ongoing visibility into their resource usage and carbon impact—enabling smarter decision-making and streamlined reporting.”
With this partnership, Cority customers gain access to a scalable and automated approach for managing utility data. Arcadia’s robust platform seamlessly integrates with CorityOne, enabling customers to link utility accounts across thousands of locations and directly feed standardized data into the system. This eliminates time-consuming manual data entry and provides organizations with a centralized, actionable view of their energy consumption and emissions, further streamlining the reporting process.
About Cority Cority gives every employee from the field to the boardroom the power to make a difference, reducing risks and creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world. For over 35 years, Cority’s people-first software solutions have been built by EHS and sustainability experts who know the pressures businesses face. Time-tested, scalable, and configurable, CorityOne is the responsible business platform that combines datasets from across the organization to enable improved efficiencies, actionable insights, data-driven decisions, and more accurate reporting on performance. Trusted by over 1,500 organizations worldwide, Cority deeply cares about helping people work toward a better future for everyone. To learn more, visit www.cority.com
About Arcadia Arcadia is the global utility data and energy solutions platform. With our leading data platform, AI-powered analytics, industry expertise, and expansive partner network, we deliver solutions for every stage of the enterprise energy management lifecycle across carbon, cost, and reliability. Arcadia also manages the nation’s leading community solar program.
Seattle, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Strategic business decisions have traditionally been expensive and slow for a fundamental reason: they don’t happen enough. This means companies lack both historical data to learn from and experts who have seen enough similar cases. Bridgetown Research is changing that. Today, the AI decision science startup announced $19 million in Series A funding led by Lightspeed and Accel, with participation from a leading research university.
Bridgetown Research has developed AI agents that autonomously execute research. Most notable amongst these agents are voice bots trained to recruit and interview industry experts, gathering primary data that can be analyzed alongside alternative data sourced from their partners.
Bridgetown Research founder Harsh Sahai.
Founded by Harsh Sahai, who previously led machine learning teams at Amazon before leading strategy engagements at McKinsey & Co., Bridgetown Research was born from a simple observation: the majority of business analyses are a permutation of a small number of automatable tasks. The founding team, comprising former professionals from McKinsey, Bain, Amazon, and leading tech startups, brings together extensive experience across strategy consulting and technology.
“We are excited to be a catalyst for change. We are working with multiple private equity firms, management consulting firms, and corporate teams to help make strategic decisions better and faster. This in turn is driving up demand for advisory and information services downstream. We enable $10+ of advisory and information services revenue for every $1 we make. Together with leading institutions, we’re building something bigger than ourselves—an ecosystem where everyone thrives,” commented Harsh Sahai, CEO & founder of Bridgetown Research.
While many AI solutions focus on searching and summarizing information using LLMs, real world business decisions require much more than synthesising the open web. They need proprietary data such as primary data from experts and customer surveys, along with frameworks to understand markets, what Harsh Sahai calls “ontologies”. Moreover, outputs need to be repeatable and auditable for a business to use them to make decisions with tens of millions of dollars at stake. Bridgetown Research is the only player using agents to gather primary data and systematically find patterns in it to generate original insights.
Bridgetown Research: (L to R) Founder Harsh Sahai with Director of Engineering Mohak Singh.
“AI is causing widespread disruptions across many enterprise functions, and Bridgetown Research is riding that wave by assisting executives in making important strategic decisions. We are pleased to see Bridgetown serving several marquee customers, with users likening its platform to having a team of top-tier consultants at their fingertips. We are excited to partner with Harsh, who, with his background as an ace AI research scientist turned management consultant, blends a unique combination of skills and insight needed to imagine this whole new category of applied AI,” said Anagh Prasad, Investor at Accel.
Bridgetown Research started with a focus on private equity deal screening diligence. Multiple top-tier PE & VC firms already use Bridgetown Research for deal screening and deeper commercial diligence. They’re able to screen their pipeline much faster with initial analysis taking 24 hours instead of weeks without Bridgetown enabling teams to focus on actual decision making instead of research and analysis. For other customers Bridgetown has enabled voice of customer conversations that cover hundreds of respondents in parallel, and within days.
Ishaan Preet Singh, Investor at Lightspeed added “Companies are built on the quality of strategic decisions, and the research and analysis behind it. Bridgetown Research enables the smartest executives and investors to make these decisions with an order of magnitude more information, and at a pace that was earlier impossible. Harsh and Bridgetown are already creating immense value for their customers, but are still just scratching the surface of the leverage that AI can create.”
As global markets become increasingly complex, the demand for efficient and effective decision-making tools continues to rise. With this funding round, Bridgetown Research plans to invest further in training its AI agents to perform a broader set of analyses across a broader range of domains, and deepening industry partnerships to enhance access to domain-specific intelligence.
About Bridgetown Research Bridgetown Research builds AI agents for decision research. Its voice agents and web crawlers find and clean data, while its analyses agents produce repeatable, auditable, and reliable analyses. The team consists of computer scientists, econometricians, software engineers, investors and business consultants, working across geographies. For more information please visit https://www.bridgetownresearch.com/
About Accel Accel is a global venture capital firm that aims to be the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere (Facebook, Flipkart, etc.), from inception through all phases of private company growth. Accel has been operating in India since 2008, and its investments include companies like BookMyShow, Browserstack, Flipkart, Freshworks, FalconX, Infra.Market, Chargebee, Clevertap, Cure Fit, Musigma, Moneyview, Mensa Brands, Myntra, Moglix, Ninjacart, Swiggy, Stanza Living, Urban Company, Zetwerk, and Zenoti, among many others. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit: www.accel.com
About Lightspeed Lightspeed is a global multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations and trends in the Enterprise, Consumer, Health, and Fintech sectors. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed hundreds of entrepreneurs and helped build more than 500 companies globally including Affirm, Acceldata, Carta, Cato Networks, Darwinbox, Epic Games, Faire, Innovaccer, Guardant Health, Mulesoft, Navan, Netskope, Nutanix, Physics Wallah, Razorpay, Rubrik, Sharechat, Snap, OYO Rooms, Ultima Genomics, Zepto and more. Lightspeed and its global team currently manage $25B in AUM across the Lightspeed platform, with investment professionals and advisors in the U.S., Europe, India, Israel, and Southeast Asia. www.lsip.com
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced growing support for a significant element of her 2025 State of the State proposals to markedly improve access to health care for injured workers. The four legislative proposals and one regulatory change are designed to give injured workers more options for timely, high-quality medical treatment.
“New Yorkers who are injured or become ill on the job need more options for care,” Governor Hochul said. “My proposals do just that, giving injured workers freedom to see the providers they want, including their own primary care providers whom they already know and trust. Injured workers will no longer need to travel long distances or seek treatment from an unfamiliar provider just because their medical issue is work-related.”
First among these proposals is universally authorizing all eligible licensed health care providers to treat workers’ compensation claimants. Currently, only providers who are authorized by the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board may treat injured workers. While there are thousands of eligible medical providers in New York State, only about 10 percent have taken the additional steps required to become Board-authorized. Now they wouldn’t have to; authorization would be automatic as part of their licensing.
A second proposal allows resident and fellow physicians to treat injured workers, under a supervising provider, the same way they do for regular health insurance. This expansion could significantly increase provider participation at academic hospitals and health care systems.
Today, 40 percent of injured workers travel to a different county to receive care from a Board-authorized provider. On average, those in rural or suburban counties travel 35 miles or more to their workers’ compensation-related medical appointment. This proposal would allow for more, and closer, options for care.
While the first two proposals make it so more providers can treat injured workers, a third is aimed at making it more compelling to do so, and the remaining proposals will reduce delays in getting injured workers prompt medical treatment. These include:
A proposed increase to workers’ compensation fee schedules (the amounts paid to health care providers for services in treating injured workers), to ensure that high quality providers in our system are paid at rates comparable to private health insurance.
Legislation amending the Insurance Law to direct health care insurers to pay for medical treatment for workers’ compensation claimants when and while a workers’ compensation claim is disputed. Providers will be prohibited from collecting copays or coinsurance from the patient while the claim is under dispute. This ensures workers are no longer caught in the crosshairs of a dispute and can get the timely treatment they need, while also ensuring providers will get paid.
Legislation amending the workers’ compensation law to permit workers’ compensation insurers to pay for medical treatment, without accepting liability, for up to one year. In addition to helping injured workers get timely medical care, the provision provides more transparency, requiring insurers to notify injured workers that such payments are being made and that their claim will automatically be accepted by the insurer at the one-year mark, unless the claim is controverted.
Governor Hochul’s latest proposals complement the many recent actions the Board has taken to increase provider participation. This includes eliminating custom forms and transitioning to a universal billing form to reduce administrative burden, use of an online system for prior authorization and requests to review medical billing disputes, quicker resolution of billing disputes and a significantly reduced need for provider depositions, among other improvements.
New York State Workers’ Compensation Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez said, “The proposals put forth by the Governor are a win-win-win — great for workers, great for providers, and great for employers. Workers will have far more options for care, providers can expand their practices and provide continuity of care to their existing patients, and employers will benefit from injured workers getting timely treatment so they can recover and return to work.”
Board Certified Occupational Medicine Physician Dr. Marc Wilkenfeld said, “It’s critically important that injured and ill workers get prompt medical care by professionals who understand their needs. The universal authorization that Governor Hochul has proposed will drastically increase the number of health care providers who can treat injured and ill workers in the workers’ compensation system. Additionally, New York State has top-notch teaching hospitals, so the Governor’s proposal to allow fellow and resident physicians to treat, under the supervision of a faculty physician, will further enhance the quality of care. Combined, these proposals will enable workers to get treated faster, increasing the likelihood that they will recover sooner and more fully.”
Worker Justice Center of New York Executive Director Alaina Evelyn Varvaloucas said, “Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers labor in the state’s most dangerous industries and then find it nearly impossible to access adequate care for workplace injuries. In many cases, left untreated, these injuries lead to lifetime problems and can limit workers’ ability to continue working and supporting their families. These proposals enhance access for workers, particularly those in our upstate communities, as well as compensate our medical providers at a rate far more attuned to the reality of providing care. They are a critical step on the road toward real access to Workers’ Compensation benefits for all injured workers in New York.”
Occupational Medicine and Workers’ Compensation Expert Warren Silverman, MD, FACOEM, FACPM said, “Having a worker remain out of work due to a lack of sufficient healthcare providers when they might otherwise be rehabilitated rapidly and return to work is an unnecessary burden on the patient, cost to the system and to all parties, and a disruption to commerce in general. Opening up workers’ compensation to all physicians and providing a better reimbursement rate will benefit the injured or ill employee, the employer, the provider, the carrier and in general New York State. It is most clearly a win-win situation for all.”
The new workers’ compensation proposals are detailed in Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Book, as part of an ambitious agenda to make New York safer, healthier, cleaner and more affordable for New York families.
PEKIN, Ill., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients, announced it will release its fourth quarter and year-end 2024 financial results after the close of market on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Management will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will deliver prepared remarks via webcast followed by a question-and-answer session. How to participate:
To listen to the webcast, visit the Alto Ingredients website.
To receive a number and unique PIN by email, register here.
To dial directly twenty minutes prior to the scheduled call time, dial (833) 630-0017 domestically and (412) 317-1806 internationally. Please ask to join Alto Ingredients.
The webcast will be archived for replay on the Alto Ingredients website for one year. In addition, a telephonic replay will be available at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, through 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. To access the replay, please dial (877) 344-7529. International callers should dial 00-1 412-317-0088. The pass code will be 5306551.
About Alto Ingredients, Inc. Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients. Leveraging the unique qualities of its facilities, the company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and commercial products in the Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Industry & Agriculture; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels markets. For more information, please visit www.altoingredients.com.
Peak mental health body Mental Health Australia (MHA) is urging all political parties to commit to free mental health care for everyone under the age of 25 as part of their federal election platforms. MHA Director of Policy and Advocacy, Emma Greeney, said that with two-thirds of mental health to guarantee all children and young people the chance to thrive.
Mental Health Australia is urging all political parties to commit to implement pathways to free mental health care for everyone under the age of 25 as part of their election platforms. This ambitious move could change the trajectory for mental health in Australia, by investing in accessible care, earlier in life, during the most critical phase of growth and development.
