Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Since 2011, 69 social infrastructure facilities have been built in Moscow at the expense of the city budget. They were erected under the supervision of the capital’s Department of Civil Engineering within the framework of the city state programs “Urban Development Policy”, “Social Support for Residents of Moscow” and “Safe City”. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“Since 2011, 69 social infrastructure facilities with a total area of over 697 thousand square meters have been built in the capital under three state programs. In particular, 23 facilities were built under the Urban Development Policy, 30 under the Safe City, and 16 under the Social Support for Moscow Residents program. Last year, four facilities appeared in the capital under these programs. Since 2011, new social institutions have been built in the Izmailovo, Ramenki, Akademichesky, Dmitrovsky, Strogino, Kurkino and other districts,” said Vladimir Efimov.
Social facilities are built according to modern quality standards and taking into account the needs of the capital’s residents.
“In 2016, the Shipilovsky Wedding Palace was built at the expense of the city budget at the address: Shipilovsky Proezd, Building 27. The building with a total area of about two thousand square meters was erected according to an individual project and has a high throughput capacity. Inside the registry office there are all the necessary premises for comfortable service of citizens: a hall for the ceremonial registration of marriage, offices for processing documents and living rooms for photo sessions. The building is also equipped with ramps and tactile signs, which makes it comfortable for people with limited mobility to visit,” noted the head of the capital’s Department of Civil Construction.
In 2022, a sports and recreation complex with a swimming pool was built on the territory of the Moscow College of Social Professions named after E.I. Kholostova in the Butyrsky District. This is a three-story building, on the first floor of which, in addition to the entrance lobby with a cloakroom, there is a swimming area. Both adults and children, including those with disabilities, can visit the pool. On the second floor there is a gym, and on the third floor there is a multi-purpose hall for team sports. Several recreation areas were also arranged on the territory of the complex. The total area of the facility is almost 5.5 thousand square meters.
Last year they built building of the Department of Internal Affairs in the Tverskoy district. A three-story building with an area of 6.6 thousand square meters was erected according to an individual project on Krasnoproletarskaya Street. Comfortable conditions were created for Moscow police officers to perform their official tasks to ensure the safety of city residents and guests of the capital.
According to the Chairman of the Committee for State Construction Supervision of the City of Moscow Anton Slobodchikova, in 2024, the department issued four permits for the commissioning of social infrastructure facilities. Throughout the construction cycle, inspectors assessed the quality of the work performed and the materials used. In total, 51 on-site inspections were conducted during the construction of the buildings.
Previously Sergei Sobyanin said that about 150 social facilities will be built in 2025–2026.
The construction of social facilities in Moscow corresponds to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow companies that have completed the pilot part of the federal project “Labor Productivity” have begun to implement digital technologies to improve the efficiency of business processes. Comprehensive support in this regard is provided to enterprises by the regional Moscow Competence Center and the federal ANO “Digital Technologies of Productivity”, created in 2021 as part of the implementation of the national project “Labor Productivity”. This was reported by Maria Bagreeva, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, head of the capital’s Department of Economic Policy and Development.
“Companies that participated in pilot projects have already achieved significant results due to lean technologies. The next step is the implementation of digital solutions to improve efficiency. We offer participants in the federal project comprehensive support – from diagnosing bottlenecks to selecting and implementing advanced automation and digitalization solutions. This allows businesses not only to optimize the use of manual labor, but also to abandon it where there are digital services that significantly increase productivity and competitiveness,” emphasized Maria Bagreeva.
The project offers Moscow companies various services and programs for digitalization and automation. This allows for the optimization of operations and the improvement of business process efficiency. Over 600 digital solutions covering key areas of activity are available to enterprises. For example, they are helped to debug supply chains, improve customer service, implement a video analytics system with artificial intelligence and technological process monitoring programs. In addition, the services facilitate the automation of warehouse logistics and the introduction of biometric identification of employees using a facial recognition algorithm.
Three participants in the federal project have already begun implementing digital technologies to improve productivity. All enterprises that have completed the first phase of the federal project are expected to join the project.
For example, the company “GS Cosmetics” is going to increase the efficiency of the brewing shop by introducing digital technologies into the processes of accounting, control and planning. For this purpose, additional functions will be introduced into the 1C system and a special mobile application for operators will be developed. Thanks to the innovations, the speed of operations will increase, the volume of production will increase, the number of defects will be minimized and production losses will be reduced.
Logistics company LogLab intends to implement neural network video analytics to improve the efficiency of warehouse employees. Artificial intelligence will analyze video from cameras in the warehouse, which will speed up the processing of goods, reduce the time for acceptance and shipment, and reduce the likelihood of errors in counting and identifying products. All this can significantly increase the throughput of the warehouse and improve safety and management efficiency.
The SV Teips company plans to use the WMS warehouse business process automation system to improve the efficiency of logistics operations and reduce costs. The service will help improve inventory accuracy, reduce product processing time, reduce the likelihood of errors and prevent the risks of shortages and surpluses. In addition, warehouse analytics will improve, personnel and storage costs will decrease, and the quality of customer service will increase.
The national project “Labor Productivity” was implemented in Moscow in 2022-2024 at the expense of the city budget. Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin reported, that all 419 capital participants of the national project have completed the pilot stage and are now independently implementing a culture of continuous improvement.
As part of the federal project “Labor Productivity”, which is part of the national project “Efficient and competitive economy”, Moscow companies continue to increase labor productivity at enterprises. Applications for participation are accepted on the website of the regional Moscow Competence Center.
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UK energy supply chain at risk as 90% eye overseas markets
19 March 2025
Offshore Energies UK’s 2025Supply Chain reportsays building on the UK’s unique industrial strengths in energy production is key to unlocking the Government’s ambition to grow the nation’s economy and build the future of the North Sea.
Drawing on over 50 years of successful North Sea oil and gas operations, the offshore energy industry’s supply chain has the potential to power the UK’s drive to produce secure, sustainable and ever cleaner energy. But without a pipeline of projects enabled by pragmatic policy to anchor them here in the UK, OEUK’s sentiment survey reveals nine companies out of every 10 see more attractive opportunities to grow their business overseas due to uncertainty and a less positive business environment at home.
The report sets out the barriers the industry faces including low revenues from renewables and declining investor confidence while outlining the actions both industry and government can take to ensure a homegrown energy future. It sets out key steps industry and government can take to anchor world class offshore energy companies in the UK. These include industry initiatives aimed at fostering better collaboration across the supply chain plus moves to ensure that government champions the UK energy supply chain capability in offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Forming an extensive and vital network across the country from Shetland to Southampton and from Morecambe Bay to the Eastern Seaboard of England, the UK’s offshore energy supply chain comprises hundreds of businesses supporting the industry throughout its lifecycle from installing wind turbines, producing oil and gas and decommissioning offshore installations.
As an integrated ecosystem, this supply chain delivers products and services to energy producers and includes FTSE 100 companies as well as small to medium enterprises developing new technologies and providing specialist capabilities. It encompassescompanies involved in designing mooring systems, manufacturing specialist valves, installing high voltage subsea cables, maintaining pipelines transporting energy and carbon and removing offshore structures from the seabed with many developing global leadership infloating offshore wind and decommissioning.
Katy Heidenreich, OEUK’s supply chain and people director, says:
“The UK is competing internationally for energy investment so it’s concerning that many offshore energy supply chain firms see more attractive opportunities to grow their business overseas. We’ve set out key steps industry and government can take to position the UK as first choice for the offshore energy supply chain companies.
“To grow the whole UK’s economy, we need energy policy that supports continued investment in homegrown oil and gas alongside an acceleration of renewable energy. This must be addressed, and we are working with our members to bring positive solutions to the table.
“It’s good to export our expertise but that should never come at a cost to work we need to get done in the UK. Around60% of companies surveyed for the report are diversifying into offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage but business revenues from renewables and CCS still represent a relatively low proportion as they make up between zero and a fifth of their turnover.
“OEUK is currently engaging with critical government consultations on the future of our North Sea from industrial strategy to oil and gas licensing, environmental impact and a new fiscal regime. It’s vital we get this right to create a positive business environment in the UK for our supply chain.
“The offshore energies industry supports the sectors Britain needs to build its future. Steel, cement, ship building, glass, car making and many more rely on the energy and technologies we produce, including carbon capture which can offset and futureproof their energy-intensive operations. With between 60-80% of the capabilities required to lead the energy transition to net zero emissions, our companies and highly skilled people are committed partners in delivering secure, and affordable homegrown energy.
“The UK government is rightly ambitious to develop the clean power capabilities to support its industrial strategy, but this goal must be delivered in a way that builds our supply chain capability. The prize is a homegrown energy future, not one that is imported.”
Current challenges highlighted by the OEUK’s report include harnessing oil and gas revenues from the UK’s still significant reserves so supply chain companies can survive and thrive.
The report outlines how through initiatives including alliance contracting, shared inventory systems and a drive to promote good procurement practice, are supporting efforts to create an attractive commercial environment. These are helping operators, developers, major contractors and suppliers of all sizes work better together.
OEUK’s report comes as decisions made in the coming months will not only shape the North Sea’s future but also its ability to unlock investment in low carbon technologies while continuing to deliver the energy security the UK needs. It highlights there must be collective recognition that a sustainable future is one that enables the supply chain to remain anchored in the UK while adapting and growing as new energy opportunities arise.
SYDNEY/MAJURO, Friday 14 March 2025 — The Republic of Marshall Islands has become one of the first Pacific nations to ratify the historic Global Ocean Treaty, sending a powerful message to other world leaders: no more harm to the oceans.
It comes as Greenpeace’s flagship vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, arrived in Majuro to begin its six-week mission to elevate calls for nuclear and climate justice alongside the Marshallese community; and support independent scientific research into the impacts of decades-long nuclear weapons testing by the US government, including the impacts on the ocean – a main source of food, culture and livelihood for the Marshallese people.
On the ratification of the treaty, Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
“We congratulate the Government of the Marshall Islands for its commitment to protecting the global oceans by inking the Global Ocean Treaty into law,” he said.
“The Marshall Islands continues to show its strength as a fearless and powerful custodian of its waters and lands. The ratifying of the treaty is a loud, clear message to the world that the Pacific Ocean and the world’s seas must be safeguarded. To the Global North, this must be a watch-and-learn moment.”
The Marshall Islands is the second Pacific nation to ratify the treaty. It follows Palau as the first country in the world to ratify last year, showcasing strong ocean protection leadership from the Pacific region.
“The global ocean connects us all. From the Marshall Islands to Tuvalu, Australia, Hawaii and beyond, we are all connected by these life-sustaining waters. It’s time for governments to follow the leaders and protect our blue planet for the good of our collective future,” Gounden added.
The ratification comes after Marshall Island announced its first protected ocean sanctuary in January, which will protect a mammoth swathe of water in the country’s north.
The historic Global Ocean Treaty is the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Adopted in June 2023 and currently signed by 112 countries, it will only enter into force once it is ratified by at least 60. Including the Marshall Islands, 20 countries have ratified the treaty. Australia has signed, but is yet to ratify
Greenpeace is urging governments worldwide to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty quickly to achieve the 30×30 target and start developing proposals for marine protected areas in the high seas.
—ENDS—
Notes
Photos of the Rainbow Warrior arriving in Majuro can be found here
Archival footage and images from the US nuclear weapons testing collected here
A U.S. federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has likely violated the Constitution, and ordered an indefinite pause on further cuts to the agency.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave, though the ruling does not reverse firings or fully restore the agency.
The lawsuit was filed by USAID employees and contractors, arguing that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are wielding power reserved by the Constitution for elected officials or those confirmed by the Senate.
The judge rejected DOGE’s argument that Musk’s role is merely an adviser to Trump, finding that Musk has “firm control over DOGE.”
DOGE’s fast-moving destruction of USAID likely harmed the public interest by depriving elected lawmakers of their “constitutional authority to decide whether, when and how to close down an agency created by Congress,” ruled the judge.
The ruling came as a significant setback for Musk and the Trump administration, which had been rapidly dismantling USAID over the past two months. The administration has also placed top security officials on forced leave, terminated a large portion of the agency’s program contracts and ordered most staff members off the job through forced leaves and firings.
Chuang did not stop the mass terminations of USAID’s contracts and the firing of personnel. Though likely unconstitutional, these moves were approved by unnamed government officials, said the judge.
The judge’s decision is seen as a milestone in pushback against DOGE, with critics arguing that the rapid dismantling of USAID has disrupted global humanitarian relief efforts and harmed the public interest.
Trump told Fox News that his administration would appeal the ruling. “I guarantee you we will be appealing it. We have rogue judges that are destroying our country,” Trump said.
