Month: May 2025

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LC: Speech by CS in presenting Government Minute in response to Report No. 83 of Public Accounts Committee

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is the speech (translated from Chinese) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, in presenting the Government Minute in response to Report No. 83 of the Public Accounts Committee in the Legislative Council today (May 21):

President,

     Laid on the table today is the Government Minute (GM) responding to Report No. 83 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on February 19, 2025.

     I welcome the Report of the PAC and am grateful for the time and efforts devoted by the Chairman of the PAC, Mr Shiu Ka-fai, and members of the PAC. The Government accepts the PAC’s various recommendations and sets out in detail in the GM the specific responses of the relevant bureaux and departments (B/Ds). The PAC conducted public hearings on the chapters on “Nano and Advanced Materials Institute” and “Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link”. I would like to highlight the key follow-up measures taken and progress made by the Government and relevant organisations in response to the PAC’s recommendations.

Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

     First, the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI). Regarding project management, NAMI would set both ambitious and feasible targets in comprehensive consideration of factors such as economic environment, market demand, NAMI’s technological development, business development plans and human resources. To improve patent management, NAMI will conduct regular market demand analyses, strengthen co-operation with universities, research institutes and enterprises, enhance market promotion and brand building. To improve the level of laboratory safety management, NAMI has enhanced the inspection procedures and requirements. For any non-compliance identified, remedial actions or improvement measures must be documented by staff of NAMI in detail and submitted to Research and Development (R&D) Director and Chief Technology Officer for endorsement.

     The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) would continue to encourage NAMI to liaise with the industry to explore room of co-operation, as well as promote wider participation from the industry in R&D. On the other hand, NAMI would also endeavour to transfer technology to the industry and promote commercialisation of project deliverables etc, convincing the industry with actual results that the applied R&D work of NAMI can help address enterprises’ pain points as well as improve their productivity and competitiveness. The ITC raised the target “Level of Industry and Other Income” to 40 per cent in 2024-25, and would explore the possibility of further raising the target to 50 per cent in the long run with a view to further encouraging R&D Centres to strengthen co-operation with the industry.

     The ITC agreed that there was room for improvement in NAMI’s relevant guidelines in business travel arrangements, claims for subsistence allowances and entertainment expenses. NAMI revised the guidelines in the fourth quarter of 2024, which clearly set out the corresponding approval mechanism and arrangements for staff at all levels; optimised the approval procedures for modification of business travel arrangement due to personal reasons/overspending of subsistence allowances and entertainment expenses; specified the NAMI staff to guest ratio for entertainments, and so on. The new guidelines stipulate that all subsistence allowances and entertainment expenses involving the Chief Executive Officer must be approved by the Chairperson of the Board. The new guidelines also clearly state that employees should avoid modifying the itinerary of business trips due to personal reasons and need to bear the additional costs involved.

     The ITC has implemented a series of control measures for R&D projects funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund, including: (i) assessing whether the estimates of expenditure set out in the project proposals are reasonable and meet the actual R&D needs when reviewing NAMI’s applications; (ii) requiring NAMI to submit progress/final reports and audited accounts for launched projects to facilitate assessment on project deliverables and spending; and (iii) requiring NAMI to return all unspent funds to the Government upon project completion. The ITC will continue to follow the principle of prudent financial management and control the operating expenditure of the R&D Centres in order to ensure the proper use of public money in fostering innovation and technology.

Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL)

     As regards the TM-CLKL project, it comprises eight inter-related works contracts and the scale of works is large and complex. On the supervision of consultants of public works projects, the Development Bureau (DEVB) will reflect the consultants’ performance in their quarterly performance assessment reports at various implementation stages of public works projects in order to take appropriate regulatory actions when necessary, including suspending the consultant’s eligibility to tender or removing the consultant from the list of consultants. Besides, the consultancy agreement for public works projects has clearly stipulated that the consultants shall indemnify the Government for any claims, damages, losses or expenses arising from their professional negligence in their performance of duties or provision of services to protect the Government’s interests. The DEVB will continue to review the performance evaluation system for consultants and, where necessary, introduce enhancement measures to prompt consultants to improve their service performance.

