Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Revenue and Rating Plan survey opens for community feedback

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City is developing a Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-2029 and is inviting the community to complete a short survey.

    The Local Government Act 2020 requires the City to have a Revenue and Rating Plan which needs to be adopted for at least four years after each Council election.

    The Revenue and Rating Plan explains how the City will raise funds to provide services, facilities and infrastructure. This includes finding the most appropriate and affordable rates approach for Greater Bendigo’s residents and businesses.

    The plan includes rates options that are allowed under legislation and are fair and equitable. It also includes principles for decision-making for other income sources such as fees and charges.

    Rates and charges make up around two-thirds of the City’s income. The plan does not set targets for the City’s income.

    Greater Bendigo currently has 11 different rating types, known as differential rates, for various classes of property such as general (which covers residential properties), commercial/industrial, farms and vacant land.

    Using differential rating allows the City to shift the amount of rates that residents and businesses pay in a way that reflects their capacity to pay. This aims to make rates fairer.

    To do this, the City applies a different ‘rate in the dollar’ for different classes of property.

    Director Corporate Performance Jess Howard said community feedback was an important part of the next plan’s development.

    “The Revenue and Rating Plan is significant because it sets out decisions that Council can make in relation to rating options available to it under the Local Government Act 2020,” Ms Howard said.

    “The plan takes a four-year approach and explains how Council calculates the revenue needed to fund activities. The City provides many important services and facilities for the community and must collect revenue to cover the cost of providing them.

    “The plan aims to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of rates across property owners.

    “The community is invited to get involved in a survey on the City’s engagement platform Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo. Your responses and feedback will help inform a draft Revenue and Rating Plan which will be presented for consideration at the June Council meeting.”

    The survey is open until 5pm, May 21.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Cohesion policy: Mid-term review – 07-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    In April 2025, the European Commission presented a communication on the mid-term review of the EU cohesion policy, accompanied by a proposal for a regulation amending the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund and the Just Transition Fund. The Commission aims to use the mid-term review to maximise the contribution of cohesion policy to the EU’s current and emerging political priorities and to increase its impact on economic, social and territorial cohesion. According to the communication, the amendments to the regulatory framework of the cohesion policy funds seek to align investment priorities with the evolving economic, societal and geopolitical context, as well as with EU climate and environment objectives, and to introduce greater flexibility and incentives in order to facilitate the rapid deployment of resources.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – EU-Georgia relations: State of play – 07-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Once seen as a front-runner of the Eastern Partnership, Georgia’s EU path has been de facto halted since June 2024. The country is engulfed in a political crisis following the contested October 2024 parliamentary elections.

    Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Other events – Waste trafficking: MEPs and law enforcement on the need for a coordinated EU approach – 13-05-2025 – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    Waste Shipment © Image used under the license from Adobe Stock

    In an exchange of views to take place on Tuesday, 13 May, MEPs will address the fight against trafficking of hazardous waste with representatives of public authorities and NGOs.

    Environmental crime, and waste trafficking in particular, is a serious threat to our environment, health and economies. The criminal trafficking of hazardous waste is intensifying in many Member States, growing in scale and sophistication.
    This exchange of views will start off with a discussion with representatives of the judicial and police cooperation EU agencies, Europol and Eurojust. In the following panel, MEPs and representatives of the Polish government and of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an NGO, will assess the current situation of this criminal phenomenon, including the need for a reinforced coordinated approach at EU level.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Partial renewal of the European Court of Auditors – HR nominee – Committee on Budgetary Control

    Source: European Parliament

    ECA-CONT cooperation © Image used under the license from Adobe Stock

    On 14 May 2025, the Budgetary Control Committee will hold a hearing and vote on the renewal of Ms Ivana Maletić as the Croatian Member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

    Following the nomination by the government of Croatia, the Budgetary Control Committee invited Ms Ivana Maletić to a hearing. During the hearing, CONT Members will ask questions and evaluate her credentials as nominee to the ECA, in particular in view of the requirements laid down in Article 286(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. CONT will give an opinion for the appointment of the candidate in the form of a recommendation to the Plenary. Appointment of the Members of the European Court of Auditors is defined in the Rules of Procedures of the European Parliament under Rule 129.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: Sprott Announces First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sprott Inc. (NYSE/TSX: SII) (“Sprott” or the “Company”) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    Management commentary

    “Sprott’s Assets Under Management (“AUM”) ended the first quarter of 2025 at $35.1 billion, up 11% from $31.5 billion as at December 31, 2024,” said Whitney George, Chief Executive Officer of Sprott. “Our AUM growth during the quarter was driven by surging gold prices and strong inflows to our physical gold and silver strategies. During the first three months of the year, we benefited from over $3.1 billion of market value appreciation. We also delivered approximately $407 million of net flows. Subsequent to quarter-end, we generated another $816 million of net flows, primarily into our flagship Sprott Physical Gold Trust and benefited from $629 million of market value appreciation, bringing our AUM to $36.5 billion as at May 2, 2025, up 4% from March 31, 2025”.

    “While financial markets have been volatile in 2025, at Sprott we are fortunate to be extremely well positioned with an asset base divided between precious metals and critical materials. We have a balanced product suite that offers both safe havens and growth opportunities – all of which offer some inflation protection. We are in a strong position to create value for our clients and shareholders in any environment,” continued Mr. George.

    Key AUM highlights1

    • AUM was $35.1 billion as at March 31, 2025, up 11% from $31.5 billion as at December 31, 2024. On a three months ended basis, we benefited from strong market value appreciation and net inflows to our precious metals physical trusts which were partially offset by weaker market valuations of our critical materials products.

    Key revenue highlights

    • Management fees were $40 million for the quarter, up 9% from $36.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Net fees were $35.6 million for the quarter, up 9% from $32.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Our revenue performance in the quarter was primarily due to higher average AUM on strong market value appreciation and inflows to our precious metals physical trusts, partially offset by ongoing weaker market valuations of our critical materials product offerings.
    • Commission revenues were $0.3 million for the quarter, down 73% from $1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Net commissions were $0.2 million for the quarter, down 64% from $0.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Commission revenue was lower in the quarter mainly due to a lack of at-the-market (“ATM”) activity in our critical materials physical trusts.
    • Finance income was $1.4 million for the quarter, down 23% from $1.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in the quarter was due to lower income generation in co-investment positions we hold in our LPs managed in our private strategies segment.

    Key expense highlights

    • Net compensation expense was $17.5 million for the quarter, up 8% from $16.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The increase in the quarter was primarily due to higher incentive compensation on increased net fee generation. Our net compensation ratio was 47% in the quarter, unchanged from this same time last year (March 31, 2024 – 47%).
    • SG&A expense was $4.1 million for the quarter, down 1% from $4.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in the quarter was primarily due to lower marketing costs.

    Earnings summary

    • Net income for the quarter was $12 million ($0.46 per share), up 3% from $11.6 million ($0.45 per share) for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Our earnings in the quarter benefited from higher average AUM on strong market value appreciation and inflows to our precious metals physical trusts partially offset by ongoing weaker market valuations of our critical materials product offerings.   
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $21.9 million ($0.85 per share) for the quarter, up 11% from $19.8 million ($0.78 per share) for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter benefited from higher average AUM on strong market value appreciation and inflows to our precious metals physical trusts partially offset by ongoing weaker market valuations of our critical materials product offerings.

    Subsequent events

    • Subsequent to quarter-end, as at May 2, 2025, AUM was $36.5 billion, up 4% from $35.1 billion as at March 31, 2025. Our performance subsequent to quarter-end was the result of $0.8 billion of net inflows and $0.6 billion of market value appreciation, primarily in our physical gold trust.
    • On May 6, 2025, the Sprott Board of Directors announced a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share.

    1 See “non-IFRS financial measures” section in this press release and schedule 2 and 3 of “Supplemental financial information”

    Supplemental financial information

    Please refer to the March 31, 2025 quarterly financial statements of the Company and the related management discussion and analysis filed earlier this morning for further details into the Company’s financial position as at March 31, 2025 and the Company’s financial performance for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Schedule 1 – AUM continuity

    3 months results              
    (In millions $) AUM
    Dec. 31,
    2024
    Net
    inflows
    (1)
    Market
    value
    changes
    Other net
    inflows (1)
    AUM
    Mar. 31,
    2025
      Net management
    fee rate (2)
    Exchange listed products              
    – Precious metals physical trusts and ETFs              
    – Physical Gold Trust 8,608 475 1,649 10,732   0.35%
    – Physical Silver Trust 5,227 80 928 6,235   0.45%
    – Physical Gold and Silver Trust 5,013 (162) 913 5,764   0.40%
    – Precious Metals ETFs 354 43 119 2 518   0.28%
    – Physical Platinum & Palladium Trust 168 14 14 196   0.50%
      19,370 450 3,623 2 23,445   0.39%
    – Critical materials physical trusts and ETFs              
    – Physical Uranium Trust 4,862 (600) 4,262   0.31%
    – Critical Materials ETFs 2,020 90 (403) 1,707   0.50%
    – Physical Copper Trust 90 10 100   0.33%
      6,972 90 (993) 6,069   0.37%
                   
    Total exchange listed products 26,342 540 2,630 2 29,514   0.38%
                   
    Managed equities (3) 2,873 7 525 (27) 3,378   0.82%
                   
    Private strategies 2,320 (115) (20) 2,185   0.83%
                   
    Total AUM (4) 31,535 432 3,135 (25) 35,077   0.46%
                   
    (1) See “Net inflows” and “Other net inflows” in the key performance indicators and non-IFRS and other financial measures section of the MD&A.
    (2) Net management fee rate represents the weighted average fees for all funds in the category, net of fund expenses.
    (3) Managed equities is made up of primarily precious metal strategies (56%), high net worth managed accounts (37%) and U.S. value strategies (7%).
    (4) No performance fees are earned on exchange listed products. Certain managed equities products earn either performance fees based on returns above relevant benchmarks or earn carried interest calculated as a predetermined net profit over a preferred return. Private strategies LPs primarily earn carried interest calculated as a predetermined net profit over a preferred return.
     


    Schedule 2 – Summary financial information

    (In thousands $) Q1
    2025
    Q4
    2024
    Q3
    2024
    Q2
    2024
    Q1
    2024
    Q4
    2023
    Q3
    2023
    Q2
    2023
    Management fees 39,989   41,441   38,968   38,325   36,603   34,485   33,116   33,222  
    SG&A recoveries from funds (279 ) (280 ) (275 ) (260 ) (231 ) (241 ) (249 ) (282 )
    Fund expenses (2,464 ) (2,708 ) (2,385 ) (2,657 ) (2,234 ) (2,200 ) (1,740 ) (1,871 )
    Direct payouts (1,602 ) (1,561 ) (1,483 ) (1,408 ) (1,461 ) (1,283 ) (1,472 ) (1,342 )
    Carried interest and performance fees   2,511   4,110   698     503     388  
    Carried interest and performance fee payouts   (830 )   (251 )   (222 )   (236 )
    Net fees 35,644   38,573   38,935   34,447   32,677   31,042   29,655   29,879  
                     
    Commissions 286   819   498   3,332   1,047   1,331   539   1,647  
    Commission expense – internal (52 ) (146 ) (147 ) (380 ) (217 ) (161 ) (88 ) (494 )
    Commission expense – external (47 ) (290 ) (103 ) (1,443 ) (312 ) (441 ) (92 ) (27 )
    Net commissions 187   383   248   1,509   518   729   359   1,126  
                     
    Finance income 1,402   1,441   1,574   4,084   1,810   1,391   1,795   1,650  
    Co-investment income 151   296   418   416   274   170   462   1,327  
    Less: Carried interest and performance fees (net of payouts)   (1,681 ) (4,110 ) (447 )   (281 )   (152 )
    Total net revenues (1) 37,384   39,012   37,065   40,009   35,279   33,051   32,271   33,830  
    Add: Carried interest and performance fees (net of payouts)   1,681   4,110   447     281     152  
    Gain (loss) on investments 1,534   (3,889 ) 937   1,133   1,809   2,808   (1,441 ) (1,950 )
    Fund expenses (2) 2,511   2,998   2,488   4,100   2,546   2,641   1,832   1,898  
    Direct payouts (3) 1,654   2,537   1,630   2,039   1,678   1,666   1,560   2,072  
    SG&A recoveries from funds 279   280   275   260   231   241   249   282  
    Total revenues 43,362   42,619   46,505   47,988   41,543   40,688   34,471   36,284  
                     
    Compensation 19,597   19,672   18,547   19,225   17,955   17,096   16,939   21,468  
    Direct payouts (3) (1,654 ) (2,537 ) (1,630 ) (2,039 ) (1,678 ) (1,666 ) (1,560 ) (2,072 )
    Severance, new hire accruals and other (52 ) (166 ) (58 )     (179 ) (122 ) (4,067 )
    Market value fluctuation on cash-settled equity plans (412 ) 71   (114 ) (252 ) (155 ) (157 ) 79   151  
    Net compensation 17,479   17,040   16,745   16,934   16,122   15,094   15,336   15,480  
    Net compensation ratio 47 % 44 % 46 % 44 % 47 % 47 % 50 % 48 %
    Fund expenses (2) 2,511   2,998   2,488   4,100   2,546   2,641   1,832   1,898  
    Direct payouts (3) 1,654   2,537   1,630   2,039   1,678   1,666   1,560   2,072  
    Severance, new hire accruals and other 52   166   58       179   122   4,067  
    Market value fluctuation on cash-settled equity plans 412   (71 ) 114   252   155   157   (79 ) (151 )
    SG&A 4,127   4,949   4,612   5,040   4,173   3,963   3,817   4,752  
    Interest expense 280   613   933   715   830   844   882   1,087  
    Depreciation and amortization 541   600   502   568   551   658   731   748  
    Foreign exchange (gain) loss 554   (2,706 ) 1,028   122   168   1,295   37   1,440  
    Other (income) and expenses       (580 )   3,368   4,809   (18,890 )
    Total expenses 27,610   26,126   28,110   29,190   26,223   29,865   29,047   12,503  
                     
    Net income 11,957   11,680   12,697   13,360   11,557   9,664   6,773   17,724  
    Net income per share 0.46   0.46   0.50   0.53   0.45   0.38   0.27   0.70  
    Adjusted EBITDA (4) 21,901   22,362   20,675   22,375   19,751   18,759   17,854   17,953  
    Adjusted EBITDA per share 0.85   0.88   0.81   0.88   0.78   0.75   0.71   0.71  
    Total assets 386,131   388,798   412,477   406,265   389,784   378,835   375,948   381,519  
    Total liabilities 59,986   65,150   82,198   90,442   82,365   73,130   79,705   83,711  
                     
    Total AUM 35,076,761   31,535,062   33,439,221   31,053,136   29,369,191   28,737,742   25,398,159   25,141,561  
    Average AUM 33,265,327   33,401,157   31,788,412   31,378,343   29,035,667   27,014,109   25,518,250   25,679,214  
                     
    (1) Prior period net revenues excludes revenues from non-reportable segments of: Q4 2024 – $406, Q3 2024 – $497, Q2 2024 – $650, Q1 2024 – $465, Q4 2023 – $749, Q3 2023 – $1,517 and Q2 2023 – $1,589.
    (2) Includes fund expenses and commission expense – external. Together, these amounts are included in “Fund expenses” on the income statement.
    (3) Includes direct payouts, external carried interest and performance fee payouts and commission payouts – internal. Together, these amounts are included in “Compensation” on the income statement.
    (4) Effective Q1 2025, we changed the name of one of our key non-IFRS measures: “adjusted base EBITDA” to “adjusted EBITDA”. This was made to simplify wording and there was no impact to its calculation.
                     


    Schedule 3 – EBITDA reconciliation

      3 months ended
    (in thousands $) Mar. 31, 2025 Mar. 31, 2024
    Net income for the period 11,957   11,557  
    Net income margin (1) 28 % 28 %
    Adjustments:    
    Interest expense 280   830  
    Provision for income taxes 3,795   3,763  
    Depreciation and amortization 541   551  
    EBITDA 16,573   16,701  
    Adjustments:    
    (Gain) loss on investments (2) (1,534 ) (1,809 )
    Stock-based compensation 6,256   4,691  
    Foreign exchange (gain) loss 554   168  
    Severance, new hire accruals and other 52    
    Carried interest and performance fees    
    Carried interest and performance fee payouts (3)    
    Adjusted EBITDA (4) 21,901   19,751  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin (5) 59 % 58 %
     
    (1) Calculated as IFRS net income divided by IFRS total revenue.
    (2) This adjustment removes the income effects of certain gains or losses on short-term investments, co-investments, and private holdings to ensure the reporting objectives of our adjusted EBITDA metric are met.
    (3) Includes both internal and external carried interest and performance fee payouts.
    (4) Effective Q1 2025, we changed the name of one of our key non-IFRS measures: “adjusted base EBITDA” to “adjusted EBITDA”. This was made to simplify wording and there was no impact to its calculation.
    (5) Prior period adjusted EBITDA margin excludes adjusted EBITDA from non-reportable segments of ($461).
     

    Conference Call and Webcast

    A webcast will be held today, May 7, 2025 at 10:00 am ET to discuss the Company’s financial results.

    To listen to the webcast, please register at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/s9sms3g4

    Please note, analysts who cover the Company should register at: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIa4daf41d0475486f809eb3c63ce3096d

    This press release includes financial terms (including AUM, net commissions, net fees, expenses, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and net compensation) that the Company utilizes to assess the financial performance of its business that are not measures recognized under International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). These non-IFRS measures should not be considered alternatives to performance measures determined in accordance with IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Non-IFRS financial measures do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Our key performance indicators and non-IFRS and other financial measures are discussed below. For quantitative reconciliations of non-IFRS financial measures to their most directly comparable IFRS financial measures please see schedule 2 and schedule 3 of the “Supplemental financial information” section of this press release.

    Net fees

    Net fees are calculated as: (1) total management fees net of SG&A recoveries from funds, fund expenses and direct payouts; and (2) carried interest and performance fees, net of their related payouts. Net fees is a key revenue indicator as it represents revenue contributions after directly associated costs in managing our AUM.

    Net revenues

    Net revenues are calculated as the total of: (1) net fees, excluding carried interest and performance fees, net of their related payouts; (2) net commissions; (3) finance income; and (4) co-investment income.

    Net commissions

    Net commissions are calculated as total commissions, net of commission expenses. Net commissions primarily arise from the purchase and sale of critical materials in our exchange listed products segment.

    Net compensation & net compensation ratio

    Net compensation is calculated as total compensation expense before: (1) commission expenses paid to employees; (2) direct payouts to employees; (3) carried interest and performance fee payouts to employees; (4) severance and new hire accruals; and (5) market value fluctuations on cash-settled equity plans. Net compensation ratio is calculated as net compensation divided by net revenues.

    EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin

    Effective in the first quarter of the year, we changed the name of one of our key non-IFRS measures: “adjusted base EBITDA” to “adjusted EBITDA”. The change was made to simplify wording and there was no impact to the underlying calculation.

    EBITDA in its most basic form is defined as earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA (or adjustments thereto) is a measure commonly used in the investment industry by management, investors and investment analysts in understanding and comparing results by factoring out the impact of different financing methods, capital structures, amortization techniques and income tax rates between companies in the same industry. While other companies, investors or investment analysts may not utilize the same method of calculating EBITDA (or adjustments thereto), the Company believes its adjusted EBITDA metric results in a better comparison of the Company’s underlying operations against its peers and a better indicator of recurring results from operations as compared to other non-IFRS financial measures. Adjusted EBITDA margins are a key indicator of a company’s profitability on a per dollar of revenue basis, and as such, is commonly used in the financial services sector by analysts, investors and management.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively referred to herein as the “Forward-Looking Statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. The use of any of the words “expect”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify Forward-Looking Statements. In particular, but without limiting the forgoing, this press release contains Forward-Looking Statements pertaining to: (i) our positioning will benefit from a highly constructive operating environment for precious metals, critical materials and their related equities; and (ii) the declaration, payment and designation of dividends and confidence that our business will support the dividend level without impacting our ability to fund future growth initiatives.

