Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, arrived in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province yesterday afternoon (July 15), to continue his visit.

    Mr Chan met with the Secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, Mr Xu Qin, to exchange views on deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang Province. Mr Chan said that over the past year, Hong Kong and Heilongjiang have had mutual engagements, close exchanges and co-operation efforts that have reached an unprecedented level. At the Heilongjiang-Hong Kong Investment Cooperation Conference held in Hong Kong in March this year, the two places signed Memoranda of Understanding for strengthening co-operation on education, economics and trade, culture and tourism, sports and youth, and other fields, breaking new ground and laying a solid foundation for future co-operation. He said that Hong Kong possesses the unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle and a business environment that is highly market-oriented and internationalised, underpinned by the rule of law and an array of global professional talent and services. Mr Chan said he eagerly looks forward to deepening co-operation in all aspects between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang, complementing each other’s strengths,and achieving mutual benefits to make greater contributions to building a great country and realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

    Afterwards, Mr Chan attended the launch ceremony of the Hong Kong Patriotic Education Heilongjiang Study Tour under the Strive and Rise Programme. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, he expressed gratitude to the Heilongjiang Provincial Government for its strong organisational support work for the study tour, which travelled to and from Harbin by chartered flights arranged by Greater Bay Airlines. With over 130 participants, this study tour is the largest tour in scale since the launch of the Strive and Rise Programme. Mr Chan said at the event that given the rapid advancements in the country’s science and technology sectors, Heilongjiang Province has also developed various high-tech industries. He encouraged the participants to engage in different activities on the study tour to deepen the understanding of the country’s history, culture and economic development, and experience fascinating technological innovations. These will help the participants set goals for their future and strive for upward mobility.

    This morning (July 16), Mr Chan and members of the study tour visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, which is one of the first batch of 100 demonstration bases for patriotic education in the country. The visit allowed the participants to gain a deeper understanding of the crimes of Unit 731 through the displayed objects, pictures, archives, multimedia materials etc. Mr Chan said that this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and the exhibition hall is an important place for patriotic education. He said he hopes that members of the study tour will take this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the hardships in national development and building a strong nation, cultivate a deeper and firmer patriotic sentiment through recognising historical facts, and consciously shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding national security.

    In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with the Secretary of the CPC Harbin Municipal Committee, Mr Yu Hongtao. They exchanged views on promoting exchanges and co-operation in various aspects between the two places in the future. Noting that Harbin has been added as one of the Mainland cities eligible for the Individual Visit Scheme since May last year, and that direct flights between Hong Kong and Harbin have been launched, Mr Chan said that the partnerships between the two places have become closer. He expressed his hope for the two cities to work together to explore more co-operation opportunities. In addition, Mr Chan mentioned that the HKSAR Government is steadfastly carrying out the work of patriotic education, including organising more Mainland exchange and study tours. He said he expected more Hong Kong young people to visit Harbin for exchanges and study, with an aim of enhancing Hong Kong young people’s sense of identity with, sense of belonging to, and pride towards the country.

    Mr Chan will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government will publish the Prison (Amendment) Rules 2025 (Amendment Rules) in the Gazette this Friday (July 18), which will take effect immediately on that day.
 
     A spokesperson for the Security Bureau today (July 16) said, “According to the Decision of the National People’s Congress on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to Safeguard National Security and the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has the constitutional responsibility to continue to improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security steadily so as to continue to prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security effectively. The Prison Rules (PR) have been in operation for many years. We need to review whether the PR can meet the needs of safeguarding national security and modern correctional institution management.”
 
     The spokesperson added, “Having reviewed the relevant law enforcement experience in the past in respect of custody of convicted persons in custody (PICs) and prisoners awaiting trial, potential national security risks and security threats that may be faced by correctional institutions in the future, and relevant law and practices in other jurisdictions (including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore), we propose to improve the extant PR, so as to ensure that we can effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security; continue to strengthen the legal basis for correctional officers in discharging their duties; maintain the security, good order and discipline of prisons; and facilitate the rehabilitation of PICs and protect their lawful rights and interests. We also put forward other amendments to strengthen the enforcement effectiveness of the Correctional Services Department. At the same time, we have reviewed and will amend other provisions with a view to making the PR more up-to-date and meeting the needs for the management of correctional institutions.
 