     Regarding the tender evaluation mechanism, the past performance scores of public works consultants and contractors currently account for 20 to 40 per cent of their technical scores in future tenders, which has considerable impact on their chances of winning future tenders. In addition, the DEVB has already established a mechanism to deal with public works consultants and contractors who seriously violate regulations or whose performance is extremely unsatisfactory, including suspending their eligibility to tender or removing their names from the relevant approved lists of consultants and contractors. The DEVB believes that the relevant measures can effectively drive consultants and contractors to improve their service quality so as not to affect their chances of winning tenders in the future.

     Regarding the management of works contracts, works departments have made more extensive use of the “New Engineering Contract” form in public works contracts in accordance with the prevailing guidelines issued by the DEVB. “New Engineering Contract” introduces an early warning mechanism to encourage the client’s representatives and contractors to identify and raise potential risks that may affect the project at an early stage, and to jointly negotiate and work out the best solution to facilitate the smooth implementation of the project according to the prescribed framework and timeframes in the contract in the event of any difficulties or problems encountered during construction. On the other hand, the Highways Department has now adopted Building Information Modelling technology and relevant software in the early planning and design stages of the projects to enhance the accuracy of quantity surveying, and is actively exploring the use of new technologies for site investigation, such as geophysical survey technology, to better ascertain the geological conditions and estimate the associated project costs.

     Regarding the management, operation, and maintenance of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, the Transport Department (TD) will continuously review and assess the staff manning of the tunnel operator, and will timely require the operator to adjust its human resources plan to ensure that manning at all levels meets the requirements of the management agreement. At the same time, the TD will continuously review and, as necessary, refine the criteria for evaluating the overall performance of the operator and the process for preparing quarterly reports to ensure that assessments are completed on time. It will also work with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department to improve the use of heavy recovery vehicles in the tunnel as mentioned in the report. Furthermore, the TD will continue to explore the application of new technologies to assist the operator in identifying out-of-gauge vehicles, with a view to enhancing traffic safety and management efficiency.

     For the traffic management of TM-CLKL and the relevant road sections in Tuen Mun, the TD will actively and continuously keep under review the traffic conditions in the area and will implement appropriate and effective traffic management measures in a timely manner.

     We understand that the Audit Commission and the PAC are concerned that surplus in the provisions for price adjustments in some of the works contracts had to be deployed to cover additional costs incurred due to unforeseen circumstances under the TM-CLKL project, and have urged works departments of the Government to adhere to the resource allocation originally planned in works projects during their implementation. The DEVB and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) are reviewing the current mechanism for utilising resources for public works projects, including areas for optimisation in contingency expenses and price adjustment provisions. The DEVB and the FSTB also plan to strengthen the existing supervisory mechanism and regularly report to the LegCo on the use of provisions for price adjustments in public works projects, so as to further ensure the proper use of resources and to enhance the transparency of resource utilisation and allocation. In addition, the Government has widely adopted parallel tendering arrangement to increase the accuracy of approved project estimates for public works projects. We are confident that the actual total expenditure of this project will remain within the total approved estimate of about $46.7 billion and there will be no cost overrun for the whole project.

     President, I would like to thank the PAC again for its efforts and suggestions. The B/Ds concerned will strictly adhere to their responses and implement various improvement measures as set out in the GM with full efforts.

     Thank you, President.