Government engages services of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences to enhance Psycho-Social Support for Distressed Women Govt launches ‘Mission Shakti Portal’ to empower women, enhance accessibility to services and to build capacity of functionaries and duty holders under various scheme and legislations
Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 3:57PM by PIB Delhi
The Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 has been enacted keeping in view the rights guaranteed under Article 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India to provide for a remedy under the civil law which is intended to protect the women from being victims of domestic violence and to prevent the occurrence of domestic violence in the society.
In India domestic violence is governed by the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 and it is defined under Section 3, which states that any act, omission or commission or conduct of a person harms or injures or endangers the health or safety of a women, whether mentally or physically, it amounts to domestic violence. It further includes any harm, harassment or injury caused to any women or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand would also amount to domestic violence.
The said Act covers those women who are or has been in a relationship with any person, where both parties have lived together in a shared household and are related by consanguinity, marriage or through a relationship in the nature of marriage or adoption.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on crimes, including crimes against women, in its publication titled “Crime in India,” which is available on the NCRB’s official website (https://ncrb.gov.in). This report is available up to the year 2022. As per the data of NCRB, the number of cases registered under the PWDVA, was 507 in 2021 and 468 in 2022.
The latest report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5 ), provides data for the period 2019-2021, which reveals that the percentage of ever-married women aged 18-49 years who have ever experienced spousal violence (physical and/ or sexual violence) has reduced to 29.3% as compared to 31.2% reported in NFHS-4 for the period 2015-2016.
“Police‟ and “Public Order‟ are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution in crimes against women and children rests primarily with the respective State Governments and they are competent to deal with it. Section 8 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 mandates the States/ UTs to appoint such number of Protection Officers in each district as it may consider necessary and also to notify the area or areas within which a Protection Officer shall exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred. It is the duty of the Protection Officer to report the cases of domestic violence to the Magistrate upon receipt of complaints and to assist the Magistrate in the discharge of his functions. However, conviction of an accused person is done by the competent court after careful consideration of factual positions, evidence and all related legal aspects as per the provisions of law. The PWDVA provides to women remedies such as protection order, residence order etc. under it.
Nevertheless, the Central Government gives highest priority to ensuring safety and security of women and has undertaken various legislative and schematic interventions in this regard. These include legislations such as “Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita“, “Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita“, “The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005‟, “The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961‟ etc. Besides these legal provisions there are multiple schemes and projects implemented by the Government which include One Stop Centres (OSCs); Universalisation of Women Helplines (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which is a pan-India single number (112)/ mobile app based system for emergencies; capacity building in community through awareness programmes, setting up/ strengthening of Women Help Desks (WHDs) at Police Stations etc.
One Stop Centre (OSC) component of Mission Shakti Umbrella Scheme, which is fully funded by the central government is implemented across the country since 1st April, 2015. It provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress, both in private and public spaces. It also provides an integrated range of services including medical aid, legal aid and advice, temporary shelter, police assistance, psycho-social counselling to needy women. 802 OSCs are operational across the country and over 10.80 lakh women have been assisted upto 31st January, 2025.
To ensure that the Police Stations are more women friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station, 14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up, of which 13,743 are headed by women police officers. To provide help and support to needy women and women in distress, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) has been established in all 36 States and UTs for various emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field/ police resources. Since its launch, over 43 crore calls have been handled so far. In addition to ERSS, a fully functional dedicated Women helpline (WHL-181) is operational in 35 States/ UTs except West Bengal. The WHL has also been integrated with ERSS. So far, Women Helplines have handled over 2.10 crore calls and assisted over 84.43 lakh women.
A National dashboard has been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for monitoring calls across all States/UTs implementing the Women Helpline. This dashboard enables real-time monitoring of calls received and women assisted. Through this system, the Central Government is able to maintain centralized data on violence faced by women across India, categorized by types of cases, including instances of domestic violence.
Recognizing the need for psycho-social counseling to women affected by violence and those in distress, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has engaged the services of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) for providing basic and advanced training under the project named “Stree Manoraksha‟ to the staff of One Stop Centres (OSCs) across the country on handling psycho-social and mental health care needs to support to such women. The Ministry also undertakes awareness exercise for safety and security of women and children from time to time. Further, the Government, through institutions like the National Commission for Women (NCW) have been spreading awareness through seminars, workshops, audio- visual, print and electronic media etc. to sensitize the people about the safety and security of women and children and also about various provisions of law. In addition, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Home Affairs have issued advisories to States/ UTs from time to time on various issues pertaining to safety and security of women and children.
Under Nirbhaya Fund, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has also undertaken several initiatives, which, inter-alia include training and skill development programs for Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers and Medical Officers. BPR&D has also prepared Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for “Women Help Desk at Police Stations‟ to ensure their smooth functioning by focusing on four critical components, viz. infrastructure, training, human resource development and response mechanism. A book titled “Women’s Safety and Security- a Handbook for First Responders and Investigators in the Police‟ has also been prepared for the purpose of prevention and investigation of crime against women with specific reference to the crime of sexual assault, which includes investigation, victim compensation and rehabilitation. Emphasis has been laid upon inculcating appropriate behavioural and attitudinal skills in the police force for prevention and detection of crimes against women and children and for proper interaction with the victims of crime. Webinars on women safety with sensitivity, gender sensitization of police personnel etc. have also been organized by BPR&D.
The Ministry has launched the ‘Mission Shakti Portal’ with all functional features on January 22, 2025. This portal aims to enhance accessibility of various government services for women, establish quality mechanisms for rescue, protection, and rehabilitation, and build the capacity of functionaries and duty holders under various schemes and legislations.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.
The details of the various schemes and the initiatives being taken by the Government for the welfare of Central Armed Police Force personnel are annexed.
Ayushman CAPF as an initiative was launched on January 23, 2021 for providing cashless and paperless medical treatment at empaneled private and government hospitals across India to the serving personnel of Central Armed Police Forces, Assam Rifles, National Security Guard & National Disaster Response Force and their dependents.
41,79,361 Ayushman CAPF Cards (ID) have been generated.
******
ANNEXURE
The Government of India has taken several welfare initiatives for the personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and their families. These initiatives encompass financial assistance, educational support, housing, and rehabilitation services.
Ayushman CAPF: It is an initiative launched by the Government of India under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) specifically for personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and their families. It provides cashless and paperless medical treatment at empanelled private and government hospitals across India
Ex-Gratia Payments: In the unfortunate event of death due to accidents during duty, CAPF personnel’s next of kin receive ₹25 lakh. For deaths resulting from acts of violence by terrorists or during enemy action, the compensation is ₹35 lakh.
Accidental death insurance coverage under CAPF salary package scheme: This policy offers financial support to the families of personnel who lose their lives in the line of duty.
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme (PMSS): Launched to encourage higher technical and professional education among the wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel, the scheme offers 2,000 scholarships annually (1,000 for boys and 1,000 for girls). The scholarship amounts are ₹3,000 per month for girls and ₹2,500 per month for boys, disbursed annually as ₹36,000 and ₹30,000, respectively.
ANNEXURE
Contributory Welfare Fund:- Necessary guidelines issued to bring uniformity in payout to the Next of Kins (NoKs) of deceased CAPF personnel from Contributory Welfare Fund.
Quota for wards of CAPF:- 26 seats in MBBS & 03 seats in BDS have been reserved for the wards of serving/deceased CAPFs & AR personnel.
CAPF e-Awas Portal: A dedicated online platform facilitates the registration and allotment of residential quarters to CAPF personnel. The portal also provides services such as retention and regularization of accommodations.
Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB): Established to oversee the welfare and rehabilitation of retired CAPF personnel and their families, including the next of kin of deceased or disabled personnel, WARB operates through State and District Welfare Officers across the country.
“CAPF Punarvaas” scheme: – A “CAPF Punarvaas” scheme was launched by linking Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act (PSARA) website with WARB website where the data of retired and willing Ex- CAPF/AR personnel is made available to Private Security Agencies on PSARA website for re-employment in Private Security Agencies.
Medical Facilities: Retired personnel and their spouses receive medical facilities from CGHS/CPMF Hospitals or a medical allowance of ₹1000 per month.
ANNEXURE
Risk and Hardship Allowances: Enhancements have been made to the existing risk and hardship allowances for CAPF personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Left-Wing Extremism affected districts.
Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar (KPKB): Formerly known as the Central Police Canteen, KPKB provides quality products to CAPF personnel at discounted rates through direct negotiations with suppliers.
Liberalized Pension Awards (LPA) and Extraordinary Family Pension (EFP): There are special pension schemes designed for the families of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel who suffer death or disability due to operational hazards, ensuring financial security for their dependents.
Bharat Ke Veer: It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to support the families of deceased Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. It enables citizens to contribute financially to the families of soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme, organized by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir under the funding from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is aimed at fostering national integration by exposing children of the age less than 18 years from government-run homes to the cultural, historical, and technological advancements of other parts of the country. The ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme has been successful in promoting national integration, fostering unity among India’s youth, and helping create a more inclusive, harmonious society. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is implementing various vocational training and skill development programmes including two flagship programs namely, Mission Youth and Mission Yuva. These missions have been specifically mandated to empower and enhance the skills of the youth in the region, providing them with the necessary tools and opportunities to excel in various sectors.
Further, under ‘Kashmiri Youth Exchange Programme (KYEP)’ various activities are being organized for school students/youth of Jammu and Kashmir with the other states/UTs through interactions, seminars, panel discussions, skill development, visit to Industries, exhibition of artefacts and local products of Kashmir valley, food festival, sharing of best practices, culture and customs, career guidance, patriotism and nation building programme, cultural programs, etc. by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UK science uncovers mysteries of dark universe with Euclid data
Cutting-edge UK research is benefiting the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission, with new data released today (19 March) set to uncover the secrets of dark energy and matter.
Euclid visual: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA. Background galaxies: NASA, ESA, and S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team Euclid observations: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi
The wealth of new data from the mission – described as the ultimate discovery machine – includes details of 500 galaxies that seem to experience a phenomenon known as strong lensing.
This is where light from more distant galaxies is bent around closer galaxies due to gravity, like how light is focused through a glass lens on Earth.
The way the light bends indicates the total mass, which includes both visible matter and, potentially, dark matter – so scientists can analyse this, begin to identify where dark matter is located, and understand its properties.
Euclid’s data is revolutionising the study of strong lensing. New techniques using machine learning and AI have been developed to find these rare objects. Citizen science has also contributed significantly, with over 1000 volunteers participating in visual inspections.
This image shows examples of gravitational lenses that Euclid captured in its first observations of the Deep Field areas. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by M. Walmsley, M. Huertas-Company, J.-C. Cuillandre
UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance said:
The UK space sector is playing a leading role in the Euclid mission which, as this new data shows, is revealing more about the role of gravity in our Universe, and the nature of dark energy and matter. The British-made visible imager and data processing tools are central to these observations.
The technological advances achieved in missions like this will not only benefit our understanding of the universe, but may help us to better process data here on Earth, helping us to grow our economy and support our Plan for Change.
The Euclid mission, launched in July 2023, carries a visible imager (VIS) from the UK, funded by £37 million from the UK Space Agency. The VIS, designed and built by a UCL-led team, is a super high-resolution camera (609 million pixels), with a focal plane about the size of a large pizza box, that can take incredibly detailed pictures of the sky. It is currently observing billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away.
The new data release includes observations of distant regions of space, displaying hundreds of thousands of galaxies and many transient phenomena—astronomical events that are temporary or short-lived relative to cosmic history. These include supernovae (explosions of stars at the end of their life cycles), gamma-ray bursts (extremely energetic explosions observed in distant galaxies), and fast radio bursts (brief but intense bursts of radio waves from unknown sources in space).
All of this allows scientists to gain insights into the dynamic processes occurring in the universe. The release classifies over 380,000 galaxies and 500 gravitational lens candidates.
This is a zoom-in of Euclid’s Deep Field North, showing the Cat’s Eye Nebula in the centre of the image, around 3000 light-years away. Also known as NGC 6543, this nebula is a visual ‘fossil record’ of the dynamics and late evolution of a dying star. This dying star is shedding its outer colourful shells. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi
ESA’s Director of Science, Prof. Carole Mundell, said:
Euclid shows itself once again to be the ultimate discovery machine. It is surveying galaxies on the grandest scale, enabling us to explore our cosmic history and the invisible forces shaping our Universe.
The ‘quick’ data release
Euclid ‘quick’ releases, such as this one, are of selected areas, intended to demonstrate the data products to be expected in the major data releases that follow, and to allow scientists to sharpen their data analysis tools in preparation. The mission’s first cosmology data will be released to the community in October 2026.
