Month: June 2025

Appointments to new term of Advisory Committee on Countryside Conservation announced 
The membership of the new term of the ACCC is as follows:Secretary for Environment and EcologyProfessor John Ng Cheuk-yee
Mr William Chiu Chi-fai
Mr Louis Yu Kwok-lit＊
Dr Ivy Wong Siu-wai＊
Mr Norman Cheng Chun-ping＊
Dr Winnie Tang Shuk-ming＊
Ms Julia Lau Man-kwan
Dr Miguel Lau Wai-neng
Mr Kenny Lok Ka-ming
Professor Becky Loo Pui-ying＊
Dr Ken So Ying-kin＊Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment) or representative
Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) or representative
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation or representativeChief Executive Officer (Countryside Conservation Office), Environment and Ecology Bureau
 
＊New member
Issued at HKT 11:00

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Home Affairs Department Issues Statement on Impersonation Incident

The Home Affairs Department (HAD) today (June 23) noted an unidentified individual impersonating “Tai Po District Officer” posting a statement under the name of the “Tai Po District Care Teams Alliance” in a Facebook group named “Tai Po”. The HAD would like to point out clearly that the content of the aforementioned post and the so-called statement were false, and were not issued by Tai Po District Officer or District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams). In response to the post, the HAD has taken immediate action to report the case to the Police for investigation, and contact the relevant social media platform to request prompt removal of the false content.

The Government will take serious action in accordance with the law against impersonation of public officers or posting of any false information in the name of Care Teams. The HAD calls on members of the public to remain vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to the HAD’s hotline at 2835 2500 or to the Police. The public is also reminded to obtain accurate information through official Government channels and to refrain from trusting or forwarding unverified online messages.

The formation of Care Teams aims to consolidate community resources to care for the community and strengthen district networks in support of district-based initiatives. Care Teams carry out caring activities, such as visiting those in need, and assist in handling incidents and emergencies. Care Teams also help the Government disseminate information and relay feedback of the community. For further details about the Care Teams, please visit the HAD website: www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/district_services_community_care_teams.

Taxi fleet thematic job fair to offer one-stop platform to recruit fleet drivers

The Transport Department (TD) said today (June 23) that a taxi fleet thematic job fair will be held on June 25 (Wednesday) at the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices to enable taxi fleet operators to recruit fleet drivers.

The job fair is jointly organised by the Labour Department (LD) and three of the taxi fleet operators, namely Big Boss Taxi Company Limited (Big Boss Taxi fleet), CMG Fleet Management Limited (Amigo fleet) and Tai Wo Management Limited (Joie fleet). Job seekers can learn more about the details of job vacancies for fleet drivers, submit job applications on-site, and may also have the opportunity to attend on-the-spot interviews.

According to the operators, taxi fleets will offer various incentives to fleet drivers, such as a referral bonus for new drivers and safe driving bonuses. They will also provide flexible working hour arrangements. In addition, the operators will offer pre-service training to enhance drivers’ customer service skills. Online hailing platforms, including mobile applications and websites, will be available for passengers to schedule their trips, thereby increasing drivers’ income. Moreover, operators will implement systematic management to support drivers in handling customer enquiries and feedback, creating a better working environment for fleet drivers.

The TD will continue to introduce different measures to facilitate taxi fleet operations. These include setting up a few dozen designated fleet taxi stopping places at the airport, certain boundary control points such as Heung Yuen Wai Control Point, Shenzhen Bay Port, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station, certain Airport Express stations, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong Disneyland, etc, to provide convenience for fleet drivers in picking up passengers with pre-booked trips.

Different taxi fleet operators participated in the LD’s district job fairs earlier this month and received enthusiastic responses from job seekers. This thematic job fair aims to further enhance job seekers’ understanding of the advantages of taxi fleets and their employment modes, providing a one-stop platform for fleet operators to recruit fleet drivers in parallel.

The job fair will be held from 2.30pm to 5pm at the Kowloon West Job Centre, 9/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po. Admission is free.

Guangdong and Hong Kong jointly promote Modular Integrated Construction development  
     The Building Technology Research Institute (BTRi), the Construction Industry Council (CIC), the MiC Laboratory of The University of Hong Kong, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Modular Integrated Construction Industry Alliance (Alliance) are co-organisers of the MiC Week.
 
     Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been actively promoting the adoption of MiC to enhance the productivity and cost-effectiveness of the construction industry. As of now, over 100 government and private projects have adopted this advanced construction method. She said that the HKSAR Government is implementing a series of measures to strengthen the supply chain of MiC, including the release of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Modular Integrated Construction Cross-boundary Trading Guidebook, the accreditation of MiC manufacturers, the announcement of the MiC Annual Demand Forecast and the enhancement of relevant training on MiC, as well as the research and development of new technologies. Among which, the DEVB plans to announce a new requirement for public works projects later this year to require MiC manufacturers to be accredited before bidding for tenders of relevant projects, with a view to streamlining the vetting and approval process and ensuring quality. She said that the Guangdong Province is the main manufacturing base for MiC modules in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), while Hong Kong possesses advantages in research and development as well as overseas promotion. The DEVB will continue to work closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government to build the GBA into a MiC technology and construction hub, and promote MiC to become a new quality productive force and a strategic industry that expands to the international arena.
 