     “Amidst the present complicated geopolitical situation, national security risks still exist. It is necessary to amend the PR as soon as possible to prevent and resolve relevant risks in a timely manner, the earlier the better, for safeguarding national security effectively.
 
     “The Amendment Rules will be tabled at the Legislative Council (LegCo) for negative vetting on July 23. The Government will proactively facilitate the scrutiny work of the LegCo, with a view to further strengthening the solid defence in safeguarding national security.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

     It has been reported that 300 enterprises in Hong Kong have ceased operation over the first half of this year. Quite a number of enterprises are facing cash flow difficulties, and some are even having their loan called in by the bank (an operation commonly known as “call loan”). Many members of the business sector are worried that, once unable to reverse the fiscal deficit, the Government will raise taxes significantly. Some academics have projected that the Government may need to raise the salaries tax rate to 26.5 per cent before fiscal balance can hopefully be achieved. Against a backdrop of uncertain economic prospects, instability in work income, and substantial increase in living and tax expenses, the public’s investment confidence and desire for consumption have been directly suppressed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has examined if there are signs that the Government’s fiscal deficit has narrowed since the release of this year’s Budget and if there is room to reduce bond issuance volumes in the future;

(2) in the light of the aforesaid worries of the business sector and members of the public about the economy and tax hikes, what policies or measures are put in place by the authorities to stabilise the confidence of various sectors; whether it can explicitly commit to not raising taxes; and

(3) as it has been reported that a certain major property developer and a number of small and medium-sized developers in Hong Kong are facing operational crises, with some even defaulting on debts and being on the verge of closure, and foreign media have even described a certain major developer as “too big to fail”, so much so that in the event of a closure, it stands to pose a serious crisis to local banks, whether the Government has assessed the negative impact on the banking system, economic structure, unemployment rate, public confidence in investment, consumer sentiment and even government revenue in the event of successive closures of developers, and whether it has formulated counter-measures?

Reply:

President,

     Regarding the question raised by the Hon Paul Tse, I will first give a brief account of the latest developments of Hong Kong’s overall economic situation and the Government’s public finance strategies.

     The Hong Kong economy grew solidly. Real gross domestic product rose by 2.5 per cent in the full year of 2024 and the year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2025 is 3.1 per cent, which is significantly higher than the 1.5 per cent average growth of G7 countries in the first quarter of 2025. As regards the stock market, the Hang Seng Index surged by a cumulative 20 per cent in the first half of the year. Our stock market trading as well as initial public offering was active. The average daily turnover for the first half of the year was around $240.2 billion, an increase of 118 per cent when compared with the same period last year. More than $107 billion was raised in the first half of the year, approximately 22 per cent more than the full-year total for last year and ranking first globally in the year-to-date. Nevertheless, certain sectors, such as traditional retail and catering, are still facing greater challenges due to changing consumption patterns of visitors and residents.

     On public finances, the 2025-26 Budget outlined a reinforced fiscal consolidation programme, focusing primarily on expenditure control, supplemented by revenue generation, to gradually restore balance to government accounts. According to the Medium Range Forecast (MRF), the Government’s Operating Account will largely achieve balance in 2025-26 and return to a surplus starting from 2026-27. The Capital Account is estimated to record a deficit in the MRF period due to the accelerated development of the Northern Metropolis and other capital works projects relating to the economy and people’s livelihood. Nevertheless, the level of deficit will decline year-on-year from 2026-27 onwards. After taking account of net proceeds from the issuance of bonds, the Consolidated Accounts will return to a surplus starting from 2028-29.