Aprajita Verma, a Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford, said:
This early data release showcases the amazing images that we will receive from the Euclid telescope. Even in this tiny area (less than 0.5% of the Euclid survey), Euclid has revealed millions of galaxies in exquisite detail.
Nestled among these galaxies are strong gravitational lenses. This rare phenomenon is seen around massive galaxies that can distort or warp space-time so much that light from objects behind them can be brought into view as rings, arcs or multiple images.
Verma said:
This is exactly what has been revealed in this early Euclid data, and at a higher frequency than we’ve seen from surveys with ground-based telescopes.
The team used a combination of machine learning with visual inspection from citizen scientists and the team to develop an efficient discovery engine.
Phil Holloway, PhD student at the University of Oxford said:
Incredibly, over 1000 citizen scientists volunteered to hunt for the strong lenses through the Space Warps project on the Zooniverse platform. We are amazed by the interest, dedication and skill of the citizen scientists, we wouldn’t have been able to find 500 of these rare gems without them! This was a huge collaborative effort and this early data signposts that there will be many discoveries to be made with the Euclid Wide Survey – there are exciting times ahead!
Space Warps is a dedicated project to discover strong gravitational lenses co-founded by Phil Marshall, Anupreeta More, and Aprajita Verma on the Zooniverse citizen science platform.
Professor Thomas Collett, from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, said:
Euclid has provided spectacular image quality across a huge area of the sky, which is critical to discovering small, rare objects. We’ve found 500 new strong gravitational lenses in the Euclid dataset.
These are galaxies distorted into rings of light by the mass of another foreground galaxy. We have combined the strengths of machine learning and citizen scientists to sift out these rare objects from the millions of other galaxies in Euclid. These new lenses will allow us to make new measurements of the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that make up 95% of our Universe but which are poorly understood.
Euclid’s transformative capabilities
Before Euclid, astronomers had to choose between wide-field images from lower resolution telescopes like the Dark Energy Survey in Chile, or detailed zoomed-in images from telescopes like Hubble, but only on small regions. Euclid, with its 609 megapixel camera led by the UK, combines both panoramic mode and detailed imaging. The area mapped in this release is already a significant fraction of all the sky covered by Hubble since 1990.
This innovation is transformative for strong lensing studies, which require large panoramic images to locate rare objects and detailed views to analyse them.
Professor Adam Amara, Chief Scientist at the UK Space Agency, who first proposed the idea for Euclid, said:
Previously, astronomers like me used wide low-resolution surveys to find strong lenses and then requested Hubble for follow-up observations. Now, Euclid accomplishes both tasks in one shot.
This data release is the first clear evidence that Euclid will be a unique rare object finder (as well as an exquisite dark energy measuring machine). In terms of rare objects in the universe, I’m excited to see what ‘unknown-unknowns’ it will discover – it’s been a long wait.
Professor Mark Cropper (Mullard Space Science Laboratory at UCL), who led on designing and developing Euclid’s VIS optical camera over 16 years, working with teams at UCL, Open University and across Europe, said:
Euclid is allowing us to understand the universe on another level entirely. It gives us fine detail over a vast scale. To pick one example, Euclid found 70,000 globular clusters – very old, tightly packed groups of stars – in the Perseus Cluster of galaxies. And it has found 500 strong gravitational lenses, where light from distant galaxies has been bent by intervening matter – that doubles the number we knew about previously. All this and much more in just two days of data.
Dr James Nightingale , Research Fellow, Newcastle University School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics said:
For the past decade, my research has been defined by painstakingly analysing the same 50 strong gravitational lenses, but with the Q1 data release, I was handed 500 new strong lenses in under a week. It’s a seismic shift — transforming how I do science practically overnight.
UK involvement and contributions
The UK has played a pivotal role in the Euclid mission, contributing significantly to the development of both the mission’s instruments and data processing capabilities.
Marie-Claire Perkinson, Chair of UKSpace Space Science and Exploration Committee said:
The UKSpace Space Science and Exploration committee is delighted to see this data release and the knowledge generated by this exciting mission. We are pleased to see a strong UK contribution – including UKspace member Teledyne who are providing the instrument detectors.
Mullard Space Science Laboratory and XCAM Ltd. have also made significant contributions to the development of the mission, providing leadership of the VIS instrument, and the Charge-Coupled Device test bench (CCD) test bench for the Euclid visible channel.
Daniel Waller, General Manager and Vice-President of Teledyne Space Imaging in Chelmsford Essex said:
Teledyne Space Imaging delivered the detectors for both the VIS and NISP instruments for Euclid. We are humbled by the astonishing detailed results that has been returned so far. The teams here in Chelmsford and in California feel privileged to have made their contribution to this scientific endeavour of understanding our Universe.
In addition to the VIS instrument UK scientists and institutions around the country have developed bespoke data processing tools for Euclid and are analysing the wealth of data being returned by the mission. Five key papers led by UK researchers are shared as part of this data release.
Professor Mike Lockwood, President of the Royal Astronomical Society, said:
To see UK astronomers, space scientists and engineers playing key roles in this extraordinary scientific endeavour is truly inspiring – and what’s even better is that this is just the beginning.
We can look forward to Euclid giving us the most detailed ever 3D map of the cosmos, helping to solve the biggest cosmic mysteries – what the universe is made of, how it evolved, and what its future holds.
The wider benefits of space science
The ripple effects of technological advances in space science extend far beyond the realm of space exploration, driving advances and growth across multiple sectors in the UK. The need for compact and efficient technology in space missions has led to advancements in miniaturisation, which benefit consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops.
In healthcare, machine learning techniques developed for imaging technologies used in space exploration are being adapted to create more precise medical imaging techniques, potentially improving diagnosis and patient outcomes. The vast amounts of data collected by missions like Euclid are processed using advanced algorithms, which are now being used in healthcare to analyse patient data and predict disease outbreaks.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The Polytechnic University held Open Day for international applicants online. The event was dedicated to the start of the admissions campaign. Representatives of SPbPU international services spoke about the admissions process, educational opportunities and answered questions from future students.
For more than a century of history, Polytechnic University has established itself as one of the leading engineering universities in Russia and the world. We are proud of our graduates — talented engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and government officials who contribute to the development of technology, economy and society. We invite you to become part of our energetic and multifaceted community. Polytechnic University is a place where you can unleash your potential, find friends from all over the world and take the first step towards a successful career. We are looking forward to seeing you at Polytechnic University. Let’s create the future together, — Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev greeted future students.
Students from the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity, the Civil Engineering Institute, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, and the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade shared their impressions of studying at the university.
Learning the language and adapting were difficult at first, but over time they opened up new opportunities. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the teachers who create additional materials to help students in their studies. The atmosphere at the university is inspiring: the polytechnics are incredibly responsive and always ready to support, – said Marvin Bethel, a student from Botswana.
ISI student Mustafa Ibrahim is from Ethiopia. He chose Polytechnic University because of its high international rankings, its status as one of the best universities in Russia, and its campus with modern infrastructure.
The academic environment at the university is conducive to development. The teachers are always ready to help and share knowledge in their field. Here I met students from Russia, India, Egypt, China and other countries, which significantly expanded my cultural and educational experience. The training at the Polytechnic is intensive, with an emphasis on practical skills and research, – shared Mustafa Ibrahim.
Activists from PolyUnion, the Council of Fellowships and Tutor Forces spoke about communities and extracurricular activities for international students at the Polytechnic University.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – SSO “Wheel of Fortune”
On March 13, the winter season of Russian student teams at the international construction site run by JSC CONCERN TITAN-2 – the construction of the El Dabaa NPP in Egypt – ended. The participants of the combined student construction team “Wheel of Fortune” also included five students from SPbGASU. One of them, Ekaterina Bushueva, a sixth-year student of the construction faculty of our university, was the team leader.
The team worked within the project for two months. For some, it was not the first such experience, and some were on an international project for the first time.
Andrey Repin, commander of the SSO “Friday”, a third-year student of the construction faculty of SPbGASU, shared his impressions: “This was my second trip to Egypt, but it was just as unusual as the first: this time the winter stage acquired a larger scale – more people, detachment events and emotions. Moreover, on this trip we were part of the St. Petersburg delegation and had to show a high level at creative events, thereby presenting our regional branch in the best light. I think we coped with this.”
Elena Ozerova, a second-year student at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, was on an international project for the first time: “My two-month work experience at the construction site of the El Dabaa NPP in Egypt as part of the Wheel of Fortune team was not just professional development, but also a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and history of Egypt, as well as to become part of a large-scale international project. The work in cooperation with the TITAN-2 company was organized at the highest level. The tasks that were set for us were interesting and required the application of knowledge acquired at the university. This experience will certainly be useful in my future career.”
Darya Lopukhina, a third-year student at the construction faculty, said: “I will remember the trip to Egypt to work at the nuclear power plant for a long time. It was the first time I was abroad at a conscious age, and it was very interesting to observe how people live. During these two months, we managed not only to work, but also to go on excursions to Alexandria, Cairo, Giza. I was very pleased with this work and thought about further cooperation on foreign projects of “CONCERN TITAN-2”.
To get into international work projects, it is necessary to pass a thorough selection among students of construction specialties who have worked for at least two seasons in the ranks of Russian student brigades.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Government adopts comprehensive strategy for Women’s Empowerment, focusing on Political Participation and Local Governance Government launches Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats Initiative with an aim to establish at least one Model Gram Panchayat in each District in the country
Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 3:56PM by PIB Delhi
The Government of India has adopted a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach to address issues on a life-cycle continuum basis for the holistic empowerment of women from all sections of the society, and this includes political empowerment of women. Through various policies, the Government of India is promoting greater participation of women in local governance and political leadership roles.
In 2023, Parliament of India passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”, marking a historic milestone in its national journey to foster equitable representation of women in public life at all levels of the federal structure. This landmark legislation rotationally reserves one-third of all seats for women in the Lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and in all federal State Legislative Assemblies, including Legislative Assembly of National Capital Territory of Delhi, thus institutionalizing representation of women in politics at the highest levels of public decision-making.
This recent landmark is built on the foundation of more than three decades of honing women’s leadership affirmative action at grassroots level by reserving one-third (33 percent) of the seats in in the rural and urban bodies of local governance, i.e., Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Municipal bodies, through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992). Keeping with decentralized federal structure, over two-third states (21 states / and 2 UTs with PRIs) have made provisions of 50% reservation for women in their Panchayati Raj Institutions. As a result, today, out of approximately 31 lakh elected representatives in local governments, nearly half (46 percent), comprising 14.5 lakh, are women – a scale of representation unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
The Government has launched the “Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan”, a comprehensive and targeted capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening Women Elected Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions across the nation. It focuses on sharpening their leadership acumen, enhancing their decision-making capabilities, and reinforcing their role in grassroots governance. The Government has prepared specialized training modules designed specifically for capacity building of Women Elected Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Recognizing the on-ground challenges faced by women duty bearers and women leaders contesting elections, a comprehensive “Primer on Law Addressing Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices” for Panchayat Elected Representatives has also been prepared.
Recently, the Government has launched Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats Initiative with an aim to establish at least one Model Gram Panchayat in each District in the country that is both women and girl friendly, reinforcing the commitment to gender equality and sustainable rural development.
The Government also aims to engage 01 lakh youth, including young women, in politics without political affiliations and provide them a national platform to make their ideas for Viksit Bharat, a reality.
Further, there are a number of schemes being implemented by various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India for holistic educational, economic, social, political empowerment of women. The Government is moving with a saturation approach through saturation of essential services for the poor and marginalised such as affordable housing, incentivizing women’s property ownership, and universal health coverage, linkages to formal credit, insurance and banking services, as well as financial support to pregnant women and lactating mothers to rest and recover after childbirth, tracking nutrition and well-being of children and mothers, amongst others.
Envisioning Self Help Groups as vehicles of change, today 10 crore women are transforming the rural landscape economically, and taking greater leadership at grassroots level.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs combats counterfeit goods activities (with photo) On March 14, Customs inspected two outgoing consignments in a courier logistics centre in Kwun Tong. With the assistance of the trademark owner, about 150 suspected counterfeit mobile phones with an estimated value of about $105,000 were seized. After in-depth investigations, a company in Kwun Tong was identified as the suspected consignor of the batch of suspected counterfeit goods.
Subsequently, Customs officers on March 17 conducted a controlled delivery operation and arrested a 36-year-old man who was suspected to be connected with the case inside the aforesaid consignor. About 5 100 suspected counterfeit mobile phones with an estimated market value of about $3.5 million were seized.
With the suspicion that another company in Kwun Tong was involved in the case, Customs officers immediately conducted a search at the company on the same day. About 3 900 suspected counterfeit mobile phones with an estimated value of about $2.8 million were further seized, and a 55-year-old man who was suspected to be connected with the case was also arrested.