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LCQ16: Commemorative activities for 80th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (May 21):
 
Question:
 
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will also co-host the 15th National Games (15th NG) this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that in its reply to my question on February 26 this year, the Government indicated that the Working Group on Patriotic Education would co-ordinate various policy bureaux and government departments in launching a series of commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, of the current progress of the Government’s preparation for such activities; and
 
(2) whether it will consider combining the publicity work for the 15th ‍NG and the commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance to achieve a synergy effect, thereby creating a widespread atmosphere of affection for our country and Hong Kong?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
Having consulted the relevant bureaux, a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Yung is as follows:

This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance as well as the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. As mentioned in the reply in February this year, the Working Group on Patriotic Education led by the Chief Secretary for Administration has been co-ordinating the relevant bureaux and departments in launching a series of commemorative activities, and relevant preparations are progressing steadily. A diverse range of activities with rich content are under planning, including a memorial ceremony, thematic exhibitions, educational programmes for the public and students, enhancement of hiking trails and related tourism supporting facilities, as well as production of thematic videos for extensive promotion. Through such activities, we hope the members of the public would remember history and pay tribute to the martyrs. Specific examples include:
 
(1) The HKSAR Government will host a solemn official ceremony at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden on September 3, the Victory Day of the War of Resistance, to honour the occasion;
 
(2) The Home Affairs Department will provide funding and support to organisations for staging commemorative activities in the community, for instance, talks by veterans to recount their experiences during the War, and film shows about the War, with a view to deepening the understanding among members of the public about the historical events of the War on the Mainland and in Hong Kong, and fostering their sense of patriotism;
 
(3) The Hong Kong Museum of History of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is working with the National Museum of China on co-organising a large-scale thematic exhibition; the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence will jointly organise a thematic exhibition with the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History; and the LCSD will also organise a thematic talk “Reapproaching the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong from interactive map, 1941-1945” and a book display “Days of War” at the Hong Kong Central Library, as well as book displays, photo exhibitions and thematic talks at public libraries in different districts. Besides, the LCSD is planning for an array of workshops, field trips, and film screenings, etc;
 
(4) The Education Bureau is planning a series of activities including an academic seminar on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, a lecture on the historical contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column, roving exhibitions at schools on the history of the War, a territory-wide comic creative competition for secondary school students on the theme of the War, and field study tours on the history of the War on the Mainland and in Hong Kong;
 
(5) Through the “HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland” in 2025-26, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) provides funding to around 20 non-governmental organisations to organise youth exchange programmes with the theme of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance, offering around 1 000 places. Also, the HYAB will co-ordinate the youth uniformed groups and non-governmental organisations in organising the relevant activities;
 
(6) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is enhancing the tourism supporting facilities of hiking trails with historical significance during the War, including the Lion Rock Historic Walk, Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail. The AFCD also installed interpretation panels at the Robin’s Nest Country Park to introduce the war relics there and the contributions of nearby villagers during the War, and produced and broadcast videos on social media platforms to let the public learn about the war history in the Robin’s Nest and Lin Ma Hang areas; and
 
(7) The Information Services Department is producing a mini drama themed “Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance”.
 
The specifics of the above activities are being worked out. We would announce the details in due course. Apart from the abovementioned activities which are spearheaded by government bureaux/departments, we understand that many community groups or organisations also intend to organise commemorative activities in various forms.

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LCQ15: Small Claims Tribunal

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ15: Small Claims Tribunal 
Question:
 
     The jurisdictional limit of the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) was increased from $50,000 to $75,000 in 2018. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows the number of cases filed to SCT over the past three years and its percentage in the total number of court cases, together with a breakdown by the claim amount (i.e. (i) ‍$50,000 or less, (ii) ‍$50,001 to $74,999, and (iii) $75,000);
 
(2) given that in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Judiciary has indicated that when considering adjusting the jurisdictional limit of SCT, it would analyse a host of factors, including public demand for SCT’s services and changes in economic indicators, and that it is learnt that the amounts involved in civil disputes in recent years have significantly increased, with the claim amount of some cases filed to SCT already reaching the limit of $75,000, whether the Government knows when the Judiciary will adjust the jurisdictional limit of SCT and whether it will consider raising the claim limit; and
 
(3) given that, according to information from the Judiciary, the average waiting time for cases in SCT from filing to first hearing over the past three years was 35 to 41 days, which is better than the target time of 60 days, there are views that the relevant situation indicates that even if the jurisdictional limit of SCT is adjusted, SCT still has sufficient manpower to handle additional caseload, whether the Government knows how the Judiciary assesses the impact of adjusting the jurisdictional limit of SCT on the average waiting time for cases filed?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Based on the information provided by the Judiciary, the Government’s reply is as follows:
 