     As the question raised by Hon Paul Tse covers a wide range of issues, we have prepared a reply in consultation with the relevant bureaux and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) as follows:

(1) Fiscal deficit and size of bond issuance

     A consolidated deficit of $67 billion is expected for this financial year. Due to the fact that some major types of revenue including salaries and profits taxes are mostly received towards the end of a financial year, it is premature at this juncture to project our full-year financial results. Nevertherless, the increase in trading volume of the stock market in the first half of the year has led to an increase in stamp duty revenue, rendering support to our public finances. Regarding the size of bond issuance, we have planned to issue a total of about $150 billion to $195 billion worth of bonds per annum under the Government Sustainable Bond Programme and the Infrastructure Bond Programme in the next five years. The size of bond issuance for the current financial year is estimated to be $150 billion. We have no intention to change this target at the present stage.

(2) Economic and tax policy

     The Government has all along been adopting a multi-pronged approach to assist enterprises in meeting the challenges of economic restructuring, with a view to reinforcing their confidence in pursuing business development. As regards cash flow pressure, the Government helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) obtain commercial loans by providing loan guarantees through the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme. Moreover, in the light of market and technological development trends, the Government supports enterprises (particularly SMEs) through Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund), including its E-commerce Easy, the Export Marketing and Trade and Industrial Organisation Support Fund, etc, in upgrading and transformation, as well as tapping into the Mainland and overseas markets.

     It must be emphasised that the Government did not raise taxes substantially in the past few years, and has no plan to raise taxes substantially at present. The reinforced fiscal consolidation programme outlined in this year’s Budget also focuses primarily on expenditure control, to be supplemented by revenue generation. On identifying new revenue sources, our principles are to maintain the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s simple and low tax regime by avoiding considerable increase in tax rates or introduction of new taxes, and to uphold the “user pays” and “affordable users pay” principles as far as practicable whilst increasing revenue. The simple and low tax policy that Hong Kong has all alone been pursuing is one of Hong Kong’s core competitiveness. In the latest World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 published by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong’s competitiveness ranks third globally, in which Hong Kong tops the ranking in “tax policy”. Meanwhile, the Government continues to make strategic use of tax measures in different areas to promote the development of our industries and economic diversification, as well as to enhance Hong Kong’s business environment and competitiveness. As announced in this year’s Budget, we will provide half-rate tax concession for eligible commodity traders to drive the development of maritime services. It is also our plan to formulate proposals on the preferential tax regimes for funds, single family offices and carried interest this year to foster the development of the asset and wealth management industries.

(3) Property related loans’ impact on banking system

     The HKMA has been closely monitoring the healthy development of Hong Kong’s banking sector. The Total Capital Ratio of locally-incorporated banks and the average Liquidity Coverage Ratio of the major banks were 24.2 per cent and 182.5 per cent respectively as at end-March this year, well above international standards. Overall, the credit risk associated with local property development and investment loans is manageable. A significant portion of the Hong Kong banks’ exposures relating to local property development and investment loans are to the large players with relatively good financial health. For exposures to small and medium-sized local property developers and investors, including some with weaker financials or higher gearing, banks have already taken credit risk mitigating measures early on, and most of these loans are secured. Besides, there is no concentration of risks at individual borrower level.

     The overall asset quality of the banking system is manageable and provisions remain sufficient. The provision coverage ratio (i.e. total of general and specific provisions as a percentage of non-performing loans) stand at around 60 per cent as at end-March this year. If taking into account and deducting the market value of collateral from the non-performing loans, the adjusted provision coverage ratio would be about 145 per cent. The HKMA will strive to maintain a sound banking system by continuing to keep a close watch on the global economic and trade conditions as well as the development of and risk changes in the real estate market, and maintaining close communication with the banking sector.

     Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following press release is issued on behalf of the Independent Commission Against Corruption:

Following a fruitful year that marked its golden jubilee, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is set to complement the country’s development and anti-graft policy, continue to combat corruption at full throttle and uphold Hong Kong’s integrity and rule of law to achieve greater success in the next 50 years, according to the 2024 ICAC Annual Report issued today (July 16).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Edmund Wong and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
     The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024, which was passed on May 14 this year, seeks to introduce a company re-domiciliation regime (the Regime) that enables overseas-registered enterprises to transfer their domicile to Hong Kong without having to undergo winding-up procedures in their original domicile while preserving their legal identities. The Amendment Ordinance took effect on May 23 this year, and the Regime opened for applications on the same day. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of enquiries and applications received by the authorities from overseas enterprises regarding the Regime between May 23 and June 30 this year; the following information on such overseas enterprises applying for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong: (i) nature of business, (ii) company assets and scale, and (iii) original domicile;
 
(2) whether it has estimated the average processing time from receipt of an application for re-domiciliation from an overseas enterprise to formal approval of the enterprise to establish a presence in Hong Kong (i.e. the successful transfer of its domicile to Hong Kong);
 
(3) whether any overseas enterprises have successfully established a presence in Hong Kong through the Regime to date; if so, of the number of such enterprises, the nature of their business, their company assets and scale, as well as their original domicile; and
 
(4) whether it will formulate a promotional plan to promote the Regime through Invest Hong Kong and overseas economic and trade offices to attract more overseas enterprises to apply for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong; if so, of the details of the plan (including the resources involved); if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The company re-domiciliation regime commenced on May 23, 2025. A company incorporated outside Hong Kong may apply to the Companies Registry (CR) for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong. The regime reduces the need to go through complicated and costly judicial procedures, and enables a re-domiciled company to maintain its legal identity as a body corporate, thereby ensuring business continuity. An applicant for company re-domiciliation is required to fulfil requirements concerning company background, integrity, member and creditor protection, solvency, etc.
 
     My consolidated reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:
 
     After the implementation of the re-domiciliation regime, two international insurance groups immediately announced their plans to re-domicile to Hong Kong, which is the best testament to the regime’s effectiveness in enhancing companies’ operational efficiency. As at July 11, 2025, the CR received 265 enquiries relating to re-domiciliation. The total number of visits and downloads at the thematic section of the CR’s website exceeded 22 000 and 42 000 respectively, reflecting the positive market response to the new company re-domiciliation regime in Hong Kong. As it takes time for companies planning to re-domicile to Hong Kong to prepare the application documents, and to fulfil the requirements of their place of incorporation and other relevant jurisdictions for the proposed re-domiciliation, the CR has not yet received any formal application for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong from non-Hong Kong enterprises. At the same time, some financial institutions and enterprises have contacted the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and expressed that they are preparing to apply for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong. According to the enquiries received by the CR, most of the companies interested in re-domiciliation are from offshore economies such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
 
     The FSTB, the CR and financial regulators will actively provide appropriate support to applicants to assist with their re-domiciliation. Under normal circumstances, the CR will complete the approval process within two weeks after an applicant has submitted all the required documents and information. On the day of issuance of a certificate of re-domiciliation, the applicant becomes a re-domiciled company and is regarded as a Hong Kong-incorporated company from the same date. The re-domiciled company is then required to complete the deregistration procedures at its place of incorporation within 120 days. The re-domiciled company may make an application to the CR to extend the 120-day period subject to any conditions the Registrar of Companies considers appropriate.
 