The two arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation. Investigations are ongoing, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Customs reminds consumers to procure goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt. Traders should also be cautious and prudent in merchandising since selling counterfeit goods is a serious crime, and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who import, export, sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 18:03
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
BFAC appreciates Tourism Commission and MPFA’s committed efforts in outlining long-term development for Hong Kong’s tourism industry and operating eMPF Platform The Business Facilitation Advisory Committee held its 56th meeting today (March 19). At the meeting, the Tourism Commission briefed members on the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) promulgated at the end of last year. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) and eMPF Outreach Team also briefed members on the eMPF Platform.
Blueprint 2.0 proposes four positions, four development strategies and 133 measures for Hong Kong’s tourism development in the coming five years. The four positions of Hong Kong’s tourism industry are (i) reinforcing the role of an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism; (ii) highlighting the unique elements of Hong Kong’s local cultural characteristics that are irreplaceable and unrepeatable and making good use of its positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, with a view to achieving “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”; (iii) upholding Hong Kong’s positioning as a city with high-quality tourism experiences; and (iv) stressing the importance of quality over quantity in development to build Hong Kong into a demonstration point for sustainable tourism. The eMPF Platform was launched in June 2024 to centralise the administrative tasks dispersed across various trustees’ platforms by providing one-stop services, and facilitate the standardisation, streamlining and automation of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme administration processes, thereby enhancing operational efficiency of the MPF System and reducing administration costs. The MPFA anticipated that all MPF trustees will complete onboarding the Platform by 2025. The Committee also received the work reports of its three task forces:
Wholesale and Retail Task Force (WRTF) ——————————————— ————————————————————— Task Force on Business Liaison Groups (BLGTF) —————————————————– The Committee also expressed appreciation of the commitment and achievements of the bureaux and departments in continuously implementing the business facilitation measures under the Be the Smart Regulator Programme to enhance their business licensing services.
ULIP Surpasses 100 Crore API Transactions: Enabling Seamless, Smart, and Sustainable Logistics From Data to Decisions, ULIP is Driving Ease of Doing Business in India: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal
Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 3:05PM by PIB Delhi
Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) has reached a significant milestone, recording 100 crore API transactions, reinforcing its role as a game-changer in India’s logistics sector. This achievement marks a significant step toward building a world-class, technology-driven logistics ecosystem that fuels industrial growth under Make in India and accelerates the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, commended the achievement, stating, “ULIP’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative efforts of our users, logistics stakeholders and govt. departments who are leveraging API integrations to create impactful solutions. This milestone brings to life our Prime Minister’s vision of a seamless logistics ecosystem that strengthens Ease of Doing Business and positions Bharat as a global trade and manufacturing powerhouse. We remain committed to expanding ULIP’s capabilities, making Indian logistics more agile, resilient, and globally competitive.”
By bridging critical data gaps, ULIP enables automation, real-time cargo tracking, and streamlined regulatory compliance, benefiting businesses across industries. Processing an average of 1 crore API transactions weekly, ULIP continues to drive widespread adoption and democratizes access to logistics data, ensuring equal opportunities for businesses of all sizes. This digital disruption is reshaping the competitive landscape, breaking monopolistic control, and empowering MSMEs, start-ups, and large enterprises alike.
ULIP has also significantly impacted the manufacturing sector with companies such as Prism Johnson, Asian Paints, and Tata Steel leveraging its APIs to streamline transporter verification, automate processes, and strengthen supply chains.
Meanwhile, ULIP’s multi-modal APIs across road, rail, ocean, and air provide real-time shipment ETAs, ensuring just-in time inventory management and cost savings for manufacturers.
Beyond logistics, ULIP is accelerating sustainability efforts, helping businesses like Century Plywoods and TCIL choose greener transport options, cut emissions, and align with India’s carbon reduction goals.
Transporters and logistics service providers—including Cuttack Carriers, Road Pilot, and Intugine—are enabling digital documentation, automated gate processes, and seamless freight movement, reducing delays and congestion at hubs.
Alongside private sector players, state and central government departments are leveraging the digital gateway for data-driven decision-making.
ULIP is not just modernizing logistics, it is revolutionizing how goods move, businesses operate, and industries thrive in a digitally connected world. With greater visibility and smarter decision-making, the platform is playing a vital role in building a self-reliant India.
Launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi under the National Logistics Policy (NLP) on 17th September 2022, to create an integrated, efficient, and technology-driven logistics sector. Since its inception, the platform has been actively driving this vision forward and connects 43 systems from 11 ministries through 129 APIs, covering more than 1,800 data fields, enabling comprehensive data access for stakeholders. With over 1,300 registered companies, 350+ agreements signed, and 100 crore+ API transactions processed, ULIP has emerged as a powerful tool for driving operational efficiency, and innovation in India’s logistics sector.
About NLDSL:
NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. (NLDSL) has been at the forefront of transforming India’s logistics sector through its innovative solutions like Logistics Data Bank (LDB) and ULIP. By leveraging advanced technology, NLDSL has enhanced efficiency, transparency, and digitization within the industry.
The company was established on December 30, 2015, with the primary objective of harnessing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance efficiency in the Indian logistics sector. It is a joint venture between the Government of India represented by National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and Japanese IT major NEC Corporation.
The facilities provided by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) under CSR through various CSR activities are related to different themes viz. Healthcare, Education, Water Supply, Rural Development, etc., primarily for development of local populace residing within 25 KMs from SECL project sites/ mines/ Area HQ/ Company HQ and also for people residing in the operating state of SECL i.e. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Moreover, SECL also provides a wide range facilities to the local populace by providing safe & free drinking water, better roads, organising periodical medical check-up camps/eye camps in affected and nearby villages, free OPD facilities in the dispensary / hospitals of the Company and vocational training to landless people displaced by the project.
Further, SECL also provides facilities at the various R&R sites such as buildings for primary schools, shopping centres, buildings for community centres, buildings for health centres, wells, hand pumps, approach roads, Electric poles and electric wires and playgrounds as per the Act/Policy.
Further, SECL has a range of welfare initiatives in place for its employees/workers. These initiatives focus on improving the well-being, safety, and quality of life for human capital. The key welfare measures by SECL to its workers are:
1. Health and Medical Facilities
Healthcare Centres: SECL runs a number of health centres and dispensaries across its mining areas, providing primary and emergency medical care to employees and their families. The central Hospitals at Area provide emergency medical services and inpatient treatment to employees and their families.
Free Medical Services: Employees and their dependents are offered free medical treatment, including in-house medical care and the provisions of treatment at empanelled hospitals.
Medical Camps: Periodic health check-up camps are organized to monitor the health status of workers, especially in areas like respiratory health, which is critical for mining personnel
2. Housing and Accommodation
Residential Quarters: SECL provides residential facilities to its employees, especially in mining regions where housing is a critical concern. These quarters are maintained and offer basic amenities.
Family Welfare: Efforts are made to ensure that the families of employees have access to amenities like clean drinking water, electricity and sanitation.
3. Education and Skill Development
Schools for Children: SECL runs schools in its mining areas, providing education to the children of employees.
Scholarships and reimbursement of Tuition Fee: Scholarships are provided to the children of employees who excel in their academic pursuits. There are provisions of reimbursement of tuition fee of the dependents of employee for engineering and medical education au government institutes.
Skill Development Programs: SECL organizes various training and development programs to upskill its employees, improving their employability and career growth opportunities.
4. Retirement Benefits
Pension and Gratuity: SECL offers comprehensive retirement benefits, including Coal Mines Pension Scheme, Gratuity, and Coal Mines Provident Fund (CMPF) to its employees.
Post-Retirement Welfare: SECL has welfare schemes in place for retired employees, offering post-retirement medical benefits and other postretirement support services.
5. Financial Assistance and Loans
Housing Loans/ Car Loan: SECL provides employees with low-interest loans to construct or purchase houses and/or car.
6.Cultural and Recreational Activities
Sports and Recreation: SECL encourages employees to participate in sports and cultural activities. The company organizes sports events, cultural festivals, and competitions for both employees and their families.
Clubs and Societies: Employees and their families can engage themselves in social and recreational clubs within the company, helping foster a healthy work-life balance.
7. Women’s Welfare
SECL ensures equal opportunities for women in its workforce, with policies in place to prevent discrimination and promote gender equality.
Women employees are also provided with maternity leave, childcare facilities, creche at workplace and other benefits to balance work and family responsibilities.
Further, the facilities provided to Contractors’ Workers in SECL are as follows:
First Aid facility in Mines Premises.
Medical OPD and indoor facility in company hospital are being provided to contractor workers on producing I/Card.
Drinking Water and sanitary facilities.
Personal Protection/ Safety Equipment as per terms of contract
Ambulance facility.
Canteen and Creche facility.
Group Personal Accident Insurance as per terms of contract.
Corporate salary package with Eight Nationalized Banks viz SBI, PNB, BOB, UCO Bank, BOI, Indian bank, UBI. The aforesaid Banks are also providing personal accidental insurance coverage of Rs. 40 Lakhs in case of death or for permanent total disability and other facilities as per MoU signed between Coal India Ltd and different banks.
Social Security as per statute, including ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the next of kin of contractor worker in case of mine accident and even during Covid -19, similar amount was also paid to the next kin of contractor workers of SECL who died due to COVID-19.
The contractor workers are also covered under CMPF/EPF & Employees Compensation ACT. In addition, contractor workers are paid minimum Wages (Central) engaged in non- mining activities and in case of contractor workers engaged in mining activities are being paid wages as per High Power Committee of CIL. (HPC Wages are midway between wages prescribed by Central Government under the Minimum Wages Act 1948 for the workers employed in the scheduled employment for non- coal mines and the wages payable to the lowest category of regular workers i.e Cat-I of NCWA-XI for CIL and SCCL.)
Education facility to the children of Contractor workers in project school of SECL is also being provided.
Various development works done in the concerned districts of Chhattisgarh by SECL during last five years (year-wise) and the current year i.e. 2024-25, under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) head (Sector-wise) is detailed hereunder:
(Rs. in Crore)
Financial Year
Healthcare
Education
Water
Supply
Environmental Sustainability
Rural
Development
Others
Total
2019-20
18.50
0.91
0.69
5.62
1.94
56.99
84.65
2020-21
26.44
4.74
0.24
0.11
2.24
4.56
38.33
2021-22
45.55
15.32
0.00
4.36
5.14
9.45
79.82
2022-23
35.72
12.77
0.00
0.42
2.48
7.89
59.28
2023-24
32.07
7.25
0.00
0.24
6.54
6.97
53.07
2024-25(Current)
13.40
5.12
0.00
1.09
4.25
1.49
25.35
Total
171.68
46.11
0.93
11.84
22.59
87.35
340.50
District wise CSR expenditure of SECL in Chhattisgarh State is detailed below:
(Rs. in Crore)
Name of District in Chhattisgarh
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
Grand Total
Balrampur
0.42
0.11
0.92
1.45
Balrampur-Ramanujganj
3.52
3.52
Bastar
0.21
0.04
0.24
Bilaspur
21.65
11.45
10.32
0.96
1.98
4.18
50.54
Gaurella-Pendra-Marwahi
0.2
0.2
Janjgir-Champa
0.25
0.25
Korba
0.99
4.51
7
5.41
11.74
8.99
38.64
Koriya
0.12
0.01
0.32
0.06
3.69
4.2
Raigarh
0.36
1.36
7.25
5.96
1.67
3.86
20.47
Raipur
0.02
0.27
0.31
2.83
6.31
0.69
10.42
Surajpur
1.15
1.11
0.89
0.73
0.66
4.53
Surguja
2.93
1.6
0.18
0.6
0.59
5.91
Other districts of Chhattisgarh
58.49
12.88
10.88
25.52
9.29
2.13
119.19
Administrative Expenditure in CG
0.49
3.33
2.33
2.73
3.02
11.9
Grand Total
83.69
37.86
45.07
44.49
39
21.35
271.46
Overall, SECL’s CSR expenditure reflects a strategic shift towards targeted investments, adapting to evolving community needs while maintaining a strong focus on improving health, education, environmental sustainability, rural development projects etc.
The details of the development works done under other heads in various districts of Chhattisgarh during each of the last five years and the current year is as under:
Providing filtered Mine water in various villages.
Construction of Community/ Multipurpose Hall.
Modification of existing Stadiums.
Construction of Boundary Wall of Schools/Townships, etc.
Construction of Sewerage Treatment Plants
Construction of Approach Road/Village Road, etc.
Construction of Cement concrete road with pavement, culverts, etc.
Strengthening and widening of existing roads.
Re-carpeting of PWD Road.