(1) In the past three years (2022 to 2024), around 80% of cases filed in the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) involve claim amounts of $50,000 or less. The breakdown of the relevant cases by respective claim amounts is as follows:
 

Claim amount (HK$)Note: In the past three years (2022 to 2024), a total of more than 1.6 million cases were filed in all levels of court (including the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, the District Court, the Magistrates’ Courts and various Tribunals), and about 10% of them were filed in the SCT. However, we should note that since the jurisdiction, case types and resources of courts at different levels vary, the caseloads among them should not be directly compared.
 
(2) and (3) The SCT adopts a less formal approach to proceedings, providing a relatively quick and less costly avenue for litigants to resolve civil disputes involving lower claim amounts. One of the features of the proceedings in the SCT is that legal representation is not allowed. In considering any proposal for adjustment to the jurisdictional limit of the SCT, the Judiciary will comprehensively and objectively analyse all relevant factors, including the functions of the SCT, the demand for its services and its operational impact, changes in economic indicators and views of stakeholders, so as to ensure an appropriate distribution of cases between the District Court and the SCT, thereby enhancing access to justice for the members of the public in need.
 
     The jurisdictional limit of SCT was increased from $50,000 to $75,000 with effect from December 3, 2018. Since then, the Judiciary has been closely monitoring the caseload of the SCT. According to the Judiciary’s case statistics from 2019 to 2024, while the total number of cases filed to SCT has increased by 2.8% from 55 879 to 57 454, those cases involving claim amounts exceeding $50,000 has been substantially reduced by 32% from 14 315 (26% of total number of cases) to 9 764 (17% of total number of cases). 
 
     The average court waiting times of the SCT in 2023 and 2024 recorded at 35 and 41 days respectively, which were within the target waiting time of 60 days. It should be noted that waiting times of the SCT is only one of the indicators of its operation, and do not reflect the substantial resources involved in the process of cases by the SCT, particularly on the part of the Adjudicators and Tribunal Officers in assessing, liaising with litigants/parties and facilitating settlement of cases through alternative dispute settlement out of court (including mediation) instead of trial proceedings. Such cases accounted for around 90% of the cases disposed of at the SCT.
 
     In the light of the above, the Judiciary considers that the jurisdictional limit of the SCT is currently at an appropriate level, and has no plan to make adjustments at the moment. The Judiciary will continue to keep relevant factors mentioned above under review to assess whether there is a need to adjust the jurisdictional limit of the SCT in the future, thereby ensuring appropriate distribution of cases between the District Court and the SCT.
Issued at HKT 18:22

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LCQ20: Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ20: Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme 
Questions:
 
The Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme (the Programme) of the Home Affairs Department seeks to provide funding support for eligible organisations to set up or expand social enterprises (SEs) to help enhance the self-reliance of socially disadvantaged groups. According to the Guide to the Programme, the funded SEs are required to become commercially sustainable after the end of the funding period. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the following information on the Programme in each of the past five years: (i) the amount of funding approved, (ii) the names of the organisations or groups which applied for the setting up or expansion of SEs, (iii) the services provided by and the service targets of the funded SEs as well as (iv) the types of socially disadvantaged groups employed by them, (v) the numbers of applications approved and (vi) ‍rejected, and (vii) the reasons for the applications being rejected;
 
(2) whether the Government has followed up on the funded SEs’ commercial sustainability after the end of the funding period of the Programme; if so, of the details (including the number and names of SEs which failed to become commercially sustainable in the past five years); if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the Government has regularly assessed the operation of the SE projects funded by the Programme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government has been supporting the development of social enterprises (SEs) through the implementation of the Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme (ESR Programme) since 2006. The ESR Programme provides seed grants for eligible organisations to set up or expand SEs, with a view to creating job opportunities for upgrading the skills of the socially disadvantaged groups, or providing them with products and services to meet their specific needs so as to help them enhance self-reliance and integrate into the community.
 
