Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
21 landlords of subdivided units under regulated tenancies convicted of contravening relevant statutory requirements
The offences of these 21 landlords include (1) failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation within 60 days after the term of the regulated tenancy commenced; (2) failing to produce copies of the bills and provide an account in writing when requiring the tenant to pay for the reimbursement of the apportioned water and/or electricity charges; and (3) requesting the tenant to pay money other than the types permitted under the Ordinance (including requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance). One of the landlords committed 16 offences under (1) and was fined $16,000.
The RVD earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon an in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted the landlords.
A spokesman for the RVD reiterated that SDU landlords must comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance, including prohibiting landlords from doing any act calculated to interfere with the peace or comfort of members of the tenant’s household, with the intention of causing the tenant to give up occupation of the SDU; or requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance, and also reminded tenants of their rights under the Ordinance, including a four-year (i.e. two years plus two years) security of tenure. He also stressed that the RVD will continue to take resolute enforcement action against any contraventions of the Ordinance. Apart from following up on reported cases, the RVD has been adopting a multipronged approach to proactively identify, investigate and follow up on cases concerning landlords who are suspected of contravening the Ordinance. In particular, the RVD has been requiring landlords of regulated tenancies to provide information and reference documents of their tenancies for checking whether they have complied with the requirements of the Ordinance. If a landlord, without reasonable excuse, refuses to provide the relevant information or neglects the RVD’s request, the landlord commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine at level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for three months. Depending on the actual circumstances, and having regard to the information and evidence collected, the RVD will take appropriate actions on individual cases, including instigating prosecution against suspected contraventions of the Ordinance. In addition, the RVD has started a new round of publicity and education work to enhance public awareness about the key offences and penalties, emphasising that the RVD proactively checks whether landlords have committed the offences under the Ordinance.
The RVD reminds that pursuant to the Ordinance, a regulated cycle of regulated tenancies is to comprise two consecutive regulated tenancies (i.e. the first-term tenancy and second-term tenancy) for an SDU, and the term of each regulated tenancy is two years. A tenant of a first-term tenancy for an SDU is entitled to be granted a second-term tenancy of the regulated cycle, thus enjoying a total of four years of security of tenure. The RVD has been issuing letters enclosing relevant information to the landlords and tenants concerned of regulated tenancies in batches, according to the expiry time of their first-term tenancies, to assist them in understanding the important matters pertaining to the second-term tenancy, and to remind them about the procedures that need to be followed about two months prior to the commencement of the purported second-term tenancy as well as their respective obligations and rights under the Ordinance. These landlords and tenants may also visit the dedicated page for the second-term tenancy on the RVD’s website (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/tenancy_matters/second_term_tenancy.html
For enquiries related to regulated tenancies, please call the telephone hotline (2150 8303) or visit the RVD’s webpage (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/our_services/part_iva.htmlIssued at HKT 16:43
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Driving licence applications enhanced
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Transport Department today announced that new queue ticketing requirements will be imposed on agents submitting applications for the direct issue of a Hong Kong Full Driving Licence or Temporary Driving Licence from August 13.
Currently, “direct issue” applicants may submit documents at the counter via making online appointments or obtaining same-day queue tickets at the Hong Kong Licensing Office at United Centre, Admiralty.
To combat soliciting activities for agent services and disruption of public order after obtaining queue tickets, under the new arrangement, apart from inputting the first four digits or letters of their identification document (ID) number (e.g. K123) into the queue ticketing system, all agents appointed to submit “direct issue” applications are also required to input the ID number of each of the respective applicants when obtaining a ticket. Such information will be printed on the ticket.
When using counter services, counter staff will verify the ID numbers of both the ticket holder and the applicants entered. If any information does not match that printed on the ticket, the ticket will be voided. All applications concerned will not be processed and no replacement tickets will be issued.
The department pointed out that the new arrangement aims to ensure fair use of the service by the public and further deter individuals from soliciting business with tickets obtained. Any acts disrupting public order will be reported to Police for follow-up.
In addition, the department plans to check applicants’ information in relation to Mainland driving licences provided via online appointments starting from September. 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, thereby enhancing the effective operation of the system.
Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cocaine worth about $6.1 million at airport (with photo)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 7) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 7.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $6.1 million.
A male passenger, aged 20, arrived in Hong Kong from Lisbon, Portugal, via Paris, France, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the suspected cocaine, camouflaged as a cheese wheel and weighing about 7.7kg, in his check-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.
The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (August 9).