Construction of Hostels.
Construction of Badminton Court, Tennis Court, etc.
Addition of ICU Unit at Hospital.
Construction/Modernisation of Sport Complex.
This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
The coal gasification initiatives taken by the Government are as under:
(i) On January 24, 2024 the Government has approved an outlay of ₹ 8,500 crore as financial incentive, for promotion of coal/lignite gasification projects for both government PSUs as well as private sector.
(ii) Government has also approved investment by Coal India Limited (CIL) in joint ventures of CIL-BHEL and CIL-GAIL for undertaking coal gasification projects.
(iii) In 2022, a new sub-sector, “Production of Syngas leading to coal gasification,” was created under the NRS linkage auctions policy to support this initiative. Further under this sector the government has allowed auction with a floor price at the notified price of the regulated sector, for the projects commissioning within the next seven years.
(iv) 50% rebate in the revenue share for coal used in gasification has been introduced in commercial coal block auctions, provided that at least 10% of the total coal production is used for gasification purposes.
Coal is one of the most abundant natural resources in the country. Coal gasification technology enables conversion of coal into syngas (synthetic gas), which can be used to produce downstream products like methanol, ammonium nitrate, Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) and Fertilizers etc. Coal gasification technology provides alternative use of coal promoting environmental sustainability to align with vision of developed India 2047.
The Government has not conducted any specific impact assessment of the financial incentive scheme for coal gasification projects.
Coal India Limited (CIL), a CPSE under Ministry of Coal, has secured Khattali Chhoti Graphite Block in Madhya Pradesh, India through e- auction of critical mineral blocks conducted by Ministry of Mines. Besides, CIL has also signed Non-Disclosure Agreement with an Argentinian company and an Australian company for acquisition of lithium assets in Argentina.
The Government has, inter-alia, taken the following steps to reduce India’s import dependency and build supply chain resilience in critical minerals:
Central Government has been empowered to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for 24 critical minerals, with an aim to increase exploration and mining of critical minerals and ensure self-sufficiency in their supply.
The Government has announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 the setting up of a Critical Mineral Mission for a harmonized approach in areas including domestic production, recycling, overseas acquisition of critical mineral assets and research & development (R&D).
This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (March 19):
Question:
It is learnt that recently, under the influence of various factors such as high interest rates, uncertainties in the global economy and adjustments in the local property market, private developers’ wish to participate in urban renewal has significantly diminished, resulting in impediment to the progress of a number of redevelopment projects, including the “13 Streets” and “5 Streets” projects in To Kwa Wan. There are views that the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), as the primary organisation to drive urban renewal, must ensure that its redevelopment work will not be stalled by changes in the economic environment, so as to avoid any impact on the pressing demand of residents of dilapidated buildings for improvement in their living conditions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
(1) whether the URA has assessed the specific impact of the current weak property market on urban renewal projects, including details of the delayed projects and the number of residents affected;
(2) whether the URA will actively consider fully unleashing the development potential of land in old districts by means of establishment of street consolidation areas, cross-district transfer of plot ratios, greater planning flexibility or introduction of other innovative approaches; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; President,
In consultation with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), my reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) Under the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance (Cap. 563), the URA is required to exercise due care and diligence in handling its finances, thereby maintaining a sound and healthy financial position in the long run. Given its business nature, the URA’s annual financial position will be affected by the fluctuations in the property market and the progress of commenced projects. To cope with the challenges posed by the economic environment and property market situations on sustaining urban renewal, the URA will adopt a dynamic management approach to review, from time to time, the commenced and/or to be commenced redevelopment projects. It will also appropriately adjust the planning and the pace of implementation of different projects in the light of market situations and building conditions, so as to strike a balance between maintaining its financial stability, effectively promoting the regeneration of old districts and addressing the expectations of the local community in its mission to carry out urban renewal in a sustainable and orderly manner.
Meanwhile, the Development Bureau (DEVB) will continue to provide various forms of financial support to the URA, and will work with the URA and relevant departments for the wider application of innovative planning tools to enhance the commercial viability of redevelopment. The DEVB will also enable the URA to take forward redevelopment projects in a sustainable manner through policy measures, the details of which are set out below:
(2) and (3) In recent years, the URA has started to apply the new planning tools proposed in its District Study for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok (YMDS) (Note) in suitable redevelopment projects. For example, the URA has adopted a more flexible interchangeable domestic/non-domestic plot ratio for the Shantung Street/Thistle Street Development Scheme in Mong Kok to be tendered this month by relaxing the maximum residential plot ratio from 7.5 to 8.5 without exceeding the current permitted gross floor area, so as to increase the flexibility in planning and to attract the participation of private developers. Separately, the Sai Yee Street/Flower Market Road Development Scheme in Mong Kok announced by the URA in March 2024 will, through the transfer of plot ratio, consolidate and transfer the redevelopment potential of several small, scattered sites to a larger site for mixed development to enhance planning gains and commercial viability of the project. With the Government’s support, the URA has introduced the “single site, multiple use” model to consolidate different government and community services in the same building to provide convenience to the public, release government land and enhance development potential of redevelopment projects. The URA has also utilised the above new planning tools in other suitable projects, including the Nga Tsin Wai Road/Carpenter Road Development Scheme. In the district planning studies for Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po underway, the Government will explore with the URA the feasibility of other tools to expedite the pace of urban renewal.
Self-developed residential projects are one of the development options. As the URA has to pay the construction costs for residential projects upfront, it has to take into account the resulting cash-flow pressure. Therefore, the URA’s redevelopment strategy will continue to primarily focus on joint venture with developers, leveraging market forces to carry out redevelopment through land tendering. To this end, the URA has piloted the Development Facilitation Services at the end of last year to gather developers’ views on relevant projects before commencing the tender process. This serves as a basis for refining the project parameters and tender terms, thereby enhancing developers’ interest and confidence in tendering.
(4) As the URA is the Government’s important partner in urban renewal, the Government will ensure that the URA has adequate resources to fulfill its statutory mission as well as to carry out the tasks entrusted by the Government. Apart from the $10 billion capital injection upon the URA’s establishment, the Government has also provided additional funding in the form of land premium waivers for redevelopment projects of the URA, with the cumulative amount of land premium waived reaching $25.3 billion as of March 31, 2024. The Government will also continue to support the URA in suitable redevelopment projects to consolidate the “Government, Institution or Community” sites in the vicinity to reprovision and upgrade relevant facilities. This will increase the overall development potential of the redevelopment projects through releasing and granting government land to the URA, which is also a form of financial support rendered to the URA by the Government. Moreover, the Government approved in mid-2023 to uplift the borrowing limit of the URA from $6 billion to $25 billion to enable the URA to cope with the financing need arising from a number of large-scale redevelopment projects in the coming few years. If necessary, the Government will also consider rendering other forms of support as appropriate.
Moreover, the Government has embarked on a policy study to explore the use of newly developed land to create more favourable conditions for future URA and private redevelopment projects in old districts, so as to facilitate sustainable urban renewal. Among other things, we will consider allocating land in new development areas (NDAs) for the construction of rehousing estates to provide decanting space for redevelopment of old districts. We will also study the feasibility of cross-district transfer of plot ratios, with the objective of transferring the residual plot ratios of redevelopment projects in old districts for use in NDAs, so as to incentivise market participation in redevelopment and transform densely-developed old districts at the same time, thereby thinning out the urban population and renewing old districts to make them more livable in the long run. Our target is to put forward preliminary proposals in the first half of 2025.
Redevelopment of old districts cannot be taken up solely by the URA. Private market forces are also needed. The Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 just implemented in December 2024 is one of the Government’s measures to encourage developers to participate in redevelopment by lowering the compulsory sale application thresholds and facilitating multiple adjoining-lot compulsory sale applications.
Lastly, our urban renewal strategy is a dual-track approach of building rehabilitation and redevelopment. Regarding building rehabilitation, the Government launched a public consultation on the proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123) in December 2024, and listened to the views of various sectors, including their suggestions on expediting building inspection and repair, during the consultation period ended in late February this year. The views collected so far generally support the Government’s carrot and stick approach (i.e. with both support and a punitive system) to urge owners to comply with the statutory orders and notices under the BO. The Government will take into account the views collated when finalising the proposals and proceed with the law drafting work to amend the BO with the target of introducing the amendment bill into the Legislative Council in the first half of 2026. Implementation of proposals on expediting building inspection and repair will help owners to better maintain their properties, thereby decelerating the building ageing process and slowing down the need for urban renewal.
Note: The URA completed the YMDS in 2021, proposing recommendations and new planning tools such as transfer of plot ratio, permitting interchangeability of domestic/non-domestic plot ratio in the Yau Mong districts, and removing the plot ratio restriction of the commercial zone along Nathan Road.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ2: Kwu Tung North/Fanling North New Development Areas Question:
The Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Area (NDA) project is the first NDA project in the Northern Metropolis to enter construction stage. The Government invoked the relevant legislation in 2019 and 2024 successively for the resumption of private lots for implementing the development of the NDAs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number and hectare of private lots resumed so far; Reply:
President,
The Kwu Tung North/Fanling North New Development Area (KTN/FLN NDA) is the first NDA in the Northern Metropolis to enter the construction stage. It is being implemented in two phases where land has gradually been developed.
To implement the project, the Government resumed privately owned land in 2019 and 2024 in phases according to the Lands Resumption Ordinance and other relevant ordinances, and is required by law to pay statutory compensation to landowners. As an alternative to statutory compensation, the Government has introduced ex-gratia compensation which is administrative in nature and processed in a more simplified and speedier manner, in accordance with the policy.
When the Government resumes private land for a public purpose, a notice will first be gazetted specifying that the relevant lot will revert to the Government after a specified date, in general three months after a notice is published. According to the present mechanism and performance pledge, the Lands Department will within four weeks of gazetting the resumption notice issue an ex-gratia compensation offer to the landowner, and mention that the relevant person may submit a claim for statutory compensation if the offer is not accepted. If both parties cannot reach an agreement on the amount of statutory compensation, either party may refer the claim to the Lands Tribunal for final determination of the compensation. Upon receipt of the letter of acceptance from the landowner and after checking and confirming the land title, the Lands Department will issue the ex-gratia compensation. According to the above mechanism, if a landowner does not accept the ex-gratia compensation offer and opts for making a statutory compensation claim, or may not be able to provide the required documents in a timely manner to prove its title, it will take longer time to process such cases. (1) The KTN/FLN NDA requires the resumption of 2 498 private lots in total, involving a total area of about 178 hectares (ha). The Government resumed 784 private lots for the first phase development in December 2019 with an area of around 68 ha; and resumed 1 714 private lots for the remaining phase development in April and October last year with an area of around 110 ha.
(2) As of end February 2025, the Government has already paid compensation to landowners of over 90 per cent and 20 per cent of the land resumed for the first phase and remaining phase development respectively, with an amount of around $10.7 billion and $3.6 billion respectively, totalling around $14.3 billion (interest included). While it is our goal to disburse the compensation as soon as possible after the land reverts to the Government, as mentioned above, the general circumstances of each case will also depend on factors such as whether and when the landowner accepts the compensation offer, whether land title checking can be smoothly conducted. According to the performance pledge of the Lands Department for issuing compensation, cheques would be made available for collection by the landowner within four weeks following the acceptance of proof of legal title or execution of compensation agreements. In the past two year, all of the cases met the performance pledge.
For this development area, the remaining compensation of around $16.9 billion not yet paid mainly involves land resumed last year for the remaining phase development. Among the cases with compensation not yet disbursed, around half are due to land title not yet fully proven, incomplete land title documents and time required for title checking; while the other half are due to landowners being not contactable or not in Hong Kong.
(3) The Lands Resumption Ordinance and relevant ordinances stipulate that interest shall be awarded for the compensation payable for the period running from the reversion of land to the Government to the payment of compensation, and that the relevant interest rate is set at one-month Hong Kong Dollar Interest Settlement Rates (HIBOR). Under the current approval mechanism, the time required for disbursement of compensation for cases with no land title checking problem would generally be around three to six months from the date of reversion of land to the Government. In other words, payment of interest is expected for resumption and compensation work, and is also reasonable to both the Government and the affected landowners under the current mechanism.