In response to the Hon Lillian Kwok’s question, our reply is as follows:
 
(1) Details on approved projects funded under the ESR Programme since 2020 by year, including the amounts of funding approved, the numbers of approved projects together with the names of the applicant organisations, their types of services, service targets and categories of employees, as well as the numbers of rejected applications, are set out in the Annex.
 
All eligible applications are assessed by the ESR Advisory Committee (ESRAC). The ESRAC mainly comprises non-official members from the business sector, SEs and the professional sector. In vetting the applications, the ESRAC will consider the nature, operation model and viability of the proposed business, the implementation methodology, budget of the project, etc, and in particular, whether the project can meet the objectives of the ESR Programme, that is, to create job opportunities for the socially disadvantaged groups for enhancing self-reliance, and will become self-financing and sustainable after the funding period. The major reason for the unsuccessful applications was that the applicants failed to satisfy the above considerations.
 
(2) and (3) Approved SE projects funded by the ESR Programme will receive their grants in phases over a funding period of three years. During the three-year funding period and the subsequent three-year monitoring period, the grantees are required to submit progress reports to the Home Affairs Department (HAD) regularly, which allows the Government to monitor the operation of the projects concerned, including the utilisation of the grants, the employment of socially disadvantaged groups and the financial status of the project. The HAD will also communicate or meet with or visit the officers in charge of the approved projects from time to time to assess the progress and performance of the projects. In the past five years, a total of 80 funded SE projects continued their operation during the monitoring period, whereas seven SEs terminated their businesses within the three-year monitoring period following the lapse of funding period due to various reasons, such as sales performance affected by the pandemic, rental/tenancy issues or turnover of staff. The details are as follows:
 

Year[Second-hand clothing store][Eco-friendly second-hand shop][Food factory][Fair trade retail store][Western restaurant][Health product shop][Cleaning service company]Issued at HKT 16:15

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Import of poultry meat and products from Miami-Dade County of State of Florida in US suspended

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 21) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Miami-Dade County of the State of Florida in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 12 290 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.19 million poultry eggs from the US in the first three months of this year.

​”The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

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Government implements regulatory regime for clinics and small practice clinics

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following the plan to implement regulations for private healthcare facilities (PHFs) in phases, the Government announced today (May 21) that commencement notices have been made under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (the Ordinance) to implement the regulatory regime for clinics and small practice clinics (SPCs).

     The aforesaid commencement notices will be gazetted this Friday (May 23) and tabled at the Legislative Council meeting for negative vetting on May 28. The Department of Health (DH) will step up the promotion to the healthcare sector in parallel, and begin to accept applications for clinic licences and requests for letters of exemption for SPCs from October 13 onwards.

     The Ordinance regulates premises where registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists practise. It stipulates that a licence is required for operating a clinic, and licensees must at all times comply with the Ordinance, licence conditions and codes of practice (CoP) issued by the Director of Health (DoH). Pursuant to the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee for Regulatory Standards for Private Healthcare Facilities, the DH has formulated the standards in respect of accommodation, staffing and equipment etc for operating a clinic. The DoH will issue the CoP for Clinics by gazettal on May 23, specifying October 13 as the day on which the CoP comes into effect to tie in with the arrangements for licence applications.

Application details

     Clinics already in operation on or before November 30, 2018 (i.e. the gazettal date for the enactment of the Ordinance), may require substantial alterations (e.g. modifying the accommodation layout) in order to meet the licensing requirements. As a transitional arrangement, operators of such clinics may apply for a licence between October 13, 2025, and April 13, 2026. After considering the circumstances, the DH may issue a provisional licence which allows these clinics to continue their operation before a full licence is issued.

     The provisional licence will expire on a date specified by the Secretary for Health for the expiry of provisions pertaining to such licences; when a full licence is issued to the licensee; or when the application for a full licence is withdrawn or rejected to give operators more time to make alterations.