    Although the Company believes that the Forward-Looking Statements are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future results, performance or achievements. A number of factors or assumptions have been used to develop the Forward-Looking Statements, including: (i) the impact of increasing competition in each business in which the Company operates will not be material; (ii) quality management will be available; (iii) the effects of regulation and tax laws of governmental agencies will be consistent with the current environment; (iv) the impact of public health outbreaks; and (v) those assumptions disclosed under the heading “Critical Accounting Estimates and significant judgments” in the Company’s MD&A for the period ended March 31, 2025. Actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Statements should assumptions underlying the Forward-Looking Statements prove incorrect or should one or more risks or other factors materialize, including: (i) difficult market conditions; (ii) poor investment performance; (iii) failure to continue to retain and attract quality staff; (iv) employee errors or misconduct resulting in regulatory sanctions or reputational harm; (v) performance fee fluctuations; (vi) a business segment or another counterparty failing to pay its financial obligation; (vii) failure of the Company to meet its demand for cash or fund obligations as they come due; (viii) changes in the investment management industry; (ix) failure to implement effective information security policies, procedures and capabilities; (x) lack of investment opportunities; (xi) risks related to regulatory compliance; (xii) failure to manage risks appropriately; (xiii) failure to deal appropriately with conflicts of interest; (xiv) competitive pressures; (xv) corporate growth which may be difficult to sustain and may place significant demands on existing administrative, operational and financial resources; (xvi) failure to comply with privacy laws; (xvii) failure to successfully implement succession planning; (xviii) foreign exchange risk relating to the relative value of the U.S. dollar; (xix) litigation risk; (xx) failure to develop effective business resiliency plans; (xxi) failure to obtain or maintain sufficient insurance coverage on favorable economic terms; (xxii) historical financial information being not necessarily indicative of future performance; (xxiii) the market price of common shares of the Company may fluctuate widely and rapidly; (xxiv) risks relating to the Company’s investment products; (xxv) risks relating to the Company’s proprietary investments; (xxvi) risks relating to the Company’s private strategies business; (xxvii) those risks described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual information form dated February 25, 2025; and (xxviii) those risks described under the headings “Managing Financial Risks” and “Managing Non-Financial Risks” in the Company’s MD&A for the period ended March 31, 2025. In addition, the payment of dividends is not guaranteed and the amount and timing of any dividends payable by the Company will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company and will be established on the basis of the Company’s earnings, the satisfaction of solvency tests imposed by applicable corporate law for the declaration and payment of dividends, and other relevant factors. The Forward-Looking Statements speak only as of the date hereof, unless otherwise specifically noted, and the Company does not assume any obligation to publicly update any Forward-Looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.

    Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Sprott also announced today that the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) has approved the Company’s notice of intention to amend its previously announced normal course issuer bid (as amended, the “NCIB”) that commenced on March 11, 2025 and expires on March 10, 2026. The amendment provides that purchases for cancellation may also be made through alternative U.S. trading systems.

    Pursuant to the terms of the NCIB, Sprott may purchase its own common shares for cancellation through the facilities of the TSX, alternative Canadian trading systems, the New York Stock Exchange and/or alternative U.S. trading systems, in each case in accordance with the applicable requirements, through open market purchases at market price and as otherwise permitted under applicable securities laws. The maximum number of common shares which may be purchased by Sprott during the NCIB will not exceed 645,333 common shares being approximately 2.5% of 25,813,335 (representing the number of issued and outstanding common shares as of February 28, 2025). The average daily trading volume (the “ADTV”) of the common shares on the TSX for the six-month period ended February 28, 2025 was 26,765. Under the rules of the TSX, Sprott is entitled to repurchase during the same trading day on the TSX up to 25% of the ADTV of the common shares, being 6,691 common shares, except where such purchases are made in accordance with the “block purchase” exemption under applicable TSX policy. Sprott will effect purchases at varying times commencing on March 11, 2025 and ending on March 10, 2026. In addition to providing shareholders liquidity, Sprott believes that the common shares have been trading in a price range which does not adequately reflect the value of such shares in relation to Sprott’s business and its future prospects.

    About Sprott

    Sprott is a global asset manager focused on precious metals and critical materials investments. We are specialists. We believe our in-depth knowledge, experience and relationships separate us from the generalists. Our investment strategies include Exchange Listed Products, Managed Equities and Private Strategies. Sprott has offices in Toronto, New York, Connecticut and California and the Company’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol (SII). For more information, please visit www.sprott.com.

    Investor contact information:

    Glen Williams
    Senior Managing Partner
    Investor and Institutional Client Relations
    (416) 943-4394
    gwilliams@sprott.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: TransAlta Reports First Quarter 2025 Results and Reaffirms Annual Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta or the Company) (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “Our business delivered strong operational performance across the fleet during the first quarter. While the Company’s merchant portfolio in Alberta was partially impacted by softer power prices, our hedging strategy and active asset optimization continued to generate realized prices well above spot prices,” said John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta.

    “We have a unique and diversified generating fleet that is complemented by a highly skilled energy marketing and trading team. Though we are operating within a challenging pricing environment in Alberta, our assets continue to perform well, and we remain confident in our 2025 Outlook,” added Mr. Kousinioris.

    “During the quarter, we executed and progressed multiple strategic initiatives. We advanced our growth plan by securing a strategic partnership with Nova Clean Energy, LLC, which grants the Company the exclusive option to purchase late-stage development projects in the western United States. Nova’s team has a successful track record of developing projects across the U.S. and has a development portfolio of over four GW. We continued to advance our data centre strategy in Alberta by moving into the commercialization phase. Negotiations on repowering opportunities at our Centralia facility continue to progress. And, finally, we successfully issued $450 million of medium-term notes and repaid our $400 million term loan that was due later this year, maintaining our financial strength and capital discipline.”

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights

    • Achieved strong operational availability of 94.9 per cent in 2025, compared to 92.3 per cent in 2024
    • Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $270 million, compared to $342 million for the same period in 2024
    • Free Cash Flow (FCF)(1) of $139 million, or $0.47 per share, compared to $221 million, or $0.72 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) of $28 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to $144 million, or $0.47 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Cash flow from operating activities of $7 million, compared to $244 million from the same period in 2024
    • Net earnings attributable to common shareholders(1) of $46 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to $222 million, or $0.72 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Declared quarterly dividend of $0.065 per share common share, an increase of eight per cent

    Key Business Developments

    Nova Clean Energy, LLC

    During the first quarter of 2025, the Company made a strategic investment in Nova Clean Energy, LLC (Nova), a developer of renewable energy projects. The investment includes a US$75 million term loan and US$100 million revolving facility. At closing of the transaction, US$74 million was drawn by Nova under the credit facilities. The outstanding principal under the term loan and the revolving facility bear interest of seven per cent per annum with interest due quarterly. The terms of the term loan and the revolving facility are six and five years, respectively, unless accelerated. The term loan is convertible to a minority equity interest at any time, prior to maturity, at the option of the Company and any remaining unused term loan commitments at the time of conversion would be terminated. This investment provides the Company with the exclusive right to purchase Nova’s late-stage development projects in the western U.S.

    Annual Shareholder Meeting

    On April 24, 2025 at TransAlta’s Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, the Company received strong support on all items of business, including the election of all 11 director nominees, re-appointment of auditors, Say-on-Pay, and approval of the Company’s Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan.

    Two directors did not stand for re-election and the Board would like to extend its gratitude to Mr. Harry Goldgut and Ms. Sarah Slusser for their service.

    The Company welcomed Mr. Brian Baker to the Board who brings extensive experience in strategic direction, risk management and growth alongside his extensive background in infrastructure.

    Mothballing of Sundance 6

    As previously communicated, the Company mothballed the Sundance Unit 6 facility on April 1, 2025. The Company initially provided notice to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) on Nov. 4, 2024, that Sundance Unit 6 would be mothballed on April 1, 2025, for a period of up to two years depending on market conditions. TransAlta maintains the flexibility to return the mothballed unit to service when market fundamentals improve or opportunities to contract are secured.

    Senior Notes Offering

    On March 24, 2025, the Company issued $450 million of senior notes with a fixed annual coupon of 5.625 per cent, maturing on March 24, 2032. The notes are unsecured and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness. Interest payments on the notes are made semi-annually, on March 24 and Sept. 24, with the first payment commencing Sept. 24, 2025.

    On March 25, 2025, the Company repaid its $400 million variable rate term loan facility in advance of the scheduled maturity date of Sept. 7, 2025, with the proceeds received from the $450 million senior notes offering.

    Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) and Automatic Securities Purchase Plan (ASPP)

    TransAlta remains committed to enhancing shareholder returns through appropriate capital allocation such as share buybacks and its quarterly dividend.

    On May 27, 2024, the Company announced that it had received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to purchase up to 14 million common shares during the 12-month period that commenced May 31, 2024, and terminates May 31, 2025. Any common shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled.

    On Feb. 19, 2025 the Company announced it was allocating up to $100 million to be returned to shareholders in the form of share repurchases.

    On March 25, 2025, the Company entered into an ASPP to facilitate repurchases of TransAlta’s common shares under its NCIB. Under the ASPP, the Company’s broker may purchase common shares from the effective date of the ASPP until the termination of the ASPP. All purchases of common shares made under the ASPP will be included in determining the number of common shares purchased under the NCIB. The ASPP will terminate on the earliest of: (a) May 8, 2025; (b) the date on which the maximum purchase limits under the ASPP are reached; or (c) the date on which the Company terminates the ASPP in accordance with its terms.

    As of May 6, 2025, the Company has purchased and cancelled a total of 1,932,800 common shares, at an average price of $12.42 per common share, for a total cost of $24 million, including taxes.

    Declared Increase in Common Share Dividend

    On Feb. 19, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a $0.02 annualized increase to the common share dividend, an eight per cent increase, and declared a dividend of $0.065 per common share payable on July 1, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2025. The quarterly dividend of $0.065 per common share represents an annualized dividend of $0.26 per common share.

    First Quarter 2025 Operational and Financial Highlights

      Three Months Ended
    $ millions, unless otherwise stated March 31, 2025 March 31, 2024
    Operational information    
    Availability (%) 94.9 92.3
    Production (GWh) 6,832 6,178
    Select financial information    
    Revenues 758 947
    Adjusted EBITDA(1) 270 342
    Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) 28 144
    Earnings before income taxes 49 267
    Adjusted net earnings after taxes attributable to common shareholders(1) 30 128
    Net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders 46 222
    Cash flows    
    Cash flow from operating activities 7 244
    Funds from operations(1) 179 254
    Free cash flow(1) 139 221
    Per share    
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders per share(1) 0.10 0.41
    Net earnings per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted 0.15 0.72
    Funds from operations per share(1) 0.60 0.82
    FCF per share(1) 0.47 0.72
    Dividends declared per common share 0.07
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 298 308

    Segmented Financial Performance

      Three Months Ended
     
    $ millions  March 31, 2025   March 31, 2024  
    Hydro 47   87  
    Wind and Solar 102   89  
    Gas 104   125  
    Energy Transition 37   27  
    Energy Marketing 21   39  
    Corporate (41 ) (25 )
    Total adjusted EBITDA(1) 270   342  
    Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) 28   144  
    Earnings before income taxes 49   267  
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders(1) 30   128  
    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders 46   222  

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Summary

    For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company delivered strong operational performance, while financial performance was partially impacted by softer power prices in Alberta. The Company remains confident in its ability to achieve results within its previously stated guidance range. On Dec. 4, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Heartland Generation, which added 1,747 MW to gross installed capacity, excluding the Poplar Hill and Rainbow Lake facilities, (collectively, the Planned Divestitures). IFRS financial statements include the results attributable to the Planned Divestitures, which the Company agreed to divest pursuant to a consent agreement entered into with the Commissioner of Competition for Canada. Our non-IFRS measures and operational KPIs exclude the results of the Planned Divestitures.

    Availability for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was 94.9 per cent, compared to 92.3 per cent in the same period 2024, an increase of 2.6 percentage points, primarily due to:

    • The addition of new facilities, including the Heartland gas facilities in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities in the first and second quarters of 2024, which operated at higher availability during the first quarter of 2025;
    • Lower unplanned outages at the Centralia facility in the Energy Transition segment; and
    • Lower planned major maintenance outages in the Hydro fleet.

    Total production for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased by 654 GWh, or 11 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • Production from the Heartland gas facilities acquired in December 2024;
    • Production from new wind and solar facilities, including the White Rock West and East wind facilities commissioned in January and April 2024, respectively, and the Horizon Hill wind facility commissioned in May 2024;
    • Improved availability at the Centralia facility due to lower unplanned outages; and
    • Higher wind resource across all regions; partially offset by
    • Higher dispatch optimization in Alberta due to lower market prices; and
    • Lower production in Australia due to lower customer demand.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $270 million, compared to $342 million in the same period last year, a decrease of $72 million, or 21 per cent. The major factors impacting adjusted EBITDA include:

    • Hydro adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $40 million, or 46 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to lower spot power prices and ancillary services prices in the Alberta market, partially offset by higher merchant and ancillary services volumes due to higher water reserves in the first quarter of 2025 and favourable hedging positions settled, which generated positive contributions over settled spot prices in the first quarter of 2025;
    • Gas adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $21 million, or 17 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to higher OM&A related to the addition of the Heartland facilities, lower merchant volumes due to lower market prices driven by milder weather and new gas generation in Alberta and lower spot power prices in Alberta, partially offset by favourable hedge positions settled, and the addition of the Heartland facilities;
    • Energy Marketing adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $18 million, or 46 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to comparatively muted market volatility across North American natural gas and power markets and lower realized settled trades in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024;
    • Corporate adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $16 million, or 64 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to increased spending to support strategic growth projects and the addition of corporate costs related to the acquisition of Heartland;
    • Wind and Solar adjusted EBITDA increasing by $13 million, or 15 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to higher revenues from the Horizon Hill and White Rock West and East wind facilities due to full first quarter production in 2025 and higher production volumes across all regions, partially offset by lower Alberta pool prices and higher OM&A from the addition of new wind facilities; and
    • Energy Transition adjusted EBITDA increasing by $10 million, or 37 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to lower fuel and purchased power costs; partially offset by increased economic dispatch driven by lower market prices, which negatively impacted merchant revenues.

    Cash flow from operating activities totalled $7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $244 million in the same period in 2024, a decrease of $237 million, or 97 per cent, primarily due to:

    • Unfavourable change in non-cash operating working capital balances due to lower accounts payable and accrued liabilities, higher accounts receivable, higher income taxes receivable and higher collateral provided;
    • Lower gross margin due to lower revenues, excluding the effect of unrealized losses from risk management activities, partially offset by lower fuel and purchased power;
    • Higher OM&A due to increased spending on strategic and growth initiatives, the addition of the Heartland facilities and associated corporate costs, the addition of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities in the first and second quarters of 2024 and higher spending related to the planning and design of an upgrade to our ERP system; and
    • Higher interest expense primarily due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024; partially offset by
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024.

    FCF totalled $139 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $221 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of $82 million, or 37 per cent, primarily driven by:

    • The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
    • Higher sustaining capital expenditures due to the receipt of a lease incentive related to the Company’s head office during the first quarter of 2024 and higher major maintenance during the first quarter of 2025 at our Canadian gas fleet, including at the gas facilities acquired from Heartland; and
    • Higher net interest expense due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; partially offset by
    • Lower distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests relating to lower TA Cogen net earnings resulting from lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market;
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; and
    • Lower provisions accrued in the current period compared to the same period in prior year resulting in higher FCF.

    Earnings before income taxes totalled $49 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $267 million in the same period in 2024, a decrease of $218 million, or 82 per cent.

    Adjusted earnings before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2025 decreased by $116 million, or 81 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
    • Higher depreciation and amortization due to the addition of the Heartland gas facilities and White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities; and
    • Higher interest expense due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2025 decreased to $176 million, or 79 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • The factors causing lower adjusted earnings before income taxes noted above;
    • Higher unrealized mark-to-market losses recorded in the Wind and Solar segment primarily related to long-term wind energy sales related to the Oklahoma facilities;
    • Lower unrealized mark-to-market gains recorded in the Gas segment primarily related to lower volumes hedged in the current period;
    • Higher asset impairment charges on the Planned Divestiture assets classified as Assets Held for Sale, offset by a fair value gain on the contingent consideration payable in the first quarter of 2025 driven by updated expectations of the fair value less costs to sell on the Planned Divestitures;
    • Higher asset impairment charges due to an increase in decommissioning and restoration provisions on retired assets driven by a decrease in discount rates and revisions in estimated decommissioning costs; impairment charges related to development projects that are no longer proceeding, partially offset by an impairment reversal related to certain energy transition assets reclassified to assets held for sale; and
    • Higher spending relating to planning and design work on a planned upgrade to our ERP system; partially offset by
    • Higher unrealized mark-to-market gains recorded in the Hydro segment primarily related to the favourable changes in forward prices;
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; and
    • Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests compared to net earnings in the same period in 2024, primarily due to lower net earnings for TA Cogen resulting from lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market.

    Optimization of the Alberta Portfolio

    For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Alberta electricity portfolio generated 3,195 GWh compared to 3,173 GWh in the same period in 2024. The production increase of 22 GWh, or one per cent, was primarily due to:

    • Higher contract production in the Gas segment due to the addition of gas facilities from the acquisition of Heartland in the fourth quarter of 2024;
    • Higher production volumes in the Wind and Solar segment due to higher wind resources in the first quarter of 2025; and
    • Higher production from the Hydro segment due to higher water resource compared to the prior year; partially offset by
    • Lower merchant production in the Gas segment due to higher dispatch optimization driven by lower market prices.

    Adjusted gross margin for the Alberta portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $162 million, compared to $223 million in the same period of 2024. The decrease of $61 million, or 27 per cent, was primarily due to

    • The impact of lower Alberta spot prices and ancillary services prices;
    • Higher fuel costs in the Gas segment due to higher natural gas prices and the addition of the Heartland facilities; and
    • An increase in the carbon price per tonne from $80 in 2024 to $95 in 2025; partially offset by
    • Higher gains realized on financial hedges settled in the period;
    • Positive contribution from the addition of the Heartland facilities in the Gas segment;
    • Lower purchased power due to lower Alberta spot prices;
    • Lower carbon compliance costs due to lower production in the Gas segment; and
    • Higher hydro ancillary services volumes due to increased demand by the AESO.

    The average spot power price per MWh for the Alberta portfolio for the three months ended was $40, compared to $99 in the same period in 2024. This was primarily due to milder weather and the addition of increased supply from new renewables and combined-cycle gas facilities into the market compared to the same period in 2024.

    Hedged volumes for the three months ended March 31, 2025, were 2,273 GWh at an average price of $71 per MWh, compared to 1,908 GWh at an average price of $88 per MWh in 2024.

    Liquidity and Financial Position

    We maintain adequate available liquidity under our committed credit facilities. As at March 31, 2025, we had access to $1.5 billion in liquidity, including $238 million in cash, which exceeds the funds required for committed growth, sustaining capital and productivity projects.

    2025 Outlook

    We remain confident in our ability to meet our 2025 Outlook.

    The following table outlines our expectations on key financial targets and related assumptions for 2025 and should be read in conjunction with the narrative discussion that follows and the Governance and Risk Management section of TransAlta’s first quarter 2025 MD&A for additional information:

    Measure 2025 Target
    Adjusted EBITDA $1,150 to $1,250 million
    FCF $450 to $550 million
    FCF per share $1.51 to $1.85
    Annual dividend per share $0.26 annualized

    The Company’s outlook for 2025 may be impacted by a number of factors as detailed below.

    Market 2025 Assumptions
    Alberta spot ($/MWh) $40 to $60
    Mid-Columbia spot (US$/MWh) US$50 to US$70
    AECO gas price ($/GJ) $1.60 to $2.10

    Alberta spot price sensitivity: a +/- $1 per MWh change in spot price is expected to have a +/-$2 million impact on adjusted EBITDA for the balance of the year.

    Other assumptions relevant to the 2025 outlook

      2025 Assumptions
    Energy Marketing gross margin $110 to $130 million
    Sustaining capital $145 to $165 million
    Current income tax expense $95 to $130 million
    Net interest expense $255 to $275 million
    Hedging assumptions Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025 2026
    Hedged production (GWh) 1,809 2,139 1,848 6,432
    Hedge price ($/MWh) $69 $68 $71 $68
    Hedged gas volumes (GJ) 7 million 8 million 7 million 19 million
    Hedge gas prices ($/GJ) $3.25 $3.22 $3.57 $3.65

    Refer to the 2025 Outlook section in our 2024 Annual MD&A for further details relating to our Outlook and related assumptions.