We need further investment to ensure availability of mental health supports in the community that GPs can refer people to, as well as appropriate alternate pathways online, through schools and walk-in community hubs, so that all children and young people can access the mental health supports they need.
This targeted call to action forms the third component of Mental Health Australia’s Federal Election platform, building on our Vision Statement released in December, and Sector Sustainability Statement (link to PDF below) also released today.
Mental Health Australia’s Sector Sustainability Statement outlines seven key actions to improve funding and contracting arrangements to ensure certainty for the community and sector providing mental health support. We will call on Federal Election candidates to pledge to support the Statement to and deliver these changes if elected for the next term of government.
City of York Council’s Health Trainer team have launched new weekly drop-ins at 3 Explore libraries across the city.
They’re offering help and advice for anyone wanting to stop smoking, lose weight, lower their drinking or get more active.
The team already provide residents with programmes of one-to-one confidential support, as well as working with groups in the community, providing training and attending events. Residents can self-refer for the CYC Health Trainers service online, or by calling telephone: 01904 553377.
Now they hope the weekly face-to-face drop-ins at Explore libraries will enable people to find out more about the service at easy-to-reach locations:
Visitors to the drop-ins can find out York’s Swap2Stop offer, and smokers can try a simple breath test to find out how much carbon monoxide is in their blood.
The Swap2Stop offer provides York residents aged over 18 with either:
a free, 4-week vape starter kit that will be posted out to them
or a 10-week programme of one-to-one support with free vapes or nicotine replacement products
Recent figures showed the team were providing the most effective stop smoking service in the country, with 82% of people who set a quit date with the service having successfully stopped smoking 4 weeks after that date.
Since the Swap2Stop offer was launched, aimed at encouraging smokers to make the switch from smoking to vaping to improve their health, referrals to the service have more than doubled.
Glyn Newberry, Health Trainer Service Manager, at City of York Council, said:
Anyone interested in finding out more about our service or who needs general advice about improving their health can now drop in and speak to one of our friendly and experienced health trainers in an informal setting.
“Hundreds of clients across the city have already benefited from the service we provide and we want to reach even more people to help them live healthier lives. Come and find out about our Swap2Stop offer and all the other ways in which we can support you – for free!”
Jenny Layfield, Chief Executive of York Libraries and Archives, said:
We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Health Trainer team. We hope that by offering these drop-ins in our busy and welcoming spaces, even more York residents will take advantage of this supportive and valuable free service.
Residents can find out more about the CYC Health Trainers service online, or by calling telephone: 01904 553377.
In June 2024, a 66-year-old woman was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Intermediate Hospital Katutura in Windhoek, Namibia. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, and tests showed that the organism responsible for her severe illness was resistant to all antibiotics except tigecycline. At the hospital, the pharmacy department had to obtain a compassionate clearance permit to procure and import tigecycline for the patient.
“The patient completed the course, stabilized, and was discharged from the intensive care unit to a general ward. Unfortunately, due to various complicated comorbidities, the patient eventually passed away”, said Ms Taimi Ipinge, a Chief Pharmacist at Intermediate Hospital Katutura.
Tragically, this type of resistance to antibiotics is all too common in Namibia, as with elsewhere in the world.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.
AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.
In 2019, Namibia recorded 451 deaths attributable to AMR and 1,900 deaths were associated with AMR.
Acting to stop AMR
The Government of Namibia recognizes that AMR is a threat to health security across the country and region and that a range of health system interventions are necessary to protect the population’s health and ensure good progress towards universal health coverage (UHC).
The Government responded to the overuse of antibiotics by setting up a national multi-sectoral AMR governance to guide, oversee, coordinate, and monitor AMR-related activities in all sectors to ensure a systematic and comprehensive implementation of Namibia’s National Action Plan on AMR.
In November 2021, Namibia commemorated its first World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). In 2023, MoHSS in collaboration with AMR quadripartite organizations, commemorated the week under the theme of ‘Preventing antimicrobial resistance together’ with the slogan ‘Antimicrobials: handle with care’. The event brought together the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
Namibia launched its infection prevention and control action plan and national guidelines. WHO provided support to a range of activities for this including distribution of information, education and communication materials around infection prevention and control, regional orientation on quality standards, in-service training focal points, and training on water, sanitation, and hygiene for hospital quality improvement plans. Thanks to capacity-building support from WHO, Namibia also reached a significant milestone for the first submission of data on AMR to GLASS in December 2023.
“AMR is extremely serious. If left unchecked it means we are heading to a world where medical treatment of routine ailments or operations is life threatening and a greater number of people might stop responding to drugs. It challenges all our efforts to strengthen health systems and achieve universal health coverage. WHO commends the Namibian Government for the strategic and multiple approaches taken through collaboration between sectors and work across the region to raise awareness amongst the public,” said Dr Richard Banda, WHO Representative to Namibia.
Strengthening health security
Namibia’s response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is part of the broader effort to strengthen health security across the country. By integrating a One Health approach and engaging key sectors, Namibia is actively working to strengthen its health systems, improve surveillance, and ensure that it is prepared to respond to emerging health threats. The launch of the National Tripartite One Health Strategy 2024-2028 further underlines the government’s commitment to safeguarding public health, both within the country and in collaboration with regional and international partners.
The UHC Partnership operates in over 125 countries, representing over 3 billion people. It is supported and funded by Belgium, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and WHO.
A UConn senior is battling food insecurity on both sides of the Atlantic with a program he started to provide meals for low-income families in New Haven and in Ghana.
Anthony Mensah ‘25 (CAHNR) started AJANO Cooperative in 2021 with his friends Akosua Asante, John Mensah, and Nee Ashitey Boateng, with a mission to provide people with high-quality food.
“We want to prioritize finding a way to help these people get access to healthy proteins,” says Mensah, an Economics of Sustainable Development and Management (ESDM) major. “A diet full of just carbs and unhealthy food limits your life’s potential, and that’s something we want to help.”
Mensah grew up in Ghana, and his family moved to New Haven in 2017. He said the idea to start AJANO was sparked by a friend who came from a lower-income background. She showed Mensah the need for greater access to high-quality proteins, and then they started the program together.
AJANO held its first food drive in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Mensah and his colleagues reached out to the principal of a high school in a low-income area of the city. The principal was able to conduct an anonymous survey of students facing food insecurity. “We made sure it was anonymous so that there would be no shame in making sure that these people had access to the food that they needed,” says Mensah.
The second food drive was in New Haven in the summer of 2024. “It was a little bit bigger in scale,” says Mensah.
That might be an understatement: the group partnered with three food banks in New Haven and was able to source and give out a whopping 6,000 pounds of chicken and 1,000 pounds of beef.
“It was one of the best experiences in the world, just being able to see the numbers. There’s something that people really care about,” says Mensah.
AJANO has plans to host a food drive every two years, with expectations of growth each time. Putting together a food drive specifically to provide high-quality protein, though, isn’t easy.
Anthony Mensa ’25 has plans to make future food drives even more successful (courtesy of Anthony Mensah)
“Most food banks don’t have access to meat, and if they do, it’s very processed, which just defeats the whole purpose,” Mensah says.
Adding to the challenge was finding foods low in sodium, and finding people willing to work with the young organization. Luckily, Mensah and his colleagues were able to connect with Ashitey Owusu, a food economist who recommended specific combinations to maximize the nutritional value of the food packages AJANO distributed.
And AJANO isn’t limiting the help it provides young Ghanaians to food drives. The organization’s Think Deeper Writing Competition “was created to promote critical literacy and inspire Ghanaian high school students to engage with philosophical texts and think critically about our role in the world,” according to the AJANO website. Winners receive cash prizes.
As far as his own studies, Mensah says UConn has helped grow AJANO. Courses like Food Policy (ARE 2260) helped him understand the processes and complexities of food as an industry, and shaped his goals for the organization. Associate Professor Tatiana Andreyeva, who taught the class and is also director of economic initiatives at the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, provided context for the kinds of institutions that run food banks, Mensah says, and helped him connect with resources and organizations to help AJANO source 6,000 pounds of chicken.
Mensah says his advisor, Associate Professor Nathan Fiala, has also helped him stay motivated with AJANO while taking high-level courses at UConn. He considered taking a break from the food drives while in school. “He gave me the motivation to keep doing it,” says Mensah.
“It’s kind of sad to see the people coming up and then seeing them be a little bit shy,” Mensah says, reflecting on the first two successful food drives. “But then when they get the high-quality meat that they need, seeing the relief on their face because you know this is going to feed someone’s family, that’s just that feeling – just knowing that you’re helping someone out there. It’s just priceless.”
New York, NY, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamond Equity Research, a leading equity research firm with a focus on small capitalization public companies has released an Update Note on ProPhase Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH). The update note includes information on ProPhase’s business model, services offered, industry outlook, financial results, management commentary, and risks.
ProPhase Labs Accelerates Potential Liquidity Generation with $50M+ COVID-19 Receivable Recovery and Strategic Genomics Asset Sale: In a concerted effort to strengthen its financial position and catalyze immediate liquidity generation, ProPhase Labs has advanced two major initiatives designed to strengthen its balance sheet and drive long-term value creation. The company is aggressively pursuing the recovery of uncollected COVID-19 testing receivables through its collaboration with Crown Medical Collections. This initiative targets over $150 million in outstanding claims from more than 1,100 insurance companies, leveraging the mandates of the Cares Act, which require insurers to honor valid COVID-19 claims regardless of network or plan status. Crown Medical Collections, with a robust track record of recovering over $3 billion in claims, estimates that ProPhase could net in excess of $50 million, a figure that is notably more than triple the company’s current market capitalization, with material cash flows potentially commencing as early as mid-2025. Concurrently, the company is exploring strategic alternatives that include the potential sale of its high-value genomics assets, such as Nebula Genomics and DNA Complete, to further unlock immediate cash. Nebula Genomics, a leading direct-to-consumer whole genome sequencing provider with an extensive customer base of over 65,000 sequenced individuals, has recently seen market validation in its sector, reinforcing the asset’s strategic importance. By aligning these initiatives, ProPhase Labs aims to generate critical working capital, streamline its operational focus on core growth areas, and enhance its competitive positioning in the biotechnology, genomics, and consumer products space.
ProPhase Labs Appoints Stu Hollenshead as Chief Operating Officer to Drive Consumer Health Strategy: ProPhase Labs has announced the appointment of Stu Hollenshead as Chief Operating Officer, a key hire that highlights the company’s focus on expanding its consumer-centered health and wellness product portfolio. In his new role, Hollenshead will lead the company’s efforts to accelerate direct-to-consumer growth by leveraging his extensive expertise in subscription models, digital marketing, audience monetization, and strategic business development. His proven track record from previous positions at Barstool Sports, where he played an instrumental role in driving record revenue and audience expansion, positions him well to scale ProPhase Labs’ consumer initiatives. This appointment comes at a pivotal time as the company prepares to update shareholders on significant progress in its accounts receivables, explores strategic alternatives for assets such as Nebula Genomics and DNA Complete, and implements further cost-cutting measures. In addition, following the successful sale of Pharmaloz Manufacturing, the former COO has transitioned to a consulting role focused on advancing the BE-Smart esophageal cancer test, with additional validation efforts underway in collaboration with The Mayo Clinic. Hollenshead’s dual role at ProPhase Labs and as CEO of 10PM Curfew, a rapidly growing digital platform reaching over 70 million women, further demonstrates his ability to build scalable, consumer-first initiatives. Overall, his leadership is expected to enhance operational efficiency, unlock new revenue streams, and strengthen the company’s position as a leader in science-backed health solutions in an increasingly competitive wellness landscape.
ProPhase Labs Explores Telehealth Partnerships and Strengthens DTC Infrastructure to Drive Growth: ProPhase Labs outlined a series of strategic moves designed to capitalize on its direct-to-consumer multi-media expertise while expanding into telehealth partnerships for prescription drugs. Following the appointment of its new Chief Operating Officer, the company is now engaging with potential telehealth partners that operate extensive physician networks and offer prescription drug services. ProPhase plans to leverage its established marketing infrastructure, originally built to support healthcare OTC dietary supplements and genomics testing, in collaboration with 10PM Curfew to create a significant impact on growth. Additionally, the company dispelled rumors of an investment bank-led capital raise, clarifying that it is pursuing a revolving line of credit as interim financing until either a sale of Nebula Genomics is completed or new litigation-driven accounts receivable begin to generate cash, an initiative that could potentially net over $50 million by mid-year. ProPhase also expressed confidence in maintaining its NASDAQ listing, with anticipated inflows in the latter half of 2025 opening multiple pathways for the common stock to surpass $1 per share without the need for a reverse split.