In the context of KTN/FLN NDA, cases with payment of compensation completed totaled around $14.3 billion as mentioned above, and this includes interest payment of over $49 million. As the interest rate fluctuates and the processing time of each case differs, the Government is unable to provide an estimate of the interest expense for the compensation amounts not yet paid.Issued at HKT 17:08
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Government to introduce Supplementary Medical Professions (Amendment) Bill 2025 into LegCo In recent years, supplementary medical professions have been playing increasingly important roles in the healthcare system, particularly in primary healthcare development. To recognise their professional status and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration, the Bill proposes to rename “supplementary medical professions” as “allied health professions”; remove obsolete restrictions while providing a legal framework to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations, include allowing patients to accept physiotherapy and occupational therapy services without a doctor’s referral under specified circumstances, and enable allied health professionals to accept referrals from Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs). In addition, to further enhance the manpower resources of allied health professions, the Bill introduces a new pathway to admit qualified non-locally trained allied health professionals to practise in designated institutions in order to address the manpower shortage of specific allied health professions within the public healthcare system. The Bill also introduces continuing professional development (CPD) as a mandatory requirement for all allied health professionals, with a view to ensuring the overall professional standard of allied health professions. To promote the development of allied health professions, the Bill proposes to enhance the composition and structure of the Supplementary Medical Professions Council (to be renamed as the Allied Health Professions Council) (the Council) and its five constituent Boards to ensure better performance of their regulatory roles, and further enhancing representativeness and credibility.
Renaming “supplementary medical professions” as “allied health professions”
Since the enactment of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359) (the Ordinance) in 1980, the term “supplementary medical professions” has been used for over 40 years. In view of the increasingly important and specialised roles played by these five professions under the Ordinance in Hong Kong’s healthcare system, the Bill will rename “supplementary medical professions” as “allied health professions” to reflect their important function and enhanced professional status within the healthcare system, particularly primary healthcare.
Accepting physiotherapy and occupational therapy services without a doctor’s referral
At present, physiotherapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) may only provide services to patients upon a doctor’s referral, except in emergency or other specified situations. To address the new challenges to the healthcare system posed by an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the Government is committed to developing primary healthcare, encouraging members of the public to seek early medical intervention in the community for common illnesses. Allowing patients to access physiotherapy and occupational therapy direct under specified conditions for early treatment is one of the key elements.
The healthcare sector generally agrees that, on the premise of ensuring patient safety and enhancing risk management, allowing patients to seek assistance directly from PTs and OTs can expand access to primary healthcare by members of the public, thereby achieving the goals of streamlining processes and reducing costs, and further promoting the development of primary healthcare. The Bill sets out three circumstances under which patients may seek physiotherapy and occupational therapy services directly without a doctor’s referral:
(1) Clinical protocol or cross-disciplinary collaboration arrangement
Citizens may seek services directly from PTs or OTs for health conditions covered by recognised clinical protocols. PTs and OTs must adhere to the recognised clinical protocols at all times, including timely referral of patients to doctors for diagnosis and treatment if specific “red-flag” symptoms are detected. Regarding cross-disciplinary collaboration arrangements, PTs and OTs registered under the future Primary Care Register will be allowed to provide direct services to patients under the arrangements of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission). They must record the patient’s condition and, if necessary, notify the patient’s registered family doctor via the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHealth) to ensure that patients can receive timely follow-up treatment when needed.
(2) Diagnosis by a registered doctor or CMP within the past 12 months
Patients may seek direct physiotherapy or occupational therapy services for health conditions diagnosed by a registered doctor or CMP within the past 12 months without obtaining a new referral letter each time. Patients must provide proof of the diagnosis. Apart from a referral letter, the proof can also be in the form of outpatient records, follow-up consultation records, or discharge summaries.
(3) Emergency or other situations approved by the Council
PTs and OTs may provide direct services to patients without a doctor’s referral in emergency or other situations (applicable to PTs and OTs) and community services (applicable to OTs) approved by the Council. The details of these designated situations will be set out in the two professional codes of practice issued by the Council.
Allowing allied health professionals to accept referrals from CMPs
Chinese medicine is an integral part of Hong Kong’s healthcare system, and the Government has long been committed to strengthening its role in primary healthcare, supporting the development of Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese-Western medicine services in secondary and tertiary healthcare, and encouraging the cross-disciplinary collaboration between healthcare professions. There are practical needs for CMPs to refer patients in accordance with clinical needs for other treatments and modern diagnostic technologies, which can improve clinical diagnostic accuracy and monitor treatment effectiveness, thereby further enhancing the quality of healthcare services.
To further Chinese medicine as a constituent part of Hong Kong’s healthcare system, the Bill provides a legal framework for allied health professionals to accept referrals from CMPs under suitable conditions. The Chinese medicine profession and relevant allied health professions must reach a consensus on professional standards regarding knowledge, skills, professional competencies and conduct, in order to formulate implementation details and update the relevant codes of practice. In view of the practical clinical and operational needs of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK), the Bill also allows relevant allied health professionals to accept referrals from CMPs within the hospital, supporting the hospital’s phased commencement of services from the end of this year.
Admitting non-locally trained allied health professionals
In view of the persistent manpower shortages in certain allied health professions within the public healthcare system, the Bill introduces a new limited registration pathway to admit qualified non-locally trained allied health professionals to practise in designated institutions within their specialised fields on the premise of not compromising professional standards. Applications will be subject to approval by the Council. These designated institutions include the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority, the PHC Commission, the CMHHK, and institutions offering allied health profession training programmes. The Council may impose conditions on an applicant’s practice to confine them to a specific scope of practice. Allied health professionals under limited registration will not be eligible for migration to full registration.
Meanwhile, the Government also proposes a new temporary registration pathway to enable non-locally trained allied health professionals to come to Hong Kong for academic exchanges and clinical demonstrations. A temporary registration will be valid for no more than 14 days and is not renewable.
Other amendments
The Bill introduces CPD as a mandatory requirement for allied health professionals to maintain and enhance the overall professional standards of the allied health professions. It also amends the composition and structure of the Council and its five constituent Boards to better regulate the professions and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration. The Bill includes other technical amendments, such as extending the validity of the existing practising certificates to three years and adjusting various fees under the Ordinance. Issued at HKT 16:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ18: Places for religious activities in Hong Kong Question:
According to the Hong Kong Fact Sheets issued by the Government in October 2024, more than three million people in Hong Kong adhere to a religion. It is learnt that, from time to time, various religious bodies have a demand for places to conduct religious activities. However, in recent years, some religious bodies have encountered difficulties with the approval processes and procedures when applying for the construction of permanent places for religious activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of applications received from religious bodies of different religions for the construction of permanent places for religious activities in the past five years; among such applications, the respective numbers of those that have been approved, those that are pending approval and those that have been rejected, as well as the reasons for the rejection of those applications (set out in a table);
(2) whether the Government currently has established approval mechanisms in place, including a dedicated land allocation system for religious purposes and a special land premium system for the conversion of land designated for non-religious uses into places for religious activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that and whether the Government will consider introducing specific and relevant mechanisms in the future;
(3) whether the Government will provide assistance or financial support to religious bodies for the construction of permanent religious places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) whether the Government will provide funding schemes to religious bodies for the construction of religious places, expedite the vetting and approval of applications in this regard, and assist religious bodies in carrying out renovation or enhancement works for new or existing religious places, so as to promote tourism activities and enable more members of the public to visit and tour such places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Development Bureau (DEVB), I give the consolidated reply to the Hon Benson Luk’s question on behalf of the Government as follows:
Hong Kong is an open and inclusive city in which religious freedom is the fundamental rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents as protected by the Basic Law and other relevant legislation. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been maintaining close liaison with religious groups and attends events organised by them with a view to promoting the communications with them and understanding their needs.
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) is responsible for liaising with local religious groups and plays a co-ordinating role in local religious affairs. While adhering to the principle of non-intervention of the freedom of religion and religious groups’ internal affairs, HYAB listens to the views of respective religious groups and, where necessary, renders assistance to them through appropriate channels. Also, under the current land policy, if religious groups wish to develop religious facilities on Government land, they may apply to the Government by way of private treaty grant (PTG). When processing the relevant land grant applications, the LandsD would consult the relevant bureau(x)/department(s) with regard to the actual circumstances of the case, and seek the HYAB’s policy support. If the HYAB’s policy support can be secured for the project, there will be concessionary premium arrangement for the respective religious facilities. The HYAB does not provide any other financial support to religious groups for acquiring permanent religious facilities at present.
As regards applications from religious groups to develop permanent religious facilities as mentioned in the question, the LandsD received a total of four PTG applications related to religious use in the past five years or so (three of which are solely for religious use, and the other application covers other facilities). So far, two applications have been withdrawn by the applicants while the remaining two are under processing. Separately, in the past five years the LandsD also approved two applications, both of which were received prior to 2021. The relevant information is set out in the table below:
Year(as of March 2025)*The applications approved in a year do not necessarily correspond to the applications received in the same year.
The relevant bureau(x)/department(s) will continue to expedite the processing of the applications. Meanwhile, the HYAB will continue to keep in touch with religious groups to render appropriate and practicable assistance. Regarding promoting tourism activities as mentioned in the question, it is stated in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 promulgated in December 2024 that the Government will focus on diversified development of religious tourism to enrich Hong Kong’s tourism offerings, including engaging with religious groups to explore opening up religious venues as tourist attractions on a limited scale without affecting religious activities. The HYAB will assist in liaison with relevant religious groups to explore the feasible arrangements and actively collaborate with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau’s work.
Besides, to encourage the preservation of graded historic buildings, including religious premises, the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office of the DEVB launched the Financial Assistance for Maintenance Scheme on Built Heritage in 2008 to provide financial assistance to the owners of privately-owned graded historic buildings, as well as tenants, who are non-profit-making organisations, of Government-owned declared monuments and graded historic buildings for them to carry out minor maintenance works by themselves. Private owners of declared monuments may seek technical advice from the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) or apply to the AMO for the AMO to carry out maintenance and repair works for their declared monuments, and the cost of which will be borne by the AMO. Issued at HKT 16:15
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon the people to always put the nation first, remain united, discharge the duties with honesty, and move fearlessly towards achieving their goals, which were the core principles of Major Bob Khathing, an extraordinary figure who made invaluable contributions to the North-East region and national security. Raksha Mantri was addressing the fifth edition of Major Bob Khathing Memorial Event jointly organised by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and United Services Institution of India (USI) at Delhi Cantt on March 19, 2025 to honour the life and legacy of the legendary figure.
Paying glowing tributes to Major Bob Khathing, Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that India has been fortunate that it is home to such prominent personalities for whom security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation is paramount. He termed Major Khathing as a great son of India, who left an indelible mark in the history of the country through his bravery in the battlefield and skill in the field of diplomacy. It is the responsibility of the people to adopt the ideals and principles of such great personalities, he said.
Raksha Mantri commended Major Khathing’s role in integrating, developing and rebuilding not only Tawang but the entire North-East region. “Major Bob Khathing made a significant contribution in strengthening national unity. The work he carried out for the North-East is similar to what Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did at the national level,” he said.
Raksha Mantri added that Major Bob Khathing efficiently carried out the integration of Tawang into India without firing a single bullet, and the Government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, follows the principles of such revolutionaries. “We completely merged Jammu and Kashmir into India by removing the biggest hurdle – Article 370 – without firing a single bullet. The work was carried out peacefully with full security, keeping all the stakeholders in mind,” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted the administrative proficiency of Major Khathing, especially his contribution in the formation of Sashastra Seema Bal & Nagaland Armed Police and other such reforms. He emphasised that, on similar lines, the Government is focussing on administrative reforms. “Through ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ and ‘Good Governance’, we have reduced the gap between the people and the government. Through ‘Digital India’ and ‘Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile (JAM) Trinity’, today administration has become more people-oriented,” he said.
Raksha Mantri pointed out that the Government’s foreign policy is based on the diplomatic skills of personalities such as Major Khathing. “Today, India is maintaining a balance between its hard power and soft power amidst the prevailing uncertainties in the multipolar world. It is a matter of great pride that India has strengthened its global position. A new, strong and organised India has emerged before the world. There was a time when India was not taken seriously on international forums. But today, when we speak, the world listens. This is inspired by the ideals of Major Khathing,” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction over the fact that India is touching greater heights due to the organisational skills imbibed from personalities like Major Khathing. He stressed on the need to remain organised for India to transform into Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Raksha Mantri had, in October 2024, virtually inaugurated Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing ‘Museum of Valour’ in Tawang. He was scheduled to visit Tawang, but could not due to bad weather. He carried out the inauguration from 4 Corps Headquarters in Tezpur, Assam. Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the will and courage of the residents of the North-East region who continue to contribute to nation building despite living in challenging conditions.
Shri Rajnath Singh acknowledged the role of the North East in India’s development journey and voiced the Government’s commitment towards increasing the region’s contribution and its progress. “We have always given priority to the development of the region. Among the infrastructure projects is the Sela Tunnel built at a height of 13,000 feet connecting Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. In addition, the opening of the Arunachal frontier highway will play a big role in enhancing the connectivity of the entire North East region, especially border areas. This approximately 2,000 km long will act as a strategic and economic asset for India,” he said.