    Conference call

    TransAlta will host a conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. MST (11:00 a.m. EST) today, May 7, 2025, to discuss our first quarter 2025 results. The call will begin with comments from John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Hunter, EVP Finance and Chief Financial Officer, followed by a question-and-answer period.

    First Quarter 2025 Conference Call

    Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wzq2tgtc

    To access the conference call via telephone, please register ahead of time using the call link here: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI863e6b314dbc4284ae19fafc47eca7ac. Once registered, participants will have the option of 1) dialing into the call from their phone (via a personalized PIN); or 2) clicking the “Call Me” option to receive an automated call directly to their phone.

    Related materials will be available on the Investor Centre section of TransAlta’s website at https://transalta.com/investors/presentations-and-events/. If you are unable to participate in the call, the replay will be accessible at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wzq2tgtc. A transcript of the broadcast will be posted on TransAlta’s website once it becomes available.

    Notes

    (1)These items (Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes, adjusted net earnings (loss) after income taxes attributable to common shareholders, funds from operations, free cash flow, adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders per share, funds from operations (FFO) per share and free cash flow (FCF) per share) are non-IFRS measures, which are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Presenting these items from period to period provides management and investors with the ability to evaluate earnings (loss) trends more readily in comparison with prior periods’ results. Please refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures section of this earnings release for further discussion of these items, including, where applicable, reconciliations to measures calculated in accordance with IFRS.

    Accounting Changes

    The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024.

    Non-IFRS financial measures

    We use a number of financial measures to evaluate our performance and the performance of our business segments, including measures and ratios that are presented on a non-IFRS basis, as described below. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts are in Canadian dollars and have been derived from our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. We believe that these non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios, read together with our IFRS amounts, provide readers with a better understanding of how management assesses results.

    Non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. They are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and should not be viewed in isolation from, as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, our IFRS results.

    We calculate adjusted measures by adjusting certain IFRS measures for certain items we believe are not reflective of our ongoing operations in the period. Except as otherwise described, these adjusted measures are calculated on a consistent basis from period to period and are adjusted for specific items in each period, unless stated otherwise.

    Adjusted EBITDA

    Each business segment assumes responsibility for its operating results measured by adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is an important metric for management that represents our core operational results.

    During the first quarter of 2025, our adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to remove the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions, which was included in adjusted EBITDA composition until the fourth quarter of 2024. The adjustment was intended to explain a timing difference between our internally and externally reported results and was useful at a time when markets were more volatile. The impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions was removed to simplify our reporting. Accordingly, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.

    During the first quarter of 2025, our adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to remove the impact of Australian interest income, which was included in adjusted EBITDA composition until the fourth quarter of 2024. Initially, on the commissioning of the South Hedland facility in July 2017, we prepaid approximately $74 million of electricity transmission and distribution costs. Interest income, which was recorded on the prepaid funds, was reclassified as a reduction in the transmission and distribution costs expensed each period to reflect the net cost to the business. The impact of Australian interest income was removed to simplify our reporting since the amounts were not material. Accordingly, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.

    Interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are not included, as differences in accounting treatment may distort our core business results. In addition, certain reclassifications and adjustments are made to better assess results, excluding those items that may not be reflective of ongoing business performance. This presentation may facilitate the readers’ analysis of trends. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is earnings before income taxes.

    Adjusted Revenue

    Adjusted Revenues is Revenues (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude:

    The impact of unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses and unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses on commodity transactions.

    Certain assets that we own in Canada and Western Australia are fully contracted and recorded as finance leases under IFRS. We believe that it is more appropriate to reflect the payments we receive under the contracts as a capacity payment in our revenues instead of as finance lease income and a decrease in finance lease receivables.

    Revenues from the Planned Divestitures as they do not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted Fuel and Purchased Power

    Adjusted Fuel and Purchased Power is Fuel and Purchased Power (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude fuel and purchased power from the Planned Divestitures as it does not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted OM&A

    Adjusted OM&A is OM&A (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude:

    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs, mainly comprised of severance, legal and consultant fees as these do not reflect ongoing business performance.

    ERP integration costs representing planning, design and integration costs of upgrades to the existing ERP system as they represent project costs that do not occur on a regular basis, and therefore do not reflect ongoing performance.

    OM&A from the Planned Divestitures as it does not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted Earnings (Loss) before income taxes

    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes represents segmented earnings (loss) adjusted for certain items that we believe do not reflect ongoing business performance and is an important metric for evaluating performance trends in each segment.

    For details of the adjustments made to earnings (loss) before income taxes (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) to calculate adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes, refer to the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) attributable to common shareholders

    Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders represents net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders adjusted for specific reclassifications and adjustments and their tax impact, and is an important metric for evaluating performance. For details of the reclassifications and adjustments made to net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders (the most directly comparable IFRS measure), please refer to the reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders in the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders

    Adjusted net earning (loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders is calculated as adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders divided by a weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The measure is useful in showing the earnings per common share for our core operational results as it excludes the impact of items that do not reflect an ongoing business performance. Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable per common share is a non-IFRS ratio and the most directly comparable IFRS measure is net income (loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders. Refer to the reconciliation of earnings (loss) before income taxes to adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders in the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Funds From Operations (FFO)

    Represents a proxy for cash generated from operating activities before changes in working capital and provides the ability to evaluate cash flow trends in comparison with results from prior periods. FFO is calculated as cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital and is adjusted for transactions and amounts that the Company believes are not representative of ongoing cash flows from operations.

    Free Cash Flow (FCF)

    Represents the amount of cash that is available to invest in growth initiatives, make scheduled principal debt repayments, repay maturing debt, pay common share dividends or repurchase common shares and provides the ability to evaluate cash flow trends in comparison with the results from prior periods. Changes in working capital are excluded so that FFO and FCF are not distorted by changes that we consider temporary in nature, reflecting, among other things, the impact of seasonal factors and timing of receipts and payments.

    Non-IFRS Ratios

    FFO per share, FCF per share and adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS ratios that are presented in the MD&A. Refer to the Reconciliation of Cash Flow from Operations to FFO and FCF and Key Non-IFRS Financial Ratios sections of the MD&A for additional information.

    FFO per share and FCF per share

    FFO per share and FCF per share are calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. FFO per share and FCF per share are non-IFRS ratios.

    Reconciliation of these non-IFRS financial measures to the most comparable IFRS measure are provided below.

    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment

    The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings (loss) before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2025:

      Hydro Wind &
    Solar(1)
    Gas Energy
    Transition
    Energy
    Marketing
    Corporate Total Equity-
    accounted
    investments(1)
    Reclass
    adjustments
    IFRS
    financials
    Revenues 86   107   390   154   27   1   765   (7 )   758  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss (21 ) 36   (32 ) (1 ) 1     (17 )   17    
    Decrease in finance lease receivable   1   7         8     (8 )  
    Finance lease income   1   5         6     (6 )  
    Revenues from Planned Divestitures     (4 )       (4 )   4    
    Adjusted revenue 65   145   366   153   28   1   758   (7 ) 7   758  
    Fuel and purchased power 4   10   163   98     2   277       277  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Fuel and purchased power related to Planned Divestitures     (2 )       (2 )   2    
    Adjusted fuel and purchased power 4   10   161   98     2   275     2   277  
    Carbon compliance   1   49       (1 ) 49       49  
    Adjusted gross margin 61   134   156   55   28     434   (7 ) 5   432  
    OM&A 13   29   59   17   7   49   174   (1 )   173  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    OM&A related to Planned Divestitures     (2 )       (2 )   2    
    ERP integration costs           (4 ) (4 )   4    
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs           (4 ) (4 )   4    
    Adjusted OM&A 13   29   57   17   7   41   164   (1 ) 10   173  
    Taxes, other than income taxes 1   5   5   1       12       12  
    Net other operating income   (4 ) (10 )       (14 )     (14 )
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Insurance recovery   2           2     (2 )  
    Adjusted net other operating income   (2 ) (10 )       (12 )   (2 ) (14 )
    Adjusted EBITDA(2) 47   102   104   37   21   (41 ) 270        
    Depreciation and amortization (9 ) (53 ) (64 ) (15 ) (2 ) (5 ) (148 ) 2     (146 )
    Equity income           (1 ) (1 )   3   2  
    Interest income           5   5       5  
    Interest expense           (94 ) (94 ) 1     (93 )
    Realized foreign exchange loss           (4 ) (4 )     (4 )
    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes(2) 38   49   40   22   19   (140 ) 28        
    Reclassifications and adjustments above 21   (36 ) 20   1   (1 ) (8 ) (3 )      
    Finance lease income   1   5         6       6  
    Skookumchuk earnings reclass to Equity income(1)   (3 )       3          
    Fair value change in contingent consideration payable     34         34       34  
    Asset impairment (charges) reversals     (34 ) 24     (5 ) (15 )     (15 )
    Loss on sale of assets and other           (1 ) (1 )     (1 )
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes 59   11   65   47   18   (151 ) 49       49  

    (1)  The Skookumchuck wind facility has been included on a proportionate basis in the Wind and Solar segment.
    (2)  Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings (loss) before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2024:

      Hydro Wind &
    Solar(1)
    Gas Energy
    Transition
    Energy
    Marketing
    Corporate Total Equity-
    accounted
    investments(1)
    Reclass
    adjustments
    IFRS
    financials
    Revenues 112   139   433   217   52     953   (6 )   947  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss (5 ) (21 ) (91 ) (6 ) (3 )   (126 )   126    
    Decrease in finance lease receivable   1   4         5     (5 )  
    Finance lease income   1   1         2     (2 )  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain on commodity     (1 )       (1 )   1    
    Adjusted revenue 107   120   346   211   49     833   (6 ) 120   947  
    Fuel and purchased power 6   9   142   166       323       323  
    Carbon compliance     40         40       40  
    Adjusted gross margin 101   111   164   45   49     470   (6 ) 120   584  
    OM&A 13   20   46   18   10   28   135   (1 )   134  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs           (3 ) (3 )   3    
    Adjusted OM&A 13   20   46   18   10   25   132   (1 ) 3   134  
    Taxes, other than income taxes 1   4   3         8       8  
    Net other operating income   (2 ) (10 )       (12 )     (12 )
    Adjusted EBITDA(2)(3) 87   89   125   27   39   (25 ) 342        
    Depreciation and amortization (7 ) (43 ) (55 ) (16 ) (1 ) (4 ) (126 ) 2     (124 )
    Equity income           (2 ) (2 )   3   1  
    Interest income           7   7       7  
    Interest expense           (69 ) (69 )     (69 )
    Realized foreign exchange gain (loss)(4)           (8 ) (8 )     (8 )
    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes(2) 80   46   70   11   38   (101 ) 144        
    Reclassifications and adjustments above 5   19   87   6   3   (3 ) 117        
    Finance lease income   1   1         2       2  
    Skookumchuk earnings reclass to Equity income(1)   (3 )       3          
    Asset impairment charges   (4 )   3       (1 )     (1 )
    Gain on sale of assets and other(4)           2   2       2  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain(4)           3   3       3  
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes 85   59   158   20   41   (96 ) 267       267  

    (1) The Skookumchuck wind facility has been included on a proportionate basis in the Wind and Solar segment.
    (2) Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes are non-IFRS measures, are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.
    (3) During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods. Refer to the Additional Non-IFRS and Supplementary Financial Measures section of the MD&A
    (4) Foreign exchange loss and other of $3 million reported in the first quarter of 2024 was broken down to conform to the current period presentation.

    Reconciliation of Earnings Before Income Taxes to Adjusted Net Earnings attributable to common shareholders

    The following table reflects reconciliation of earnings before income taxes to adjusted earnings attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024:

      Three months ended March 31
     
      2025   2024  
    Earnings before income taxes 49   267  
    Income tax expense 7   29  
    Net earnings 42   238  
    Net (loss) earnings attributable to non-controlling interests (4 ) 16  
    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders 46   222  
    Adjustments and reclassifications (pre-tax):    
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Revenues (7 ) (120 )
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Fuel and purchased power 2    
    Adjustments and reclassifications to OM&A 10   3  
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Net other operating expense (income) (2 )  
    Fair value change in contingent consideration payable (gain) (34 )  
    Finance lease income (6 ) (2 )
    Asset impairment charges 15   1  
    Loss (gain) on sale of assets and other 1   (2 )
    Unrealized foreign exchange (gain)   (3 )
    Calculated tax recovery on adjustments and reclassifications(1) 5   29  
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders(2) 30   128  
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period 298   308  
    Net income per common share attributable to common shareholders 0.15   0.72  
    Adjustments and reclassifications (net of tax) (0.05 ) (0.31 )
    Adjusted net earnings per common share attributable to common shareholders(2) 0.10   0.41  

    (1) Represents a theoretical tax calculated by applying the Company’s consolidated effective tax rate of 23.3 per cent for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (March 31, 2024 — 23.3 per cent). The amount does not take into account the impact of different tax jurisdictions the Company’s operations are domiciled and does not include the impact of deferred taxes.
    (2) Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders and Adjusted net earnings per common share attributable to common shareholders are non-IFRS measures, are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The most directly comparable IFRS measures are net earnings attributable to common shareholders and net earnings per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    Reconciliation of cash flow from operations to FFO and FCF

    The table below reconciles our cash flow from operating activities to our FFO and FCF:

      Three months ended March 31
     
      2025     2024  
    Cash flow from operating activities(1) 7     244  
    Change in non-cash operating working capital balances 117     (7 )
    Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital 124     237  
    Adjustments      
    Share of adjusted FFO from joint venture(1) 2     2  
    Decrease in finance lease receivable 8     5  
    Brazeau penalties payment 33      
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs 6     3  
    Other(2) 6     7  
    FFO(3) 179     254  
    Deduct:      
    Sustaining capital(1) (23 )   1  
    Dividends paid on preferred shares (13 )   (13 )
    Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests     (19 )
    Principal payments on lease liabilities (1 )   (1 )
    Other (3 )   (1 )
    FCF(3) 139     221  
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period 298     308  
    FFO per share(3) 0.60     0.82  
    FCF per share(3) 0.47     0.72  

    (1) Includes our share of amounts for the Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.
    (2) Other consists of production tax credits, which is a reduction to tax equity debt, less distributions from an equity-accounted joint venture.
    (3) These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    The table below provides a reconciliation of our adjusted EBITDA to our FFO and FCF:

      Three Months Ended March 31
    $ millions, unless otherwise stated March 31, 2025   2024  
    Adjusted EBITDA(1)(4) 270   342  
    Provisions 8    
    Net interest expense(2) (72 ) (48 )
    Current income tax recovery (expense) (13 ) (27 )
    Realized foreign exchange gain (loss) (2 ) (8 )
    Decommissioning and restoration costs settled (9 ) (7 )
    Other non-cash items (3 ) 2  
    FFO(3)(4) 179   254  
    Deduct:    
    Sustaining capital(4) (23 ) 1  
    Dividends paid on preferred shares (13 ) (13 )
    Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests   (19 )
    Principal payments on lease liabilities (1 ) (1 )
    Other (3 ) (1 )
    FCF(3)(4) 139   221  

    (1) Adjusted EBITDA is defined in the Additional IFRS Measures and Non-IFRS Measures of this earnings release and reconciled to earnings (loss) before income taxes above. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.
    (2) Net interest expense is a non-IFRS measure, is not defined and has no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Refer to the table below for detailed calculation.
    (3) These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. FFO and FCF are defined in the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section of in this earnings release and reconciled to cash flow from operating activities above.
    (4) Includes our share of amounts for Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.

    TransAlta is in the process of filing its unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes, as well as the associated Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A). These documents will be available today on the Investors section of TransAlta’s website at www.transalta.com or through SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

    About TransAlta Corporation:

    TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of thermal generation and hydro-electric power. For over 114 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, which also defines sustainable goals for businesses. Our reporting on climate change management has been guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 70 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 22.7 million tonnes CO2e since 2015 and received an upgraded MSCI ESG rating of AA.

    For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release includes “forward-looking information,” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as “may”, “will”, “can”, “could”, “would”, “shall”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “forecast”, “foresee”, “potential”, “enable”, “continue” or other comparable terminology. These statements are not guarantees of our future performance, events or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual performance, events or results to be materially different from those set out in or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements about the following, among other things: the strategic objectives of the Company and that the execution of the Company’s strategy will realize value for shareholders; our capital allocation and financing strategy; our sustainability goals and targets, including those in our 2024 Sustainability Report; our 2025 Outlook; our financial and operational performance, including our hedge position; optimizing and diversifying our existing assets; the increasingly contracted nature of our fleet; expectations about strategies for growth and expansion, including expected outcomes related to our investment in Nova Clean Energy, opportunities for Centralia redevelopment, and data centre opportunities; expected costs and schedules for planned projects; expected regulatory processes and outcomes, including in relation to the Alberta restructured energy market; the power generation industry and the supply and demand of electricity; the cyclicality of our business; expected outcomes with respect to legal proceedings; the expected impact of future tax and accounting changes; and expected industry, market and economic conditions.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on many assumptions including, but not limited to, the following: no significant changes to applicable laws and regulations; no unexpected delays in obtaining required regulatory approvals; no material adverse impacts to investment and credit markets; no significant changes to power price and hedging assumptions; no significant changes to gas commodity price assumptions and transport costs; no significant changes to interest rates; no significant changes to the demand and growth of renewables generation; no significant changes to the integrity and reliability of our facilities; no significant changes to the Company’s debt and credit ratings; no unforeseen changes to economic and market conditions; and no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business.

    These assumptions are based on information currently available to TransAlta, including information obtained from third-party sources. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted. Factors that may adversely impact what is expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in power prices; changes in supply and demand for electricity; our ability to contract our electricity generation for prices that will provide expected returns; our ability to replace contracts as they expire; risks associated with development projects and acquisitions; any difficulty raising needed capital in the future on reasonable terms or at all; our ability to achieve our targets relating to ESG; long-term commitments on gas transportation capacity that may not be fully utilized over time; changes to the legislative, regulatory and political environments; environmental requirements and changes in, or liabilities under, these requirements; operational risks involving our facilities, including unplanned outages and equipment failure; disruptions in the transmission and distribution of electricity; reductions in production; impairments and/or writedowns of assets; adverse impacts on our information technology systems and our internal control systems, including increased cybersecurity threats; commodity risk management and energy trading risks; reduced labour availability and ability to continue to staff our operations and facilities; disruptions to our supply chains; climate-change related risks; reductions to our generating units’ relative efficiency or capacity factors; general economic risks, including deterioration of equity and debt markets, increasing interest rates or rising inflation; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including potential trade tariffs; industry risk and competition; counterparty credit risk; inadequacy or unavailability of insurance coverage; increases in the Company’s income taxes and any risk of reassessments; legal, regulatory and contractual disputes and proceedings involving the Company; reliance on key personnel; and labour relations matters.

    The foregoing risk factors, among others, are described in further detail under the heading “Governance and Risk Management” in the MD&A, which section is incorporated by reference herein.

    Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully when evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made only as of the date hereof and we do not undertake to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. The purpose of the financial outlooks contained herein is to give the reader information about management’s current expectations and plans and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

    For more information:

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. tests emergency alerts to cellphones, TV, radio

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    To improve public safety in the event of an emergency, a test of the B.C. Emergency Alert system will occur at 1:55 p.m. (Pacific time) on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.

    The test alert will be sent to all compatible cellphones, and will interrupt radio and television broadcasts. The test message to cellphones will read: “This is a TEST of the B.C. Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”

    This test, by the National Public Alerting System, will assess the system’s readiness for an actual emergency and identify any required adjustments.

    The National Public Alerting System is a collaboration among federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as industry partners. It provides a standard alerting capability to rapidly warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards and threats to life and safety.

    The B.C. Emergency Alert system was launched on April 6, 2018, and is tested twice a year, in spring and fall. Recognizing the importance of this tool, the Province expanded the use of B.C. Emergency Alerts in 2022 beyond tsunami warnings to also include imminent threats from floods, wildfires and extreme-heat emergencies.

    Last year, the federal government launched the earthquake early-warning system in British Columbia. If the threshold is met, this system will automatically issue an intrusive alert message to cellphones in areas expected to be affected, before strong shaking is felt. This alert message provides precious seconds of warning for people to better protect themselves and others.

    Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is responsible for sending intrusive alerts to cellphones for tornados, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and storms surges. Police are responsible for alerts for civil emergencies and Amber Alerts.