About ProPhase Labs Inc.
ProPhase Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRPH) is a diversified diagnostic, genomics, and biotech company seeking to leverage its CLIA lab services to provide whole genome sequencing and research directly to consumers and build a genomics database to be used for further research. The company also offers the ProPhase Supplements line of dietary supplements, which are distributed in food, drug, and retailer stores.
About Diamond Equity Research
Diamond Equity Research is a leading equity research and corporate access firm focused on small capitalization companies. Diamond Equity Research is an approved sell-side provider on major institutional investor platforms.
Diamond Equity Research LLC is being compensated by Prophase Labs Inc. for producing research materials regarding Prophase Labs Inc. and its securities, which is meant to subsidize the high cost of creating the report and monitoring the security, however the views in the report reflect that of Diamond Equity Research. All payments are received upfront and are billed for research engagement. As of 02/25/25 the issuer had paid us $112,500 for our research services which commenced 03/21/23, and is billed annually upfront, consisting of $35,000 for the annual subscription in the first year and $35,000 in the second year (in two $17,500 installments for six month consecutive periods paid upfront) and $2,500 for additional one-time research work for the first year coverage and $20,000 for a research report on a subsidiary of Prophase Labs Inc. and $20,000 for another research report on a subsidiary of Prophase Labs Inc. Diamond Equity Research LLC may be compensated for non- research related services, including presenting at Diamond Equity Research investment conferences, press releases and other additional services. The non-research related service cost is dependent on the company, but usually do not exceed $5,000. The issuer has paid us for non-research-related services as of 02/25/25 consisting of $2,500 for attending a virtual conference. Issuers are not required to engage us for these services. Although Diamond Equity Research company sponsored reports are based on publicly available information and although no investment recommendations are made within our company sponsored research reports, given the small capitalization nature of the companies we cover we have adopted an internal trading procedure around the public companies by whom we are engaged, with investors able to find such policy on our website public disclosures page. This report and press release do not consider individual circumstances and does not take into consideration individual investor preferences. Statements within this report may constitute forward-looking statements, these statements involve many risk factors and general uncertainties around the business, industry, and macroeconomic environment. Investors need to be aware of the high degree of risk in small capitalization equities including the complete loss of their investment. Investors can find various risk factors in the initiation report and in the respective financial filings for ProPhase Labs Inc. Please review report attached for full disclosure page.
NEW YORK and TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (“iAnthus” or the “Company”) (CSE: IAN, OTCQB: ITHUF), which owns, operates and partners with regulated cannabis operations across the United States, has announced the opening of its first GrowHealthy dispensary in Jacksonville, Florida, it’s 21st statewide.
“This opening has been a long time in the making, and it was an incredible experience to welcome Jacksonville patients into our new store,” said Kelly Heinichen, Vice President of Retail Operations at iAnthus. “We’re excited to build strong relationships with the local community and provide the exceptional service, high quality medical products, and flower genetic diversity that patients have come to expect from GrowHealthy.”
Designed with patient experience in mind, the new Jacksonville dispensary features tethered bud displays, allowing patients to visually examine products without needing an associate’s assistance. Customers can also use magnifying glasses to inspect plant trichomes – an essential factor in medicinal cannabis – to identify the flower best suited to their needs. The grand opening of the store was held on February 21 and saw strong patient turnout and enthusiastic engagement with these features.
“Medicinal cannabis is an essential tool for almost one million Floridians managing conditions such as chronic pain and sleep disturbances,” said Richard Proud, CEO of iAnthus. “Expanding access to safe, tested cannabis products is at the heart of GrowHealthy’s mission, and we’re proud to now serve the Jacksonville community. This is another milestone for the Company and aligns with our ‘smart growth’ and ‘strong margins’ strategy by expanding in a core market like Florida.”
The Growhealthy dispensary is located at 12041 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida.
About iAnthus
iAnthus owns and operates licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.iAnthus.com.
Forward Looking Statements Statements in this news release contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in Company’s reports that it files from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Canadian securities regulators which you should review including, but not limited to, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. When used in this news release, words such as “will,” could,” plan,” estimate,” expect,” intend,” may,” potential,” believe, “should” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to the Company’s financial performance, business development and results of operations.
These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or circumstances discussed or reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. If such forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by the Company or any other person that it will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the SEC has reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Reviews Research Facilities at CSIR-IMTECH, Chandigarh, inspects Microbe Repository and takes update on ongoing projects Dr. Jitendra Singh launches New Tulip Garden & Agri-Startups at CSIR-IHBT, Palampur
From 50 to 9,000 Startups: India Emerges as Global Biotech Innovation Hub- Dr. Jitendra Singh
Floriculture Mission Expands to 1,000 Hectares, Generating ₹80 Crores for Farmers
Science and Technology Minister Dr. Singh Inaugurates Key projects at CSIR-IHBT, Palampur
Posted On: 26 FEB 2025 5:54PM by PIB Delhi
CHANDIGARH, February 26: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inspected Microbe Repository and other facilities at the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) here and also took an update on the ongoing projects in the institute.
During the review, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted that microbial technology is a crucial pillar of biotechnology, emphasizing its growing significance in shaping the next generation industrial revolution.
Dr. Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the groundbreaking New BioE3 Policy, which places a renewed focus on biomanufacturing and bio foundries. He underscored India’s rapid progress in the biotech sector, stating, “India’s bioeconomy has witnessed an extraordinary surge from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $300 billion by 2030.”
The Minister also recalled the recent launch of India’s first indigenous antibiotic, Nafithromycin, developed to combat resistant infections. He noted that the number of biotech startups in India has grown exponentially from just 50 in 2014 to nearly 9,000 today, solidifying India’s position as a global hub for biotech innovation. Furthermore, he informed that India now ranks third in the Asia-Pacific region and 12th globally in bio-manufacturing, underscoring the increasing importance of CSIR-IMTECH in driving pioneering research in microbial genetics, infectious diseases, fermentation technology, environmental microbiology, and bioinformatics.
CSIR-IMTECH, a premier research institute in microbial biotechnology, hosts a repository of over 14,000 microbial strains through its Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC). This national repository not only provides authenticated cultures to researchers and industries but also supports key regulatory authorities, including IPC, BIS, and NBA, in microbe-related concerns. The institute is at the forefront of harnessing microbial resources for scientific and industrial applications, addressing unmet needs in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and environmental sciences.
Connecting virtually with CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, Dr. Singh inaugurated several new facilities and participated in critical scientific discussions. He joined the EMBO Workshop on High Elevation Plant Adaptation in a Changing Climate (HEPACC) and the Industry, Farmer & Academia (IFA) Meet, emphasizing that such initiatives reflect the Government of India’s commitment to scientific advancement, economic empowerment, and sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also virtually inaugurated a New Tulip Garden at Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, commending the CSIR-IHBT Palampur team for their scientific interventions that have enabled wider tulip cultivation even in other seasons, a model that can be replicated in other regions. Additionally, he launched products developed by agri-startups that have been supported by the institute, fostering innovation in the agricultural sector.
Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded CSIR-IHBT for leading multiple national missions, including: CSIR Floriculture Mission – Expanded floriculture to 1,000 hectares, benefiting 3,800 farmers across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh, generating an income of ₹80 crore. Aroma Mission. Millet Mission. Immunity Mission. Waste to Wealth Mission. Phenome India-CSIR Health Cohort Knowledgebase. CSIR Precision Agriculture Mission
The Minister also inaugurated state-of-the-art facilities, including Autonomous Green House, Heeng Seed Production Centre, Heeng QPM Facility, Ornamental Bulb Processing Facility and Phyto-Analytical Facility.
Additionally, he laid the foundation stone for the Phyto factory Facility and dedicated a Cement Concrete Road from Floriculture Junction to Chandpur R&D Farm.
Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that by integrating scientific research, industry collaboration, and government policies, the rich biodiversity of Himalayan states can be harnessed for economic prosperity, benefiting farmers and advancing India’s scientific ecosystem.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Change of British High Commissioner to Australia: Dame Sarah MacIntosh
Dame Sarah MacIntosh DCMG has been appointed British High Commissioner to Australia in succession to Mrs Victoria Treadell CMG, MVO.
Sarah MacIntosh
Dame Sarah MacIntosh DCMG has been appointed British High Commissioner to Australia in succession to Mrs Victoria Treadell CMG, MVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Dame Sarah will take up her appointment during April 2025.
Curriculum Vitae
Full name: Dame Sarah MacIntosh DCMG
Year
Role
2022 to 2024
Prime Minister’s Adviser on International Affairs and Deputy National Security Adviser
2017 to 2022
NATO, Brussels, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
2014 to 2016
FCO, Director General, Defence & Intelligence
2011 TO 2014
FCO, Director, Defence & International Security
2009 to 2010
FCO, Director, Strategic Finance
2008 to 2009
Harvard University, Fellow
2006 to 2008
Freetown, British High Commissioner, and Her Majesty’s non-resident Ambassador to Liberia
2004 to 2005
UN Mission in Kosovo, Strategy Coordinator
2003 to 2004
FCO, Deputy Head, Conflict Group
2002 to 2003
FCO, United Nations Dept, Deputy Head
2000 to 2002
New York, UK Mission to the UN, Development, Macroeconomics and Health
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, welcomed the 2025-26 Budget announced by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Legislative Council today (February 26). The 2025-26 annual subvention for the HA will be $100.2 billion (including $99 billion recurrent), having increased by 3 per cent compared to the 2024-25 revised provision. Mr Fan is especially grateful that in the face of pressure on public finances, the Government continues to increase the subvention to the HA. The HA co-operates with the Government on the deepening reform of the healthcare system, and remains committed to augmenting and strengthening public healthcare services to benefit the well-being of the community. The HA strives to optimise utilisation, enhance efficiency, minimise wastage and execute targeted allocation of public resources to ensure its purposeful deployment. The structure and levels of subsidisation will be reviewed for the sustainable development of public healthcare. The HA will strive to improve its service comprehensively with a spirit of innovation and change, and active promotion of reform. Mr Fan said, “With the staunch support of the country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the HA will remain dedicated to strengthening its service and provide suitable treatment and care for patients. Measures include launching the first breast milk bank in Hong Kong, executing full-scale preparation on the first stroke centre and the second chest pain centre in Hong Kong in accordance with national accreditation standards, and devotedly expanding the talent hub by attracting healthcare professionals to work in Hong Kong through Mainland and global healthcare talent visiting programmes in order to provide high-quality healthcare services to the public.” The HA Chief Executive, Dr Tony Ko, thanked the HKSAR Government for supporting the service upgrade in public hospitals. “The HA will actively carry out hospital redevelopment and expansion projects, including Queen Mary Hospital, New Acute Hospital at Kai Tak Development Area, phase 2 of the redevelopment of Kwong Wah Hospital, and the Community Health Centres in various locations, in order to elevate the service capacity of public healthcare to meet community needs,” said Dr Ko. The HA will continue to execute various measures to promote sustainable development of public healthcare and to be in line with primary healthcare policy. Smart hospital initiatives with advanced technology will be expanded in the clusters so that patients’ experiences and operational processes will be enhanced. In the coming financial year, around 330 additional public hospital beds will be opened and capacity for operating theatre services, endoscopic services and cataract surgeries will be enhanced. Meanwhile, quotas of general outpatient clinics will be increased; triage and referral arrangements for specialist out-patient clinics will also be optimised to strengthen the treatment and care for major chronic diseases, and services of nurse clinics, ensuring comprehensive fulfilment of patients’ healthcare requirements. The HA will implement measures to boost capacity of accident and emergency, radiotherapy and chemotherapy services, as well as improve pharmacy services. Mr Fan and Dr Ko once again thanked the HKSAR Government for its support of public healthcare services. The HA will utilise the subvention appropriately and strive to implement relevant policies and measures for the benefit of patients.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 19:04
NASA has selected Stephen Koerner as acting director of Johnson Space Center. Koerner previously served as Johnson’s deputy director. “It is an honor to accept my new role as acting director for Johnson,” Koerner said. “Our employees are key to our nation’s human spaceflight goals. I am continually impressed with what our workforce accomplishes and am proud to be named the leader of such an incredible team dedicated to mission excellence.” Koerner previously served as deputy director of NASA Johnson beginning in July 2021, overseeing strategic workforce planning, serving as Designated Agency Safety Health Officer (DASHO), and supporting the Johnson Center Director in mission reviews. Before his appointment to deputy director, Koerner served as director of the Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) for two years. In that role, he was responsible for selecting and protecting astronauts, and for the planning, training, and execution of human space flight and aviation missions. He managed an annual budget of $367 million, 600 civil servants and military personnel, and 2300 contractor personnel. He oversaw the Astronaut Office, the Flight Director Office, the Mission Control Center, human spaceflight training facilities, and Johnson’s Aviation Operations Division. During this tenure he was also responsible for FOD’s flight readiness of the first commercial human spaceflight mission, ushering in a new era of domestic launch capability and the return of American astronauts launching from American soil. Prior to assuming his position as director of Flight Operations, Koerner served in several senior executive roles, including:
Johnson Space Center Associate Director from 2018 to 2019 Johnson Space Center Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 2017 to 2018 Deputy Director of Flight Operations from 2014 to 2017 Deputy Director Mission Operations from 2007 to 2014
Koerner joined Johnson full-time in 1992. He has extensive operations experience including serving as an environmental systems space shuttle flight controller, where he supported 41 space shuttle flights in Mission Control. Since that time, he has served in a series of progressively more responsible positions, including lead for two International Space Station flight control groups, chief of the space station’s Data Systems Flight Control Branch, chief of the Mission Operations Directorate’s Management Integration Office, and as the Mission Operation Directorate’s manager for International Space Station operations. Additional special assignments throughout his career include:
Project manager for Johnson’s Crew Exploration Vehicle Avionics Integration Lab (June 2007 –June 2008) Member of NASA’s Human Exploration Framework Team (April 2010 –October 2010) Member of NASA’s Standing Review Board that provided an independent assessment at life cycle review milestones for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Program, the Space Launch System Program and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program (October 2011 – August 2014) Lead of NASA’s Mission Operations Capability Team (October 2015 –April 2017)
“Steve has an accomplished career serving human spaceflight. His vision and dedication to the Johnson workforce makes him the perfect person to lead the Johnson team forward as acting director,” said Vanessa Wyche, NASA acting associate administrator. “Steve is an asset to the center and the agency—as both a proven technical expert and a leader.” Throughout his career, Koerner has been recognized for outstanding technical achievements and leadership, receiving two Superior Accomplishment Awards, the Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Johnson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award, two group achievement awards, the Exceptional Service Medal, and the Presidential Rank Award. Koerner is a native of Stow, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Akron in Ohio, and a master’s degree in business administration from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas.