     The Director-General of the DHURDGP, Mr Zhang Yong, said in his speech that high-quality and reliable MiC products from Guangdong have been gradually applied in various projects in Hong Kong including office buildings, school dormitories, public housing and private buildings, making positive contributions to the urban development and the security of people’s livelihoods in Hong Kong. From January to May this year, Guangdong exported MiC modules with a total value of about $1.39 billion to Hong Kong, a year-on-year increase of 2.3 times, demonstrating strong technical and supply capabilities. Building on the development of a supply chain that fully supports Hong Kong, Guangdong has also progressively developed application scenarios such as schools, hospitals and talent accommodation, and explored MiC technology innovations for projects including super-high-rise buildings and in-situ redevelopment, advancing pilot modular projects for urban development.
 
     The unveiling ceremony of the Alliance was also held during the launching ceremony. With membership comprising industry associations, higher education institutions, research institutes, enterprises, experts and scholars from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the Alliance aims to promote the development of MiC in the GBA, aligning with the national strategies of high-quality development and green building.
 
     In addition, the Guangdong-Hong Kong Modular Integrated Construction Cross-boundary Trading Guidebook compiled by the DEVB was also released at the launching ceremony. The guidebook provides manufacturers with guidelines on application for bonded processing trade arrangements for MiC materials and cross-boundary tax declarations for exporting MiC modules to Hong Kong, enabling all parties in the MiC supply chain in the GBA to conduct MiC cross-boundary trade more conveniently and efficiently.
 
     The Chairperson of the BTRi, Mr Hon Chi-keung, also presented accreditation certificates to the first batch of eight manufacturers accredited under the MiC Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme 
     The Chairman of the CIC, Professor Thomas Ho, also announced the first MiC Annual Demand Forecast 
     The launching ceremony attracted over 1 000 participants who took part both online and offline. Other activities of the MiC Week include International Conference on Modular Integrated Construction, an enterprise forum, a design workshop, a site visit to a MiC project, a guided tour for public and more. Details are available on its websiteIssued at HKT 22:48

Tourism Strategy Committee holds fourth meeting  
     Members expressed their recognition to the KTSP since its commissioning, which was well received by both the tourism industry and the visitors. Members put forward suggestions for optimising the transportation and catering arrangements during mega events as well as strengthening cross-sector collaboration with the tourism industry.
 
     Regarding the preliminary land use proposal of the sites around Hung Hom Station and its waterfront areas, members considered that with panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, the waterfront areas were well-positioned to be re-planned and developed into a new harbourfront landmark that would integrate leisure and entertainment, dining and retail, and water-friendly elements. As for the utilisation of water body, members agreed that the water body adjacent to the former Hung Hom Freight Yard site should be put to good use. The proposed world-class yacht berthing facilities to be provided thereat could be integrated with land-based facilities for retail, dining and entertainment so as to promote yacht tourism. Members also recommended the Government to provide space for setting up land-side ancillary facilities to support the operation of the yacht berthing facilities. The DEVB is currently consulting the public and stakeholders on the preliminary land use proposal. The consultation period will end on July 5, 2025. The Government will take into account members’ recommendations and the feedback received during the consultation period when refining the development proposal and finalising the detailed development parameters. The target is to commence the relevant statutory procedures in the second half of 2026.
 
In addition, members also exchanged views with Hong Kong Tourism Board’s representatives regarding Hong Kong’s latest tourism performance and relevant statistics. For the first five months of 2025, Hong Kong received more than 20 million visitor arrivals, a 12 per cent increase year-on-year. Among the visitors, about 15 million came from the Mainland, a 10 per cent rise year-on-year. Growth momentum is sustained across various non-Mainland markets, with around 5 million visitor arrivals in the first five months, an 18 per cent rise year-on-year. Number of visitor arrivals from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan and increasing more than 20 per cent year-on-year respectively. For Australia, a significant growth of more than 30 per cent was recorded.
 
The Committee is tasked to provide the Government with strategic advice and foster collaboration among different stakeholders in tourism and related sectors for further promoting the long-term and sustainable development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry. Members include prominent figures and key leaders from the tourism and other related sectors such as culture, sports, retail and catering.
Issued at HKT 21:45

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DH to launch final phase of HPV Vaccination Catch-up Programme on June 26???
The Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui said, “In Hong Kong, cervical cancer was the ninth most common cancer among women in 2022, with 522 new cases and 167 deaths. The HPV vaccine is highly effective in preventing the high-risk types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer. Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the DH launched the first phase of Programme in December last year to provide free vaccination for female full-time students studying in Secondary Five or above (including secondary sections of special schools). As of June 8, the coverage rate for the first dose of the HPV vaccine in the first phase of the Programme has exceeded 80 per cent. The second phase has begun in mid-March this year, offering free HPV vaccination to female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who are currently studying at local post-secondary institutions. All post-secondary institutions have participated.”

Under the final phase of the Programme, all female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who are not currently studying and have not completed their HPV vaccination only need to register with eHealth first, after which they can make an appointment through the website or telephone number of the WWS under the PHCC of the HHB for free vaccination at the WWS and its service points, or designated District Health Centre (DHC)/Express (E). Appointments can be made starting today by calling the WWS at 2855 1333 or through its website (www.wws.org.hk/vaccineIssued at HKT 17:55

Toronto ETO celebrates cultural heritage at dragon boat festivals in Ottawa and Vancouver Issued at HKT 1:00

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