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent websites purported to be from Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
　　​The Transport Department (TD) today (August 8) alerted members of the public to fraudulent website addresses that pretend to be the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme (PTFSS) (see the PTFSS website for details) and seek to deceive members of the public into providing their credit card account and personal information.
　　The TD clarifies that the fraudulent websites have no connection with the PTFSS and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up. The TD reiterates that members of the public are not required to provide credit card and personal information for collecting subsidies under the PTFSS. For details of the subsidy collection, please visit the PTFSS website.
　　Members of the public should stay alert when receiving any unidentified messages, and should not visit suspicious websites or disclose any personal information. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned should contact the Police. Should users of Octopus and AlipayHK have any enquiries about the PTFSS, please call 2969 5500 (Octopus) and 3002 0905 (AlipayHK) respectively.
OFCA announces 5G Campus Application Competition 2025 finalists
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) announced today (August 8) the list of 10 school teams shortlisted for the final round of the 5G Campus Application Competition 2025.
OFCA is organising the Competition for the third year under the theme “5G x Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) – The Sky is the Limit for Knowledge” to enhance secondary school students’ understanding of fifth generation mobile (5G) technology and UAS, and encourage them to explore the application of 5G technology in the low-altitude economy, with a view to enhancing their creativity and uncovering their potential in innovative technologies.
Launched in May this year, the Competition consists of two contest rounds. The first-round submission of entries closed at the end of July, with entries from 48 teams across 38 schools received. The entries showcase the abundant creativity of the participating teams. They cover a wide range of applications integrating 5G and UAS technologies with the low-altitude economy, which provide innovative and practical smart living solutions, such as anti-phone deception, search and rescue, crowd and traffic control, construction site safety, and real-time monitoring and maintenance.
The first-round judging panel comprised representatives from OFCA and the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the co-organiser of the Competition. After a detailed assessment based on the scoring criteria, the following 10 school teams have been shortlisted to compete in the final round (listed in alphabetical order of the school names):
| Team | Entry title |
| Cheung Chuk Shan College | Smart Landfill Monitoring and Campus STEAM Resource Platform |
| Hong Kong Sea School | 5G Beach Monitoring and Emergency Rescue System |
| Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College | Anti-scam Spider Drone |
| Marymount Secondary School | Trailbuddy |
| Po Leung Kuk Ma Kam Ming College | Drone Park |
| Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School | SKYGUIDE 5G |
| Shun Tak Fraternal Association Yung Yau College | Smart System on Maintenance Work after Severe Weather |
| S.K.H. Chan Young Secondary School | Construction S.A.F.E. |
| St. Paul’s Convent School | 5G x UAS for Traffic Enforcement |
| Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School | I Mist the Summer |
The finalists will be invited to participate in the Drone Operation and Mobile App Development Training Workshop to gain hands-on experience with drone operation and learn how to develop advanced mobile applications to demonstrate the feasibility and objectives of their entries. The finalists will then participate in the final-round competition on December 6 to present and explain their entries to the final-round judging panel, which comprises representatives from OFCA, academia, research institutes and industry experts. The judging panel will select the winners based on the scoring criteria. The award presentation ceremony will be held on the same day.
For more details and the latest news of the Competition, please visit the thematic website.
Man convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and making use of altered structure of vehicle for purpose of smuggling articles (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
A 32-year-old man was convicted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on August 6 for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and making use of an altered structure of a vehicle for the purpose of smuggling articles, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO). He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment for each of the charges that will run concurrently.
Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Hong Kong Customs intercepted an inbound private car, declared to be empty, at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port on June 12, 2024. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized a total of 30 800 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes from the doors, console box, the rear and a compartment installed underneath the vehicle. The male driver was subsequently arrested and the private car was also seized. The estimated market value of the cigarettes seized in the case was about $180,000 and the duty potential was about $100,000.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Moreover, smuggling is a serious offence. Under the IEO, any person found guilty of making use of the altered structure of a vehicle for the purpose of smuggling articles is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.
Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Reappointment of Chairman and member of Electoral Affairs Commission
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Reappointment of Chairman and member of Electoral Affairs CommissionIssued at HKT 16:00
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Approved Kwun Tong (North) Outline Zoning Plan amended
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Approved Kwun Tong (North) Outline Zoning Plan amended* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.Issued at HKT 16:00
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Two approved outline zoning plans referred back for amendment
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Two approved outline zoning plans referred back for amendmentIssued at HKT 16:00
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New arrangement on queue ticketing for direct issue of Hong Kong Full Driving Licence/Temporary Driving Licence from August 13
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
New arrangement on queue ticketing for direct issue of Hong Kong Full Driving Licence/Temporary Driving Licence from August 13Issued at HKT 15:15
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