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (Feb. 25, 2025) – Rear Adm. Matthew Case, the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) acting assistant director, Health Administration (AD-HCA) visited with leadership and staff of Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio.
The purpose of the visit was to better understand NAMRU San Antonio ‘s mission, capabilities, and impact to Navy Medicine.
Case, who additional serves as the director of the Navy Medical Service Corps, toured NAMRU San Antonio facilities at the Battlefield Health and Trauma (BHT) Research Institute and Tri-Service Research Laboratory.
While touring BHT, Case was briefed research on bacterial reduction efficacy of a portable ozone sterilizer, tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) treatments in extreme cold, bone fracture fixation technology for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures, development of a novel antivenom against specific snakebites, and an in-house design of an amalgam separator for dental chairs.
Case is the fifth Navy Corps director to visit NAMRU San Antonio within the past two years. Rear Admirals Guido Valdes (Medical Corps), Walter Brafford (Dental Corps), Robert Hawkins (Nurse Corps), and Force Master Chief PatrickPaul C. Mangaran (Hospital Corps) have visited the unit since January 2023.
NAMRU San Antonio is one of eight research laboratories within Navy Medicine Research and Development.
Its mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Import of poultry meat and products from Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea suspended Import of poultry meat and products from Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea suspended ******************************************************************************************
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 26) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Gunsan-si of Jeollabuk-do Province in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong. A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 80 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 21.9 million poultry eggs from Korea last year. “The CFS has contacted the Korean authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 18:10
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Lai Tung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):Question: At present, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health is mainly responsible for matters relating to tobacco control and taking enforcement action under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371). From time to time, TACO conducts plainclothes inspections or test purchases, and conducts investigations in the form of joint operations with other law enforcement departments, while the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) combats smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes on different fronts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the number of inspections conducted and fixed penalty notices issued by TACO in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by smoking offences;(2) of the respective establishment and strength of frontline law enforcement officers of different ranks in TACO in each of the past three years;(3) of the details and results of C&ED’s efforts to combat smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes in the past three years;(4) on import cases, of the following information in each of the past three years: the number of referrals received by TACO from C&ED and the number of summonses issued, the number of cases convicted in the court, and other details of the relevant cases;(5) on in-town enforcement, of the number and results of various investigation actions (including plainclothes inspections, test purchases, and joint operations) conducted by TACO in each of the past three years; and(6) how the authorities plan to enhance interdepartmental collaboration in the future to combat the sale of duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products?Reply:President, Having consulted the Department of Health (DH) and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Lai Tung-kwok’s question is as follows: The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH is the principal enforcement agency for the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 600) (with the number of full-time enforcement staff in the approved establishment provided at Annex I). The TACO mainly enforces (i) offences relating to illegal smoking in statutory no-smoking area (including aiding and abetting smoking offences and obstruction of inspectors’ duties); (ii) offences relating to tobacco advertisement and sale; and (iii) offences relating to alternative smoking products (ASPs). The C&ED is the principal enforcement agency responsible for the suppression of smuggling activities, including collecting and protecting revenue from dutiable commodities stipulated in the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The numbers of inspections conducted, fixed penalty notices (FPNs)/summonses issued by the TACO between 2022 and 2024 for smoking and other related offences are at Annex II. As regards illegal smoking offences, under the prevailing legislation, any person who commits the act of smoking in a designated no smoking area is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. To effectively mitigate the impact of secondhand smoking on the public and enhance the deterrent effect against illegal smoking, the TACO has flexibly deployed resources and adopted new enforcement strategies since 2023, which included extending the time of surveillance and inspections in no smoking areas, deploying plain-clothes officers to take proactive enforcement actions, and would issue FPNs to smoking offenders without warning. The number of prosecutions against illegal smoking has surged due to the aforementioned new enforcement strategies. The number of FPNs issued increased from 6 296 in 2022 to 10 261 in 2023 and 13 488 in 2024. Besides, to step up efforts in targeting venues (e.g. bars and restaurants) that offer waterpipe tobacco to customers, the TACO, on its own and in conjunction with the Police, has taken over 400 enforcement actions in the past three years. In addition to prosecution against illegal smoking, the TACO has also initiated prosecutions against persons suspected of inciting, aiding and abetting smoking offenders (including bar operators who have committed aiding and abetting smoking offences). As regards smoking product advertisements, under the prevailing legislation, no person shall display or distribute smoking product advertisements (including leaflets) or place smoking product advertisements on the Internet. Offenders are liable to a fine of $50,000. The TACO has been actively conducting market surveillance, and in order to further curb the situation of illicit cigarette leaflets, the TACO has been strengthening joint operations since 2023, including joint operations with the Police, the Housing Department (HD) and the C&ED against complaints of distributing illicit cigarette leaflets. A total of over 250 joint operations were conducted in the past three years. Since 2021, the TACO has successfully prosecuted 17 offenders for distributing smoking product leaflets. The highest penalty for these convicted cases was a fine of $8,000. For online advertisement, apart from conducting investigations and prosecutions upon receipt of complaints or referrals, the TACO also actively carries out online surveillance. Upon identification of smoking product advertisements, the TACO will ask the relevant internet service providers and social media platforms to remove such contents as soon as possible. The TACO has removed over 3 200 webpages and social media accounts or posts involving smoking product advertisements in aggregate in the past three years. As regards the ASP ban, with effect from April 30, 2022, no person may import, promote, manufacture, sell, or possess for commercial purposes ASPs, in accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). The C&ED is responsible for intercepting illegally-imported ASPs at import level with intercepted cases referred to the TACO for follow-up and prosecution, the TACO is also responsible for market surveillance and instituting prosecution. For cases involving import of ASPs, as at December 31, 2024, the TACO issued 1 272 summonses to offenders of importing cases, of which offenders in 694 cases were convicted by court and were fined $300 to $42,000. During the same period, the C&ED detected 52 cases involving offences under the C&ED’s enforcement and illegal import of ASPs concurrently, of which 26 were convicted and the highest fine and sentence imposed were $5,000 and four months’ imprisonment respectively. Besides, the TACO also monitors the sale of ASP on the Internet, and conducts test buy for follow-up investigation, as well as liaises with relevant organisation to assist in removing the illegal online content. For cases of suspected sale or possession for commercial purposes of ASPs, the TACO issued 24 summonses to offenders, of which 20 cases were convicted by court and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at most. The relevant ban on ASPs has been in force for nearly three years. At present, there are no legal channels to import or purchase ASPs, and ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. Prevailing legislation does not prohibit the possession of ASPs for non-commercial use. To suppress the continued circulation of ASPs, which are hazardous novel tobacco products, in Hong Kong and to tackle the problem of using e-cigarette devices to abuse drugs at its root, the Health Bureau will further strengthen the regulation of ASPs, including banning the possession of relevant products. Details will be announced later. On the other hand, as an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy, the Government will spare no efforts in combating illicit cigarettes. At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The C&ED will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach and take stringent enforcement actions at all levels to combat the sale of illicit cigarettes. The C&ED exchanges intelligence with the Police from time to time and conducts joint operations in a timely manner, including combating cases of cigarette smuggling and illicit cigarette storage in downtown. In addition, the C&ED has been maintaining close intelligence exchange and co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies to combat cross-boundary cigarette smuggling activities. The enforcement figures against illicit cigarettes (including smuggling, storage and distribution as well as sale) in the past three years are set out at Annex III. The increase in the number of seizures of illicit cigarettes reflects the effectiveness of the C&ED’s stepped-up actions against illicit cigarettes and the success of its enforcement strategy does not denote an expanding scale of illicit cigarettes activities. The Government announced the “10 measures for tobacco control” in June last year. Stepping up actions against illicit cigarettes was accorded the highest priority among the 10 measures, including:(i) introducing a duty stamp system to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from non-duty-paid cigarettes;(ii) requiring tobacco products being sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty need to be proved duty-paid;(iii) increasing the maximum penalty for handling, possessing, selling or buying duty-not-paid cigarettes; and (iv) listing the relevant offences under the Schedule of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO) (Cap. 455), so as to enable the C&ED to freeze and confiscate illicit proceeds and assets associated with illicit cigarette activities by virtue of the OSCO. On duty stamp system, taking into account factors such as enforcement effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, the Government proposes to require the affixing of duty-paid labels on the retail packages of cigarettes at this stage. Through the application of anti-forgery features and related digital technologies, frontline officers of the C&ED would be able to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones in a more effective manner, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency. The C&ED expects that a pilot scheme on the duty stamp system will be rolled out in the middle of this year to work out the practical operating requirement of the relevant scheme, which will then be launched next year at the earliest. The Government expects that the above measures will increase the deterrent effect and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement departments in combating illicit cigarettes. The relevant Government departments, including the TACO, the C&ED, the Police and the HD will continue to work together to enhance intelligence exchange and deepen the co-operation mechanism, as well as to make adjustments to their enforcement strategies having regard to the actual situation, and to take joint enforcement actions and refer suspected illegal cases, with a view to taking forward the work of tobacco control and enforcing the relevant legislation.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government announced today (February 26) the appointment of Professor Tsui Lap-chee as an expert advisor to the Task Group on New Medical School.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “Professor Tsui is an internationally renowned expert in the field of molecular human genetics, the incumbent Chair of the College Council of the Hong Kong Chu Hai College and the former President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, with extensive experience in leading both the higher education sector and the area of academic research. The next stage of the work of the Task Group will be to assess the proposals submitted by universities interested in establishing the new medical school according to the devised parameters. I am very confident that Professor Tsui will definitely be able to provide invaluable advice to the Task Group in its new stage of work, particularly in the consideration of the governance and scientific research development strategies of the new medical school.”