    During the 2023 and 2024 wildfire seasons, tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate on short notice due to the threat of wildfires. B.C. Emergency Alerts were an important tool to provide people with timely, life-saving information.

    People in British Columbia can participate in a short online survey after the test to help determine the reach of the test message. This survey is administered by Public Emergency Alerting Services:

    Quick Facts:

    • To receive alerts, cellphones must be connected to an LTE cellular network.
    • Cellphones must be turned on and not set to “do not disturb” or airplane mode, be wireless public alerting (WPA) compatible, be within the alert area and have up-to-date cellular software.
    • Alerts will be broadcast automatically, at no cost to the user.
    • Following a 2014 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision, all radio and television broadcasters in Canada are mandated to broadcast intrusive public alerts.

    Learn More:

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Outstanding B.C. lawyers receive King’s Counsel designation

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The following King’s counsel appointees are listed alphabetically by surname, with the year they were called to the B.C. bar:

    Peter Ameerali (2005) is a leading public law litigator and has been a constitutional expert with the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General since 2005. He pioneered B.C.’s civil forfeiture regime and has argued at all court levels. A recognized mentor and trainer, Ameerali has shaped the careers of dozens of lawyers and articled students. He is a respected leader in legal ethics, equity and inclusion, serving in senior advisory roles within and outside government.

    Morgan Camley (2006) is a nationally recognized barrister known for her excellence in complex litigation and regulatory matters. With a practice rooted in advocacy, she has appeared at all levels of court in B.C. and beyond. A dedicated mentor and leader, Camley is a champion for 2SLGBTQ inclusion in law and a respected voice in legal education and access to justice. Her practice spans commercial, Aboriginal, public and municipal law. She is widely regarded for her strategic, principled and community-centred approach to litigation and dispute resolution.

    Michelle Casavant (2010) has made a profound impact on legal education in British Columbia, particularly through her leadership on the Truth and Reconciliation Committee during her six years on the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia’s board of directors. A gifted educator and respected legal practitioner, Casavant shares her knowledge to elevate the profession and foster lifelong learning. Her work co-drafting complex land transaction regulations under the Indian Act and First Nations Commercial Industrial Development Act earned her a 2024 Excellence Award from the Community of Federal Regulators.

    Nikki Charlton (2004) is one of British Columbia’s leading family law practitioners, recognized by Lexpert and Best Lawyers Canada for her expertise and advocacy. A partner at Farris LLP and a bencher of the Law Society since 2024, she is also an accredited mediator, arbitrator and parenting co-ordinator. Nikki has shaped precedent-setting case law and is a respected educator, author, and conference leader. She is deeply committed to access to justice, providing pro-bono services and supporting vulnerable populations. She is a prolific contributor to continuing legal education and access to justice.

    Mary Childs (1989) is general counsel for the Tsawwassen First Nation, where she leads the legal department for the Nation’s self-governing authority. Her legal career has focused on corporate law, specializing in charities, and not-for-profit and co-operative groups. She has been an active public servant, serving as governor and chair of the Law Foundation of B.C., advancing Indigenous justice and legal services. She is also engaged in legal education and has served on various boards, including the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board, contributing significantly to public and Indigenous law.

    Beverly Churchill (1988) is a leader in family law and consensual dispute resolution. Practising in the Interior, she specializes in mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. With more than 37 years of experience, she has trained more than 350 professionals across Canada in non-evaluative child interviews. She chaired the BC Hear the Child Society and has contributed to multiple family-law organizations. A passionate advocate for children, she strives to support families through less adversarial processes, enhancing access to justice and promoting child-centred practices in the family justice system.

    Christina Cook (2010) founded the Indigenous Lawyer History website and has held key leadership roles, including as an elected bencher for the Law Society of BC and chair of the Canadian Bar Association BC (CBABC) Aboriginal Lawyers Forum. She is a recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, having received awards such as the UBC Indigenous Law Students Association’s Courage in Law Award and the Philippa Samworth Award for the Advancement of Women in Law. Serving as senior policy lawyer at BC First Nations Justice Council. She continues to influence national legal initiatives and mentor the next generation of Indigenous lawyers.

    Barbara Cornish (1992) is a nationally and internationally recognized mediator and arbitrator, specializing in commercial, insurance and regulatory disputes. A partner at Cornish Margolis Boyd, she focuses exclusively on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and has been named a Global Elite Thought Leader in ADR. A distinguished fellow and governor of the International Academy of Mediators, she contributes to the development of ADR practices through her leadership roles and educational initiatives. Her work in access to justice, mentorship and contributions to legal education make her a prominent figure in her field.

    Vincent Critchley (1997) is a highly regarded professional liability lawyer and the managing partner at QA Law. With more than 25 years of experience, he is the go-to lawyer for repairing legal errors, particularly on behalf of the Lawyers Indemnity Fund. He has been at the forefront of developing the law in areas that affect legal malpractice. Critchley has appeared as lead counsel in precedent-setting cases at the Court of Appeal. He is also a committed educator, regularly lecturing on professional liability, litigation strategy and contributing to legal organizations such as the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (CLEBC) and ICBC.

    Michaela Donnelly (1997) is senior trial counsel with the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS), specializing in major crime prosecutions, such as homicide and dangerous-offender applications. She is a recognized expert on issues related to not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder, providing training for prosecutors and police. Donnelly regularly appears before the BC Review Board and is deeply committed to legal education, mentorship and community service. She also serves on the BCPS Gender Equity and Advancement Committee, focusing on improving equity and opportunities for women in the legal profession.

    Stephanie Fabbro (1999) is a leading family lawyer, mediator and parenting co-ordinator. Practising at Hamilton Fabbro, the firm she co-founded in 2008, she is recognized annually by Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Lexpert Directory. A tireless advocate for non-adversarial family law, she leads the BC Collaborative Roster Society and Parenting Coordinators Roster Society. She has been instrumental in advancing parenting co-ordination standards in B.C. and developing accessible family law resources. In addition, she serves as a mentor and a community volunteer.

    Grant Haddock (1992) is the founder of Haddock and Company, specializing in housing law, including non-profit housing, strata property, residential tenancy and co-op housing. He has created a discounted legal services program for the housing sector, increasing access to justice. A sought-after speaker, he regularly delivers seminars for BC Non-Profit Housing Association and LandlordBC. His advocacy for affordable housing and mentoring of young lawyers has made a significant impact on B.C.’s housing sector. He also contributes to legal publications and continues to champion legal education and access to justice.

    Kevin Kohan (2003) is chief legislative counsel and registrar of regulations for British Columbia and has played a pivotal role in shaping provincial legislation for more than two decades. Known for his legal precision, leadership and integrity, Kohan has drafted landmark laws, such as emergency COVID-19 legislation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. He leads a team of more than 50 professionals and has modernized legislative drafting to reflect inclusive and transparent governance. He is a adviser to cabinet and a two-time Premier’s Award recipient.

    Andrew MacDonald (1989) is a deputy regional Crown counsel with the BCPS, after stepping down as regional Crown counsel for the Fraser region in 2024. Known for his integrity and exceptional judgment, he has mentored young lawyers and contributed to legal education. He is recognized for his commitment to justice and volunteer work in the community. His leadership within the BCPS has made a lasting impact on the prosecution service.

    Andrea MacKay (2000) is one of British Columbia’s top trial and appellate litigators, with a practice spanning complex civil, criminal and administrative law. MacKay has appeared in numerous landmark cases, including at the Supreme Court of Canada, and has also made a significant contribution to the bench and bar through her extensive work on criminal ineffective assistance appeals. She frequently assists the Law Society of B.C. and colleagues in challenging matters and provides pro-bono representation in cases of public importance. She has taught at the national criminal law program and has been an instructor at the McEachern advanced trial advocacy course.

    Anne MacKenzie (1979) has had a distinguished career, including 34 years as a judge, serving as Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C. and as a Court of Appeal justice. Recently returning to practice at Hira Rowan LLP, she has presided over significant civil, criminal and family trials, including in French. As a mentor, she has played a key role in judicial education. She retired from the bench in 2024 and continues to contribute to the legal community through practice and educational initiatives.

    Raji Mangat (2011) is a respected non-profit leader and litigator with 20 years of experience working to improve access to justice for marginalized communities through systemic change efforts. She is a strong advocate for equity and inclusion in the legal profession and has donated her time to several legal organizations, including Access Pro Bono, Health Justice, and Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC.

    Suzette Narbonne (1995) is the managing lawyer at the Society for Children and Youth Legal Centre in Vancouver. Her legal career began in 1989 with Legal Aid Manitoba, where she served in remote areas and First Nations communities. After moving to B.C. in 1995, she focused on legal-aid clients before joining the Society for Children and Youth in 2017. She is an advocate for children’s legal rights, leading initiatives to ensure children’s voices are heard in legal matters.

    Emily Ohler (2001) is a respected human rights leader known for her innovative, values-driven approach to complex challenges. As chair of the BC Human Rights Tribunal, she led a turnaround during a period of crisis, securing critical funding, restructuring operations and launching reforms that reduced delays and restored public confidence. With a global background in international law and United Nation’s reparations, Ohler combines legal expertise with strategic vision, equity and integrity.

    Mark Oulton (2000) has long been recognized as one of B.C.’s leading public law, natural resource and commercial law barristers. His unique background has allowed him to develop a multi-disciplinary litigation practice that sits at the intersection of forestry, commercial and Indigenous law, and engages challenging and important issues at the centre of reconciliation and its intersection with the provincial economy. Beyond the courtroom, Oulton is a director with VanIAC and Brockton school, and an author for CLEBC.

    David Paterson (1985) is a prominent litigator in Aboriginal law and reconciliation, currently practising at Paterson Law Office. He played a key role in landmark cases and negotiated the historic Haida Title Lands Agreement. His contributions to residential school litigation were instrumental in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. He is a leader in public service and legal organizations, such as Reconciliation Canada. His integrity and expertise have earned him widespread recognition for his dedication to justice and reconciliation in Canada.

    Georges Rivard (1992) practises criminal law in Fort St. John, defending cases in English and French. Of French Canadian Métis heritage, he advocates for marginalized communities in northern B.C., particularly First Nations clients. He is committed to language rights, advancing these causes in court and mentoring young lawyers. As a bencher for the Law Society of BC, he contributes to ethics and complaints review. His fierce advocacy and dedication to diversity and justice have earned him respect in the legal community, particularly in the northern and rural regions of B.C.

    Salima Samnani (2008) is the director of legal services at the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic and a lecturer at Peter A. Allard school of law at the University of British Columbia. She is the principal of Salima Samnani Law Corporation, where she practices in family law and employment law, providing legal expertise to individuals, community organizations, non-profit legal services and marginalized communities. She has served as the counsel for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and commission counsel for the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (B.C.). She received her J.D. from the University of Victoria and a master’s degree in law and international business from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

    Kate Saunders (2007) leads one of the largest litigation teams in British Columbia’s Ministry of Attorney General, serving as supervising counsel since 2018. She provides strategic leadership on more than 5,000 active cases and oversees the Province’s settlements under the Crown Proceeding Act. She has worked on landmark cases involving the public health-care system, safe-injection sites and free speech. Saunders’ commitment to public service further extends to serving as an adjudicator on the Law Society of B.C.’s tribunal, advocating for lawyer wellness, volunteering as an instructor at universities and promoting access to justice through pro-bono initiatives.

    Jon Sigurdson (1974) has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, judge and educator. After practising with Bull Housser Tupper, he became a partner at Fraser Kelleher Sigurdson Watts and Gudmundseth. Serving as a Supreme Court Justice from 1994 until 2017, he contributed to judicial education and legal education as an instructor at UBC’s Allard school of law. He was also a contributing editor for The Advocate. His leadership in legal education and commitment to justice and mentorship have made him a highly respected figure in B.C.’s legal community.

    Thomas Spraggs (2003) is a respected civil litigator, legal innovator and dedicated leader in British Columbia’s legal community. He owns Spraggs Law and has championed technology to modernize legal practice. A bencher for Westminster County since 2020 and the Law Society of B.C.’s second vice-president for 2025, Spraggs is widely recognized for his integrity, mentorship and commitment to professional wellness, access to justice and reconciliation. He contributes to legal education through CLEBC and CBABC and has served on numerous boards, reflecting his deep commitment to public service and the advancement of the legal profession.

    Karen Tse (2012) is a rural family lawyer, family law mediator, Legal Aid BC duty counsel and civil litigator. As the first female and IBPOC partner at Rockies Law LLP and first Asian female to serve as vice-president and president-elect of the Kootenay Bar Association, she is dedicated to promoting access to justice in rural communities and providing mentorship to the Kootenay bar. Tse was named volunteer of the year by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce. Her work with the Fernie Women’s Resource Centre and Fernie Child Care Society continues to support rural families accessing child care and women and children in crisis.

    John Tuck (1995) is the acting assistant deputy attorney general in the Legal Services Branch at B.C.’s Ministry of Attorney General. With nearly 30 years of experience specializing in information and privacy law, he provides strategic advice to government, including premiers and senior officials. He has appeared at all levels of court, including in front of the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition to his legal practice, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria law school, where he teaches privacy law.

    Gaynor Yeung (1996) is a partner at Whitelaw Twining in Vancouver, specializing in insurance law and mediation. She has appeared before all levels of B.C. courts and is widely respected by plaintiff and defence counsel. She is regularly recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Elected a bencher in 2021, she chairs the practice standards committee and serves as vice-chair of the EDI Committee, demonstrating her leadership, commitment to ethics and integrity within the legal community.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: General Employment Policy and Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
     
    Question:
     
         According to government data, in 2024-2025 (as at February 2025), among the approved cases under the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (Two Talent Schemes), nearly 50 per cent of the applicants earned a monthly salary of less than $20,000. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the number of applications received, approved and rejected by the Government respectively under the Two Talent Schemes in 2023-‍2024 and 2024-2025, with breakdowns on “short-term employment” and “non-short-term employment” cases;

    (2) among the non-short-term employment cases approved by the Government in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 as mentioned in (1), of (i) ‍the distribution of the industries/sectors in which the applicants are employed and the median wage, and (ii) the minimum and maximum monthly salaries of the applicants and the respective industries/sectors in which they are employed (broken down by year and talent scheme); and

    (3) among the short-term employment cases approved by the Government in 2024-2025 as mentioned in (1), of the minimum and maximum daily wages of the applicants, and the respective industries/sectors in which they are employed (set out by talent scheme)?

    Reply: 

    President,
     
         The General Employment Policy (GEP) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) are market-driven employment-tied admission schemes. Where a job vacancy arises, an enterprise, having through the market availability test proved difficulties to fill the vacancy in local recruitment, may apply to employ an outside talent via one of the aforesaid employment-tied admission schemes. The employed outside talent should have a good education background, normally a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification in the relevant field, and have been engaged in a job relevant to his/her academic qualifications or work experience. The remuneration package should also be commensurate with the local prevailing market level for professionals. As the professions on the Talent List are in local manpower shortage, enterprises could be exempted from the market availability tests if the positions for recruiting outside talents under the aforesaid admission schemes fall within the professions on the Talent List. The Immigration Department (ImmD) has put in place mechanisms for assessing applications under the talent admission schemes in a rigorous manner to ensure that approved applications meet the eligibility criteria of the schemes, including that their remuneration packages are broadly commensurate with the prevailing market levels for relevant professions at the time of applications.

         Our reply to the Member’s questions, in consultation with the ImmD, is as follows:

    (1) In the past two years, over 67 000 applications were received under the GEP, and the numbers of applications approved and refused during the same period were nearly 63 000 and 1 000 respectively. Among the approved applications, around 70 per cent were in respect of short-term positions with contract duration of less than 12 months, while the remaining applications, around 30 per cent, were long-term positions with contract duration of 12 months or more. Over 53 000 applications were received under the ASMTP in the past two years, and the numbers of applications approved and refused during the same period were about 47 000 and 600 respectively. About 46 per cent of the approved applications were in respect of short-term positions, while long-term positions accounted for about 54 per cent of the approved applications. The breakdowns of the statistics are at Annex I.

    (2) and (3) In the past two years, among those approved to take up long-term positions in Hong Kong under the GEP, most were engaged in the tourism industry, followed by academic research and education, and financial services. As for those approved under the ASMTP to take up long-term positions in Hong Kong, most were engaged in commerce and trade, followed by financial services, and academic research and education. Among the approved incoming talents, most have monthly remuneration falling within the range of $20,000 to $39,999, followed by those in the range of $40,000 to $79,999. As the job nature, job type and contract duration of individual cases are different, their salary levels also vary and should not be put in direct comparison.

         The breakdowns of the numbers of approved applicants taking up long-term positions in Hong Kong under the aforesaid employment-tied admission schemes by industry/sector and monthly remuneration are at Annex II.

         The ImmD does not maintain the other statistical breakdowns sought in the question.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Combating phishing

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ7: Combating phishing 
    Question:
     
         The Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre handled a total of 12 536 security incidents last year, with phishing accounting for over half of all cases, marking a 108 per cent increase from 2023. In addition, between January and February this year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) posted on its website press releases on phishing instant messages and fraudulent websites related to banks for more than 50 times. Regarding combating phishing, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the respective numbers of fraud cases involving phishing and the losses incurred in each of the past five years, together with a breakdown by industry;
     
    (2) among the phishing websites reported by members of the public on the public intelligence platform since the launch of “Scameter”, of the proportion of those that have actually been added by the Police to the scam database; whether a mechanism for immediate takedown of the reported phishing websites has been put in place; if so, of the average time taken to take down such websites;
     
    (3) as it has been reported that in view of the susceptibility of SMS messages issuing an SMS one-time password (OTP) to interception by hackers, the HKMA has requested that banks implement measures by the end of last year requiring customers to authenticate online credit card transactions using the banking applications in their mobile phones instead of using an SMS OTP for authentication, whether the HKMA will formulate a specific timetable for phasing out OTP authentication; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (4) as the Office of the Communications Authority has launched the SMS Sender Registration Scheme for companies or organisations that have registered as Registered Senders to use SMS messages with the prefix “#” in order to help members of the public ascertain the authenticity of SMS messages, but it has been reported that some fraudsters use fraudulent mobile base stations, which are illegal radio devices, to circumvent the existing mechanism, impersonating official or financial institutions to send fraudulent SMS messages, whether the authorities will study the formulation of measures to address the aforesaid situation, and at the same time step up publicity to raise the public’s anti-deception awareness; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Deception is a serious crime. Regardless of the tactics used by criminals, we will take stringent combat actions as long as illegal activities are involved. Phishing scams as mentioned in the question generally refers to a crime where illegal elements sent out through SMS messages, emails, voice messages, QR codes, etc, to potential victims en masse, impersonating organisations such as banks, telecommunication service providers (TSPs) or even government departments. Alleging that irregularities in the recipients’ accounts are detected or account verification is needed, criminals lure recipients of the messages into clicking on an embedded link and entering a fake website to provide their account login credentials, credit card information, personal information, etc. The criminals will then use such information to make purchases with credit cards or transfer the bonus points out of the recipients’ accounts. The Police have been making every effort to combat various types of fraud cases, including phishing scams, in collaboration with different government departments. Apart from taking intelligence-led enforcement actions, the Police are raising public awareness against this type of crime through public education and promotional activities.
     
         In consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
     
    (1) The Police have maintained statistics on phishing scam cases since 2023. In 2023 and 2024, 4 322 and 2 731 cases on phishing scam were received respectively. The monetary losses involved were $102.4 million and $53.5 million respectively. In the first two months of 2025, the Police received a total of 242 phishing scam reports, a decrease of 347 cases (58.9 per cent) as compared with the same period last year. The monetary loss involved decreased by 54.2 per cent to $4.9 million.
     
         The Police do not maintain any breakdown by industry in relation to phishing scams.
     
    (2) “Scameter” has yielded remarkable results since its launch in September 2022. As at February 2025, more than 7.60 million searches had been recorded and about 950 000 alerts on frauds and cyber security risks had been issued. Members of the public had also reported over 355 000 suspicious phone calls and over 38 000 suspicious websites through the public intelligence platform of “Scameter”.
     
         In February 2023, the Police launched a mobile application version, “Scameter+”, to help members of the public distinguish suspicious online platform accounts, payment accounts, phone numbers, email addresses, websites, etc, and to provide the public with anti-fraud tips. “Scameter+” has now been upgraded and is equipped with automatic detection functions, namely the Call Alert function and the Website Detection function, which will automatically identify scam calls and fraudulent websites. If potential fraud or cyber security risk is detected, “Scameter+” will issue a real-time notification, reminding users not to answer the call or browse the website. There is also a public intelligence platform in “Scameter+” for members of the public to report frauds and pitfalls, thereby further enriching its database.
     