Raksha Mantri further stated that it is the result of the developmental projects launched by the Government that the North East is rapidly progressing on the path of development and violent incidents have reduced significantly. He referred to the list of ‘52 Places To Visit In 2025’ released by The New York Times, which has placed Assam on the fourth place.
During the event, Shri Rajnath Singh visited a specially curated photo gallery showcasing Major Bob Khathing’s remarkable achievements and enduring legacy. He also attended the screening of a film depicting the pivotal moments of Major Khathing’s life and service.
The event witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu, Member of Parliament Shri Alfred Kanngam Arthur, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Director General Assam Rifles Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera and DG, USI Maj Gen BK Sharma (Retd).
A keynote address titled ‘Deciphering Implications of Major Bob Khathing’s Expedition to Tawang’ was delivered by former DG, Assam Rifles Lt Gen PC Nair (Retd). His address provided deep insights into the strategic ramifications of Major Khathing’s expedition and its lasting impact on national security.
Shri John Khathing, son of Major Bob Khathing, shared heartfelt reminiscences about his father’s remarkable life and legacy, adding a personal dimension to the commemoration. The event also featured vibrant cultural performances by troupes showcasing the rich and diverse heritage of North-East.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ21: Promoting development of Hong Kong’s capital market Question:
Recently, six departments of the Central Authorities jointly announced the Implementation Plan on Promoting the Inflow of Medium to Long-term Capital into the Market, so as to steadily expand the scale of investment and improve the supply and structure of funds in the capital market. Moreover, it has been reported that as pointed out by the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, the proportion of the country’s foreign exchange reserves allocated to Hong Kong’s assets will be substantially increased to support the development of Hong Kong’s capital market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Government has discussed with the relevant Mainland authorities the specific details (such as the target level of the allocation proportion, the types of assets to be allocated and the amount involved) and the implementation timetable for increasing the allocation of the country’s foreign exchange reserves to Hong Kong’s assets; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether the Government will study with the Mainland regulatory authorities the establishment of a mechanism for channelling capital, so as to promote the investment of the country’s foreign exchange reserves and some of the Mainland medium to long-term capital (such as the National Social Security Fund, commercial insurance funds and pension funds) in Hong Kong’s capital market;
(3) whether the Government will actively consider making good use of the funds under its control, such as charitable trust funds, university endowment funds and funds managed by different government departments, to jointly increase investment in Hong Kong stocks, so as to play a leading role and boost market confidence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) as it has been reported that the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) has recently proposed to promote the publication of a White Paper on Hong Kong’s Capital Market (the White Paper), whether the SAR Government will implement the formulation of the White Paper; if so, whether it will study collecting various financial institutions’ views in areas such as market regulation, transaction costs and corporate governance?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), my consolidated reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:
During his remarks at the Asian Financial Forum in January 2025, the Governor of the People’s Bank of China said that a thriving capital market serves as the core and backbone of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. It will encourage quality enterprises to get listed and issue bonds in Hong Kong, and continuously enhance and expand the connectivity mechanisms between the Mainland and Hong Kong for stocks, bonds, wealth management products and interest rate swaps. It will also deepen the financial co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and increase the allocation of our country’s foreign exchange reserves in assets in Hong Kong, so that the financial development in Hong Kong will embrace a broader future. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and financial regulators will continue to co-ordinate closely with relevant Mainland authorities as always to support the integration and healthy development of the Mainland and Hong Kong capital markets. We will also discuss with the Mainland further expansion and enhancement arrangements for mutual market access between capital markets of the two places, so as to better meet the needs of residents in both places for cross-market and diversified asset allocation, as well as attract more Mainland and international fund flows into Hong Kong.
The Government very much welcomes and is grateful to the increase in allocation of the national foreign exchange reserves in assets in Hong Kong, which is a recognition of Hong Kong’s investment environment and the quality of our products. The specific details (such as funding distribution or timetable) will be considered by relevant Mainland institutions and announced as necessary. The Government and financial regulators have been maintaining communication with the Mainland financial regulators on financial market matters and will fully support related work. In fact, we need to strengthen our efforts in optimising the market and utilising our own attractiveness to encourage more Mainland and overseas institutions and individual investors to participate in trading Hong Kong stocks. In the face of challenges from the external environment in the past few years, the Government has been striving to continuously improve market liquidity through taking forward specific enhancement measures. Specifically, the Government set up the Task Force on Enhancing Stock Market Liquidity in 2023 to review the factors affecting market liquidity and put forward improvement recommendations on different areas such as listing regime, market structure, trading mechanism, etc. The Government together with the SFC and HKEX have taken forward various measures, including enhancing the specialist technology listing regime, reforming GEM, facilitating listing of overseas issuers, implementing arrangements for trading under severe weather, establishing the regime for share repurchase and treasury, narrowing the trading spread, etc. We have also been actively attracting overseas capital through different channels, including consolidating traditional sources of funds and opening up new capital sources.
As our country’s economy demonstrates resilience with breakthroughs in key technologies, and as the enhancement measures that we have implemented begin to bear fruit, the sentiment and trading in the Hong Kong stock market have improved since last year. From the beginning of this year, stock market trading has become even more active, with average daily turnover until February exceeding $220 billion, an increase of close to 70 per cent over that of 2024. Last year, Hong Kong was one of the world’s four largest initial public offering (IPO) markets, with total IPO funds raised exceeding $87 billion, up nearly 90 per cent year-on-year. As of the end of February this year, HKEX was processing over 100 listing applications, demonstrating increasing confidence of companies in raising funds in Hong Kong. HKEX and the SFC will continue their efforts in strengthening the competitiveness of the stock market by facilitating corporate financing, promoting product innovation, and improving trading and risk management efficiency.
As regards investment of funds under the Government, funds established by the Government or operated by Government departments have specific purposes and management mechanisms. The relevant funds need to formulate appropriate investment strategies based on factors such as its size, overall risk tolerance, liquidity needs, etc, so as to achieve target returns, cash flow or specific policy objectives through different asset allocations. It is not appropriate to formulate uniform asset allocation recommendations or restrictions for the investment of relevant funds.
The Government has been implementing various reforms for the development of the capital market, including establishing listing avenues for new economy and technology enterprises with weighted voting rights structures, facilitating overseas issuers to raise funds in Hong Kong, etc. As also mentioned in the 2025-26 Budget, the key to consolidating and enhancing the strengths of Hong Kong as an international financial centre lies in institutional innovation, product innovation, a critical mass of enterprises and financial connectivity. To dovetail with the latest economic trends and corporate needs, HKEX and the SFC are taking forward a comprehensive review of the listing regime, which will review listing requirements and post-listing ongoing obligations, evaluate listing-related regulations and arrangements to improve the vetting process, optimise the thresholds for dual primary listing and secondary listing, and review the market structure, including exploring the establishment of an over-the-counter trading market. HKEX and the SFC will conduct in-depth review in each area, with a view to putting forward enhancement proposals in different areas by batches when they are ready within this year for market consultation. Meanwhile, the Government will also collect market views through various channels from time to time, including the financial regulators and the Financial Services Development Council, so as to formulate relevant development strategies in a timely manner. Issued at HKT 15:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ11: Management of bicycle parking spaces in public housing estates Question:
It is learnt that at present, quite a number of public housing estates (PHEs) in Hong Kong are provided with bicycle parking spaces for use by residents. However, some members of the public have from time to time relayed that the bicycles parked at such parking spaces have been damaged or even stolen. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current number of PHEs provided with bicycle parking spaces and the number of bicycle parking spaces in each PHE; whether the Government has plans to review if such bicycle parking spaces are sufficient for use by residents based on the usage situation;
(2) of the total number of cases or complaints received by the Housing Department (HD) or the Police in the past five years about theft or criminal damage of bicycles parked at bicycle parking spaces in PHEs, and the number of PHEs involved;
(3) whether the HD has formulated specific guidelines and measures on the management of bicycle parking spaces, such as the frequency of inspections by security personnel and/or the number of surveillance devices, etc; if so, of the details; if not, whether it has plans to formulate the relevant guidelines and measures, so as to reduce the number of cases of bicycle theft or criminal damage; and
(4) given that the HD has earlier on launched “Well-being design” guide, which will serve as a reference for the future design of new PHEs and the improvement works of existing estates, and it is learnt that the newly completed Yip Wong Estate in Tuen Mun has adopted the “Health & Vitality” concept covered in the guide by placing the bicycle parking spaces near the Tuen Mun River cycle track so that residents can conveniently take their bicycles for cycling, whether the HD has plans to gradually review the management of bicycle parking spaces in various PHEs and apply the guide to older estates to enhance the quality of life of residents?
Reply:
President,
The reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon Lau Chi-pang is as follows:
(1) to (3) The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) currently provides about 22 000 bicycle parking spaces in 72 public housing estates to facilitate residents’ temporary parking of their bicycles if necessary. The number of bicycle parking spaces in each public housing estate is at Annex. If the bicycles are not frequently used, residents should store their bicycles at home.
The Housing Department has established guidelines and measures for frontline estate management staff on the use and management of bicycle parking spaces in public housing estates. It also issues notices to remind residents of the rules for using the bicycle parking spaces. If any irregularities are observed, frontline management staff may take possession of the bicycles or properties placed or abandoned in the bicycle parking spaces. To assist daily estate management, estate management offices may install closed circuit television surveillance system at suitable locations taking into account the environment and situation in individual estate. If residents found their bicycles stolen or damaged, they should report the case to the Police or frontline estate management staff for follow up. The HA does not keep a central record of the number of theft and criminal damage cases or complaints related to bicycle parking spaces in public housing estates.
(4) In September 2024, the HA has published the “Well-being design” guide, which serves as a reference to the design of new public housing estates and the refurbishment works of existing estates in future. The “Urban Integration” well-being concept in the guide includes design suggestions fostering bicycle-friendly neighbourhoods. For example, in the newly completed Yip Wong Estate in Tuen Mun, the ingress and egress of the bicycle parking spaces are placed at a location that conveniently connects to the Government cycle track outside the Estate. Additionally, the bicycle parking area features distinctive mural decorations, making it easy for users to identify the location of their parking spaces. Apart from application of the “Well-being design” guide in new housing projects, the HA would also take into account the situation of individual public housing estate and the infrastructure in the neighbourhood, and introduce the same concepts to existing public housing estates to enhance the sense of well-being of the residents. Issued at HKT 14:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
WSD-registered consumer convicted of failing to give receipts for charges for water This case is the first conviction pursuant to the new regulation of the 47C of the WWR (duties to give receipts for charges for water), whereas the effective date of the regulation is July 19, 2024. Also, this is the 28th similar conviction of overcharging SDU tenants for water since the first conviction in June 2022, with associated fines ranging from $1,000 to $22,000.
A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment.
The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press “7” for reporting to staff directly. Issued at HKT 14:30
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 19, 2025/APO Group/ —
Ghana is ramping up efforts to enhance local content participation in the mining industry, aiming to maximize the beneficiation of its mineral resources. By supporting small-scale miners, promoting local procurement and ensuring international firms hire and train local staff, Ghana is catalyzing employment creation, revenue generation for local businesses and driving GDP growth through the expansion of the mining industry.
The upcoming Mining in Motion Summit, taking place from June 2-4 in Accra, will highlight the role of local mining entities in industry expansion, showcasing the collaboration between the government and international partners to accelerate economic growth through increased local participation.
Ghana’s commitment to local involvement is yielding substantial results, with the small-scale gold mining sector employing one million people, indirectly supporting 4.5 million more and generating over $5 billion (https://apo-opa.co/4hMUCLw) in export revenue in 2024 alone.
To further empower local players, the government has introduced key policy reforms and a series of financing and skills training programs. In January 2025, Ghana announced the establishment of the Gold Board (https://apo-opa.co/4bZaBop) – set to launch in March 2025 – which will consolidate gold output from small-scale and industrial mining projects for international exports. The initiative aims to streamline gold commercialization for small-scale miners while enabling them to secure funding through certificates of gold sales.
In August 2024, Ghana also unveiled plans for a Cooperative Mining Policy (https://apo-opa.co/4c1IncJ) designed to establish community mining cooperatives. The cooperatives will provide training, register miners and issue concessions, fostering job creation and formalizing the sector.
In parallel, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources secured World Bank funding in April 2024 to implement the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (https://apo-opa.co/42dyXrf). The project seeks to enhance the formalization of small-scale mining operations through District Mining Committees. Furthermore, the Minerals and Mining (Local Content & Local Participation) Regulations, 2020, require international firms to procure Ghanaian goods and services in their operations, enhancing the participation of local firms in project development and maintenance.