     As for clinics which commenced operation after November 30, 2018 (including those which started businesses or moved to new premises), operators can directly apply for a full licence from October 13 onwards.

     For SPCs (i.e. clinics having not more than five registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists that meet specific conditions under the Ordinance), operators must ask the DoH for a letter of exemption from obtaining a licence from October 13 onwards for their continued operation.

     The above arrangements aim to focus on regulating clinics under the management of incorporated bodies. SPCs are exclusively operated by registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists whose professional practice is already governed by the existing legislation with relevant safeguards. The Ordinance also empowers the DoH to revoke exemptions on specific grounds (e.g. an SPC has been operated in a way contrary to the public interest) to better uphold public interests.

Supporting arrangements

     To ensure that the industry has a full understanding of the regulations, the DH has launched a publicity campaign on the website since the first quarter of this year and will progressively step up the relevant work, including disseminating information through various platforms such as professional organisations, press releases, television and radio announcements. The DH will also arrange multiple briefing sessions for the healthcare sector. Please refer to the website of the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities (www.orphf.gov.hk) for details.

     To address public concern about the use of titles or descriptions by illegal practitioners which may mislead the public into believing that medical services are provided therein, the Government plans to further implement section 92 of the Ordinance after the clinic licences and letters of exemption for SPCs have come into force to prohibit premises other than a permitted facility (i.e. neither a licensed hospital/day procedure centre/clinic, nor an SPC holding a letter of exemption) from bearing a specified title or description in order to enhance regulation.

     Since its enactment in 2018, the primary objective of the Ordinance is to ensure that premises providing medical services shall comply with stipulated facility and safety standards, and oversee the quality and price transparency of medical services as appropriate. As for commercial practices of PHFs (including commercial marketing or prepayment mode of consumption), the Government will continue to exercise comprehensive regulation through other existing laws to safeguard the rights and interests of the public.

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Flat selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024 to commence from May 29

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Flat selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024 to commence from May 29 
     Flat selection for the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2024 (HOS 2024) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will commence from May 29.
 
     “The HA will invite eligible applicants in batches to select flats for sale under HOS 2024 via mail or email according to the priority under the respective application category at the designated time at the Housing Authority Customer Service Centre (HACSC) in Lok Fu,” a spokesman for the HA said today (May 21).
 
Flats for sale
 
Flats for sale under HOS 2024 include:
 

(i)     “Sales brochures (and sales pamphlets for recovered TPS flats) and price lists will be made available for public collection at the HACSC in Lok Fu and for viewing on the HA/Housing Department (HD)’s designated websites (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hos/2024 
     Project models on the new developments and doll houses of HOS typical flats, virtual videos of samples of HOS flats, virtual reality tours of the interior of samples of HOS and recovered TPS flats, exhibition panels/electronic panels and other information on HOS developments and TPS estates will be available for public viewing at the HACSC in Lok Fu and on the designated websites.
 
     During the flat selection period, photos and video clips of the interior of all recovered TPS flats for sale will be provided at the HACSC in Lok Fu and on the designated websites. Arrangements will be made with relevant stakeholders to facilitate their viewing of the recovered TPS flats put up for sale under HOS 2024 as far as practicable.
 
Flat price
 
     The average flat selling price of the HOS flats is set at a 30 per cent discount from the assessed market values, i.e. for sale at 70 per cent of the assessed market values. The selling prices of flats in the five new HOS developments range from $1.43 million to $4.67 million, with an average selling price of about $2.7 million.
 
     “Based on the average flat selling price at about $2.7 million (saleable area of about 35 square metres or about 380 square feet), the mortgage payment is about $11,600 per month, assuming that he/she takes out a mortgage at 90 per cent of the flat price for a term of 30 years at an interest rate of 4 per cent. For one to two-person flats, which we believe will be welcomed by young families and young people, the average selling price is about $1.7 million and the mortgage payment is about $7,300 per month,” a spokesman for the HA said.
 