         The Police update the database of “Scameter” on a daily basis and will continuously review and enhance its functions, while strengthening other anti-fraud measures in a proactive manner. The database of “Scameter” comprises information collected from reports made by members of the public and obtained by the Police from other channels, including criminal investigations and intelligence. We do not maintain statistics on the percentage of phishing websites reported by the public that have actually been added by the Police to the scam database.
     
         Moreover, under the co-ordination of the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA), the Police and major TSPs have established a mechanism where TSPs will, based on the fraud records provided by the Police, block the telephone numbers suspected to be involved in deception cases and intercept suspicious website links as soon as possible. As at end February 2025, the TSPs had successfully blocked about 40 000 website links involved in fraud cases and more than 8 600 suspected fraudulent phone numbers at the Police’s request. The OFCA does not maintain any record of the average time required for relevant actions by TSPs.
     
    (3) The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has been closely monitoring the trend of digital frauds and actively encouraging banks to implement effective anti-fraud measures. In line with the HKMA’s guidelines, card-issuing banks have gradually started providing customers with more secure authentication methods since late 2024. Customers can authenticate online payment card transactions through their bank’s mobile application (App) instead of using SMS One-Time Passwords (OTPs). According to banks’ statistics, the related fraud rate has decreased by nearly 80 per cent.
     
         In response to the latest modus operandi of digital frauds, the HKMA announced three new measures in April 2025, and which are succinctly referred to as E-Banking Security ABC. The measures require banks to strengthen E-banking security to further enhance customers’ fraud prevention capabilities.
     
         Firstly, banks are required to implement (A) a new measure called Authenticate in-App by Q4 2025 or earlier. Thereafter, when customers log into Internet banking and conduct high-risk transactions (such as adding new payees, increasing transfer limits, changing the phone number for receiving bank notifications, or binding Internet banking accounts to mobile devices), they will need to conduct authentication through their bank’s mobile App instead of using SMS OTPs. Furthermore, starting in Q3 2025, when customers bind or rebind their mobile devices, they will have to conduct authentication via facial recognition or similarly stringent authentication methods (such as visiting a branch in person), replacing the current practice of using SMS OTP for two-factor authentication. If customers insist on using SMS OTPs for authenticating transactions or device binding, banks will need to follow the HKMA’s requirements, and implement effective risk management measures for those transactions or binding requests, such as enhancing the monitoring of related transactions and deferring the execution of higher-risk transactions. These measures will help gradually phase out the use of SMS OTPs for authentication purposes.
     
         Additionally, banks will also need to implement the remaining two new measures, namely (B) “Bye to unused functions” and (C) “Cancel suspicious payments”, during Q2 2025. The former will give customers the option to deactivate Internet banking functions like increasing transfer limits and adding new payees, to better suit their personal needs while strengthening risk management. The latter will further enhance the effectiveness of the Suspicious Account Alert mechanism, and provide customers with sufficient time to review the alert content.
     
         Together, the three new measures referred to as E-Banking Security ABC mentioned above will offer more comprehensive fraud prevention and protection coverage for bank customers.
     
    (4) The SMS Sender Registration Scheme (the Scheme) was implemented on December 28, 2023, and was fully opened to all industries in February 2024. As at end March 2025, over 495 public and private organisations (including the Immigration Department, the Department of Health, the Police and the Consumer Council) have participated in the Scheme. Under the Scheme, only those companies or organisations qualified as Registered Senders are able to send SMS messages using their Registered SMS Sender IDs with the prefix “#”. TSPs will block fraudulent SMS messages sent by non-Registered Senders via the Internet. In addition, to enhance the implementation effectiveness of the Scheme, the OFCA will, after obtaining the consent of the Registered Senders, request TSPs to prohibit non-“#” SMS messages suspected to impersonate identities of a Registered Sender, further safeguarding the public’s interest. An SMS Sender Registry is available on the OFCA’s website for the public to verify registered companies, and efforts will continue to engage more organisations to participate in the Scheme.
     
         In mid-February this year, there were public enquiries about suspected fraudulent SMS messages with the prefix “#”. The Police and the OFCA were highly concerned. Of the 31 reports received by the Police, two involved monetary losses, totalling about $30,000. The Police subsequently arrested a male and seized illegal radiocommunications apparatus. A joint press briefing with the OFCA was held to brief the public on how to stay vigilant against this type of fraud. The incident was an isolated case, and the relevant apparatus could only affect mobile phones within a limited area without undermining the overall implementation effectiveness of the Scheme. The OFCA has requested all TSPs to enhance monitoring of abnormal network signals, and has established a reporting mechanism. If similar cases are detected in future, the OFCA will promptly co-ordinate with the Police to take follow-up actions.
     
         In response to these illegal activities, the Police will continue to adopt a multipronged approach, including use of technology in fraud prevention and enhanced enforcement actions, to combat fraud on all fronts. Regarding use of technology in fraud prevention, the Police will collaborate with other departments to step up interception of suspicious transactions and fraudulent phone calls. Anti-scam applications will also be upgraded to provide immediate alerts. Enforcement-wise, the Police will carry out rigorous investigation on money laundering activities and stooge accounts, and will work with overseas law enforcement agencies to combat cross-border fraud syndicates.
     
         Apart from resolute law enforcement actions, the Government has adopted a multipronged publicity strategy to enhance public awareness of fraud. The Police will continue to work jointly with the OFCA and the industry in stepping up publicity and education, with a view to raising the public’s anti-deception awareness. The OFCA and TSPs will strengthen monitoring on network signals and take timely response measures when abnormalities are found.
     
         Specifically, in January 2025, the OFCA launched the District Anti-Phone Deception Ambassador Scheme, which received support from more than 150 District Council (DC) members’ ward offices covering 18 districts in Hong Kong with the participation by more than 300 DC members and their staff members, to promote anti-phone scam messages at district level. The OFCA will continue to step up publicity and public education in the community through issuing press releases, broadcasting TV and radio announcements, publishing social media posts, producing and distributing promotional leaflets and posters, and organising various different community activities to deliver anti-phone scam messages to the public more comprehensively. Since 2023, the OFCA has conducted a total of 21 roadshows with Legislative Council Members and DC members, and organised 182 public education and publicity programmes. 
     
         To combat the rampant phishing scams, the Police have increased publicity efforts. Through the Police electronic platform, the website CyberDefender as well as traditional media, the Police have educated the public about common and new tactics used by fraudsters. The Police have warned members of the public not to click onto any hyperlink embedded in messages of unknown sources or suspected to contain phishing websites. Instead, they should contact the relevant institution directly for verification, or carry out risk assessment and fact checking using the “Scameter” or “Scameter+”. For assistance, they are advised to call the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222.
    Issued at HKT 12:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ECI crosses milestone of training over 2,300 field-level election functionaries at IIIDEM

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 MAY 2025 3:52PM by PIB Delhi

    The Election Commission of India has now taken another unprecedented step of training field-level election functionaries from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in Tamil language. 293 participants comprising 264 BLO Supervisors, 14 EROs, 2 DEOs and other officials are part of this mixed-batch training programme at IIIDEM, Delhi.

    2. In his inaugural address Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Shri Gyanesh Kumar said that the BLOs are the first interface of the Election Commission of India with the voters and have a vital role in ensuring correct and updated electoral rolls. With this, nearly 2,300 participants have benefited from intensive training programmes being organised at IIIDEM during the past few weeks.  This 2-day training programme is in line with the expansive training programme to train election functionaries at all levels including over 1 lakh BLOs in the country in next few years.  

    3. The BLO supervisors are being trained through interactive sessions, role plays, to ensure accurate filling of various forms including Form 6, 7 & 8. The module includes practical training in the use of IT solutions. These BLO supervisors are being equipped as Assembly Level Master Trainers to train other BLOs.

    4. The participants were also familiarised with the provisions of first and second appeals against the final published electoral rolls with the District Magistrate (DM or an officer of equivalent rank) under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950 and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under section 24(b) respectively.

    5. It may be recalled that no appeals were filed from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.

    ******

    PK/GDH/RP

    (Release ID: 2127514) Visitor Counter : 24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sotheby’s Hong Kong Postpones the Auction of Piprahwa Buddhist Relics Following Intervention by Ministry of Culture

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 MAY 2025 3:45PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has successfully secured the postponement of the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, which was scheduled for May 7, 2025. 

    The Piprahwa Relics, comprising bone fragments of the Historical Buddha, along with soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan. The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899 and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while a selection of funerary gems retained by W.C. Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, was listed for auction. 

    Upon learning of the auction through media reports, the Ministry of Culture immediately initiated the following actions: 

    • On May 2, 2025, the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) wrote to the Consulate General of Hong Kong, requesting the immediate cessation of the auction. 
    • During a bilateral meeting on the same day, Culture Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised the matter with Rt Hon Lisa Nandy, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, emphasizing the relics’ cultural and religious significance and urging immediate action. 
    • On May 5, 2025, the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, convened a review meeting to discuss next steps. 
    • A legal notice was issued to Sotheby’s (through representatives Ms. Ivy Wong and Julian King) and Chris Peppé on the same day, demanding the auction’s halt. 
    • The Ministry of External Affairs was requested to follow up through its Europe West and East Asia Divisions with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong to ensure the auction’s stoppage. 

    On May 5, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong acknowledged the legal notice via email, assuring that the matter was under consideration and a written reply would be submitted. 

    On May 6, 2025, a high-level delegation led by the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, including the Joint Secretary (East Asia Division, MEA) and the Consul General of India to Hong Kong, held discussions with Sotheby’s representatives. The delegation highlighted that the relics were not ordinary artifacts but held sacred significance for millions of Buddhists worldwide. It was further emphasized that the relics rightfully belong to India, from where they were taken during the colonial era. 

    Late on May 6, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong informed via email that the auction of the Piprahwa relics was being postponed and proposed further discussions. The auction page was subsequently removed from Sotheby’s website.

    The Ministry’s efforts were supported by – The Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO,  Krista Pikkat, Director, UNESCO, Buddhist organizations from India, Sri Lanka, and other countries, Prof. Naman Ahuja, who filed a representation with the Prime Minister’s portal and national and international media.

    The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the ASI and MEA, will now engage all stakeholders to advance discussions on the repatriation of the relics to India. 

    ***

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2127516) Visitor Counter : 25

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ19: Ticketing arrangements for large-scale stage performances

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
     
    Question:

    It has been reported that recently, after admission tickets of a concert held in the Main Stadium of the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) were put on sale through the ticket sales platform, there has been a spate of disputes involving the chaotic ticket exchange arrangements and obstructed views of some seats located in areas where the view was obstructed but the relevant platform had not marked prior to sale, etc., which have aroused strong dissatisfaction among the public. There are views that such situations may affect the confidence of the public and tourists in Hong Kong’s capability in hosting large-scale performances. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether the authorities have required organisers of commercial performances held at government venues to provide the relevant departments with clear ticketing plans in renting venues, such as information on the ticket-vending mechanisms, the number of tickets available for sale, the ticket collection arrangements, and the disclosure standards for seating information (including marking of areas with obstructed views); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) as it is learnt that ticket sales platforms collected handling charge from ticket buyers but failed to offer proper post-sale arrangements for those affected by the aforesaid situations, of the regulatory measures currently put in place by the Government on the platforms responsible for selling tickets of activities held at public venues, and how it would assist consumers in recovering loss;
     
    (3) whether the authorities will study requiring ticket sale companies responsible for selling tickets of commercial performances held at government venues to adopt “identity-bound ticket limit” and “delayed ticket transfer mechanism” (e.g. ticket transfer must be processed through the official platforms), so as to curb the problem of ticket scalping; and
     
    (4) whether consideration will be given to including a requirement of providing the electronic ticket exchange function in the new contract between government venues (such as the KTSP) and ticketing agencies, so as to ensure that members of the public are not required to go to the venues in person to exchange their tickets?
     
    Reply:
     
    President:
     
    In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong is as follows:
     
    Hirers of performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are required to obtain the LCSD’s approval on the ticket price scale, the seating plan and the ticketing system before the commencement of ticket sales. The seating plan shall indicate seats that are available for sale with prices specified, those with sightline problems or blocked due to technical reasons, and those for which complimentary tickets are to be issued.
     
    The Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) has fully commissioned since March 2025, with the Kai Tak Sports Park Limited (KTSPL) being responsible for its daily operation under a “Design, Build and Operate” contract. The ticketing arrangements for events held at the various venues within the KTSP, including the choice of ticketing platform, are decided by individual event organisers. The KTSPL has already uploaded the seating plan of the three major venues to its website for public reference, and will maintain close liaison with event organisers regarding the arrangements of seats available for sale for individual events. As the stage design and venue usage of different events at the KTSP vary, event organisers will specify the seats with restricted view when selling tickets on the ticketing platform. These seats will also be marked as restricted view on the relevant tickets.
     
    Subject to the requirements of event organisers, ticketing platforms offer different ticket collection arrangements, including the use of physical tickets and/or e-tickets. Some concerts/events held at the LCSD’s performance venues and the KTSP adopt the use of physical tickets, where audiences collect their tickets by such means as ticket delivery or at self-service ticketing kiosks, etc. after their purchase. E-ticket function is also available on URBTIX under the LCSD, events taking place at the KTSP could also use e-tickets as well. If an organiser chooses to adopt the use of e-tickets, their patrons could be admitted to the programmes by presenting either the e-ticket image in the confirmation email received, or the e-ticket QR code stored in the mobile app(s) to the venue staff for scanning and verification. At the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens recently held in the KTSP, the organiser opted to use e-tickets. Audiences had to download the relevant app on their smartphones to redeem their e-tickets and present such tickets upon entry by opening the app concerned.
     
    Apart from ticket collection arrangements, ticketing platforms offer different ticketing proposals to cater to the needs of event organisers. For example, when handling ticketing for large-scale and popular events, URBTIX under the LCSD liaises with the organisers on ticketing proposals which cater to individual programmes (including adopting real-name ticketing arrangement); offering Internet, mobile app and telephone booking services only; setting a cap for the number of tickets each patron can purchase per transaction as well as imposing a limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased with the same credit card on the first day of ticket sales; increasing the transparency of ticketing information; implementing delayed ticket collection arrangement; and encouraging organisers to increase the ratio of tickets for public sale, etc. We note that other ticketing platforms also offer similar arrangements such as real-name ticketing arrangement and setting a cap for the number of tickets that can be purchased, etc.
     
    Each ticketing platform has its own customer services arrangement, such as providing ticketing enquiries and after-sales supporting services. In addition, the Consumer Council (the Council) carries out its statutory functions in accordance with the Consumer Council Ordinance (Cap. 216), including the handling of complaints relating to goods and services of and the provision of advice to consumers, as well as conciliating disputes between consumers and traders. If consumers consider that the organisers and/or ticketing platforms have not handled the matters in relation to event tickets properly or have failed to reach a consensus with them, consumers may lodge a complaint with and seek assistance from the Council on conciliation.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ8: Operation of new Huanggang Port

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
     
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that the project of the new Huanggang Port building is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Upon commissioning, the new Huanggang Port will implement the “co-location arrangement”, and the time for immigration clearance will be shortened from the current 20 ‍minutes to 5 minutes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government the commissioning date of the new Huanggang Port, and of the progress of the preparatory work for the commissioning of the port;
     
    (2) given that, according to Government information, the new Huanggang Port will have a design flow of approximately 200 000 ‍passenger trips and 15 000 cross-boundary vehicle trips per day, whether the authorities have estimated the daily passenger and vehicle flows in the initial period after the new Huanggang Port is commissioned;

    (3) as it has been reported that the new Huanggang Port will be connected to five rail lines, including the Shenzhen Metro Line 7 and the MTR Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line, and the Government indicated in its paper submitted to the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways of this Council on March 31 this year that it was actively discussing with the MTR Corporation Limited for commissioning the NOL Main Line and Spur Line together by 2034 or earlier, of the progress of the discussions; and
     
    (4) of the arrangements for public transport services, such as franchised buses, minibuses, taxis and cross-boundary coach services, upon the commissioning of the new Huanggang Port; as it is learnt that 24-‍hour clearance will be implemented at the new Huanggang Port, whether the authorities will allow public transport operators to operate overnight bus routes providing services between the new Huanggang Port and Yuen Long, Sheung Shui and urban Kowloon; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:
     
    President,

         The Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government have obtained the Central Government’s support for the implementation of co-location arrangement at the redeveloped Huanggang Port to provide greater convenience for cross-boundary passengers. The new Huanggang Port building will be a multi-storey building with customs, immigration and quarantine clearance facilities and public transport interchanges for the Mainland and Hong Kong set up on different floors, laying the foundation for implementing the co-location arrangement at the new port. The new Huanggang Port will also adopt the new clearance mode of collaborative inspection and joint clearance to further enhance passenger clearance efficiency.

         In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Lau is as follows:

    (1) The superstructure of the new Huanggang Port building is currently under construction and the target is to strive for basic completion of the new port building by end-2025. The arrangements and timetable for the commissioning of the port are subject to further discussions by the two governments.

    To promote the progress of the Huangguang Port redevelopment project from multiple perspectives, the two governments have set up various task forces which are actively working together to take forward the tasks on various aspects, such as design and construction, clearance arrangements and cross-boundary transport. In addition, the task force for collaboration on planning and development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen control points co-chaired by the Secretary for Security of the HKSAR Government and the Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government holds regular meetings to oversee the planning and development of various boundary control point projects, including the works and progress related to the redevelopment of the Huangguang Port.

    Regarding the financial arrangement for the redevelopment of the Huanggang Port, the Shenzhen Municipal Government has agreed in principle to bear the design and construction costs of the entire project (including the Hong Kong Port Area (HKPA)). The HKSAR Government will bear on its own the costs of other items for the HKPA other than basic construction works, such as furniture and equipment required by various departments and the information systems necessary for the operation of the control point. The HKSAR Government will seek funding for the related items from the Legislative Council at a suitable juncture.
     
    (2) The design flow of the redeveloped Huanggang Port is about 200 000 passenger trips per day, which can be increased to about 300 000 upon the commissioning of the Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line of the MTR, while the design flow of cross‑boundary vehicles is about 15 000 vehicular trips per day. The above design flow will be sufficient to meet the estimated demand of passenger and vehicular traffic during the initial period after the commissioning of the port.

    After the two governments have reached a consensus on the specific arrangements regarding the commissioning of the port (including the estimated passenger and vehicle flows in the initial period), advance arrangements for manpower deployment will be made. The HKSAR Government will, as always, closely monitor the actual clearance traffic during the initial commissioning of the port, flexibly allocate manpower and utilise innovative technology to meet the service demands at the port.

    (3) The governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong are jointly taking forward the NOL Spur Line project through the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure. The detailed planning and design are anticipated to commence this year. The HKSAR Government will strive to implement the NOL Main Line and Spur Line projects simultaneously. The target is to advance the NOL Spur Line for commissioning with the NOL Main Line concurrently by 2034 or earlier.

    (4) The co-location arrangement will be adopted at the new Huanggang Port. A public transport interchange will be set up in the HKPA of the new port for use by local public transport and cross-boundary transport services.

    With reference to the case of the Shenzhen Bay Port, the Transport Department (TD) will arrange various local public transport services (including franchised buses, green minibuses and taxis (including urban, New Territories and taxi fleet taxis)) to meet the transportation needs of passengers traveling to and from the new port. The TD will announce details of the relevant services in due course.

