Month: August 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport Department today announced that new short, medium and long-term measures will be launched in phases towards the full implementation of online appointment services for application for direct issue of a Hong Kong full driving licence and quotas will be increased gradually.

To make online appointment arrangements more effective, starting from September, the department will strengthen co-operation with relevant issuing authorities of driving licences, including more checks on “direct issue” applicants’ information in relation to Mainland driving licences provided via online appointments.

If any information is found to be untrue, the relevant appointments will be cancelled and such quotas will be reopened for appointment by other applicants.

Regarding the medium-term measure, in the fourth quarter, the department will accept online appointments for “direct issue” counter services only and no on-site queue ticketing will be arranged.

By that time, the counter services for “direct issue” will be expanded to the Kowloon Licensing Office, the Kwun Tong Licensing Office and the Sha Tin Licensing Office.

The number of appointment quotas will also increase.

Applicants must upload proof documents when making online appointments for verification of eligibility.

In the long term, the department is actively studying the use of artificial intelligence technologies in “direct issue” application procedures.

Applicants who uploaded proof documents during online appointments with initial approval only need to bring their original application documents for verification at Licensing Offices during their booked timeslots.

A full driving licence can then be issued within the same day, reducing the need for applicants to submit applications via agents.

The department stressed that applicants must submit sufficient, true and accurate documentary proof, and their applications will only be approved when they fully meet the eligibility criteria stipulated under the law.

It added that new queue ticketing requirements were imposed on agents submitting “direct issue” applications at the Hong Kong Licensing Office at United Centre, Admiralty from today and its operation has largely been smooth.

The department also noted that following more online government services connected to “iAM Smart”, applications for most licences and driving test services can now be submitted online.

At present, about 60% of applicants for international driving permit applications and 50% of full driving licence renewal applications are submitted online.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly disapproved of and rejected the slanderous remarks made by external forces, including anti-China media organisations, regarding Lai Chee-ying’s case under the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the treatment provided to him during his custody.

It noted that their intention to smear and attack the Hong Kong SAR Government is blatantly obvious and must be sternly denounced to set the record straight.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has emphasised time and again that as the legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case in an attempt to interfere with the court to exercise judicial power independently, which might otherwise constitute perverting the course of justice.

However, external forces and anti-China media still continue to distort the truth, blatantly discredit the judicial system and trials of the Hong Kong SAR, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts of the Hong Kong SAR.

The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that the Correctional Services Department (CSD) attaches great importance to the safety and health of persons-in-custody (PICs). Regardless of the identities, ages and nationalities of PICs, the CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy. If inmates require further examination and treatment, they will be referred to specialist medical staff or to public hospitals for further follow-up. The CSD has also put in place an established mechanism, including regular independent visitors – Justices of the Peace – who inspect the prisons to ensure the rights of PICs are protected. The CSD also adopts these arrangements when handling matters related to Lai Chee-ying, which are no different from those applicable to other PICs.

It also pointed out that Lai Chee-ying’s legal representative has already made a clarification earlier that he has all along been receiving suitable treatment and care in prison. However, external forces choose to turn a blind eye to these facts and evidence, and carry on with their malicious political manoeuvres with ulterior motives. The Hong Kong SAR Government strongly opposes such actions.

In addition, it stressed that the arrangement for Lai Chee-ying’s removal from association from other PICs has all along been made at his own request and approved by the CSD after considering all relevant factors in accordance with the law. The remarks by these external forces regarding Lai Chee-ying’s solitary confinement are completely fact-twisting, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the Hong Kong SAR Government.

The Hong Kong SAR Government also noted that all cases concerning the offence of endangering national security will be handled in a fair and timely manner by the law enforcement, prosecution and judicial authorities of the Hong Kong SAR as required by the HKNSL. The time taken between the institution of prosecution and the completion of trial of each case depends on a multitude of factors. The prosecution and defence will adhere to any direction given by the court to ensure a timely trial.

As regards the freedoms of the press and of speech, the Hong Kong SAR Government noted that the media landscape has been as vibrant as ever in the Hong Kong SAR since the implementation of the HKNSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. However, freedom of the press and freedom of speech are not absolute. The media, like everyone else, have an obligation to abide by all the laws. As long as they are not in violation of the law, the media continue to enjoy the freedom to comment on and criticise government policies without any restriction.

In recent cases, the court cited judicial precedents from the European Court of Human Rights regarding freedom of the press, pointing out that the European Convention on Human Rights does not guarantee a wholly unrestricted freedom of speech even with respect to press coverage on matters of serious public concern. The most crucial point is that journalists must act in good faith and on accurate factual basis and provide reliable and precise information in accordance with the tenets of ‘responsible journalism’ in order to enjoy the protection of their rights to freedom of speech and press freedom.

The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised it will continue to resolutely discharge the responsibility of safeguarding national security, effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities that endanger national security in accordance with the law, and safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people in accordance with the law at the same time.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau proceeded to Sydney, Australia from Auckland, New Zealand, today to start his visit to Australia to deepen collaboration in trade and investment between Hong Kong and Australia.

Upon arrival, Mr Yau attended a reception hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its establishment.