The Chief Executive announced in his 2024 Policy Address that the Government supports the establishment of a third medical school by a local university, with a view to nurturing more talented medical practitioners in support of the local healthcare system to provide quality service, while at the same time driving Hong Kong’s development into an international medical training, research and innovation hub. The Government invited seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics for medical teaching and university management, professionals, the Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, together with relevant Directors of Bureaux and Heads of Departments of the Government, to form the Task Group. The Task Group is responsible for devising the direction and parameters for the new medical school, as well as selecting a suitable university for setting up the new medical school.
​Since its establishment in October 2024, the Task Group has formulated the directions and parameters for establishing the new medical school, and issued a letter of invitation in December last year to local universities interested in establishing the new medical school for submission of proposals by March 17 this year. In the next stage of the work of the Task Group, concrete criteria for assessing proposals will be formulated to ensure that a qualified and eligible university will be selected in a transparent and fair manner for the establishment of the new medical school. It is anticipated that the Task Group will complete its assessments and make recommendations to the Government within this year.
The biography of Professor Tsui is as follows:
Professor Tsui is an expert in the field of molecular human genetics with outstanding achievements in the realms of genetic research and medical innovation. Professor Tsui served as the 14th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong and is the Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences. He is also currently the Chairman of the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Educational Development and Research, and Emeritus University Professor at the University of Toronto.
The membership of the Task Group with effect from February 26, 2025, is as follows:
Co-chairmen ———— Secretary for Education Secretary for Health
Alternate Co-chairmen —————— Permanent Secretary for Education/Under Secretary for Education Permanent Secretary for Health/Under Secretary for Health
Expert advisors ———— Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (or representative) Professor Nivritti Gajanan Patil Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu Professor Zhao Yupei Professor Tsui Lap-chee * Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung
Official members ———— Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) (or representative) Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (or representative) Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee (or representative) Director of Health (or representative) Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative) Deputy Secretary for Education (1) Deputy Secretary for Health 3 Commissioner for Primary Healthcare (or representative)
Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):Question: To safeguard public health, the Government is implementing a territory-wide COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Vaccination Programme) free of charge for eligible persons. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the respective numbers of received vaccination doses and vaccination rates under the Vaccination Programme in the past two years; among them, the respective numbers of received doses and vaccination rates for initial and booster doses;(2) of the respective numbers of received booster doses and booster vaccination rates in the past two years for various priority groups eligible for free booster vaccination, i.e. (i) older adults aged 50 or above (including those living in residential care homes), (ii) persons aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities, (iii) persons with immunocompromising conditions aged six months and above, (iv) pregnant women, and (v) healthcare workers;(3) of the financial expenditure incurred by the Government in implementing the Vaccination Programme in each of the past two years;(4) whether it knows the number of deaths due to COVID-19 infection in the past two years, and the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received by the deceased prior to their death; and(5) since the restoration of normalcy after the pandemic, what measures the Government has put in place to promote COVID-19 vaccination among the public, particularly high-risk groups, in order to effectively prevent COVID-19?Reply:President, With the ever evolvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the prevention and treatment capacities of the local healthcare system and society as a whole have been enhanced significantly. COVID-19 has been managed as an upper respiratory tract illness by the Government since early 2023. Despite this, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that high-risk persons should receive COVID-19 booster doses at appropriate times to lower the risks of serious illness and death. With reference to the recommendations from the WHO as well as the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (JSC) under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH), the Government is currently providing the JN.1 lineage COVID-19 vaccines for eligible individuals aged six months or above. As the vast majority of the public had past COVID-19 infection, according to the recommendation of the JSC, the Government has simplified the arrangements for initial vaccination, which replaced the previous three-dose definition for initial vaccination, since August 19, 2024. Under the new arrangement, in general, persons aged five or above (regardless of their history of infection with COVID-19) are considered to have completed initial vaccination by receiving one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Persons aged six months to four years who have been infected with COVID-19 are considered to have completed initial vaccination by receiving one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. For those who have not been infected, they should receive two or three doses of vaccines in accordance with the recommendations of the vaccine manufacturers to be considered as having completed initial vaccination. In addition, the JSC recommended that high-risk priority groups, including individuals aged 50 or above and those with chronic diseases, should receive a booster dose at least six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later), regardless of the number of doses received previously, in order to enhance protection. Between 2023 and 2024, the activity level of SARS-CoV-2 virus followed a cyclical pattern, with minor waves occurring every four to six months. For example, the virus became active in early January 2024 with a positive rate of 6.8 per cent among respiratory specimens, peaking at 16.8 per cent in early March before decreasing to lower levels in June. The subsequent wave peaked at 9.06 per cent from late July to early August before subsiding. As of the week ending on February 8, 2025, the positive rate for COVID-19 testing remained at a low level of 0.46 per cent. Regarding the monitoring of variant strains, the JN.1 and its descendant lineages were the most prevalent variant strains. The reply, in consultation with the DH and the Hospital Authority (HA), to the question regarding the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme raised by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong is as follows:(1) As at January 31, 2025, a total of more than 21 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. In 2023 and 2024, about 586 000 and about 222 000 doses were administered respectively. The definition for initial vaccination was updated since August 19, 2024. Starting from August 19, 2024, about 61 000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered, including about 1 000 initial doses and about 60 000 booster doses. The estimated proportion of people that completed COVID-19 initial vaccination in Hong Kong is about 94 per cent.(2) According to the recommendation of the JSC, since April 20, 2023, citizens have to declare themselves as priority groups to continue receiving free boosters. Therefore, the DH only maintains records of the actual number of vaccinations for individuals who declared themselves as belonging to a priority group on or after April 20, 2023. From April 20, 2023 to 2024, around 342 000 booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered for the self-reported priority groups. The vaccination figures broken down by the priority groups are as follows:
Self-reported priority group Number of booster doses administered
Persons aged 50 or above and adult residents living in residential care homes 332 000
Healthcare workers 6 000
Persons aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities 3 000
Persons aged six months or above with immunocompromising conditions 1 000
Pregnant women Less than 400
Total Around 342 000
Note: Due to the lack of data on the population size of some priority groups, the vaccination rate cannot be calculated.(3) The expenditure figures of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 (as at January 31, 2025) were $230 million and $124 million respectively.(4) According to the data of the Deaths Registries, a total of 2 944 cases died of COVID-19 between January 2023 and December 2024, with over 98 per cent involving adults aged 50 or above, and among them, nearly 80 per cent had not received COVID-19 vaccination within six months prior to death. In addition, among those fatal cases with available information, nearly 90 per cent had history of known chronic diseases. The data showed that timely booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines for high-risk persons help lower the risk of severe illness and death.(5) Since the launch of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, the Government has set up an online booking system which is available around the clock. Members of the public may make a booking through the system for COVID-19 vaccination at Private Clinic COVID-19 Vaccination Stations, Children Community Vaccination Centre, designated general out-patient clinics under the HA, as well as designated Student Health Service Centres, Maternal and Child Health Centres or Elderly Health Centres under the DH. The Government also provides vaccination for adult residents of residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly and RCHs for persons with disabilities through outreach services under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme. The Centre for Health Protection has been disseminating health messages on prevention of communicable diseases and maintaining personal and environmental hygiene through various channels, such as TV and radio announcements in the public interest, social media, printed media, Health Education Infoline, media and radio interviews, advertisements on public transport, outdoor and digital media. The messages also cover the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. The Centre for Health Protection will continue to strengthen relevant publicity and health education through various channels. The DH has also encouraged and assisted the elderly in the community, especially elderly singletons, to receive necessary vaccines including COVID-19 vaccine via district networks, such as District Services and Community Care Teams. District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres under the Social Welfare Department, District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses under the Health Bureau, as well as Elderly Health Centres under the DH, will also provide assistance to the elderly in need to make online bookings for COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, the HA provides COVID-19 vaccination services at its 18 designated general out-patient clinics, 13 designated specialist out-patient clinics, the Children Community Vaccination Centre located at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, as well as its staff vaccination depots. The HA also encourages eligible long-stay patients to receive COVID-19 vaccination to reduce the risk of severe cases and fatalities.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 15:20
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Tik Chi-yuen and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
Question:
The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) will take effect on January 20 next year. According to the data of the Child Protection Registry Statistical Report, the number of maltreatment cases involving children with disabilities is rising rapidly. For example, the number of children with disabilities who had been subjected to sexual abuse increased from 125 in 2022 to 175 in 2023. There are views pointing out that this trend attracts little media coverage or attention, and the actual situation of child maltreatment is not well-known. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as there are views pointing out that some victims of child maltreatment cases choose to cover up the incident and refrain from reporting to the Police or the Social Welfare Department’s Family and Child Protective Services Unit, given the “secondary damage” caused to them by the fact that they have to recall the course of the incident when facing judicial proceedings (e.g. taking statements and giving evidence in court proceedings), how the Government will deal with such situation upon commencement of the Ordinance; whether it will consider amending the legislation to mitigate the secondary damage caused to the victims; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) given the increase in the number of child maltreatment cases (especially sexual abuse), whether the Government has conducted any in-depth investigation into this trend; if so, of the main reasons for such trend according to the findings of the investigation; whether it has formulated preventive measures targeting schools or youth groups;
(3) as it is learnt that children with mental and physical disabilities are the major group of victims of child abuse cases involving children with disabilities, whether the Government has provided additional resources or protective measures to address the special needs of this group of people;
(4) as the Secretary for Labour and Welfare has pointed out that the anticipated number of reported child abuse cases will increase substantially after the commencement of the Ordinance, whether the Government has sufficient resources to support child victims, such as enhancing the relevant psychological counselling, placement and rehabilitation mechanisms;
(5) whether it will consider setting up a dedicated committee or organization to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Ordinance, coordinate the relevant policies and initiatives, and regularly disclose to the public the data on case reports and the effectiveness of its efforts in handling the cases; and
(6) as it has been reported that the Budget is going to propose a reduction in the funding for social welfare organisations, how the Government will tackle an increasing number of child maltreatment cases in the light of reduced funding and shortage of social workers, and whether it has estimated the average number of relevant cases that each social worker will need to handle after the reduction in funding?
Reply:
President,
The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) mandates specified professionals in the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors to report serious child abuse cases, creating a comprehensive and effective protection web for children and sending a strong deterrent message to potential perpetrators that their abuse behaviours will be easily exposed. The consolidated reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with Education Bureau (EDB) and Security Bureau (SB), is as follows:
(1) Various government departments and the Judiciary have been protecting child victims and witnesses through administrative procedures, guidelines and measures to encourage and facilitate them to report and give evidence in child harm/abuse cases and to lessen their trauma in the process. The Social Welfare Department (SWD), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Judiciary, has taken a number of measures to protect children. For example, during criminal investigations, the relevant departments may arrange children to give evidence through video-recorded interviews (VRI) in appropriate circumstances. These VRIs are conducted in a comfortable home-like environment by specially trained police officers, social workers, and/or clinical psychologists. The video-recorded evidence can be admitted as valid evidence at the trial, saving the children from recounting the incidents in the courtroom, thereby alleviating their embarrassment and trauma. During trials, the children can enter and exit court rooms through special access. In addition, they can also testify in another room by means of live television link in the company of trained witness-support persons to avoid facing the defendant and the public directly, thereby alleviating their psychological stress. In addition, the HKPF and the Department of Justice jointly established the Vulnerable Witness and Child Protection Task Force in 2022 to speed up and improve the evidence collection, prosecution and follow-up investigation work with collective efforts. The SWD and the HKPF will continue to organise training courses and review the procedures for handling sexual violence cases to enhance the skills and sensitivity of different professionals in order to effectively assist child victims and ensure that they receive appropriate protection and support.