    As for cross-boundary transport services, the TD has been liaising with the relevant Mainland authorities on providing appropriate and adequate cross-boundary passenger transport services (including cross-boundary coach and cross-boundary hire car) with a view to meeting the travel needs of the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ6: Northern Metropolis University Town

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kwok-fan and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

    Question:

    The Government has reserved sites in the Northern Metropolis for the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) and plan to publish the Northern Metropolis University Town Development Conceptual Framework in the first half of 2026. According to the current plan, NMUT will be spread over three sites, namely, about 46 hectares in Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area, about 40 hectares in New Territories North New Town and about five hectares in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the development timeline, infrastructure details, and estimated commencement date for the three aforesaid sites; given the positive response from local and overseas institutions towards NMUT, how will the Government expedite the development, including advancing the publication of the Northern Metropolis University Town Development Conceptual Framework within this year to meet demand;

    (2) given that there are views pointing out that the development of HSK/HT NDA is ahead of the other two sites, and that the MTR Hung Shui Kiu Station is expected to be completed in 2030, will the Government give priority to the development of the site for education purpose in that area; if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
    ​
    (3) as the area of the site for education purpose in HSK/HT NDA is only five hectares, will the Government, in the light of the latest developments, dynamically plan and consolidate the site and expand it to a size comparable to the other two sites (i.e. over 40 hectares); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    Education is the key to nurturing talent. Hong Kong’s post-secondary education is highly internationalised and diversified. As the only city with five universities in the world’s top 100, Hong Kong is an international hub for exchange and collaboration among high-calibre talent. For two consecutive years, the Chief Executive has put forward in the Policy Address the goal of developing Hong Kong into an international education hub and a cradle for future talent, and making good use of the Northern Metropolis (NM), with new land, new population, excellent connectivity, development opportunities of different industries and close connections with the Mainland, to provide space for the post-secondary education sector to develop and enhance its quality and capacity. 

    At present, the Government has reserved about 90 hectares (ha) of land in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA), the Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area (NTM NDA) and the New Territories North New Town (NTN New Town) in the NM for developing the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). The Government will encourage local post‑secondary institutions to introduce more branded programmes, research collaborations and exchange projects on a self-financing basis with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions in a flexible and innovative manner. The Government will also progressively take forward the NMUT development in accordance with four objectives and strategies, including:

    (1) industry-led; 
    (2) supporting Hong Kong’s development into an international post-secondary education hub; 
    (3) aligned with the national development strategies; and 
    (4) industry-driven, step by step.

    The Education Bureau (EDB) plans to release the NMUT Development Conceptual Framework in the first half of 2026. 

    In consultation with the Development Bureau (DEVB), our consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Lau Kwok-fan is as follows: 

    (1) About five ha of land within the HSK/HT NDA has been planned for the NMUT, which can be made available for the development of a new campus for self financing post-secondary institution(s), with a view to supporting the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly-funded post-secondary education sectors. The statutory town plan for the HSK/HT NDA has been formulated, and the first stage of site formation works commenced in 2020. The Stage 2 works, including those for the NMUT land, have commenced progressively from the first half of 2024. It is expected that the NMUT land will be formed within 2026 at the earliest for the construction of a campus.

    As for NTM NDA and NTN New Town, the NMUT land currently under planning is about 46 ha and 40 ha in size respectively. In end-2024, the DEVB announced the development proposals for these two NDAs. Upon completion of the statutory planning procedures, the DEVB will accord priority to the delivery of the NMUT land within these two NDAs. It is anticipated that government-led site formation works in NTM NDA can commence in 2027 at the earliest, with the first batch of land for the NMUT formed in 2029 at the earliest. The NMUT land in NTN New Town is proposed to be included in the Priority Development Area thereof, and government-led site formation works therein can commence in 2028/29 at the earliest, with the first batch of land for the NMUT formed in 2030/31 at the earliest.

    (2) and (3) Land is a valuable social resource. With respect to the overall framework and planning for the development of post-secondary education in the NM, we have made reference to the preliminary development intentions on the NMUT submitted by relevant institutions. To take forward the development in a pragmatic and steady manner, having holistically considered various factors and development priorities, the Government has increased the site area of the NMUT from about 60 ha initially to about 90 ha at present to meet the needs of the post-secondary sector. Moreover, the EDB will continue to adhere to the principle of “industry-led, step by step” and take forward the planning of the NMUT in phases in accordance with the development strategies and paces of different zones in the NM.

    As indicated in the Approved Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan and the NM Action Agenda, which were formulated by relevant departments after conducting extensive consultation and consolidating various policy considerations, the Government has reserved about five ha of land in the HSK/HT NDA for the development of a new self-financing post-secondary institution campus, with a view to supporting the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly-funded post-secondary education sectors. Since the relevant site formation works are expected to complete in 2026, it is anticipated that the relevant site can be ready for launch earlier than the ones in the NTM NDA and the NTN New Town. We are discussing planning matters with relevant bureaux/departments, including the specific location, area, use and density of the reserved land, and will invite eligible self-financing post-secondary institutions to submit expressions of interest for the site in due course, depending on the planning progress.

    The approved Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan was promulgated in October 2018, which sets out the uses, such as domestic, industrial and government/community facilities uses, and development parameters of different land parcels in the area. The DEVB will conduct a timely review of planning matters, such as land uses and development parameters, in the light of the latest social and economic developments. It will propose amendments to the plan where necessary and will take into account the views of various sectors in the process. If the development plan of an institution requires a site area of more than five ha and meets the relevant criteria for consideration, such as feasibility, cost-effectiveness and making good use of existing campus facilities and public resources, the EDB will assess with relevant bureaux/departments whether there is room for revising the land use planning for the HSK/HT NDA so as to accommodate the development plan of the institution.

    Thank you, President.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ3: Promoting development of innovation and technology enterprises

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon William Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

    Question:

         In the country’s Report on the Work of the Government this year, the Central Government for the first time highlights the need to support the development of gazelle enterprises. Gazelle enterprises refer to high-growth small and medium-sized scientific and technological enterprises characterized by strong innovation capabilities, new fields of expertise and great development potential. It is learnt that a number of Mainland provinces and municipalities have introduced preferential measures such as incentive subsidies and interest-free loans to accelerate the development of gazelle enterprises. In particular, Hangzhou implemented support policies for eligible gazelle enterprises as early as 2020, encouraging them to collaborate with higher education institutions and scientific research institutes on research and development. This, complemented by other innovation and technology (I&T) support, has fostered a robust innovation ecosystem in Hangzhou, thereby nurturing a number of I&T enterprises, among which the six companies collectively known as Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” are particularly outstanding. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether it will set a definition for gazelle enterprises in Hong Kong and compile statistics on the number of gazelle enterprises in the territory;

    (2) whether it has studied the provision of targeted policy support for gazelle enterprises; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct a study; and

    (3) as it has been reported that Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” are interested in strengthening cooperation with Hong Kong, and the Chief Executive has also indicated that assistance will be provided to them, whether the Government will take the initiative to liaise with and invite such enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong, so as to inject new momentum into the I&T ecosystem?

    Reply:

    President,

         Thank you Professor the Hon Wong Kam-fai for the question. My consolidated reply is as follows.

         The National “Government Work Report” of this year strongly supports the development of innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises of all development stages, comprehensively planning to accelerate the growth of emerging and future industries. To proactively align with the national development strategy and to promote technological and industrial innovation, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy under the overarching framework of the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint over the past two years. On one hand, we are striving to nurture local I&T start-ups; on the other hand, we are actively attracting enterprises to set up businesses in Hong Kong. This fully leverages our unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle, that is, enjoying strong support from the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, with a view to seizing the historic opportunity of this new round of technological innovation and industry transformation.

         On nurturing Hong Kong’s I&T start-ups, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) has provided a full range of support services to start-ups through the two Hong Kong I&T flagships, namely the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) and Cyberport. The HKSTPC has been committed to providing support for entrepreneurial technology talent through various incubation programmes, including the provision of research and development (R&D) space and supporting facilities, funding, technical and management assistance, investor matching, mentorship support, promotion and business development support. Meanwhile, Cyberport has provided different financial and professional support through various public mission-driven incubation, accelerator, and support programmes tailored to the different development stages of start-ups. Also, with the imminent opening of the Hong Kong Park in the Loop within this year, the HSITPL (i.e. the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Parks Limited) will also launch an incubation programme to provide funding support and comprehensive support services to start-up teams and enterprises in the Park that have development potential and are engaged in life and health technologies. The number of start‑ups in Hong Kong surged from around 1 000 in 2014 to around 4 700 in 2024, reflecting the increasingly vibrant I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong. Our policy objective is to nurture I&T start-ups with independent R&D capabilities which can make substantive contributions to the economy and society, with a view to fostering the high-quality development of Hong Kong’s economy.

         We also recognise the importance of and the long-term need for supporting the development of start-ups as well as the necessity to keep abreast of the times in our policy initiatives. In recent years, the ITIB and the Innovation and Technology Commission have introduced and implemented a number of policies to enhance support for start-ups at various development stages, including the nurturing of start-ups. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme was launched in 2023, which aims to fund, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D outcomes.  To attract more venture capital to co-invest in local I&T start-ups, we launched the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund enhanced scheme in end-2024 by redeploying up to $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, on a matching basis, to invest in start-ups of strategic industries, thereby empowering start-ups with more financing support.

         Furthermore, we are preparing for the launch of the Pilot I&T Accelerator Scheme, which aims to attract professional start-up service providers with proven track records in and beyond Hong Kong to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong to foster the robust growth of start-ups and enhance the I&T ecosystem.

         Apart from nurturing Hong Kong’s I&T start-ups, we have also taken the initiative to assist Mainland enterprises to “go global” and attract overseas resources, and strive to play the roles of “super connector” and “super value-adder”, thereby bringing new opportunities and opening up new horizons for Hong Kong’s I&T development. As at April 2025, in collaboration with other government departments, the ITIB has negotiated with more than 200 high-potential or representative enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong. During his recent visit to Zhejiang, the Chief Executive invited I&T enterprises such as “Hangzhou’s Six Little Dragons” to set up businesses in Hong Kong, encouraging them to make use of Hong Kong’s strengths to actively expand their business overseas. The ITIB is following up on these co-operation opportunities with a view to bringing them to fruition as soon as possible. We believe that the establishment of more I&T enterprises in Hong Kong will further promote the vibrant development of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, bring new impetus to the local I&T ecosystem, and further enhance the development of related industries.

         We will continue to strengthen our I&T ecosystem in the following ways: first, continue to optimise our existing policies to enhance our support for I&T start-ups; second, facilitate more I&T enterprises in strategic industries to set up their businesses in Hong Kong; and third, engage with enterprises through various channels to understand their needs timely, dynamically adjust relevant policies and roll out new initiatives so as to ensure that our support measures align with industry needs to accelerate Hong Kong’s I&T development.

         Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Promoting pop culture industry

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Fok and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
     
    Question:
     
    The Government in the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development (the Blueprint) published in November last year explicitly proposed that Hong Kong should be developed into a “capital of pop culture”. Measures include promoting the development of the pop culture industry, supporting the innovative development of pop culture, and promoting the organisation of more events such as concerts and music festivals. However, some members of the industry have relayed that the existing measures on venue provision, ancillary support and talent nurturing are not in line with the policy objectives, which affect the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s pop culture. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the details of the use of the venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) for organising pop culture activities in the past three years, including the venues involved, the number of sessions of the programmes held, the types of activities, the number of participants and the utilisation rates of seats (set out in a table);
     
    (2) as some members of the industry have relayed that it is difficult for emerging artists and independent groups to be allocated time slots in LCSD venues, whether the Government will review the existing venue allocation mechanism and scoring criteria, so as to address the industry’s demand for small and medium-sized commercial performance venues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (3) given that the 2022 Policy Address has proposed to increase the number of seats at performance venues by about 50 per cent, of the number of newly-built or converted venues and the number of additional seats at present, and whether it has reviewed if the progress of work in achieving this policy objective is in line with expectations;
     
    (4) whether the authorities will comprehensively enhance the relevant measures to solve the problem of insufficient performance venues for the pop culture industry (including reviewing the Venue Partnership Scheme to increase the quota for small and medium-sized performing groups; enhancing the transparency of the scoring criteria for booking LCSD venues; relaxing the restriction on the use of some government venues (e.g. sports grounds and vacant school premises) for performances; and studying the provision of dedicated venues for pop culture); if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (5) given that the Blueprint has proposed to promote the private sector to organise more pop culture events in Hong Kong, of the authorities’ specific plans in place to encourage enterprises and investors to support the development of local pop culture, and whether it will provide incentives to attract more market resources, so as to assist the industry in exploring commercial performance opportunities and support the nurturing of talents for the industry?
     
    Reply:
     
    President:
     
    Hong Kong’s unique pop culture is an important brand of our culture. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  Government endeavours to promote the development of pop culture, with a view to developing Hong Kong into the “capital of pop culture”, in accordance with the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development (the Blueprint), consolidating Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West Centre for international cultural exchange.
     
    In consultation with the Development Bureau, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Fok is as follows:
     
    (1) The number of performances and attendance of pop culture activities held at the performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) in the past three years are tabulated as follows (with numbers of attendance in parenthesis):
     

    Venue / Year 2022 (Note 3) 2023 2024
    Stadia (Note 1) 90
    (667 954)
    114
    (803 632)
    117
    (938 522)
     
    Performing arts venues (Note 2) 420
    (82 562)
    607
    (125 764)
    721
    (133 318)
     

     
    Note 1: Stadia include the Hong Kong Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
    Note 2: Performing arts venues include the Hong Kong Culture Centre, the Hong Kong City Hall, the Sheung Wan Civic Centre, the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, the Ko Shan Theatre, the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, the Sha Tin Town Hall, the North District Town Hall, the Tsuen Wan Town Hall, the Kwai Tsing Theatre, the Tuen Mun Town Hall and the Yuen Long Theatre. The Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre was closed for the renovation and improvement project since April 2022.
    Note 3: Owing to COVID-19, all performance venues were closed for 104 days in 2022.
     
    (2) to (4) The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the LCSD and the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) etc., endeavour to provide venues for various arts and culture activities. We are aware that there has been a strong demand for performance venues from the public as well as the arts and culture sectors. Therefore, we have been building new performance venues and upgrading existing facilities over the past few years. The newly built East Kowloon Cultural Centre and the upgraded Tai Po Civic Centre and Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre are expected to open in full this year; The WestK Performing Arts Centre is expected to be completed in 2026; and we are also building the New Territories East Cultural Centre. A total of around 8 300 seats will be available at these performance venues. Besides, the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) officially commissioned on March 1, 2025, providing venues for hosting large-scale pop culture events.
     
    Since its full commissioning in March 2025, the KTSP has provided an option of a brand-new and attractive venue for sports and cultural mega events in Hong Kong, including concerts and pop culture events. The KTSP features a 50 000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, a 10 000-seat Kai Tak Arena, a 5 000-seat Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and other ancillary facilities. In the past two months, various large-scale concerts of various renowned international, Asian and local bands and singers took place at the Kai Tak Stadium and Kai Tak Arena.
     
    The Government has also been supporting small and medium-sized arts groups and emerging artists through various measures, such as providing funding support for large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives/activities through the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme. Programme offices of the LCSD also provide support to local small and medium-sized arts groups and emerging artists through different modes of collaboration to promote continuous innovation and development of arts groups in Hong Kong.
     
    We are reviewing the usage and hiring arrangements of our venues (including reviewing the Venue Partnership Scheme), with an aim to make more effective use of venues resources, offer more booking slots for use of different arts groups and cater for the needs of the arts and culture sectors, thereby building a vibrant, diverse and flourishing ecosystem. On setting up of a dedicated venue for pop culture, the LCSD is currently identifying a suitable site for the Pop Culture Centre, and will discuss with and consult various stakeholders and expert advisers on related matters, such as the long-term planning and facilities of the Pop Culture Centre etc., with a view to formulating appropriate plans for developing it into a cultural landmark and tourism hotspot.
     
    The public pleasure grounds under the LCSD have all along been open to applications for non-designated uses, such as charitable activities or festive celebrations. When processing relevant applications, the LCSD will consider factors such as the proposed duration of hire, the area to be hired, as well as the purpose and nature of the activity. Given the very keen public demand for sports facilities, the LCSD will strive to strike a balance to meet the needs of different venue users.
     
    On the use of school venues, the Government has launched the Pilot Scheme on the Use of School Venues by Arts Groups in 2024 to open up parts of school venues for rehearsals by arts groups after school hours on a pilot basis. Any organisation/institution that wishes to use vacant school premises (VSP) for long-term or short-term uses could liaise and seek support from the relevant policy bureau(s) for its application of using the VSP.
     
    (5) On promoting the development of local pop culture and industries, LCSD has been collaborating with the sector to organise the annual Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival (PCF) since 2023. The first two editions of PCF attracted about 530 000 and over 640 000 participants respectively. The third edition of PCF is being held from April to July 2025 with the theme “More Than Joy” to promote Hong Kong’s unique comedy. PCF offers rich and diverse activities, supports local young artists and emerging art groups, and promotes cross-generation and cross-genre collaboration. We will step up the promotion of pop culture programmes to the Mainland and overseas facilitate Hong Kong’s pop culture to “go global”, thereby establishing overseas collaboration networks for local artists and the brand of PCF.
     
    The CSTB has been supporting mega arts and cultural events organised by the private sector or non-governmental organisations in Hong Kong through the Mega Arts and Cultural Events (ACE) Fund, including mega events on pop culture such as ComplexCon Hong Kong 2025 and Hypefest Hong Kong 2024. The Mega ACE Fund has enhanced its operation since January 1, 2025. To enhance the level of participation of commercial organisations, matching grant has been introduced in the new application mechanism. The initiative aims to encourage the event organisers to solicit commercial sponsorship, thereby boosting the market feasibility and business potential of events and to follow the over-arching principle of industry building.
     
    Besides, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) actively makes use of its museums, performing arts venues and public spaces to promote pop culture through various cultural and artistic programmes. For example, the WKCDA held “WestK POPFEST” in 2023 and 2024, which has been sponsored by private enterprises for two consecutive years, has brought together local young singers and groups, blending pop culture with artistic creation. The events were well-received by music fans, attracting over 60 000 participants in 2024, breaking the attendance record for different types of music festivals held in the WKCD over the years.
     
    The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) continues supporting the co-production of television variety programmes by local television stations with their counterparts in the Mainland and Asia through the CreateSmart Initiative, so as to help the industry explore business showcasing opportunities in the Mainland and overseas, uplift the soft power of Hong Kong pop culture and enhance economic benefits. The scheme has so far accepted two rounds of applications. Eight project had been approved, among which five were broadcast.
     
    On talent nurturing, sponsored by the CCIDA, the “Make Music Work – Music Creation and Production Talents Nurturing Scheme” was launched in 2019 to support the development of emerging local music talent. In the latest edition, 12 units each comprising a composer, lyric writer and arranger were matched with experienced music producers and singing units for a series of support and training to produce original songs, and were provided with a platform and live concert to release and perform their original songs, so as to promote local original music development. 
     
    We will continue to foster the industry to explore private market and investment actively, as well as exploring business showcasing opportunities and support talent nurturing of the industries, so as to align with the strategic directions of the Blueprint.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ5: Combating offences of voyeurism and clandestine recording of intimate parts

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Doreen Kong and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
     
    Question:
     
         There are views pointing out that although criminal offences of voyeurism and unlawful recording of intimate parts came into force in 2021, incidents involving clandestine recording of intimate parts of others in public places or private spaces still continue to occur from time to time following rapid technological development and widespread application of smart devices. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) since the offence of unlawful recording of intimate parts came into force, of the number of reports received by the Police regarding such an offence, and the number of cases in which prosecutions were instituted against the persons involved;
     
    (2) given that it is learnt that mini recording devices currently available on the market are mainly sourced from Mainland e-commerce platforms, of the measures the Government has put in place to prevent members of the public from using recording devices purchased through such channels for the purpose of clandestine recording; and
     
    (3) whether it will enhance the design of public places to prevent clandestine recording, and formulate building and design standards against clandestine recording, such as installing detection devices against clandestine recording (e.g. infrared scanners) in schools, shopping malls and other venues, as well as conducting improvement works to address design flaws in partition panels in certain restrooms and changing rooms?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The act of clandestine photography seriously invades the victims’ privacy and often inflicts incurable physical and mental harm on them. In 2021, the Security Bureau amended the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) to introduce four new offences to combat voyeurism-related acts: (1) the offence of voyeurism, which deals with the act of peeping or clandestine photography in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy; (2) the offence of unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts; (3) the offence of publication of intimate images originating from commission of the above two offences; and (4) the offence of publication or threatened publication of intimate images without consent.
     
         The four new offences carry a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. The Government seeks to convey a clear message to the community that clandestine photography or malicious dissemination of intimate images will not be tolerated and that there are serious consequences for committing the relevant offences, thereby achieving a deterrent effect and protecting possible victims. Through high-profile law enforcement actions as well as publicity and education, the Police have been combatting voyeurism-related acts on all fronts to protect the privacy of the public.
     