Speaking at the reception, the commerce chief remarked that the Sydney ETO has played a crucial role over the last three decades in facilitating communication and collaboration between Hong Kong and Australia, serving as a vital connector that brings together the two communities and laying a strong foundation for even deeper co-operation in the years ahead.

Mr Yau pointed out that in 2024, Hong Kong was Australia’s 10th-largest export market, with bilateral trade in goods between the two places reaching approximately AUD8 billion.

He further noted the strong post-pandemic recovery in tourism and connectivity, citing the growing flow of visitors to Hong Kong and vibrant expatriate communities between Hong Kong and Australia as a testament to the enduring strength of bilateral relations.

Mr Yau also outlined Hong Kong’s ongoing initiatives to enhance its business environment and regional competitiveness, such as the Top Talent Pass Scheme to attract global talent and foster innovation, and the recent reduction of the duty rate on liquor to promote the liquor trade.

On regional trade, he said Hong Kong is actively seeking to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and its accession to RCEP will enhance regional value chains and create new synergies in various areas, benefitting Australian exporters, service providers and investors alike.

Before proceeding to Sydney today from Auckland, Mr Yau paid a courtesy call on the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Auckland Chen Shijie to update him on the latest social and economic developments in Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (August 13) that new short, medium and long-term measures will be launched in phases towards the full implementation of online appointment services for application for direct issue of Hong Kong Full Driving Licence and quotas will be increased gradually, thereby improving efficiency and providing greater convenience to the public.

New arrangement on queue ticketing

     From today onwards, new queue ticketing requirements will be imposed on agents submitting “direct issue” applications at the Hong Kong Licensing Office at United Centre, Admiralty. When obtaining a ticket, all agents are required to input their identification document numbers and those of each of the respective applicants into the queue ticketing system. Such information will be printed on the ticket. Counter staff will verify the information of both the ticket holder and the applicant(s) entered during application processing. If any information does not match that printed on the ticket, all applications concerned will not be processed.

     A spokesman for the TD said, “The operation of the new arrangement today has largely been smooth. To ensure fair use of services by the public in need in an orderly manner, we will further enhance “direct issue” application procedures and provide more convenience for the public. We will expand our capacity and introduce new multi-pronged initiatives to promote digitalisation of licensing services.”

Towards full implementation of online appointment services

Short-term measure: Strengthening checks to improve online appointment arrangements

• Starting from September, the TD will strengthen co-operation with relevant issuing authorities of driving licences, including more checks on “direct issue” applicants’ information in relation to Mainland driving licences provided via online appointments. If any information is found to be untrue, the relevant appointments will be cancelled and such quotas will be reopened for appointment by other applicants, enhancing the effective operation of the system;

Medium-term measure: Full implementation of online appointment for counter services to replace on-site queue ticketing arrangements and enhancement of processing capacity

• In the fourth quarter, the TD will accept online appointments for “direct issue” counter services only and no on-site queue ticketing will be arranged. By that time, the counter services for “direct issue” will be expanded to the other three Licensing Offices, namely the Kowloon Licensing Office at Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, the Kwun Tong Licensing Office at Kowloon East Government Offices and the Sha Tin Licensing Office at Sha Tin Government Offices, and the number of appointment quotas will be increased. Applicants must upload proof documents when making online appointments for verification of eligibility. If any information is found to be untrue, the relevant appointments will be cancelled; and

Long-term measure: Studying full implementation of online application as facilitation

• The TD is actively studying the use of artificial intelligence technologies in “direct issue” application procedures. Applicants who uploaded proof documents during online appointments with initial approval only need to bring their original application documents for verification at Licensing Offices during their booked timeslots. A full driving licence can then be issued within the same day. This provides convenience for them to submit applications on their own, reducing the need to submit applications via agents.

     The spokesman stressed that the TD has been processing and verifying every “direct issue” application in a stringent manner. Applicants must submit sufficient, true and accurate documentary proof, and their applications will only be approved when they fully meet the eligibility criteria stipulated under the law.

     The TD has introduced various e-licensing services in the past year, including the enhanced vehicle licence providing convenience for vehicle owners who do not need to replace the paper licence after renewal; the development of e-Licensing Portal which is an one-stop online platform for managing licences; setting up International Driving Permit (IDP) Self-service Kiosks; and the launch of E-Auction enabling the public to bid for their desired vehicle registration marks. Following more and more online government services connected to the “iAM Smart”, applications for most licences and driving test services can now be submitted online. At present, about 60 per cent of applicants for IDP applications and 50 per cent of full driving licence renewal applications are submitted online.

     The TD will continue to promote digitalisation of licensing services and details of the above new initiatives will be released in due course.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau today announced ticketing arrangements for the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG). The first batch of tickets for events in Hong Kong will be available for sale from August 28.

The Organising Committees of the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG announced the arrangements at a press conference held in Guangzhou.

National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) Head Yeung Tak-keung said Hong Kong together with Guangdong and Macau will adopt the approach of “one platform, ticket purchase across three places” to facilitate ticket purchases for spectators.