     The CR has set up a thematic section on its website, containing the Guide on Company Re-domiciliation, application form and frequently asked questions. The FSTB, in conjunction with the CR and the Inland Revenue Department, has proactively reached out to professional organisations and chambers of commerce, and organised briefings to introduce the content, application details and taxation arrangements of the company re-domiciliation regime. We will continue to work with Invest Hong Kong, the Economic and Trade Offices and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to conduct external publicity and promotion with a view to attracting major Hong Kong-listed companies and other companies registered outside Hong Kong to make good use of the company re-domiciliation regime, and to maximising the regime’s benefits of attracting more companies, capital and talents to Hong Kong, thereby contributing to the development of the local economy. The publicity work is currently undertaken by the FSTB and the relevant departments respectively with their existing staff establishment.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
     The Employment Information and Promotion Programme Office (EIPPO) of the Labour Department (LD) is responsible for promoting employment services, assisting job-seekers in finding jobs through the provision of employment information, and helping employers recruit suitable staff. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the details of EIPPO’s existing staffing establishment (including the number of posts, rank distribution and the ratio of full-time to contract staff); between 2022 and 2024, (i) the operating expenses of EIPPO, (ii) the number of job fairs organised, and (iii) the number of job vacancies processed, together with a breakdown by year and industry type (e.g. retail, construction and service);

(2) of the number of successful placements referred by the EIPPO (“successful job matching”) between 2022 and 2024 and its percentage in the total number of job vacancies processed by the EIPPO, together with a breakdown by the age, sex, academic qualification and group (e.g. ethnic minorities or persons with disabilities) of job seekers, and the industry of the placement; whether it has laid down clear definitions and criteria for successful job matching (e.g. staying in employment for three months or more);

(3) whether the LD has formulated performance indicators for the EIPPO’s work, such as participation rates at job fairs, vacancy filling rates or job seeker satisfaction levels; if so, of the details (including the key indicators and their attainment between 2022 and 2024); if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether it has plans to comprehensively review the effectiveness of the EIPPO’s services, so as to enhance the employment support measures for vulnerable workers (including low-skilled workers, women, ethnic minorities and middle-aged persons); if so, of the details (including the timetable, scope and objectives of the review); if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will conduct the relevant review;

(5) whether it will consider strengthening co-operation with enterprises, social organisations and non-governmental organisations to establish an “employment support platform for vulnerable workers”, and encouraging enterprises to provide internships and long-term employment opportunities suitable for vulnerable workers; if so, of the details (including the content of the plan, the implementation timetable, the measures to provide subsidies or incentives to enterprises, as well as the expected effectiveness); if not, the reasons for that, and whether there are other alternative measures; and

(6) whether it will, by drawing reference from LD’s practice of setting up industry-specific job centres (e.g. the Recruitment Centre for the Catering Industry, the Recruitment Centre for the Retail Industry and the Construction Industry Recruitment Centre), convert job centres in some districts into one-stop employment support centres specifically targeting women, the elderly and ethnic minorities, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of such centres?

Reply:

President,

     The Labour Department (LD) provides diversified and free employment services to job-seekers to encourage and assist them in entering the labour market. The Employment Information and Promotion Programme Office (EIPPO) under the Employment Information and Promotion Division of the LD is responsible for holding large-scale job fairs and organising publicity projects to promote the LD’s employment services and related information. The EIPPO also actively liaises with employers to canvass job vacancies from different industries with a view to assisting employers in recruiting employees and expediting the dissemination of employment information.

     The reply to the Member’s question is as follows:

(1) The breakdown of the EIPPO’s staff establishment by grade from 2022-23 to 2024-25 is at Annex 1. The EIPPO’s annual operational expenses (excluding staff cost) during the same period was $5.02 million, $9.07 million and $8.94 million respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities could not be organised in 2022, resulting in lower operational expenses for the year.

     From 2022 to 2024, the EIPPO organised 13, 17 and 18 large-scale job fairs each year, offering 23 594, 36 870 and 32 900 job vacancies respectively for job-seekers to submit job applications to employers on the spot. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of large-scale job fairs organised and job vacancies recorded in 2022 were lower. A breakdown of the relevant job vacancies by industry is at Annex 2. 

(2) The LD organises large-scale job fairs to provide a convenient platform for employers and job seekers to meet face-to-face. In addition to applying for jobs and attending interviews on the spot, job seekers can learn directly from employers about trade development, company culture, job requirements, etc. At the same time, they can make use of the LD’s consultation services during job fairs and obtain information on various employment programmes.