         The reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
     
    (1)  The statistics on cases received by the Police, and the relevant numbers of arrests, prosecutions and convictions since voyeurism-related offences since the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) came into effect in October 2021 are tabulated at Annex. In 2024, for the offence of voyeurism, the Police received 172 cases and arrested 107 persons; 59 persons were prosecuted. For the offence of unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts, the Police received 350 cases and arrested 252 persons; 193 persons were prosecuted.
     
    (2)  According to the Police’s statistics, in nearly 98 per cent of the offences of voyeurism and unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts in the past year, offenders used smartphones with camera functions that they carried with them to commit the crimes. Most of these cases occurred in places with high pedestrian flow, such as public transport, transport stations, and shopping malls. The offenders took the advantage of the crowdedness to follow the victims when boarding or alighting from the vehicles or when taking the escalators, and surreptitiously took photos with their smartphones, which were handy and not easily spotted.
     
         There are of course still cases involving the use of other general photographic equipment, which can be purchased from various channels. Similar to smartphones, the intended purposes of most of these types of photographic equipment are proper and legitimate. For example, to provide better care for elderly living alone, many families install video cameras at home, so that family members can render timely assistance to the elderly persons when they need help. Therefore, we are of the view that regulation on photographic equipment or its purchasing channels may not be the most direct and effective way to combat such crime. The Government needs to strike a balance between combatting crime and protecting the rights of the public to reasonably use technology products.
     
    (3)  On using architectural designs that prevent clandestine photography, the Police will continue to strengthen collaboration with public transport operators, shopping malls, public housing estates, private residential buildings and property management agencies, encouraging them to take into consideration the prevention of voyeurism-related offences in their overall crime prevention plan. The Police will also advise and encourage different stakeholders to conduct on-site reviews to ensure the safety of their venues. The Police are ready to offer advice on access control, illumination, mirror installation, coverage of closed circuit televisions, etc. to minimise the risks of crime. If necessary, professional advice can be sought from the Crime Prevention Bureau of the Police.
     
         On law enforcement, the Police have been stepping up efforts to combat voyeurism-related acts, particularly targeting high-risk places such as public transport, shopping malls and changing rooms. The Police have also been implementing anti-crime operations and intelligence-led operations to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement.
     
         As for preventive measures, through ongoing collaboration with various stakeholders by way of publicity and education, the Police seek to heighten public vigilance and proactively disseminate messages on alertness against clandestine photography. Topics such as ways to identify suspected acts of clandestine photography and self-protection measures in different places (such as changing rooms and toilets) are covered. The Police also encourage citizens to come forward to report crimes.
     
         The Police have also produced posters, videos and publicity stickers on prevention of voyeurism-related acts, and distributed them through channels such as schools, shopping malls, public transport and government venues. Besides, the Police regularly organise crime prevention seminars and community activities to brief the public on relevant legislation and ways of self-protection. To further boost the publicity effects, the Police have uploaded relevant information, including educational videos and publicity posters, on the offence of voyeurism and prevention of clandestine photography on the website SafeCity.HK for public access and downloading.
     
         The Police call on members of the public to heighten their vigilance. In case suspected acts of clandestine photography are identified, they should not hesitate to report the crime and provide evidence to assist in the Police investigation. We will continue to combat voyeurism-related acts on all fronts through high-profile law enforcement actions, publicity and education to protect the privacy of the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE leads delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a business delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait on May 10. The visit aims to further strengthen exchanges and connections with the Middle East region in areas such as finance, trade, investment, and innovation and technology (I&T), and to promote the latest advantages and opportunities in Hong Kong to local political and business communities.
     
    Noting that the Middle East region is experiencing rapid development with abundant capital, Mr Lee said the region is actively seeking to diversify risks, particularly by channelling investments into China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR), aligning with the global economic shift towards the East. Qatar and Kuwait are both economically vibrant and fast-growing countries in the Middle East region. Qatar boasts the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita among the member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and serves as a crucial aviation hub in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Kuwait, currently the rotating President of the GCC, ranks third in GDP per capita among GCC member states and possesses one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
     
    He highlighted that this marks his first time leading Mainland enterprises in addition to leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong in an outbound mission, aiming to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle in connecting the Mainland and the world. It also aims to give full play to Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder” by deepening international exchanges and co-operation, acting as a bridge to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment. At the same time, it also demonstrates the complementary advantages of co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises, creating synergies and providing comprehensive supply chain services.
     
    The HKSAR Government officials joining the Business Delegation from Hong Kong and the Mainland led by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR include the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho; and the Director of Information Services, Mrs Apollonia Liu.
     
    Members of the delegation include more than 50 representatives from the business community of Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises. This includes over 30 leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong and over 20 entrepreneurs from Mainland provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. The delegation spans fields including finance, industry and commerce, trade, infrastructure, I&T, energy, and transport and logistics.
     
    Mr Lee will visit Qatar on May 11 and 12 and depart for Kuwait on the evening of May 12. During the visit, he will meet with local government leaders to enhance communication and establish collaborative consensus, enabling businesses to clearly understand the policy directions of co-operation between the HKSAR Government and the governments of both countries, and leading the promotion of cultural exchanges. He will also lead the delegation to visit facilities and enterprises to gain insights into the latest developments in such areas as finance, trade, and I&T, exploring new opportunities. He will also attend exchange events to introduce Hong Kong’s advantages and investment opportunities to the local business community.
     
    Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong on May 15. During his absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the Greater Bay Area

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

    Question:

         The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government, in collaboration with the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Macao SAR Government, launched the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the Greater Bay Area (the Pilot Scheme) on November 30 last year to implement the arrangement for the direct cross-boundary ambulance transfer of patients from designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen and Macao (i.e. the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and the Conde S. Januario Hospital of Macao) to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the number of cases in which Hong Kong residents who were injured or suffering from illness in the Mainland required emergency medical and ambulance arrangements upon returning to Hong Kong in the past three years;

    (2) of the number of requests received by the two designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen and Macao for the cross-boundary ambulance transfer of patients since the launch of the Pilot Scheme and, among such cases, the respective numbers of those confirmed by the sending hospitals after assessment to have (i) met and (ii) failed to meet the conditions for activating the cross-boundary ambulance mechanism; and

    (3) whether the authorities have publicised and promoted the Pilot Scheme to members of the public, in particular those residing on the Mainland on a long-term basis; if so, of the details?

    Reply:

    President,

         The study on the provision of land-based cross-boundary transfer for non-emergency and non-critically ill patients and the exploration of rolling out a pilot co-operation scheme for cross-boundary referral of patients between designated public hospitals were put forward in the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) also put forward in the 2023 Policy Address the initiative to explore cross-boundary ambulance transfer arrangements between hospitals in the GBA. With the support of various national ministries, the Hong Kong SAR Government, in collaboration with the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Macao SAR Government, officially launched the one-year Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the GBA (the Pilot Scheme) on November 30, 2024.

         The first phase of the Pilot Scheme starts by arranging direct cross-boundary ambulance transfer of patients from designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen and Macao (i.e. the University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and the Conde S. Januario Hospital (CHCSJ) of Macao) to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong.

         Under the Pilot Scheme, upon assessment and agreement by the teams of designated cross-boundary collaborating hospitals, arrangements can be made for patients with specific clinical needs and suitable clinical conditions to be transferred directly to Hong Kong between designated hospitals in a point-to-point mode without the handover of patients between ambulances at boundary control points, thus minimising risks posed to patients during transfer.

         Subject to the effectiveness and operational experience of the Pilot Scheme, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will consider how to expand the scheme, such as including more designated hospitals (including Mainland cities in the GBA other than Shenzhen) and/or extending the Pilot Scheme to a two-way arrangement.

         In consultation with the Security Bureau and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong is as follows:

    (1) Apart from the aforementioned Pilot Scheme for transfer of patients between hospitals under specific circumstances, if Hong Kong residents are injured or suffered from an illness on the Mainland and require emergency medical and ambulance arrangements upon returning to Hong Kong, in accordance with the established arrangement, they may raise the request on the Mainland by contacting the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department. The residents may also request assistance from the officers of boundary control points upon arrival or dial the hotline at 999 during emergency. The departments concerned will provide assistance to the residents according to their actual circumstances. In case of a genuine need, based on the established arrangement between the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the HA, residents will be transferred by an ambulance from the boundary control points to the Accident and Emergency Department of a nearby HA hospital for treatment. 

         According to the figures of the FSD, the number of calls for emergency ambulance services handled by the FSD at Hong Kong ports of various land boundary control points from 2022 to 2024 are tabulated as follows:
     

    Year  Number of cases
    2022 1 038
    2023 4 868
    2024 5 581

    (2) Since the implementation of the Pilot Scheme (up to end-April 2025), the HA has received a total of 11 cross-boundary ambulance transfer cases, of which eight were referred by the HKU-SZH, and three were referred by the CHCSJ of Macao. Among the cases, the patients were aged between 15 and 79, and the medical conditions involved included respiratory failure, atrial fibrillation, respiratory support through a ventilator. According to professional medical assessment, patients of the above cases have a need for continuous hospitalisation for treatment. Their conditions were relatively stable, but were unable to return to Hong Kong on their own and were unsuitable for transfer to Hong Kong ambulances via the existing boundary control points. Separately, a patient as referred by the HKU-SZH was considered not meeting the criteria for transfer after the joint assessment of the case by the medical teams of the two places, and hence, the mechanism of transfer arrangement was not activated. It must be emphasised that not all patients with the aforementioned conditions are necessarily suitable for cross-boundary ambulance transfer. The sending and receiving hospitals will make professional and careful assessments based on the individual patient’s current clinical conditions to determine whether it is necessary to arrange a cross-boundary inter-hospital transfer for the patient to receive continuous treatment or rehabilitation.

    (3) The Government has explained the Pilot Scheme and its activation mechanism through press releases and the social media platforms of the Health Bureau prior to and after the launch of the Pilot Scheme. On January 10, 2025, immediately after the successful point-to-point transfer of the first patient from the HKU-SZH to an HA public hospital, the HA held a press conference jointly with the HKU-SZH to explain in detail to the general public the arrangements for the first case of patient transfer by cross-boundary ambulance under the Pilot Scheme. The Government will continue to closely communicate with the HA and the designated sending hospitals.

         The direct cross-boundary ambulance transfer arrangement is not an emergency ambulance call service, but a cross-boundary inter-hospital transfer arrangement made by the relevant professional medical teams according to the medical conditions of individual patients. In-patients or their families may directly consult the doctors of the designated sending hospitals whether cross-boundary transfer is necessary and appropriate. Since conditions and medical needs vary among patients, doctors of the sending hospital will assess, on a case-by-case basis, the need for the patient to have cross-boundary inter-hospital transfer for continuous treatment or recovery services, taking the patient’s clinical diagnosis and actual conditions into consideration. The medical department of the sending hospital will communicate with the Major Incident Control Centre of the HA for joint assessment, information exchange and co-ordination with the receiving hospital to decide whether the transfer mechanism should be activated. The sending and receiving hospitals will also ensure that the patient’s relatives and/or the patient have given consent to the relevant arrangements and are informed of the risks involved in the transfer.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ11: Measures to revitalise industrial buildings

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

    Question:

    The 2024 Policy Address proposed to extend an array of measures to revitalise industrial buildings (IBs) until the end of 2027, including continuing to allow an increase in plot ratio of up to 20 per cent for IB redevelopment projects and exempting the restriction that 10 per cent of the gross floor area of IBs constructed before 1987 (pre-1987 IBs) be used for purposes designated by the Government after conversion. Moreover, at the end of 2023, the Government has extended the arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates for lease modifications to IBs for special industrial use. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the number of applications under the various IB revitalisation measures received, approved and rejected by the Government in the past three years, with a breakdown by individual measure; the average time required to vet and approve applications under the various IB revitalisation measures;

    (2) given that the authorities currently allow an increase in plot ratio of up to 20 per cent for redevelopment projects of pre-1987 IBs, whether it will consider extending the scope of the relevant arrangement to include IBs constructed after 1987 (post-1987 IBs); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3) of the number of applications received, approved and rejected by the Government to date under the arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates in respect of lease modifications involving IBs for special industrial use; whether it will study extending the scope of the arrangement to include post-1987 IBs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4) as the Government indicated last year that it would consider approving individual units on the lower floors of IBs to be used as eating places, whether any such cases have been approved to date; if so, of the details of such cases; whether it will consider allowing lower floor units in IBs that meet the relevant safety standards to be used for more purposes, e.g. retail and exhibition use; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (5) given that the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 proposes to encourage the trade to develop tourism products featuring the elements of Made in Hong Kong industries, whether the Government will introduce further IB revitalisation measures to support the aforesaid work, e.g. whether it will consider relaxing the policy on waivers of land lease restrictions to allow enterprises in the industrial tourism sector to operate in individual units within existing IBs without having to separately apply for waivers of land lease restrictions or pay the waiver fee; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (6) whether it will study extending the scope of the Youth Hostel Scheme and the student hostel pilot scheme to include IBs after wholesale conversion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (7) whether it will regularise all existing measures to revitalise IBs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    The Government reactivated the Revitalisation Scheme for Industrial Buildings (Revitalisation Scheme) in 2018 which encourages redevelopment or wholesale conversion of aged industrial buildings (IB), mainly to make more effective use of the sites on which IBs are situated or the existing IBs per se to optimise the use of precious land resources, and to address fire safety and unauthorised use issues of aged IBs more effectively.

    ​My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

    (1) On the redevelopment of IBs, the prevailing policy allows relaxation of the maximum permitted non-domestic plot ratio up to 20 per cent to provide incentives to private owners to redevelop IBs constructed before 1987 (pre-1987 IBs). In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), excluding applications withdrawn by applicants, the Town Planning Board (TPB) received a total of 11 applications for relaxation of plot ratio for redevelopment of IBs, among which nine cases (involving eight sites) were approved, and the remaining two cases are being processed. Planning applications submitted in accordance with section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance are to be considered by the TPB within two months upon receipt. Among the nine approved planning applications, six of them have applications made to the Lands Department (LandsD) for lease modification which shall be subject to payment of premium, among which two cases have been withdrawn by the applicants and four cases have been approved and are currently under land premium assessment. The owners of these four applications opted for conventional premium assessment (viz. not opting for standard rates arrangement for charging land premium). As for the remaining three cases among the aforesaid nine approved planning applications, the LandsD has yet to receive relevant application for lease modification.

    For wholesale conversion of IBs, the prevailing policy exempts waiver fees so as to encourage private owners to convert IBs aged 15 years or above in “Commercial”, “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Business” and “Industrial” zones for uses permitted under the relevant Outline Zoning Plans. The condition is that for IBs constructed in or after 1987, not less than 10 per cent of the converted floor space must be used for purposes designated by the Government (such as arts and cultural studios, incubators for innovation and technology start-ups). Such requirement on 10 per cent floor space does not apply to pre-1987 IBs. In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), excluding applications withdrawn by applicants, the LandsD received a total of two applications for wholesale conversion of IBs, with one case approved and the other one being processed. The processing time for the approved case was around 20 months. The relatively long time taken was mainly due to the negotiations regarding the specified use and the related arrangement for the 10 per cent designated floor space when the owner submitted the waiver application to the LandsD. It is worth noting that, under the first round of Revitalisation Scheme launched by the Government from 2010 to 2016, around 110 applications for wholesale conversion were received. We do not rule out the possibility that a significant portion of the IBs suitable for wholesale conversion in the market may have already undergone conversion works. After the Revitalisation Scheme was reactivated in 2018, the number of applications received and cases approved for redevelopment of IBs have been significantly higher than that of the first round, reflecting greater market interest in the redevelopment measure in the current round.

    (2) The measure for encouraging redevelopment of IBs as mentioned in part (1) above targets pre-1987 IBs situated outside “Residential” zones in main urban areas and new towns. We have designated 1987 as the dividing line because the fire safety installations and equipment of pre-1987 IBs may not comply with the Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and Equipment as revised by the Fire Services Department (FSD) in 1987, including the requirement of installing automatic sprinkler systems. From the perspective of public safety, there is a need to provide policy incentives to encourage foremost the redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs so as to meet modern standards of fire safety installation. As for post-1987 IBs, the Government currently has no plan to extend the measure concerning redevelopment to these IBs. Nevertheless, if owners wish to redevelop these IBs for non-industrial uses, they may still submit a planning application to the TPB for increasing the plot ratio. The TPB will consider the applications from a planning perspective based on the actual circumstances of each case.

    (3) The Government provides a regularised standard rates arrangement for charging land premium for the redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs as an alternative to the conventional premium assessment mechanism. The policy objective is to continuously incentivise the redevelopment of aged IBs, giving IB owners greater certainty in planning redevelopment. This encourages the redevelopment of aged IBs for optimising land utilisation, expediting urban renewal and revitalisation of IBs to meet the current needs of the society.

    The Government announced in December 2023 to expand the coverage of the standard rates arrangement for charging land premium to cover redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs for special industrial uses (e.g. leather tanning, garment manufacturing and food production). Regarding IBs for special industrial uses, in the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), the LandsD has received a total of four applications for lease modification for redevelopment of such pre-1987 IBs, among which one case is currently under land premium assessment with the applicant having opted for conventional premium assessment. The remaining three cases are being processed.

    The policy objective as mentioned in part (2) above, viz. to encourage redevelopment of pre-1987 IBs, also applies to the lease modification of IBs for special industrial uses. Therefore, we currently have no plan to extend the standard rates arrangement for charging premium to post-1987 IBs for special industrial uses.

    The Government will continue to closely monitor the implementation of standard rates arrangement for charging premium for redevelopment of IBs and make adjustments as and when necessary. The latest enhancement measure was rolled out last month, which separated the standard rates for the two uses under the previous “commercial/modern industrial” use after lease modification, into “modern industrial” and “commercial” uses respectively. Such separation can better reflect the land value of redeveloped IBs intended for modern industrial use and cope with the increasing demand for modern industrial sites.

    (4) Having balanced the need for public safety and optimisation of IB floor space, the Government would also exercise discretion in allowing the co-existence of industrial and non-industrial uses. Under the Revitalisation Scheme, apart from the measures mentioned in part (1) above, the Government has since 2018 relaxed the waiver application policy for IBs with fragmented ownership and yet to undergo wholesale conversion, so as to allow individual units of existing IBs to be used for specified non-industrial uses other than those permitted under the relevant land leases. Specifically, owner of individual IB units may use the units, without having to apply for a short-term waiver from the LandsD and pay waiver fees, for five specified non-industrial uses, which include “Art Studio”, “Office (Design and Media Production)”, “Office (Audio-visual Recording Studio)”, “Office (used by “specific creative industries” including design and media production companies, printing and publishing, film companies and industry organisations related to the film industry), as well as “Research, Design and Development Centre”.

    As IBs are supposed to be used for industrial purposes, and the risk of fire and other accidents involved in these industrial purposes is relatively higher, in view of public safety, the uses covered by the above relaxation measure do not include any uses or activities that directly provide services or goods to attract public visits. If IB owners intend to convert some units for industrial tourism uses (e.g. opening up production line for the public and tourists to visit), we will consult the FSD and relevant departments when we receive the waiver applications.

    If there is a buffer floor within an IB which completely separates the lower floors from the upper portion with industrial uses, an owner may convert the premises on the lowest three floors of the IB to other non-industrial uses, including shops and services, restaurants, or arts and cultural activities, subject to payment of waiver fees and compliance with planning and other relevant requirements. Earlier, we have also broadened the permissible uses of buffer floors to cover “telecommunications exchange centres” and “computer/data processing centres”. In the past three years (viz. April 2022 to end-March 2025), the LandsD has not received any waiver application for partial conversion of the lowest three floors of IBs (including for eating place use). 

    (5) The Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 promulgated by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau in December 2024 puts forward four major development strategies covering product development, visitor source expansion, technological innovation and service enhancement, as well as 133 measures to be implemented between 2025 and 2029 to promote development, including promoting the development of tourism products related to “Made in Hong Kong” industrial elements. The Development Bureau (DEVB) will provide facilitation as and when necessary. 

    (6) As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, in order to strengthen the position of Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education, the Education Bureau and the DEVB will launch a scheme in the first half of 2025 to streamline the processing of approvals in respect of planning, land administration and approval of building plans, so as to encourage the market to convert hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-funded basis, thereby increasing the supply of student hostels. This scheme will apply to commercial buildings which are wholesale-converted from aged IBs.