(2) Through the Child Protection Registry, the SWD has been collecting and compiling statistics on information of registered cases involving children who have been harmed/abused or currently at risk of being harmed/abused. The annual statistics are uploaded onto the SWD’s website for public reference. There were 1 367 newly registered child protection cases in 2021 and 1 457 cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 6.6 per cent in three years. Among them, there were 448 sexual abuse cases in 2021 and 509 sexual abuse cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 13.6 per cent. According to the SWD’s analysis, possible reasons for the increase in registered cases include: growing public awareness on child protection and more proactive reporting of cases as a result of the legislative exercise of the Ordinance as well as publicity and public education on child protection in recent years; more children are using social media, messaging apps, chat applications, or online games in recent years; and children having more opportunities to interact with others in resumption of normalcy after the epidemic.
On publicity and education in the community, the SWD has been launching the publicity campaign on “Strengthening Families and Combating Violence” to raise public awareness on child protection and prevention of domestic violence and encourage those in need to seek help early through large scale publicity events and district-based activities. In 2022, the SWD has produced a series of videos on “Heart and Hut Classroom: Online Sexual Abuse Pitfalls” and broadcasted on social media to remind young people and parents of the risk factors, prevention and handling of online sexual abuse. The HKPF has been organising the “Let’s T.A.L.K. Child Protection Campaign” every year since 2021 to raise public awareness of child protection through a series of publicity and promotional activities. In addition, the HKPF organised a multi-disciplinary seminar on “Child Sexual Abuse in the Cyber World” on March 21, 2024, together with experts and representatives from relevant sectors and discussed with more than 500 parents, principals, teachers, social workers, Police officers and child service workers online and offline on how to effectively protect children from online sexual crimes, thereby enhancing their understanding of children’s online safety and their awareness and response capabilities to protect children from such crimes, and promoting collaboration among different professions.
In respect of preventive work targeting schools or youth groups, the EDB has all along been assisting schools in the prevention, early identification and appropriate intervention of suspected child abuse cases through various measures. These measures include issuance of circulars and guidelines requiring schools to devise relevant mechanisms, procedures and measures to handle such cases; strengthening school social work service to assist schools in the early identification of suspected abused students and potential issues in their families; encouraging schools to implement Comprehensive Student Guidance Service, under which all teachers collaborate with school social workers, other student guidance personnel or specialists to provide comprehensive and extensive guidance service to students in need; as well as supporting schools to adopt a whole school approach, through cross-sector collaboration among professionals from different disciplines in schools (including student guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists), to intervene and follow up as early as possible, and to provide students with appropriate support. At the same time, the EDB actively promotes the “Positive Parent Campaign” to foster parents’ positive attitude and understanding in nurturing their children, so as to enable students grow up healthily and prevent child abuse incidents. In addition, the EDB has been working closely with the SWD and the HKPF to organise various training activities with a view to strengthening school staff’s knowledge, skills and abilities in handling suspected child abuse cases.
(3), (4) and (6) The Government has allocated an additional provision in 2023-24 for enhancing the Government’s enforcement and support capacity, providing appropriate training to practitioners in the relevant professions and strengthening the promotion and public education work on child protection, with a view to supporting the implementation of the mandatory reporting regime (MRR) for child abuse cases.
The Government has further allocated an additional provision in 2024-25 to increase emergency places for residential child care service and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families to prepare for the potential increase in the reported child abuse cases upon the implementation of the MRR. Among which, two new residential child care centres will commence operation before the Ordinance comes into effect, offering a total of 96 additional service places each year and are expected to provide emergency placement for 384 children in need (in the estimation that each place of residential child care centre can take care of 4 children on average per year).
The SWD will also strengthen the professional support to actual or suspected child abuse victims (including pre-primary children with special needs) and their families. Starting from March 2025, the SWD will subsidise non-governmental organisations to implement various child protection support services, including Home Visitation Support, therapeutic/psycho-social groups, educational and family enrichment activities, to complement the work of social workers of the Family and Child Protective Services Unit of the SWD or related casework service units in providing focused support services for children and families in need.
Child protection (including pre-primary children with special needs) work and cases are being handled and followed up in a multi-disciplinary manner (including social welfare, education, law enforcement, healthcare). Professionals from different service units, including social workers, work together to provide professional support to children and families in need. The SWD does not maintain information on the average number of child protection cases handled by each social worker.
(5) The Labour and Welfare Bureau, the EDB, the Health Bureau and the SB have formed a Cross-bureaux Working Group to make preparations for the implementation of MRR in January next year. The SWD and the HKPF are jointly developing the internal work flow and mandatory reporting platform to facilitate mandated reporters in making reports and collecting relevant data, ensuring efficient and effective follow-up on reported cases. Relevant bureaux and departments will continue to monitor the operation of MRR and the trend of the number of reports after its implementation. The number of cases reported through the MRR will be incorporated into the statistics of the Child Protection Registry and disseminated to the public.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
Question:
Regarding the leasing status of commercial premises under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective vacancy rates of shopping centres and markets under HA in the past three years (set out in a table);
(2) of the respective areas of HA’s commercial premises designated in each of the past three years for (i) leasing to government departments, (ii) handover to government departments for allocation on its behalf, and (iii) leasing to non-governmental organisations at concessionary rent, together with the respective vacancy rates of such areas (set out in a table); the respective ratios of the areas leased out or utilised under these three arrangements to the total area of the commercial premises;
(3) given that nine of HA’s shopping centres do not have western medical clinics, whether HA will consider inviting Chinese medicine practitioners to set up clinics in these shopping centres to increase healthcare services in the respective districts;
(4) given that HA has earlier launched the “Well Being•Start-Up” Programme in its shopping centres, which offers rent-free shop premises to young people, of the current status of implementation of the programme; whether HA will consider renewing the tenancies of such commercial tenants after the programme ends, and whether it will seek other business premises to continue the implementation of the programme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) whether the authorities have reviewed if the trade mix of HA’s shopping centres can provide an adequate and comprehensive range of social services for the respective districts (e.g. to address the problem of ageing population in public rental housing estates); if they have, of the details; if not, whether they will undertake such a review from the perspective of usage?
Reply:
President,
The reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
(1) The policy objective of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide affordable rental housing to low-income families with housing needs. The HA also provides, where appropriate, various ancillary facilities such as retail facilities and actively introduces different trades of goods and services to bring shopping convenience to residents, with a view to catering for and meeting their basic needs in daily life. As at end-December 2024, the overall vacancy rate (Note) of the HA’s commercial premises was 3.87 per cent, indicating an improvement compared with the rate of 3.95 per cent in the previous quarter (at September 2024). Compared with the rate of about 7.8 per cent in the private sector in the same period (at December 2024), the leasing status of the HA’s commercial premises was relatively better. At present, about 85 per cent of the HA’s retail facilities have maintained a vacancy rate lower than four per cent despite the impact brought by the changes in consumption patterns (such as going north for spending and shopping online) of some residents. In many of the HA’s shopping centres, including Ching Long Shopping Centre, JoysMark, Ying Tung Shopping Centre and Ping Yan Shopping Centre, most of the commercial premises, if not all, have been leased out. As for the HA’s markets, all the shopstalls in many of the markets have been leased out, including Choi Hung Estate Market, Ping Shek Estate Market, Ying Tung Market, Mun Tung Market and Tin Yan Market.
The vacancy rates of shopping centres and markets under the HA in the past three years are set out as follows:
Vacancy Rate　(As at January 31 of each year)
HA’s Retail Facilities 2023 2024 2025
Shopping centres 1.2 per cent 2.52 per cent 3.73 per cent
Markets 7.01 per cent 10.71 per cent 13.32 per cent
(2) When planning for public housing projects, the HA follows relevant government policies as well as planning requirements and liaises with relevant departments to reserve space for the provision of suitable welfare, community and recreational as well as sports facilities to serve the residents.
The non-domestic space in public housing estates (PHEs) is limited and the demand of residents for various non-domestic facilities to cater for their daily needs, such as retail shops, community, education and welfare facilities, car parks and ward offices, is keen. Over the past three years, no commercial premises under the HA have been designated for leasing to government departments or handover to departments for allocation on the behalf of the HA. As for leasing of non-domestic premises at a concessionary rent to eligible non-government organisations (NGOs) for the provision of welfare or community services to residents, the HA strives to provide suitable premises in PHEs as welfare premises. We will keep in view the use of non-domestic properties in PHEs and will update information on vacant welfare premises available for direct application by NGOs on a monthly basis. The information will also be uploaded onto the HA/Housing Department’s websites, allowing eligible NGOs which are interested in leasing welfare premises to make applications.
(3) and (5) The HA has all along been letting out its commercial premises through invitation of tenders in accordance with business principles, and the rental amount is assessed based on the prevailing market value. It has been the HA’s established policy to accord priority to business trades that are able to meet the basic needs of residents, such as pharmacies and Chinese and western medical clinic services catering for the daily needs of the elderly.
Currently, among the nine HA’s shopping centres which are not equipped with western medical clinics, apart from Tin Ching Shopping Centre, there is at least one Chinese medical clinic and/or a pharmacy with provision of Chinese medicine consultation services, providing healthcare services to residents at their convenience. As for Tin Ching Shopping Centre, in its vicinity, there is a Jockey Club Tin Shui Wai Community Health Centre in the Tin Ching Amenity and Community Building, which provides healthcare services such as Chinese and western medical consultation and treatment as well as health checks. In the past, the HA had attempted for many times to invite tenders for the vacant premises in the shopping centre for Chinese and western medical clinics or relevant trades, but the tenders were unsuccessful. To better utilise the resources, the premises concerned were eventually leased out for other trades and all of the premises in Tin Ching Shopping Centre are now occupied.
The HA has been collaborating with charitable organisations and NGOs to provide regular and convenient mobile Chinese medical or physiotherapy services in PHEs. Equipped with various medical equipment such as lifting platforms for the disabled, the “mobile Chinese medical vehicles” provide healthcare services including a range of medical services such as acupuncture, to residents in PHEs where Chinese medical or physiotherapy services are not available. From November 2023 to October 2024, the “mobile Chinese medical vehicles” have provided to 33 PHEs a total of more than 1 800 days of Chinese medical or physiotherapy services.
The HA will review the trade mix of its commercial facilities from time to time and will conduct appropriate and timely feasibility studies on the conversion of vacant premises for other suitable trades. The HA will adopt flexible marketing and leasing strategies and respond duly to the ever-changing market trends and customer expectations, with a view to providing more shopping choices and a wide variety of services to the residents and local community. In estates with a higher population ratio of elderly residents, the HA will take the initiative to approach potential tenants/organisations which target at serving the needs of the elderly and invite them to operate trades such as sale of rehabilitation and medical products, pharmacies, clinics and community centres to cater for the daily needs of the elderly. In addition, the HA has set up a hotline to provide leasing information on its commercial premises to facilitate potential tenants to contact the HA directly. To increase the chance of successful letting, QR codes have also been posted at shopping centres and markets, enabling potential tenants to browse the latest tender notices and subscribe to tender information related to commercial premises. Over the past year (from February 2024 to January 2025), the HA has successfully leased out over 200 shops and market shopstalls, with a certain portion of shops catering for the needs of the elderly for healthy lifestyles. These shop premises were successfully leased out after marketing efforts and formulation of/change for suitable trades in response to market trends. Examples include the Chinese and western medical clinic(s) in Lai Kok Estate, Ching Tao Court, Fuk Loi Estate and Shek Kip Mei Estate, the shop(s) selling rehabilitation and medical products in Tin Ching Estate, as well as the community service centres (with Chinese medicine services) run by NGOs in Shek Mun Shopping Centre and Shui Chuen O Plaza. This demonstrates the positive impact of the abovementioned flexible, effective and comprehensive leasing strategies.
(4) To encourage and support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams, the HA launched the “Well Being • Start-Up” Programme last year, offering rent-free shop premises in its shopping centres for young people to trial their business plans. If the participants make a profit from the programme, 20 per cent of the net profits will go to the HA to fund and sustain the development of the programme. The programme has been well received since its launch, with about 180 applications received. Currently, 17 selected teams are operating in different shopping centres under the HA. In view of the widespread support from young people and various sectors of the community for the programme, the HA is now actively considering the expansion of the programme. Private shopping arcades and landlords in the commercial sector will be encouraged to provide more chances for young people to start their businesses, make use of the vitality and innovative ideas of young people to provide residents with a more diversified choice of goods and shopping experience, and provide young people with more resources and opportunities to start their businesses and realise business plans with great potential.