     From 2022 to 2024, about 6 600, 26 500 and 32 600 job seekers attended the large-scale job fairs organised by the EIPPO each year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of job seekers visiting the large-scale job fairs was lower in 2022. Based on the questionnaire responses collected by the LD from employers after the job fairs, from 2022 to 2024, approximately 1 300, 1 900 and 2 000 job seekers were respectively employed within one month after the job fairs each year. The LD does not maintain breakdowns of the job fair visitors or individuals employed after the job fairs.

(3) and (4) The LD from time to time organises large-scale job fairs across the territory and stages district-based thematic job fairs at its job centres, including inclusive job fairs for ethnic minorities, and part-time or thematic job fairs targeting elderly and middle-aged job seekers (including women).

     Overall, employers, job seekers and relevant stakeholders have strong demand for job fairs. Participating employers and job seekers respond very favourably to the events. As the number of job vacancies, success rate of recruitment, etc., may be affected by factors such as the economy, labour market situation and personal circumstances of job seekers, it is inappropriate to set Key Performance Indicators for the EIPPO or the large-scale job fairs it organises.

     The LD will continue to closely monitor changes in the economy and employment market, conduct timely review on the effectiveness of various employment services, and implement appropriate enhancement measures. 

(5) and (6) The LD’s ten job centres provide integrated employment services to job seekers. Apart from job referral service, job seekers can also use the facilities of the job centres, including vacancy search terminals, computers with word processing function for preparing resume, employment information corners, etc. Employment officers of the centres may also meet with job seekers to provide them with personalised employment advisory service, and based on their needs and preferences, recommend them to join suitable employment programmes or to enroll in training/retraining courses so as to enhance their employability and employment opportunities. All job centres also provide dedicated services for elderly and middle-aged persons (including women), and ethnic minorities, such as priority employment services for those aged 50 or above, and arrangement of interpretation services for ethnic minority job seekers. 

     Additionally, the LD implements various employment programmes including Youth Employment and Training Programme, Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme, Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged and Racial Diversity Employment Programme to support and facilitate the employment of young people, elderly and middle-aged persons (including women) as well as ethnic minorities. The LD collaborates with relevant groups, including engaging non-governmental organisations to provide employment support to participants, etc., to jointly implement employment programmes.

     Apart from offering integrated employment services, job centres also collaborate with relevant groups in implementing employment programmes. Proven to be effective, this modus operandi can comprehensively and flexibly meet the needs of different groups of job seekers (including women, older persons and ethnic minorities, etc.). As such, the LD currently has no plan to set up other employment support platform, or new employment support centres for specific groups of job seekers. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has extended the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) starting from mid-2022 and gradually installed smart recycling bins and gift redemption units in some Recycling Stations and Recycling Stores since the end of that year. Starting from March 2023, smart recycling bins have also been progressively set up in housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities, government venues, etc. The number of application points under the Pilot Programme has been increased from four locations in the initial phase to more than 800 locations at present. In addition, smart recycling bins support 24-hour operation and are equipped with sensors to enable recyclables collection service contractors (the contractors) to monitor the overflowing of recycling bins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that some members of the public have relayed that they find from time to time that the smart recycling bins are overflowing, and despite their complaints, the follow-up actions taken by the authorities concerned have been slow, and they are often forced to take the recyclable items back home and thus reducing their incentives for recycling, of the respective numbers of such complaints received, number of cases with follow-up actions completed and average time taken to handle a complaint by the EPD in each month since March 2023;
 
(2) whether the authorities have put in place a regular monitoring mechanism to assess and review the contractors’ handling of complaints about the overflowing of smart recycling bins as well as their general service performance, and require the contractors to make improvements within a specified period of time; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) with the gradual increase in the number of smart recycling bins application points under the Pilot Programme, whether the authorities will allocate additional resources at the same time to step up inspections and random checks, thereby ensuring that the smart recycling systems can serve their functions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) launched the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) in the fourth quarter of 2020, to test different smart recycling devices in phases, including smart recycling bins, smart balances and gift redemption units. As at end-June 2025, in addition to installing smart balances at all GREEN@COMMUNITY recycling facilities, the Pilot Programme has installed 159 sets of smart recycling bins at different locations across Hong Kong for testing, including GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities, public rental housing estates, private housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities and government venues, for providing self-service recycling.
 
