Month: June 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Development Bureau (DEVB) and works departments bagged nine Martin Barnes Awards, including two prestigious winner awards.

 

An award ceremony was held yesterday in London, the UK, where Hong Kong won nine awards from the 27 awards in eight categories among 80 entries worldwide.

 

Hong Kong earned two of the prestigious winner awards. While the Water Supplies Department received one for the Climate Change Initiative category for the implementation of Shek Wu Hui Water Reclamation Plant, the other award, for the Distinguished Contribution category, was given to Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Tony Ho in recognition of his outstanding performance in promoting the application of the New Engineering Contract (NEC) in construction projects over the years.

 

Apart from the two winner awards, the DEVB, the Civil Engineering & Development, the Drainage Services, the Electrical & Mechanical Services and the Highways departments also received accolades for several notable NEC entries.

 

While sending her congratulations to the project teams on their impressive achievements, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn highlighted that the DEVB and works departments have been committed to promoting collaborative partnerships in the delivery of public works projects through the adoption of the NEC form, enhancing mutual trust and co-operation among different industry stakeholders.

 

“Such collaborative partnerships help accomplish the primary goals of project management and enhance management efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects. The awards fully demonstrate that their efforts and accomplishments have been recognised internationally.”

 

Introduced by the DEVB for public works projects in the city in 2009, the NEC form embraces a collaborative partnership between clients and contractors, thereby enhancing project performance.

 

As of today, more than 760 public works contracts, with a total value of over $510 billion, have adopted the NEC form.

 

A prestigious honour in the industry, the Martin Barnes Awards are presented by the New Engineering Contract Users’ Group under the UK Institution of Civil Engineers. The awards recognise construction projects, organisations and individuals worldwide that have demonstrated excellence in project delivery through collaborative partnership.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The 6th Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao Postal Summit was held in Hong Kong today where representatives from the three places engaged in business exchanges and in-depth discussions on key topics.

 

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau delivered opening remarks at the summit.

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State Post Bureau Director General Zhao Chongjiu, China Post Group Co Chairman Liu Aili, Macao Post & Telecommunications Bureau Director Lau Wai Meng, and Postmaster General Leonia Tai gave speeches respectively, and joined Mr Yau in officiating at the summit’s opening ceremony.

 

Seven important consensus were reached at the meeting, including collaboratively ensuring service support for the 15th National Games and jointly launching special products.

 

In his opening remarks, Mr Yau said it is highly significant for the postal summit to be held in Hong Kong for the first time. Under the leadership of the State Post Bureau, the summit provides a sustainable and effective platform for the postal services of the three places to deepen communication and co-operation, enhance policy co-ordination and resource sharing, and promote integration and exchange in postal development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Task Group on New Medical School today met for the second time with the universities, Baptist University, Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, that have submitted proposals for the establishment of Hong Kong’s third medical school.

While having a focused exchange on the specific plans of their proposals, each of the three universities further presented its overall plan for implementing the new medical school proposal, including the curriculum content, clinical training for medical students, construction of teaching facilities and funding arrangements.

The task group will enhance speed and efficiency in expediting the assessment of the proposals, with a view to completing the assessments and providing a recommendation to the Government within this year.

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said that the three universities have demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing medical talent and developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, as well as responded positively to the concerns raised by the task group on the quality of medical education and clinical training.

“As President Xi Jinping said, ‘Health is the most important indicator of people’s happiness.’ The Government strives to comprehensively deepen the healthcare system reform, and the new medical school will not only shoulder the mission of coping with the rapidly ageing population and the worsening shortage of healthcare manpower, but also pursue complementary development with the two existing medical schools to contribute to the enhancement of city’s healthcare system.”

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin highlighted that the 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education newly released by the nation strives to accelerate the development of world-class universities and advanced disciplines.

“We expect the selected university to take on the important task of actively promoting curriculum innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing closer ties with regional partners.”

She added that the new medical school will also be able to nurture more healthcare talent, raise academic standards and broaden the scope of medical education and research in Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today said that staff members found guilty of a criminal offence will not only be subject to court sentencing but will also face disciplinary sanctions by the department in accordance with the established civil service disciplinary mechanism.  

 

The FEHD made the remarks following the District Court’s sentencing of eight former Principal Hawker Control Officers for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

 

It emphasised that it attaches great importance to staff discipline and integrity and will not condone any misconduct or illegal behaviour.

 

When conducting civil service recruitment exercises, civil servants must strictly comply with the relevant policies and procedures, and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted according to the principles of fairness, transparency, and merits.

      

The FEHD said it will seek advice from the Civil Service Bureau to determine appropriate follow-up actions following the court judgment, including whether to consider cancelling, suspending, or reducing the pension benefits of the officers concerned under Section 29 of the Pension Benefits Ordinance.

      

Following the incident, the FEHD has reviewed the recruitment procedures for Assistant Hawker Control Officers and introduced refinements to the modus operandi and the monitoring mechanism.

 

Such enhancements include adjusting the representation of relevant grades in the recruitment boards to enhance objectivity and diversity in the selection process, and arranging for supervisory staff to observe interviews on an irregular basis.

 

In addition, integrity training has been strengthened for enforcement and supervisory officers at all levels.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong’s excellence in delivering public works projects received international recognition. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and works departments shone at the 2025 Martin Barnes Awards Ceremony in London, the United Kingdom, on June 16 (London time), winning nine awards from the 27 awards in eight categories (see Annex), including two prestigious winner awards, among 80 entries worldwide.
 