Note: Overall vacancy rate is calculated by: vacant lettable indoor floor area/lettable indoor floor area x 100 per cent.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Accelerating Green DevelopmentGreen Industries171. Development of green industries is a major international trend and key to addressing global climate change. The combination of green finance and green technology will accelerate the build-up of multi-faceted industry clusters, thereby creating huge business opportunities and financing needs, and making contribution to green transformation and development.Green Finance172. We launched the Sustainable Finance Action Agenda last year, setting out goals for the banking industry to achieve net zero. We also launched the Roadmap on Sustainability Disclosure in Hong Kong. It provides a well defined pathway for large publicly accountable entities to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards no later than 2028. This will make Hong Kong one of the first jurisdictions to align its local requirements with the Standards.173. To continuously support local green-finance talent training, we will extend the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme to 2028. Over 5 700 applications have been approved under the Scheme.Green Technology174. The HKSTPC will develop the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong into a leading green technology hub – “GreenTech Hub”, bringing together more than 200 green technology companies. The HKSTPC will invite financial and business institutions, universities, institutions supporting business, etc, to become partners of the admitted companies and provide support such as talent training, testing and application scenarios, and business matching.Green Shipping175. The Government will provide tax exemption for green methanol used for bunkering. Meanwhile, the Government will implement the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering to develop Hong Kong into a green maritime fuel bunkering centre.Green Aviation176. To provide support for the decarbonisation of the international and local aviation industry, we are promoting the application of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the HKIA. The AA completed a relevant study last year. We will announce an SAF consumption target this year.Green CityWaste Reduction and Recycling177. To enhance waste reduction at source, the Government will allocate an additional funding of $180 million for increasing the number of residential food waste smart recycling bins and food waste collection facilities across the city, as well as expanding the recycling network and increasing waste recovery.Waste to Energy178. I·PARK1, Hong Kong’s first waste-to-energy facility for treating municipal solid waste, is expected to commence operation this year. Moreover, we have invited the open tender for I·PARK2, the second large-scale facility with an expected treatment capacity of 6 000 tonnes per day. It is a major step towards “zero landfill”.Charging Network for Electric Vehicles179. There are more than 100 000 electric vehicles in Hong Kong, about eight times of that five years ago. The Government will launch a $300 million subsidy scheme in the middle of the year. It is expected that the scheme will provide impetus for the industry to install 3 000 fast chargers across Hong Kong by 2030 to be used by 160 000 additional electric vehicles.Green Transformation of Public Buses and Taxis180. The Government has announced the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis and earmarked $470 million under the New Energy Transport Fund to subsidise franchised bus operators in purchasing about 600 electric buses. Also, $135 million were earmarked to subsidise the taxi trade in purchasing 3 000 electric taxis. In addition, the Funding Scheme to Trial of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Heavy Vehicles is now open for application.Smart and Green Mass Transit Systems181. Last year, the Government invited expressions of interest for the smart and green mass transit system projects in Kai Tak, East Kowloon and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Yuen Long South NDAs. The Government will continue to take forward the projects with an innovative mindset, and strive to invite tenders for the Kai Tak project this year and the East Kowloon and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Yuen Long South NDAs projects next year respectively. Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries Industries182. We will continue to take forward the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries to assist the upgrading and transformation of the agriculture and fisheries industries. The Government has reserved a site in Sheung Shui for the agriculture sector to set up the first multi-storey, modernised and environment-friendly livestock farm. For the fisheries sector, the first batch of marine fish-culture licences at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi and Mirs Bay will be issued in the middle of the year the earliest. We are also proactively working to establish a brand building and certification system for leisure fisheries and farming, as well as local agricultural and fisheries produce. Land and Housing SupplyLand Supply183. We need a sufficient supply of land to create the capacity for supporting the development of new industries, injecting new impetus into our economy, and providing a better living and leisure environment for our people.184. The Government will closely monitor market situation and development, and roll out sites in a paced and orderly manner. Having learned from past experience that land shortage would constrain Hong Kong’s development, we must persist with our work on planning and land creation. The pace of rolling out sites to the market can be adjusted in the light of actual circumstances. 185. The commercial property market has been facing considerable challenges in the past few years. In view of the high vacancy rates of offices in recent years and the relatively ample supply in the next few years, the Government will not roll out any commercial site for sale in the coming year to allow the market to absorb the existing supply. We will also consider rezoning some of the commercial sites into residential use and allowing greater flexibility of land use. To tie in with the relevant work, we will also extend the deadline for completing in-situ land exchange for commercial sites in the town centre of HSK/HT NDA. 186. The Land Sale List of the coming year comprises eight residential sites. There will also be railway property development projects, projects undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) as well as private development and redevelopment projects. Taken together, the potential land supply for the whole year is expected to have a capacity for providing about 13 700 units, similar to the projected annual demand for private housing as announced in the Long Term Housing Strategy. The sale arrangements will be announced on a quarterly basis having regard to market situation and relevant circumstances.187. We will prepare land for the production of about 80 000 private housing units in the coming five years. About 65 per cent of the land comes from the NM and the Tung Chung New Town Extension. The above projection has yet to take into account the supply from development projects undertaken by the URA and other private development projects.Housing Supply188. On public housing supply, the Government has identified sufficient land for meeting the supply target of 308 000 public housing units over the next 10 years. Coupled with Light Public Housing, the total public housing supply in the coming five years will reach 190 000 units, which is about 80 per cent higher than that of the first five year period since the current term Government took office.189. On private housing supply, it is estimated that the completion of private residential units will be on average over 17 000 units annually in the coming five years, representing a decrease of about eight per cent over the annual average of the past five years. The potential supply of first hand private residential units for the next three to four years will be around 107 000 units. Infrastructure DevelopmentTransport Infrastructure190. The Government will strive to commence the detailed planning and design of the South Island Line (West) project this year. The construction works of the remaining sections of Route 6, namely the Central Kowloon Route and Trunk Road T2 and Cha Kwo Ling Tunnel, are entering the final stage. The Central Kowloon Route project is expected to be completed by the end of this year while Route 6 will be fully commissioned next year.Professional Development of Construction Industry191. I have set aside $15 million for the work of the Centre of Excellence for Major Project Leaders over the next two years to enhance the professionalism, innovation capabilities and cost-effectiveness management of the construction industry. The Centre will organise summits and various events to promote exchanges and co-operation transcending geographical and sectoral boundaries.192. To attract more young people to join the construction industry, we and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) will jointly allocate funding totalling about $95 million to continue the provision of on-the-job training subsidies to trainees enrolling in part-time construction-related degree programmes over the next two academic years. It is anticipated to benefit about 1 000 trainees.193. The CIC will allocate around $150 million to subsidise the construction industry to provide on the job training for about 2 500 graduates of degree programmes in engineering, architecture, surveying, planning and landscape architecture. This will assist more young people in obtaining professional qualifications. A Caring and Inclusive CommunitySupport for Youth194. The Government has just raised the upper age limit for participants of the Youth Employment and Training Programme to 29 and introduced workplace attachment opportunities in the GBA to help young people enhance their employability. The estimated expenditure for the Programme next year is around $100 million.195. In the coming year, we plan to offer around 4 000 short term internship placements in bureaux and departments and public organisations for tertiary students. Students who aspire to pursue a career in public service may take the opportunity to broaden their horizons and better plan for their future career development.196. The Hong Kong Housing Authority has launched the “Well Being ??? Start Up” Programme on a pilot basis, offering rent-free shop premises in its shopping centres for young people to trial their business plans. The Programme has received ardent support from different sectors of the community. The Authority will expand the programme and appeal to private landlords for support.Caring for the Elderly197. The Government will, in the next financial year, increase the number of vouchers under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly by 1 000 to 6 000 in total and increase the number of vouchers under the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly by 1 000 to 12 000 in total, involving an annual expenditure of about $1,710 million and $900 million respectively.198. The Working Group on Promoting Silver Economy will implement measures in five areas, namely boosting “silver consumption”, developing “silver industry”, promoting “quality assurance of silver products”, enhancing “silver financial and security arrangements”, and unleashing “silver productivity”. Relevant policy bureaux are taking forward their work.199. The HKMA will collaborate with the Hong Kong Association of Banks to formulate industry guidelines this year, with a view to encouraging banks to offer elderly-friendly electronic banking services.Support for Working Families200. As at the end of last year, about 50 000 households were receiving allowance under the Working Family Allowance Scheme, involving around 170 000 persons, inclusive of some 70 000 children. In 2025-26, the estimated expenditure for the Scheme is about $2.1 billion. The Government has increased the rates of the household and child allowances under the Scheme by 15 per cent across the board with effect from April last year.Child Protection201. The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect next January, creating a wider protection web for children. The Government will provide an additional annual provision of $186 million to increase emergency places for residential child care and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families.Support for Persons with Disabilities202. The Government will set up 14 Integrated Community Rehabilitation Centres across the territory in phases to provide persons with disabilities who require medium to high level care with flexible and integrated community support services through a case management approach. Besides, 1 280 additional day community rehabilitation and home care service places will be provided for persons with disabilities, involving about $160 million additional annual expenditure.203. Starting from the third quarter of this year, the Government will regularise the Pilot Project on Enhancing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to provide training to persons with disabilities according to their personal interest and abilities to enhance their employment opportunities. The annual expenditure involved is about $100 million and it is expected to benefit about 10 000 people.Women’s Development204. The Government is committed to women’s development and launched the Women Empowerment Fund in June 2023 with an annual funding of $20 million. To date, the Fund has provided funding support to women’s groups and non governmental organisations for launching over 240 projects, empowering women to excel. This year, a two year pilot mentorship programme will be launched, pairing female university students with women leader mentors to promote women’s workplace development.District Services and Community Care Teams205. Last year, the Chief Executive announced that the Government would regularise the establishment of District Services and Community Care Teams and increase their funding by 50 per cent in the next term of service. Since the launch of the Community Care Teams, they have paid visits to about 390 000 households and provided around 43 000 times of support services. The Government will further enhance the provision of caring services.Enhancement of Public Healthcare System206. To develop primary healthcare, the Government will upgrade the District Health Centre Expresses in Central and Western District, Eastern District and Yau Tsim Mong District into District Health Centres this year, with a view to strengthening the community healthcare system.207. The Government is progressively implementing and completing the 16 works projects, which entail a total of about $190 billion, under the First Hospital Development Plan. Taking into account the latest demographic structure, planning and development situation in Hong Kong, we will review the distribution, scale and priority of projects under the Second Hospital Development Plan, and will make the announcement in due course.208. Furthermore, the Government and the HA are reviewing the structure and levels of subsidisation for public healthcare, with a view to strengthening the financial sustainability of public healthcare services and providing better support for patients with serious or critical conditions as well as those with financial difficulties. The outcome of the review will be announced this year.Combatting Illegal Betting209. In recent years, quite some members of the public have expressed concerns about the problem of illegal basketball betting in Hong Kong. According to the latest assessment of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the turnover of illegal basketball betting reached $70 billion to $90 billion last year. To combat illegal betting activities in an effective manner, the Government will explore regulating basketball betting activities and invite HKJC to submit a proposal.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Talent Hub
All-out Efforts to Trawl for Talents
Attracting Quality Talents and Professionals
151. The Government makes every effort to trawl for talents, and will shortly invite top and leading talents to come to Hong Kong for development under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. We will also enhance the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals and the General Employment Policy by allowing young non-degree talents with professional and technical qualifications and experience to come to Hong Kong to join skilled trades facing manpower shortage.
“Global Talent Summit‧Hong Kong”
152. The Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) provides comprehensive one stop support to incoming talents, promotes globally Hong Kong’s advantages and attracts talents. The HKTE plans to organise the second “Global Talent Summit‧Hong Kong” early next year to reinforce Hong Kong’s status as an international hub for high-calibre talent.
Belt and Road Scholarship
153. The Government will continue to attract more students, especially those from ASEAN and other B&R countries, to study in Hong Kong through various measures, including the B&R Scholarship.