With several large-scale projects underway, including Goldstone’s Homase Mine, Atlantic Lithium’s Ewoyaa Project, the Cardinal Namdini Gold Mine and Newmont’s Ahafo North Project, the policy continues to strengthen local content participation in Ghana’s mining sector.
Amidst these developments, the Mining in Motion Summit will serve as a platform for high-level discussions and networking, addressing key trends and advancements in local content development within Ghana’s mining industry.
Stay informed about the latest advancements, network with industry leaders and engage in critical discussions on key issues impacting ASGM and medium- to large-scale mining in Ghana. Secure your spot at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit by visiting www.MininginMotionSummit.com. For sponsorship opportunities or delegate participation, contact Sales@ashantigreeninitiative.org.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
WSD-registered consumer convicted of failing to provide relevant information or documents for suspected case of overcharging for water A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence, and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment.
The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press “7” for reporting to staff directly. Issued at HKT 14:30
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ3: Privatisation of listed companies Question:
It has been reported that in the first half of last year, a total of 14 listed companies in Hong Kong announced that they would be delisted, with the companies’ market capitalisation reaching as high as $66 billion, including some relatively renowned enterprises to be delisted through privatisation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the respective numbers of listed companies delisted from the Hong Kong stock market and delisted through privatisation last year, as well as the market capitalisation of the companies involved; whether it has reviewed the reasons for the wave of delisting of listed companies last year and its impact on the Hong Kong stock market, and whether it has assessed the trend of the wave of privatisation of listed companies of this year; if it has assessed, of the details, and whether it has measures in place to abate the relevant impact, so as to prevent the excessive privatisation from undermining the attractiveness of Hong Kong stocks; and
(2) whether it knows if relevant regulatory bodies have plans to improve the delisting mechanism so as to allow delisted companies more time and flexibility in the delisting process; if they have, of the specific measures and timetable?
Reply:
President,
With Hong Kong being an international financial centre, the Government has been utilising our unique advantage of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under “one country, two systems” in enhancing the competitiveness of the financial services industry and promoting high-quality market development. In recent years, the Government, in collaboration with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), has taken forward reforms in different aspects of the securities market and implemented a series of enhancement measures, so as to attract more enterprises and investors to participate in investment and financing activities in Hong Kong, inject vitality into our market and enhance liquidity.
To facilitate more quality enterprises to list and raise funds in Hong Kong, we have provided tailored listing mechanisms based on the needs of different enterprises, including establishing listing avenues for new economy and technology enterprises with weighted voting rights structures, reforming the listing mechanism for small and medium enterprises, broadening the financing channels for overseas issuers, clarifying the timetable for listing application vetting process. We have also introduced a new treasury share regime and relaxed the restrictions on issuers’ share repurchases to provide issuers with greater flexibility, and strived to increase disclosure by listed companies and improve corporate governance. To enhance the trading mechanism and efficiency, we have implemented severe weather trading and conducted a review on reduction of minimum price spread, and are advancing preparatory work for the uncertificated securities market regime to lay a solid foundation for further opening up new markets and attracting new capital.
As our country’s economy demonstrates resilience with breakthroughs in key technologies, the enhancement measures for the securities market begin to bear fruit. Last year, the trading volume of securities market hit new highs, with the total market capitalisation increased by 14 per cent year-on-year and the average daily turnover surged by close to 30 per cent year-on-year. Hong Kong is also one of the world’s four largest initial public offering (IPO) markets, welcoming listings of 71 companies within the year with over $87 billion of IPO funds raised, up nearly 90 per cent year-on-year. As of February this year, the HKEX was processing over 100 listing applications, demonstrating increasing confidence of companies in the Hong Kong securities market.
In consultation with the SFC and the HKEX, my reply to the two parts of the question is as follows:
(1) In 2024, there were 32 and 16 companies whose listing was cancelled pursuant to the delisting procedures under the Listing Rules or delisted through privatisation, with market capitalisation of approximately $17.7 billion and $122.6 billion respectively.
Over the past five years, the average number of companies that were delisted through privatisation was 21 per year. Apart from the 16 companies in 2024, the number of companies delisted through privatisation from 2020 to 2023 were 26, 30, 17 and 14 respectively. The number of companies delisted through privatisation accounted for less than one per cent of the total number of listed companies, and there was no upward trend. During the same period, the number of newly listed companies on the HKEX was 118 on average. The impact of delisting through privatisation on the overall market is not significant.
The reasons of privatisation of companies vary. For example, a company’s major shareholders or management may, through privatisation, prevent a takeover, maintain control over the company, and avoid outside influence on the company. As an internationally-aligned securities market, the SFC and the HKEX will continue to provide a fair and transparent acquisition and privatisation mechanism in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs and the Listing Rules, in order to facilitate listed companies to choose different paths for corporate development based on their own operational needs.
(2) As regards the delisting mechanism, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Listing Rules, the HKEX may cancel the listing of securities of Main Board companies that have been suspended for 18 consecutive months or securities of GEM companies that have been suspended for 12 consecutive months. The reasons for suspension include (but are not limited to) insufficient public float of the issuer’s securities; the issuer does not have sufficient business operations or does not have assets of sufficient value to support its operations; the issuer has not published its results in accordance with the relevant requirements under the Listing Rules; or the issuer or its business is no longer suitable for listing. The HKEX in general will provide guidance on resumption of trading within three months of the issuer’s suspension, and will give listed issuers sufficient time to address relevant matters and follow up. Generally speaking, when handling cases on resumption of trading, the HKEX will make an assessment based on specific facts and circumstances of individual issuers. For example, when assessing the issuer’s business, the HKEX will consider the issuer’s business operation model, business scale and performance, source of funds, customer base size and type, internal control mechanism, etc., and will make reference to the practices and standards of the relevant industry.
As mentioned by the Financial Secretary in the 2025-26 Budget, the SFC and the HKEX will further take forward a comprehensive review of the listing regime in reviewing listing requirements and post-listing ongoing obligations, evaluating listing-related regulations and arrangements to improve the vetting process, optimising the thresholds for dual primary listing and secondary listing, and reviewing the market structure. Through the reform, we hope to better align with the latest economic trends and corporate needs, enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s listing platform and further attract different companies to raise funds in Hong Kong. At the same time, the review aims to attract more investors, especially patient capital and overseas long-term investors, to participate and increase their allocation of Hong Kong stocks.
During the review process, we will continue to maintain close communication with the industry to fully understand the needs of different market participants. We also welcome Members and stakeholders to provide their opinions on different measures and practical operational arrangements to the regulator and the HKEX. Thank you, President. Issued at HKT 13:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CE meets Secretary of CPC Jiangmen Municipal Committee (with photo) Mr Lee welcomed Mr Chen and his delegation to Hong Kong. Noting Jiangmen is a hub and gateway city in the western part of the GBA, and that the city is experiencing rapid development in advanced manufacturing, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong, being an international city in the GBA, enjoys the unique advantages of having the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the “one country, two systems” principle. There is vast potential for collaboration between the two places. Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”, leveraging its highly internationalised and market-oriented business environment with its pool of professional services talent to explore business opportunities with Mainland enterprises and inject new impetus into the high-quality development of the GBA.
Mr Lee expressed his confidence that Hong Kong and Jiangmen will continue to complement each other’s strengths, enhancing co-operation in areas such as green industries, scientific research and elderly care services, and jointly building an international first-class bay area ideal for living, working and travelling. Issued at HKT 13:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ4: Kai Tak Sports Park Question:
It has been reported that at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) Grand Opening Ceremony, some self-proclaimed “insiders” charged a fee of $1,000 per person to lead people without tickets to enter the venue “through the back door”, and they even claimed that there were ways to bring reporters to the scenes of other activities without tickets. Subsequently, at the World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 held in the KTSP, the word “curfew” appeared on the screen of the venue before the end of the competition, requesting the audience to leave the venue. Some foreign media reported the incident, and the foreign players in the venue also thought that Hong Kong had imposed a curfew. There are views that the incident has brought Hong Kong’s international image into disrepute. Moreover, it is learnt that a businessman lost his way when leaving the venue but did not receive any assistance from the staff. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of stress tests conducted by different government departments before the opening of the KTSP; the number of staff members involved, as well as the contents, objectives and public expenditure of each stress test;
(2) whether it has examined why the aforesaid incidents of “passage without tickets”, “midnight curfew” and “nobody showing the way” still occurred after public money has been spent on stress tests; and
(3) without incurring substantial public money, of the measures in place to ensure that the aforesaid mistakes will not recur when organising the concerts by the band Coldplay and major competitions such as the National Games in the future?
Reply:
President,
Being the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history, the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) will boost sports development and inject impetus into related industries such as recreation, entertainment and tourism, and mega-event economy. The KTSP provides Hong Kong with the largest and state-of-the-art venues, including a 50 000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, a 10 000-seat Kai Tak Arena and a 5 000-seat Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.
With its official commissioning on March 1, the KTSP becomes a new hub for hosting major sports and entertainment events, creating favourable conditions for further promoting the mega-event economy. A series of mega events have been scheduled to take place in the KTSP, including the Hong Kong Sevens at the end of this month, followed by concerts of renowned bands and singers in Asia and around the world at the Kai Tak stadium. Competition events of the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games will also be held in the KTSP towards the end of this year. Mega sports and entertainment events, one after another, will bring to the audience an exciting experience.
My consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Paul Tse is as follows:
Since late October last year until February this year, the Government and the Kai Tak Sports Park Limited (the Operator) conducted almost 20 test events and stress tests of different nature and scale across the three major venues in a gradual and orderly approach, with a view to evaluating different operation and contingency arrangements of the KTSP to better prepare its official commissioning. Both sport and non-sport test events took place in the three major venues with particular objectives, allowing relevant departments, the Operator and all participating parties to familiarise themselves with the preparatory work of both the hardware and software of the Sports Park, such as entry and exit arrangements, transportation, stage setup and backstage facilities.
In addition, to assess the maximum capacity of the KTSP and better understand the patterns of spectator flow after its full opening, the Government organised five large-scale stress tests involving civil servants, district personalities, youth groups, and stakeholders of the Operator, among which were two stress tests with 63 000 participants each and one with approximately 50 000 participants. The costs associated with these stress tests were covered by the construction cost of the KTSP, recurrent expenditure of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and other participating departments and hence, cannot be quantified separately.
The Operator is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the KTSP after its opening. It has the duty to oversee the security, optimise operational arrangement, as well as maintain close liaison and co-ordination with event organisers to ensure a pleasant experience for visitors. Both the Operator and event organiser attach high importance to security checks and ticket verification. With respect to earlier reports of suspected unauthorised entry to the venue without valid tickets, the Operator has retrieved its records and referred the case to law enforcement agency for follow-up. We note that signage within the precinct and training for front-line staff have been improving during the test events and stress tests over the past months, which will be further enhanced taking into account the needs of different events upon commissioning, so as to provide the most appropriate assistance to visitors.
The World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 concluded recently was the first major sport event staged at the KTSP after its commissioning. It was also the first time that the event organiser hosted the event in Hong Kong. There was obviously room for improvement in terms of internal and external communication, as well as event co-ordination and arrangements between the Operator and the event organiser, with a notable example being the spectators were asked to leave before the match concluded on the first day. As I have said earlier in public, the incident was highly undesirable. Having reviewed the arrangements on the day, the Operator and the event organiser responded immediately and revised the match arrangements afterwards to accommodate the needs of the match and spectators. Subsequent matches were completed smoothly and successfully, with both spectators and players commending the arrangements of the venue.
The CSTB attaches great importance to ensuring a good experience for visitors attending events at the KTSP. Being the party responsible for day-to-day operations, the Operator must put in place a sound response and contingency mechanism for handling emergency matters to ensure effective internal communication of accurate information, allowing the team (including front-line staff) to execute directives accordingly. External communication of official information should also be sufficient and timely to avoid confusion. The CSTB has expressed serious concerns to the Operator’s management of the Sports Park thus far and has directed the Operator to make prompt adjustments to its structure, including improvements to its mechanism in decision-making, communication and crisis management. The CSTB has also requested the Operator to provide further training to its staff on their sensitivity and arrangements for external communication, including assigning a dedicated spokesperson, so as to enhance public knowledge and build their confidence in the operation of the KTSP.
As the KTSP has officially commenced its operation, the Operator must learn from every experience and strive to improve operations, as well as maintain close communication with all stakeholders to ensure an enjoyable experience for visitors. The CSTB will continue to monitor the performance of the Operator and maintain close liaison with both the Operator and relevant stakeholders to realise the opportunities presented by this world-class infrastructure in joint hands, with a view to unleashing the potential of the KTSP to promote the development of sports and mega-event economy. Issued at HKT 12:50