    On the other hand, in response to young people’s aspirations of having their own living space, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will, as announced in the 2022 Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint, expand the Youth Hostel Scheme (YHS) and continue fully funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to construct youth hostels on under-utilised sites, and subsidise NGOs to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for converting into youth hostels. The HYAB will also explore with the DEVB the launching of a site under the Land Sale Programme whereby developers will be required to reserve a certain number of flats to support the YHS on a pilot basis. So far, seven youth hostels have been launched for operation under the YHS, and the number of hostel places has increased substantially from 80 at the commencement of the current-term Government to about 3 000 at present. 

    (7) To continue encouraging redevelopment and wholesale conversion of aged IBs, the Government announced in the 2024 Policy Address the extension of the time-limited revitalisation measures for IBs up to December 2027, with enhancement of the measure on wholesale conversion. We will review the effectiveness of the Revitalisation Scheme in transforming industrial areas, and make reference to the results of a territory-wide Area Assessment on industrial land to be carried out by the Planning Department, with a view to announcing the way forward for the revitalisation measures before expiry in end-2027.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Upgradation and Setting up of Five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 MAY 2025 12:12PM by PIB Delhi

    In a major step towards transforming vocational education in India, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Upgradation and the Setting up of five (5) National Centres of Excellence for Skilling as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

    National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Upgradation and Setting up of five (5) National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme as per announcement, made under Budget 2024-25 and Budget 2025-26 with outlay of Rs.60,000 crore (Central Share: Rs.30,000 crore, State Share: Rs.20,000 crore and Industry Share: Rs.10,000 crore), with co-financing to the extent of 50% of Central share by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, equally.

    The scheme will focus on upgradation of 1,000 Government ITIs in hub and spoke arrangement with industry aligned revamped trades (courses) and Capacity Augmentation of five (5) National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), including   setting up of five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling in these institutes.

    The Scheme aims to position existing ITIs as government-owned, industry-managed aspirational institutes of skills, in collaboration with State Governments and industry. Over a five-year period, 20 lakh youth will be skilled through courses that address the human capital needs of industries. The scheme will focus on ensuring alignment between local workforce supply and industry demand, thereby facilitating industries, including MSMEs, in accessing employment-ready workers.

    The financial assistance provided under various schemes in the past was suboptimal to meet the full upgradation needs of ITIs, particularly in addressing growing investment requirements for infrastructure upkeep, capacity expansion, and the introduction of capital-intensive, new-age trades. To overcome this, a need-based investment provision has been kept under the proposed scheme, allowing flexibility in fund allocation based on the specific infrastructure, capacity, and trade-related requirements of each institution. For the first time, the scheme seeks to establish deep industry connect in planning and management of ITI upgradation on a sustained basis.   The scheme will adopt an industry-led Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model for an outcome-driven implementation strategy, making it distinct from previous efforts to improve the ITI ecosystem.

    Under the scheme, infrastructure upgradation for improved Training of Trainers (ToT) facilities will be undertaken in five National Skill.  Training Institutes (NSTIs), namely Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Ludhiana. Additionally, pre-service and in-service training will be provided to 50,000 trainers.

    By addressing long-standing challenges in infrastructure, course relevance, employability, and the perception of vocational training, the scheme aims to position ITIs at the forefront to cater to skilled manpower requirement, aligned to the nation’s journey to becoming a global manufacturing and innovation powerhouse.  It will create a pipeline of skilled workers aligned with industry demand, thereby addressing skill shortages in high-growth sectors such as electronics, automotive, and renewable energy. In sum, the proposed scheme aligns with the  Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat, with skilling as a key enabler to meet both current and future industry needs.

    Background:

    Vocational education and training can be an immense driver of economic growth and productivity, as India embarks on its aspirational journey towards a developed nation by 2047. Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have been the backbone of vocational education and training in India since the 1950s, operating under State Governments. While ITI network has expanded by nearly 47% since 2014, reaching 14,615 across with 14.40 lakh enrolment, vocational training via ITIs remains less aspirational and have also suffered from lack of systemic interventions to improve their infrastructure, and appeal.

    While in the past there have been schemes to support the upgradation of ITIs, it is perhaps, the best time to scale incremental efforts of the last decade through a nationally scalable program for ITI re-imagination with course content and design aligned with industry needs to create a pool of skilled workforce as one of the key enablers to realize the goal of Viksit Bharat.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Singapore on successful completion of general election

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Singapore on successful completion of general election

    • Date:2025-05-04
    • Data Source:Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    May 4, 2025
    No. 134

    Singapore smoothly completed the election of its 15th Parliament on May 4. The result was a victory for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the People’s Action Party that he leads. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its sincere congratulations to the people and government of Singapore on the successful conclusion of yet another parliamentary election.

    Taiwan and Singapore have long shared cordial ties. Bilateral cooperation has developed steadily in recent years, with the two sides maintaining close exchanges in economics, trade, semiconductors, technology, culture, and other domains. Taiwan looks forward to building on the existing foundations to further deepen collaboration with Singapore, jointly respond to global and regional challenges, and contribute to the advancement of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific. (E) 

     

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    • Date:2025-05-04
    • Data Source:Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    May 4, 2025
    No.136

    Australia held a federal election on May 3 to elect its 48th Parliament, including all 150 seats of the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate. According to the results, the ruling Australian Labor Party won a majority of seats. The smooth and peaceful election process was characteristic of a mature democracy. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses sincere congratulations to the people and government of Australia.

    Taiwan and Australia share the universal values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights. Bilateral relations have continued to steadily grow in recent years. Collaboration is close in such fields as economics and trade, science and technology, information security, energy, and whole-of-society defense resilience. Last August, the Australian Senate passed an urgency motion refuting China’s flagrant misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. The passage of the motion underlined the staunch cross-party support for Taiwan in the Australian Parliament.

    Building on these robust foundations, the government of Taiwan hopes to further enhance cooperation in all domains with the new government of Australia and jointly work to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Top 25 global banks post 9.4% revenue growth YoY in 2024 but profits under pressure, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    The world’s top 25 global banks reported 9.4% year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth in 2024 despite global economic pressures, with Sberbank Rossii, BBVA, and UBS Group standing out as key performers. However, profit margins were mixed, as many banks faced higher costs, regulatory tightening, and geopolitical uncertainty, highlighting the growing gap between revenue performance and overall financial health, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Most of the top 25 banks reported YoY growth in their top-line performance, with Sberbank Rossii and BBVA emerging as top performers, posting a growth of 54% and 30.3%, respectively. UBS Group also registered a growth of 22.3%.

    Murthy Grandhi, Company Profiles Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Sberbank Rossii emerged as the top performer in revenue defying broader geopolitical and macroeconomic pressures. The bank reported double-digit revenue growth, supported by a strong rebound in Russia’s domestic economy, stabilizing inflation, and high interest margins but its net income sharply declined into negative territory, reflecting the combined impact of macroeconomic instability, currency depreciation, and mounting operational constraints due to international sanctions.”

    Similarly, BBVA achieved a 28.9% growth in interest income, driven by its geographic diversification, particularly in Mexico and Turkey, where interest margins widened significantly.

    Another bank to deliver outstanding results was UBS Group, with revenue jumping 22.3% YoY, and a robust five-year CAGR of 17.4%—largely reflecting its landmark takeover of Credit Suisse. However, net income plummeted by over 80%, underscoring the short-term cost burdens and integration risks associated with the acquisition.

    Top Chinese banks—ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China—reported modest revenue and income growth. ICBC’s 2024 revenue marginally declined (-0.6% YoY), while Agricultural Bank posted the strongest five-year CAGR in assets among the Chinese peers (8.8%). Margin compression due to policy-induced rate caps and slower domestic economic growth weighed on profitability. Nonetheless, their asset bases continue to expand steadily, reflecting domestic dominance and strong government backing.

    JPMorgan Chase led the revenue charts with an impressive $278.9 billion in 2024, representing a YoY growth of 16.5% and a five-year CAGR of 16.5%. The surge was underpinned by elevated net interest income amid sustained high rates and robust trading performance. Its net income reached $58.5 billion (18% YoY growth), with asset growth moderating to 3.3%, reflecting balance sheet prudence amid tightening regulations.

    Bank of America and Citigroup also benefitted from the high-rate cycle. Citigroup notably recorded a 13.96% revenue CAGR, with 2024 revenues at $170.8 billion. However, asset contraction (-2.4% YoY) reflects restructuring and divestments in underperforming regions.

    European banks, long plagued by negative rates and fragmented markets, appear to be rebounding. BNP Paribas and HSBC posted robust revenue CAGR of 13.1% and 14% respectively, supported by diversified global operations and cost rationalizations. Notably, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole recorded revenue CAGR above 17%, with net income rebounds of over 60% YoY, albeit from low bases. These turnarounds suggest successful strategic pivots and a more favorable interest rate environment in the Eurozone.

    Grandhi concludes: “Looking ahead, global banks face a mixed landscape. Easing inflation could trigger interest rate cuts in the US and Europe, potentially impacting net interest margins. However, this may be offset by the revival in credit demand and easing capital costs. Regulatory tightening, especially in the US and China, will challenge profitability. Additionally, banks exposed to emerging markets must navigate currency volatility and political instability.

    “Digital transformation and green financing will remain pivotal themes. Institutions investing in fintech partnerships, AI-led customer engagement, and ESG-aligned lending are likely to outperform.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Top 25 global banks post 9.4% revenue growth YoY in 2024 but profits under pressure, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    The world’s top 25 global banks reported 9.4% year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth in 2024 despite global economic pressures, with Sberbank Rossii, BBVA, and UBS Group standing out as key performers. However, profit margins were mixed, as many banks faced higher costs, regulatory tightening, and geopolitical uncertainty, highlighting the growing gap between revenue performance and overall financial health, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Most of the top 25 banks reported YoY growth in their top-line performance, with Sberbank Rossii and BBVA emerging as top performers, posting a growth of 54% and 30.3%, respectively. UBS Group also registered a growth of 22.3%.

    Murthy Grandhi, Company Profiles Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Sberbank Rossii emerged as the top performer in revenue defying broader geopolitical and macroeconomic pressures. The bank reported double-digit revenue growth, supported by a strong rebound in Russia’s domestic economy, stabilizing inflation, and high interest margins but its net income sharply declined into negative territory, reflecting the combined impact of macroeconomic instability, currency depreciation, and mounting operational constraints due to international sanctions.”

    Similarly, BBVA achieved a 28.9% growth in interest income, driven by its geographic diversification, particularly in Mexico and Turkey, where interest margins widened significantly.

    Another bank to deliver outstanding results was UBS Group, with revenue jumping 22.3% YoY, and a robust five-year CAGR of 17.4%—largely reflecting its landmark takeover of Credit Suisse. However, net income plummeted by over 80%, underscoring the short-term cost burdens and integration risks associated with the acquisition.

    Top Chinese banks—ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China—reported modest revenue and income growth. ICBC’s 2024 revenue marginally declined (-0.6% YoY), while Agricultural Bank posted the strongest five-year CAGR in assets among the Chinese peers (8.8%). Margin compression due to policy-induced rate caps and slower domestic economic growth weighed on profitability. Nonetheless, their asset bases continue to expand steadily, reflecting domestic dominance and strong government backing.

    JPMorgan Chase led the revenue charts with an impressive $278.9 billion in 2024, representing a YoY growth of 16.5% and a five-year CAGR of 16.5%. The surge was underpinned by elevated net interest income amid sustained high rates and robust trading performance. Its net income reached $58.5 billion (18% YoY growth), with asset growth moderating to 3.3%, reflecting balance sheet prudence amid tightening regulations.

    Bank of America and Citigroup also benefitted from the high-rate cycle. Citigroup notably recorded a 13.96% revenue CAGR, with 2024 revenues at $170.8 billion. However, asset contraction (-2.4% YoY) reflects restructuring and divestments in underperforming regions.

    European banks, long plagued by negative rates and fragmented markets, appear to be rebounding. BNP Paribas and HSBC posted robust revenue CAGR of 13.1% and 14% respectively, supported by diversified global operations and cost rationalizations. Notably, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole recorded revenue CAGR above 17%, with net income rebounds of over 60% YoY, albeit from low bases. These turnarounds suggest successful strategic pivots and a more favorable interest rate environment in the Eurozone.

    Grandhi concludes: “Looking ahead, global banks face a mixed landscape. Easing inflation could trigger interest rate cuts in the US and Europe, potentially impacting net interest margins. However, this may be offset by the revival in credit demand and easing capital costs. Regulatory tightening, especially in the US and China, will challenge profitability. Additionally, banks exposed to emerging markets must navigate currency volatility and political instability.

    “Digital transformation and green financing will remain pivotal themes. Institutions investing in fintech partnerships, AI-led customer engagement, and ESG-aligned lending are likely to outperform.”

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Italy card payments to hit $443.7 billion in 2025 despite economic headwinds, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Italy card payments to hit $443.7 billion in 2025 despite economic headwinds, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Banking

    The Italy card payments market is expected to grow by 6.6% to reach EUR410.2 billion ($443.7 billion) in 2025 despite global economic uncertainty. This reflects rising consumer preference for electronic payments, supported by government policies, increased contactless adoption, and a shift towards digital banking, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals that the card payment value in the Italy registered a growth of 11.4% in 2023, driven by the rise in consumer spending. The value registered an estimated growth of 8.6% in 2024 to reach EUR384.6 billion ($416.1 billion). However, the current global uncertainty because of the latest US tariffs can pose a challenge for the Italy’s overall economic growth, resulting in slowdown in the overall card payments value in 2025.

    Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The surge in card payments is primarily driven by the government’s initiatives to promote electronic payments, including mandating certain merchant categories to accept card payments and offering tax incentives to those who comply. Additionally, the rising adoption of contactless cards, the proliferation of digital-only banks, and the growth of e-commerce are further propelling the Italian electronic payments landscape, indicating a promising trajectory for the sector.”

    Debit cards are mostly preferred due to strong banking penetration and concerted efforts by banks and government bodies to promote financial inclusion. The Italian central bank has implemented various initiatives to enhance electronic payment adoption, including regulations that encourage banks to offer basic accounts with low or no fees.

    On the other hand, credit and charge card payments are also witnessing notable growth due to the value-added benefits they offer, such as cashback, discounts, and reward points. The European Central Bank (ECB’s) recent interest rate cuts are expected to further stimulate credit card spending by making borrowing more affordable and enhancing consumer confidence in credit usage.

    The adoption of contactless payments is becoming increasingly prevalent in public transport systems across Italy. For instance, in March 2024, the Tuscany Region’s public transport service provider, Autolinee Toscane, implemented a contactless payment system. Similarly, the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, effective from April 2024, mandates the installation of contactless payment systems at public EV charging stations, further driving the adoption of contactless payments in Italy.

    Sharma concludes: “Looking ahead, the total card payments market in Italy is expected to continue its upward trajectory, driven by the ongoing government initiatives, technological advancements, and a cultural shift towards electronic payments. The combination of rising banking penetration, innovative payment solutions, and a favorable regulatory environment will likely position Italy’s card payments market for sustained growth. The card payments value is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% between 2025 to 2029 to reach EUR504.7 billion ($546 billion) in 2029.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Italy card payments to hit $443.7 billion in 2025 despite economic headwinds, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Italy card payments to hit $443.7 billion in 2025 despite economic headwinds, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Banking

    The Italy card payments market is expected to grow by 6.6% to reach EUR410.2 billion ($443.7 billion) in 2025 despite global economic uncertainty. This reflects rising consumer preference for electronic payments, supported by government policies, increased contactless adoption, and a shift towards digital banking, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals that the card payment value in the Italy registered a growth of 11.4% in 2023, driven by the rise in consumer spending. The value registered an estimated growth of 8.6% in 2024 to reach EUR384.6 billion ($416.1 billion). However, the current global uncertainty because of the latest US tariffs can pose a challenge for the Italy’s overall economic growth, resulting in slowdown in the overall card payments value in 2025.

    Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The surge in card payments is primarily driven by the government’s initiatives to promote electronic payments, including mandating certain merchant categories to accept card payments and offering tax incentives to those who comply. Additionally, the rising adoption of contactless cards, the proliferation of digital-only banks, and the growth of e-commerce are further propelling the Italian electronic payments landscape, indicating a promising trajectory for the sector.”

    Debit cards are mostly preferred due to strong banking penetration and concerted efforts by banks and government bodies to promote financial inclusion. The Italian central bank has implemented various initiatives to enhance electronic payment adoption, including regulations that encourage banks to offer basic accounts with low or no fees.

    On the other hand, credit and charge card payments are also witnessing notable growth due to the value-added benefits they offer, such as cashback, discounts, and reward points. The European Central Bank (ECB’s) recent interest rate cuts are expected to further stimulate credit card spending by making borrowing more affordable and enhancing consumer confidence in credit usage.

    The adoption of contactless payments is becoming increasingly prevalent in public transport systems across Italy. For instance, in March 2024, the Tuscany Region’s public transport service provider, Autolinee Toscane, implemented a contactless payment system. Similarly, the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, effective from April 2024, mandates the installation of contactless payment systems at public EV charging stations, further driving the adoption of contactless payments in Italy.

    Sharma concludes: “Looking ahead, the total card payments market in Italy is expected to continue its upward trajectory, driven by the ongoing government initiatives, technological advancements, and a cultural shift towards electronic payments. The combination of rising banking penetration, innovative payment solutions, and a favorable regulatory environment will likely position Italy’s card payments market for sustained growth. The card payments value is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% between 2025 to 2029 to reach EUR504.7 billion ($546 billion) in 2029.”

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Holy Mass “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice”

    Source: The Holy See

    At 10.00 this morning, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Mass “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” took place.
    The Mass was concelebrated by the Cardinal Electors and presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
    The following is the homily delivered by His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

    Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re
    We read in the Acts of the Apostles that after Christ’s ascension into heaven and while waiting for Pentecost, all were united and persevering in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:14).
    This is precisely what we are doing a few hours before the beginning of the Conclave, under the gaze of Our Lady beside the altar, in this Basilica which rises above the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
    We feel united with the entire People of God in their sense of faith, love for the Pope and confident expectation.
    We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the Pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.
    To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit, is the only right and proper attitude to take as the Cardinal electors prepare to undertake an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility and to make a choice of exceptional importance. This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside, keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the Church and of humanity.
    In the Gospel that has been proclaimed, words resound that bring us to the heart of the supreme message and testament of Jesus, delivered to his Apostles on the evening of the Last Supper in the Upper Room: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” As if to clarify this “as I have loved you,” and to indicate how far our love must go, Jesus goes on to say: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:12-13).
    This is the message of love, which Jesus calls a “new” commandment. It is new because it transforms into something positive, and greatly expands, the admonition of the Old Testament that said, “Do not do to others what you would not want done to you.”
    The love that Jesus reveals knows no limits and must characterise the thoughts and actions of all his disciples, who must always show authentic love in their behaviour and commit themselves to building a new civilisation, what Paul VI called the “civilisation of love.” Love is the only force capable of changing the world.
    Jesus gave us an example of this love at the beginning of the Last Supper with a surprising gesture: he humbled himself in the service of others, washing the feet of the Apostles, without discrimination, and not excluding Judas, who would betray him.
    This message of Jesus connects to what we heard in the first reading of the Mass, in which the prophet Isaiah reminded us that the fundamental quality of pastors is love to the point of complete self-giving.
    The liturgical texts of this Eucharistic celebration, then, invite us to fraternal love, to mutual help and to commitment to ecclesial communion and universal human fraternity. Among the tasks of every successor of Peter is that of fostering communion: communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the Bishops with the Pope; communion of the Bishops among themselves. This is not a self-referential communion, but one that is entirely directed towards communion among persons, peoples and cultures, with a concern that the Church should always be a “home and school of communion.”
    This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church on the path traced out by Christ to the Apostles. The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained.
    Each Pope continues to embody Peter and his mission and thus represents Christ on earth; he is the rock on which the Church is built (cf. Mt 16:18).
    The election of the new Pope is not a simple succession of persons, yet it is always the Apostle Peter who returns.
    The Cardinal electors will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel, the place, as the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregisstates, “where everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”
    In his Roman Triptych, Pope John Paul II expressed the hope that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision, Michelangelo’s looming image of Jesus the Judge would remind everyone of the greatness of the responsibility of placing the “supreme keys” (Dante) in the correct hands.
    Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God’s heart for the good of the Church and of humanity.
    Let us pray that God will grant the Church a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God.
    Today’s world expects much from the Church regarding the safeguarding of those fundamental human and spiritual values without which human coexistence will not be better nor bring good to future generations.
    May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the Pope that our time needs.

    MIL OSI Europe News