New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
154. Under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, more than 880 applications have been received cumulatively, with an expected investment of over $26 billion. We will launch a series of enhancement measures shortly to provide greater flexibility under the Scheme.
All-out Efforts to Nurture Talents
155. To stimulate primary and secondary school students’ interest in I&T, I have invited the HKIC, the HKSTPC and Cyberport to co-ordinate the efforts of more than 100 technology enterprises under their purview to engage in interactions and exchanges with students to share frontier exploration and start-up experience in technology through organising product display in schools, site visits, etc, in the coming year. These technology enterprises cover various domains such as AI, robotics, and green technology.
156. We are also encouraging technology enterprises in Hong Kong to provide resources, technical guidance and practice scenarios for technology education such as coding and AI learning in schools, with a view to further enhancing young people’s interest and capability in I&T application through integrating theoretical learning and practical application.
Enhancing Collaboration with Cities in the Greater Bay Area
Medical Co-operation
157. The joint establishment of the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform by Hong Kong and Shenzhen is one of the benchmark collaboration projects in the GBA. We are seeking to establish the Real-World Study and Application Centre by the end of this year. With the data from the “special measure of using Hong Kong registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in GBA”, we aim to accelerate approval for registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, fostering R&D, clinical trials and application of advanced biomedical technology in Hong Kong.
158. The Hospital Authority (HA), through various talent exchange programmes, invites healthcare professionals, including those from the Mainland especially the GBA, for professional and clinical exchange with local healthcare personnel to foster mutual professional enhancement and, in the long run, establish a regional healthcare talent pool.
Data Flow and Exchange
159. The facilitation measure on the “Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information Within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland, Hong Kong)” helps promote the safe and orderly cross-boundary flow of authorised personal information, and has been well-received by the telecommunications sector since its launch. The measure has already been opened up for participation by other sectors.
Financial Co-operation
160. The HKMA and the PBoC signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cross-Boundary Credit Referencing Pilots last year on a pilot basis between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The initiative has received positive feedback from the industry. We will progressively expand the pilot coverage to further facilitate cross-boundary financing for enterprises.
Youth Exchange
161. The Labour Department has since this year relaxed the requirements of joining the GBA Youth Employment Scheme to young people aged 29 or below with sub-degree or higher qualifications, and increased the limit of allowance for enterprises to $12,000 per month per person for up to 18 months.
Co-operation in Transport and Logistics
162. At the end of last year, the AA and the Zhuhai Transportation Holdings Group signed the Agreement of Shares Acquisition concerning the equity acquisition of Zhuhai Airport, which provides a reinforced foundation for passenger and cargo connectivity between the airports. Separately, 21 airlines and 125 logistics companies have participated in the sea air intermodal cargo transhipment mode under the co-operation of Hong Kong and Dongguan. It is expected that the first phase construction of the permanent facility for the Phase 1 development of the logistics park in Dongguan will be completed this year and the preliminary study of the Phase 2 development will commence shortly.
Co-operation Relating to Construction Industry
163. The Building Technology Research Institute established last year is comparing and complementing the testing and certification requirements between standards in different regions with a view to promoting local application of high-quality and cost-effective construction materials. Moreover, the Institute will closely liaise with the counterparts concerned in Guangdong Province for commencing a strategic study on standards in the GBA soon.
164. We are actively collaborating with the Guangdong Province to leverage complementary advantages of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) methods and develop MiC as an industry in the GBA. Efforts will be dedicated to R&D, quality accreditation and international marketing of MiC.
165. We have, in collaboration with Guangdong Province, successfully established the “Professional Title” evaluation mechanism for the first batch of Hong Kong engineering professionals. The mechanism will be gradually extended to other construction-related professions with the right conditions. We will also collaborate with Guangdong Province and Macao SAR to formulate GBA standards on the skill levels for skilled workers and technicians of the construction sector, and take forward the “One Examination, Multiple Certification” arrangement. We will announce the GBA standards for the first pilot trade in due course.
Legal Co-operation
166. The Department of Justice (DoJ) is actively taking forward its work in setting up a dedicated platform for GBA lawyers to provide better support to the business development and brand building of lawyers. The DoJ will also actively promote the establishment of a GBA legal information platform to enhance legal information exchange.
Development of Qianhai
167. The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone is one of the major co-operation platforms in the GBA. Since the promulgation of the “Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone”, Hong Kong-Shenzhen cooperation has achieved substantive progress in various policy areas. For example, the turnover of Qianhai Mercantile Exchange, a subsidiary of HKEX, exceeded RMB100 billion over the year. It operates our country’s only offshore spot trading platform for soybeans.
168. On the basis of the successful implementation of the measure of “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law” in Qianhai, the DoJ collaborated with the relevant Mainland authorities and achieved the extension of the above measure and the measure of “allowing Hong Kong invested enterprises to choose Hong Kong as the arbitration place” to other pilot cities in the GBA, providing Hong Kong investors with a more facilitative business environment.
169. Cyberport has been actively collaborating with the Qianhai Management Authority to facilitate the landing of start-up enterprises at respective parks. So far, some 10 Cyberport enterprises are exploring setting up their operations in Qianhai, whilst two enterprises on AI and digital entertainment from Qianhai have established businesses at Cyberport.
170. Hong Kong will continue to support Qianhai in trying out new policies on a pilot basis and pursuing more policy innovation and breakthroughs, with a view to promoting the successful policies to the rest of the GBA and even the entire country.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Healthcare IndustryTrain and Pool Healthcare Professionals126. In recent years, the Government has increased the number of medical training places on several occasions. The number of places will increase to 650 in the 2025/26 academic year. The public healthcare sector will leverage the revised legislative framework to admit non-locally trained healthcare professionals.Enhance Regulation for Drugs and Medical Devices127. The Government will, in the first half of this year, put forward the timetable for establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and the roadmap towards adoption of “primary evaluation”. We will also formulate strategies and measures to facilitate R&D of drugs and medical devices.Third Medical School128. The Task Group on New Medical School has invited local universities interested in setting up the third medical school to submit proposals. It expects to complete assessment and formulate recommendations to the Government this year. We will set aside resources to support universities in the development of the new medical school on a matching basis.Cultural and Creative Industries129. The Government is committed to promoting the development of cultural and creative sectors as industries. A cumulative total of over 780 projects, some of which with potential for industrialisation, have been approved under the CreateSmart Initiative, involving a total funding of about $3.4 billion and benefiting more than 30 000 SMEs. To foster the vibrant development of the local creative industry chain, OASES will strategically attract to Hong Kong more cultural and creative enterprises that integrate I&T into their work.Large-scale Art Events130. The inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo concluded in October last year, featuring over 1 600 arts leaders and practitioners from more than 60 countries and regions. We will organise the second edition of the Expo next year, transforming the event into a flagship of our arts and cultural industries.131. The Government will continue to attract and support the staging of international or large scale arts and cultural events in Hong Kong through the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, with a view to promoting the development of Hong Kong as an East meets West centre for international cultural exchange. We have updated the assessment criteria to require funded events to help promote tourism and bring economic benefits.Development of Film Industry132. The Government has always been a staunch supporter to the development of the film industry. A cumulative total of over $1.3 billion has been approved by the Film Development Fund to support more than 120 film projects. These projects involved more than 110 new directors and producers, and the relevant films have won more than 180 awards. The Fund has also launched the Film Financing Scheme for Mainland Market to encourage Hong Kong film companies and Mainland cultural enterprises to invest in and promote productions by Hong Kong directors.Cultural Intellectual Property133. The Government will support cultural IP creators and producers to propel more than 30 cultural IP projects cumulatively in the coming five years. We are fostering more cross-sectoral collaboration within the cultural and creative sectors so as to enhance the communication power and sales value of cultural IP products.Tourism Industry134. Tourism boosts local economic development and creates employment opportunities. To pursue the concept of “tourism is everywhere” and implement the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, I will allocate $1,235 million to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) in the coming year.135. The HKTB will collaborate with more international brands to tell the good stories of Hong Kong’s tourism. For example, the HKTB signed a three-year global strategic partnership agreement with Art Basel to establish immersive experience zones of Hong Kong culture in all four annual Art Basel shows around the world, strengthening Hong Kong’s connection with the global art scene.136. We will step up efforts to promote a series of distinctive tourism products such as eco tourism, panda tourism, horse-racing tourism, etc, to enrich travel experiences in Hong Kong.137. The HKTB will continue to support the staging of more meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions in Hong Kong, which are expected to bring about 183 000 additional visitor arrivals and spending of about $1.4 billion.138. I have earmarked resources to strengthen support to the cruise industry, encouraging cruise lines to increase their number of ship calls to Hong Kong, make overnight calls and use Hong Kong as the homeport. We will provide cruise lines with more concessions to attract cruise ships to berth at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal during the low season.Mega Event Economy139. We will continue to promote and publicise Hong Kong as a mega events capital globally, attract more tourists to Hong Kong and enhance their tourism experience during their stay.140. Kai Tak Sports Park is the largest ever sports infrastructure in Hong Kong with the 50 000-seat Stadium. Large scale sports and entertainment events will be held in the Park, thereby driving visitation and spending.141. The Government has been supporting the staging of major international sports events in Hong Kong through “M” Mark System. We will adopt a more strategic approach in continuously attracting sports events which can bring significant economic benefits to Hong Kong, and are in discussion with LIV Golf which has been held in Hong Kong for two consecutive years to explore long-term partnership. Announcement will be made shortly.Seize Opportunities Arising from Resumption of Multiple entry Individual Visit Scheme142. The Government of the HKSAR expresses great gratitude to the Central Government for resuming at the end of last year the multiple entry Individual Visit Endorsements for Shenzhen permanent residents and expanding the arrangement to Shenzhen residence permit holders. Since the implementation of the new measure, more than 700 000 visitors have travelled to Hong Kong on multiple entry Individual Visit Endorsements.143. Thanks to the new measure and with an increase in the number of overseas travellers, the city bustles with activities. Retail, catering and other sectors all reported growth in business volume during the recent Christmas and New Year holidays. The Government will make good use of the various measures that benefit Hong Kong to proactively promote the development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry.Develop Visitor Sources from the Middle East and ASEAN144. In collaboration with the HKTB, the Government will make extra efforts to develop markets in the Middle East and ASEAN to attract more high end visitors. The Government is encouraging various sectors of the community to enhance tourism support facilities, such as providing worship facilities in hotels and stepping up staff training to strengthen the industry’s understanding of the visitors’ different cultural backgrounds.Smart Tourism145. The HKTB will enhance the one stop travel information platform, Discover Hong Kong to provide a “Live Travel Map” and a “Smart Itinerary Planner” so as to provide visitors with more comprehensive and personalised itinerary suggestions, travel information and offers.Leverage Harbourfront Resources146. We are making every effort to enhance the harbourfront on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The recently opened western section of the East Coast Boardwalk in North Point has been popular among the public. The eastern section of the Boardwalk, the Hung Hom Urban Park (Phase 2) and the open space at Eastern Street North in Sai Ying Pun will also be completed this year. We will set up refreshment stalls at harbourfront locations in Central, Wan Chai, North Point and Tsim Sha Tsui this year to enrich visitor experience.147. The Government has invited the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited to conduct a study to develop the waterfront and former pier sites to the south of Hung Hom Station into a new harbourfront landmark. It will include iconic commercial and residential developments, retail, dining and entertainment facilities, as well as yacht club for promoting yacht tourism. We will put forward land use proposals in the middle of this year.Education Industry148. Hong Kong’s post secondary education sector is highly international and diversified. We boast five of the world’s top 100 universities and a pool of first rate R&D talent. We will launch a new round of Research Matching Grant Scheme totalling $1.5 billion to attract more organisations to support research endeavours of institutions.149. The Government will host more international education conferences and exhibitions to highlight Hong Kong’s position as an international post-secondary education hub. We will step up promotion of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand to attract more outstanding non-local students. The quota of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will be increased to 400 places per year.150. Self-financing post-secondary institutions complement publicly-funded institutions in providing diversified articulation pathways for young people. The Government has launched a new round of the Land Grant Scheme and the Start-up Loan Scheme, under which land sites are granted at nominal premium with interest-free loans, so as to support capacity expansion and quality enhancement of self-financing institutions.