Applications received
 
     During the application period, the HA received a total of around 106 000 applications for HOS 2024 (comprising around 78 000 White Forms and around 28 000 Green Forms), with an oversubscription rate of about 14 times. Among the applications received, around 50 000 came from family applicants, of which around 19 000 applied under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members (Priority Elderly Scheme) and Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme (Priority Newborns Scheme) (around 40 per cent of family applicants). In addition, around 56 000 applications were received from one-person applicants.
 
Sequence of priority for flat selection

     The sequence of priority for flat selection by eligible applicants will be determined by the application category, quota allocation and ballot results. The HA has implemented the Priority Newborns Scheme announced under “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” as scheduled, and a quota of 2 900 flats has been set for families applying under the Priority Elderly Scheme and the newly introduced Priority Newborns Scheme. Separately, a quota of 700 flats has been set for one-person applicants. For the HOS 2024 sequence of priority of different application categories, please refer to Annex 2.
 
Refinements to the arrangement of quota allocation
 
     To provide applicants in different application categories a reasonable chance to purchase flats in different developments, starting from HOS 2024, the quota will be set on a project-by-project basis according to the respective number of flats in individual new HOS developments. In each development, the quota for the Priority Newborns Scheme and the Priority Elderly Scheme is 40 per cent of the number of flats in the development, and the quota for one-person applicants is 10 per cent of the number of flats in the development. 
Issued at HKT 15:00

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Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from June 5 to 9

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from June 5 to 9 
     A spokesman for the TD said, “A total of 150 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve the Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with HK or ‘XX’ as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles, and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged.”
 
     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
 
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by “iAM Smart+” equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered “iAM Smart” users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not “iAM Smart” users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
 
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
 
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
 
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
 (5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved the Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 15:00

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Arrangements for change in result reporting systems of HKDSE Category C Other Languages subjects announced

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Arrangements for change in result reporting systems of HKDSE Category C Other Languages subjects announced     Specific examination grades/language proficiency levels of HKDSE Category C OL subjects refer to: 
– A2 or above (i.e. A2, B1, B2, C1 & C2 (highest)) in French/German/Spanish;
– N3 or above (i.e. N3, N2 & N1 (highest)) in Japanese; and
– TOPIK II Grade 3 or above (i.e. TOPIK II Grade 3, 4, 5 & 6 (highest)) in Korean.  
Issued at HKT 15:00

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Passage of stablecoins bill welcomed

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government welcomed the passage of the Stablecoins Bill by the Legislative Council today, with a view to establishing a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoins (FRS) issuers in Hong Kong.

 

Upon implementation of the Stablecoins Ordinance, any person who, in the course of business, issues an FRS in Hong Kong, or issues an FRS that purports to maintain a stable value with reference to Hong Kong dollar in or outside Hong Kong, will need to obtain a licence from the Monetary Authority.

 

The relevant parties must satisfy the requirements in areas such as reserve asset management and redemption, including proper segregation of client assets, maintaining a robust stabilisation mechanism, and processing stablecoin holders’ requests for redemption at par value with reasonable conditions.

 

Such individuals must also comply with requirements in relation to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, risk management, disclosure and auditing, and fitness and propriety.

 

The Government explained that the regulatory regime will provide better protection for the general public and investors.

 

In particular, only specified licensed institutions may offer an FRS in Hong Kong, and only an FRS issued by a licensed issuer may be offered to a retail investor. Additionally, to prevent fraud and scams, only advertisements of licensed FRS issuance are allowed.

 

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said: “The ordinance adheres to the ‘same activity, same risks, same regulation’ principle, with a focus on a risk-based approach to promote a robust regulatory environment.

 

“This is not only in line with international regulatory requirements, but also lays a solid foundation for Hong Kong’s virtual asset market, which, in turn, promotes the sustainable development of the industry, protects users’ rights and interests, and strengthens Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre.”

 

The ordinance is expected to come into effect this year. A transitional arrangement will be implemented to facilitate the industry in applying for a licence and making suitable business arrangements in accordance with the regulatory regime.

 

Separately, the Monetary Authority will conduct further consultations on the detailed regulatory requirements of the regime in due course.