A prestigious honour in the industry, the Martin Barnes Awards are presented by the New Engineering Contract (NEC) Users’ Group under the Institution of Civil Engineers of the United Kingdom. The awards recognise construction projects, organisations and individuals worldwide that have demonstrated excellence in project delivery through collaborative partnership.
 
The two winner awards are as follows:
 
1. The winner award for the Climate Change Initiative category was received by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) for the implementation of Shek Wu Hui Water Reclamation Plant. In the construction and operation of Hong Kong’s first large-scale regional water reclamation plant, the WSD worked with the contractor through the NEC mechanism to develop an innovative and cost-effective fully automated reclaimed water production solution that saves energy and helps reduce carbon emissions. The facility supplies water for non-potable uses in Northern District and nearby new development areas. With the production process remaining unaffected by extreme weather, it not only conserves precious water resources but also enhances the resilience of Hong Kong’s water resources portfolio, thus further improving the stability of the city’s water resources.
 
2. The winner award for Distinguished Contribution category was received by Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Mr Tony Ho, in recognition of his outstanding performance in promoting and deepening the application of the NEC in construction projects over the years, which has nurtured a collaborative culture in the industry. His proactive promotion of the adoption of advanced technologies has also enhanced the overall performance of construction projects.
 
In addition to the above two winner awards, the DEVB, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Highways Department also received various awards for several notable NEC entries.
 
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, extended her congratulations to the project teams on their impressive achievements. She said, “The DEVB and works departments have been committed to promoting collaborative partnerships in the delivery of public works projects through the adoption of the NEC form, enhancing mutual trust and co-operation among different industry stakeholders. Such collaborative partnerships help accomplish the primary goals of project management and enhance management efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects. The awards fully demonstrate that their efforts and accomplishments have been recognised internationally.”
 
The NEC Users’ Group also held its 2025 Annual Conference on the same day. The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, was invited to attend the plenary session to exchange ideas with a group of international experts on how to lead the industry in applying innovative technologies and integrating the use of the NEC form to enhance the effectiveness of implementing infrastructure projects.
 
Since the DEVB introduced the NEC form for public works projects in Hong Kong in 2009, it has become a key driver in transforming the construction industry. The NEC embraces a collaborative partnership between clients and contractors, thereby enhancing project performance. While the conventional form of contracts focused more on specifying contractual obligations and responsibilities of both parties, the NEC introduces a comprehensive project management system into its contractual provisions, including an early warning mechanism, a compensation mechanism between contractual parties and action plans. It advocates for contractual parties to work together to resolve contractual problems in a proactive and collaborative manner under this management system, thereby achieving win-win situations. As of today, more than 760 public works contracts, with a total value of over HK$510 billion, have adopted the NEC form.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today toured the Yangshan Port in Shanghai to gain insights into the operations of its automated terminal.

 

She pointed out that the Port of Shanghai and ports in Hong Kong are advancing in unison towards greening, digitalisation and the adoption of smart technologies. The visit has deepened exchanges between the two sides on high-quality port development and allowed Hong Kong to draw on Yangshan Port’s experience to facilitate discussions with port operators on a roadmap for Hong Kong ports’ smart transformation.

 

In addition to highlighting that Shanghai and Hong Kong are both vital shipping centres to the country, Ms Chan expressed hope that the visit and exchanges would enable both cities to work together towards the country’s strategic goal of becoming a maritime powerhouse, and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

 

On Monday, Ms Chan arrived at Shanghai to begin her two-day visit where she first met Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission Director Yu Fulin and other officials to discuss traffic management, shipping and aviation, and other issues of mutual interest.

 

Her engagements on Monday also involved a visit to an all-electric ferry, which started operating in April, to learn about Shanghai’s progress in promoting green transport, and a meeting with representatives of the China Shipowners’ Association.

 

At the meeting with the association, Ms Chan gave an overview of the latest developments of Hong Kong’s maritime services, and encouraged Mainland shipowners and shipping enterprises to register their ships in Hong Kong.

 

Ms Chan returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A sharing session for the social welfare sector on the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, jointly organised by the Government and Connecting Hearts, concluded today.

 

The event was attended by about 300 management staff of social welfare organisations, with several thousand representatives from the social welfare sector joining it online.

 

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun said at its ceremony that with the implementation of the National Security Law, the Labour & Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department have enhanced the mechanisms such as including the requirement into relevant documents for the department’s subsidised and subvented services.

 

This is to ensure non-governmental organisations’ compliance with the security law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in the delivery of services, he added.

 

Mr Sun also mentioned the amendments of the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, which allow prompt and appropriate actions taken on registered social workers convicted of offences endangering national security.

 

The labour chief said that upon the implementation of these enhancements, the social welfare sector not only showed a rising awareness of safeguarding national security but also integrated such awareness into the operation of their organisations, fully demonstrating that safeguarding national security is everyone’s responsibility.

 

Mr Sun emphasised that the bureau and the department will continue to organise activities to promote national security education and patriotism in partnership with Connecting Hearts and encourage organisations providing subvented welfare services to make use of the dedicated fund to enhance their staff’s understanding of national affairs by arranging Mainland exchange tours and studies programmes.

 

He highlighted the overwhelming response from social workers on the Thousands of Hong Kong Social Workers Exploring the Motherland & Hong Kong Social Work Teaching Staff Exploring the Motherland tours as clear indication of the sector’s wish to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the nation’s overall development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region