     The reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok is as follows:
 
(1) The property management companies or cleaning companies of the premises concerned are responsible for the clearance of the smart recycling bins set up at respective locations, as well as arranging recyclers for collection and recycling of recyclables.
 
Smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue. When a bin reaches its full capacity, the system will remind the property management company and/or cleaning contractor again for immediate action. Property management companies usually clear the collected recyclables regularly or shortly after receiving alert messages. The EPD also monitors the situation through the big data platform for timely follow-up actions. Data shows that the time which smart recycling bins was temporarily suspended due to overfilled bins accounts for about 7 per cent of the overall operating time of smart recycling bins. In addition, most premises with smart recycling bins are equipped with conventional recycling bins at the same time, which allow the public to place recyclables in these bins when the smart recycling bins are full.
 
From March 2023 to end-June 2025, the number of complaints received by the EPD regarding overfilled smart recycling bins are provided in the table below. Upon receipt of each complaint, the EPD would follow up immediately and request the concerned property management company or cleaning contractor to empty the smart recycling bin and resume its functions as soon as possible. The EPD will continue to monitor the operation of smart recycling bins at all locations, and liaise with the concerned property management companies as needed for timely adjustments to the arrangements for clearance of recyclables.
 

Month	No. of complaint cases on overfilled smart recycling bins
	2023	2024	2025
January	N/A	7	3
February		1	1
March	0	0	0
April	1	2	2
May	0	0	4
June	0	1	2
July	0	3	N/A
August	4	1
September	2	4
October	3	2
November	2	1
December	3	0
Total	15	22	12

(2) As mentioned above, smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue, who should arrange clearance as soon as possible upon receiving the message. We will review the arrangements for clearance of smart recycling bins and explore ways to further enhance clearance efficiency. In addition, we are arranging to test the addition of a compression function in smart recycling bins to enhance the recycling capacity so as to reduce the frequency of clearance required and further reduce the downtime of the bins due to being full, thereby improving the service quality.
 
(3) The EPD’s service contracts require the contractors of smart recycling bins to provide operational monitoring data and arrange staff to conduct regular inspections to ensure proper operation of the devices. The EPD will also continue to monitor the usage of smart recycling bins and conduct inspections and spot checks from time to time to ensure that the contractors’ services meet the contract requirements. We will review the contract requirements and strengthen the performance indicators on maintenance services in the new contracts to enhance efficiency. With the increase in the number of application points, the EPD will deploy resources to step up inspections based on the actual situation, so that the entire smart recycling system can operate at its optimal level.
 
     On the other hand, to further enhance the operation and services of smart recycling devices, the EPD is actively preparing for introducing a new feature on displaying the real-time recycling status of smart recycling bins in the GREEN$ mobile app and the Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website, with a view to facilitating the public to plan for their recycling activities. This new feature is expected to be launched by the end of 2025.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding mobile applications to assist with travel for persons with disabilities (PWDs), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) which funded projects under the current government funding schemes for software and application development are related to assistance with barrier-free travel for PWDs (set out in a table);
 
(2) of the Government’s plans (e.g. provision of funding support) in place to integrate, enhance and link up existing mobile applications that assist with barrier-free travel for PWDs, so as to optimise the use of resources and enable such applications to more effectively serve PWDs; and
 
(3) given that since 2020 the Lands Department has been developing a set of 3D Digital Map with functions including provision of barrier-‍free route planning for people with different commuting needs, how the Government promotes the best use of such digital map among the public and private sectors and identifies access points in need of improvement, so as to lay down a foundation for future improvement and update of the relevant software and hardware (e.g. the relevant mobile applications and barrier-free facilities)?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government is committed to providing appropriate support and assistance to persons with disabilities in need so as to facilitate their travel and help them fully integrate into the community. Having consulted the relevant bureaux, I set out below a consolidated reply to the Member’s question –
 
(1) Both the Smart Traffic Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund set up by the Government have provided funding for projects that assist barrier-free travel for persons with disabilities. Information on the relevant projects is at Annexes 1 and 2 respectively.
 