Starting from today, Hong Kong residents can use their Hong Kong identity card or Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong & Macao Residents to log in to the 15th NG official ticketing website and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG official ticketing website, as well as the official mini programmes on WeChat for real-name registration.

Competition tickets will be released for public sale in phases and batches starting from the end of August according to the competition schedules of the events.

The Hong Kong competition region has a total of 11 ticketed events covering eight competition events for the 15th NG and three competition events for the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG, with about 400,000 and 35,000 tickets for sale respectively. 

The first batch of tickets for events in Hong Kong will be available for sale from August 28, covering beach volleyball, handball (men), basketball (men’s U22) and rugby sevens of the 15th NG. 

Tickets for the other four competition events of the 15th NG, namely track cycling, golf, triathlon and fencing, and three events for the NGD of the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG, which are boccia, wheelchair fencing and para table tennis (TT11) will be available for sale by phases and batches in late September and early October in accordance with the competition schedules.

Regarding ticket prices, the three outdoor events in Hong Kong, i.e. golf, triathlon and beach volleyball, are each one single ticket price, ranging from RMB50 to RMB200 ($55 to $219).

The indoor events, i.e. handball (men), basketball (men’s U22), rugby sevens, track cycling and fencing, have varied ticket prices, with assigned seating, ranging from RMB50 to RMB500 ($55 to $549).

The three ticketed events for the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG in Hong Kong are all marked at a single ticket price of RMB20 ($22).

Interested ticket buyers who have registered with real-name accounts on the above-mentioned platforms may purchase tickets under the real-name arrangements when tickets are released.

Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau residents may purchase tickets across competition events in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau on the official online ticketing platforms. 

To obtain tickets for events in different competition regions, ticket buyers must use valid travel documents recognised by the respective competition region.

In addition to the official online ticketing platforms, the designated offline service provider for the Hong Kong competition region tickets is the China Travel Service (Hong Kong).

The tickets for the Hong Kong competition region will be sold in the form of half-day or full-day passes, and bear part of the ticket holder’s name and part of their identification document number.

Ticket holders must bring the relevant identification documents with tickets for admission.

A ticket holder with one ticket may watch multiple competitions held at the same venue within the half-day or full-day period and may enter and leave the venue freely during that period.

There will be limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased. Each order for events in Hong Kong is limited to six tickets and each valid identification document can only be used for one ticket for the same event.

For the mass participation event of the 15th NG, bowling, and the mass participation event of the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG, para dance sport, and Special Olympics table tennis, free admission will be offered through prior real-name registration.

The finals for the bowling mass participation event will be held from August 22 to 24 at the Kai Tak Sports Park Bowling Centre. Interested spectators can register starting tomorrow at 10am for a ticket exchange certificate.

There are 120 tickets available for the event each day, with a total of 360 tickets for the three-day event while stocks last.

Details on the ticketing arrangements for the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG events mass participation event para dance sport and Special Olympics table tennis will be announced later.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau and his delegation met senior officials of Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE) at Duke-NUS Medical School today.

During the meeting with HSA Chief Executive Officer Prof Raymond Chua, Prof Lo said protecting public health and tackling public health challenges transcend borders and international co-operation is indispensable.

The health chief added that he looked forward to Hong Kong and Singapore collaborating to create synergy and share the best practices to bolster public health protection and promote medical innovation, thereby further strengthening the healthy and steady development of the healthcare systems in both places.

After the meeting, Prof Lo and Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for Social Policies & the Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the regulation of drugs and medical devices and tobacco control policy by Director of Health Ronald Lam and Prof Chua.

The MOU aims to enhance co-operation between the two places in areas such as regulation of drugs and medical devices, promoting tobacco control policy and enforcement, as well as regulatory capacity enhancement and training.

During the meeting with the CoRE founding Executive Director Prof John Lim, Prof Lo introduced the initiatives put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, including strengthening the approval regimes for drugs and medical devices, as well as establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026 to foster growth in the local healthcare and biotechnology industries.

Prof Lo also gained insights on CoRE’s significant contributions to Singapore’s healthcare regulatory system over the past decade through capacity building, strengthening collaboration and fostering innovation.

Hong Kong is pressing ahead with reforms of the regulatory system of drugs and medical devices to address evolving healthcare needs and the rapid development of advanced treatment technologies.

Prof Lo noted that the valuable experience of CoRE in nurturing talent and promoting regulation of drugs and medical devices provides practical and useful reference for the Hong Kong’s ongoing reforms.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Home Affairs Department today alerted members of the public to beware of attempted impersonations of District Services & Community Care Teams for fraudulent purposes.

 

In a press release, the department said that it was recently informed by a sub-district care team that some residents had reported receiving unidentified calls from people who claimed to be a care team member and sought to obtain personal information such as their bank account numbers.

 

In addition to reminding citizens that care teams will never ask for their bank account numbers, the department stressed that members and volunteers of care teams wear care team uniforms and display member or volunteer certificates of identity when providing caring services.

 

Information on care team members and their operating organisations are also available on a dedicated webpage.

 

Members of the public are advised to remain vigilant when they receive unidentified calls or messages. When in doubt, they can call 182 111 to verify the identity of care team members and volunteers.

 

They may also call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 18222.