(2) Regarding the mobile applications developed by the Government, the Digital Policy Office has promulgated the “Practice Guide for Developing Mobile Apps”, requiring bureaux/departments (B/Ds) to conduct regular reviews after launching mobile applications, and to update and consolidate existing mobile applications in a cost-effective manner.
 
     For instance, in 2016, the Lands Department (LandsD) launched a mobile application “VoiceMapHK”, which is specifically designed for the visually impaired, providing audio output that reads out information about nearby locations on the map. The visually impaired can also make use of the voice function of their mobile phones to issue commands, and the application will respond by reading out the corresponding results. To optimise the use of resources, the LandsD plans to integrate the functionalities of the “VoiceMapHK” into the GeoInfo Map, another map application under its management. With the launch of the “iAM Smart” mini-program platform later this year, all B/Ds must consider to prioritise migrating their mobile applications or integrating the core functions into the “iAM Smart” platform, so that members of the public can easily access the required application services without the need to download additional applications, thereby enhancing the consolidation of Government mobile applications.
 
     In addition, in 2021, the Development Bureau (DEVB), with the support of various non-governmental organisations, the MTR Corporation Limited and some iconic shopping malls in Kowloon East, developed a “Smart Navigation Tool for The Visually Impaired/People in Need” Proof-of-Concept, providing barrier-free navigation experience. This tool utilises indoor maps to provide indoor and outdoor seamless navigation, which helps users easily navigate and interact with the environment, and increases their independence and mobility. In January 2023, this tool was incorporated into the “MyKE” mobile application as the “Walking Assistant” function. The DEVB will continue to explore scaling up this Proof-of-Concept to cover more areas, so as to enable those in need to commute more freely.
 
     In response to the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission on enhancing the overall accessibility of Hong Kong, the Transport Department has also enhanced the function of accessible route option of the mobile application HKeMobility since April 2024 by expanding the accessible route option from walking mode to public transport mode. When members of the public choose to travel by public transport, the HKeMobility can plan routes with visual aids or mobility aids to enable the public to identify barrier-free accesses (such as locations of lifts, ramps and footbridges) along the way to transport stations, so that persons with disabilities can plan their journeys more efficiently and travel on their own.
 
     In addition, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has been actively pursuing web accessibility design over the years. The HKO’s in-house developed mobile application “MyObservatory” has already incorporated guidelines on accessibility features and functions, including screen reader compatibility, alternative texts for images and selectable font size, so as to facilitate all sectors of the community (including persons with disabilities) to browse the “MyObservatory” to get the latest weather conditions before traveling. The HKO will continue to incorporate accessibility features and functions in the mobile application, providing enhanced weather services.
 
(3) The LandsD and the Spatial Data Office (SDO) of the DEVB have been promoting the application of 3D Digital Map to public and private organisations through various channels (such as public talks and workshops), to highlight the development opportunities it brings. As a key component of the 3D Digital Map, the 3D Pedestrian Network provides a wealth of useful information, such as road names, gradient and length of road sections, distribution of en-route obstacles and opening hours of public lifts, as well as wheelchair accessibility data at entrance to government facilities and public lifts. This enables barrier-free route planning for people with different commuting needs. The LandsD and the SDO of the DEVB will continue to engage with various stakeholders (including social welfare organisations and groups serving persons with disabilities), communicate with relevant public and private organisations based on stakeholder needs, promote cross-agency information exchange and collaboration, and jointly optimise the 3D Pedestrian Network to enhance the convenience of public mobility.