Month: September 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

In tandem with the implementation of the Basic Housing Unit (BHU) regulatory regime, the Housing Bureau announced today that residents of subdivided units (SDUs) with imminent short-term rehousing needs can apply for transitional housing (TH) as Category C tenants starting October 3.

With the new regime taking effect from March 1 next year, SDU residents may be affected due to the need for alteration works in SDUs for obtaining BHU recognition, or the enforcement actions carried out by the Government upon expiry of the registration period on March 1, 2027, the bureau pointed out, noting that some of these residents may not be able to identify suitable accommodation within a short period of time.

Understanding that some residents may not fulfil the prevailing application requirements for Light Public Housing or TH, the bureau decided to create a new type of Category C tenants for TH, in order to provide assistance to affected SDU residents who have imminent short-term rehousing needs.

Applicants of Category C tenants can be exempted from meeting the prevailing income/asset limits for TH, but they still need to meet other eligibility requirements. In addition, the applicant or his/her family members must have lived in SDUs consecutively for at least six months, and provide documentary proof for review by any of the six District Service Teams commissioned by the Housing Bureau.

As the bureau anticipated that some Category C tenants may be able to identify suitable long-term accommodation soon after moving into TH, the tenancy for Category C tenants will be set on a monthly basis, with the shortest being one month and the longest generally not exceeding two years.

Moreover, a three-tier rental arrangement will be adopted.

Category C tenants shall pay the original rent of the TH project in the first 12 months of residence. Upon completion, they may apply for two extensions.

For the first extension, ie the 13th to 18th month of residence, Category C tenants who are still in imminent rehousing need may be granted a six-month extension of lease, but they will be required to pay 1.5 times the rent.

For the second extension, ie the 19th to 24th month of residence, Category C tenants who are still in imminent rehousing need may be granted a further six-month extension of lease, but they will be required to pay double rent.

Separately, tenants with residence of only one to six months may be required to pay an additional cleaning/administration fee to the relevant operating organisation, but this fee will not exceed half a month’s rent.

Upon completion of review of Category C tenants by District Service Teams, applicants for Category C tenants can submit TH applications through “TH-E” – Central & Unified Platform for Transitional Housing.

Alternatively, they may complete the TH application form and upload it to the above-mentioned platform, or submit it by post, fax or email.

For enquiries, call 3611 8156 or write to thapp@hb.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The cross-boundary bond repurchase (repo) business, jointly advocated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange was officially launched today (September 26).
 
Relevant Mainland financial authorities/regulators jointly issued the “Notice to Further Supporting Overseas Institutional Investors in Conducting Bond Repo Business in China’s Bond Market” today. Under this policy measure, all overseas institutional investors already investing in the onshore bond market, including Bond Connect investors, will be allowed to participate in the onshore repo business and to remit the RMB liquidity thus obtained for offshore use. This measure is another important policy initiative following the launch of the offshore RMB repo business by the HKMA in February this year. It will provide more stable liquidity support for Hong Kong’s offshore RMB market, and effectively lower the RMB funding cost. The cross-boundary repo and offshore RMB repo businesses will complement each other in addressing offshore investors’ needs of asset allocation and liquidity management. It will help activate offshore investors’ onshore bond holdings and further enhance the attractiveness of onshore bonds, thereby promoting the use of RMB as an investment and funding currency in the international markets.
 
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “We are pleased to launch the cross-boundary repo business. This is one of the key initiatives on which the HKMA and the PBoC have been working closely, to continuously enhance the Bond Connect business. This measure will bolster offshore RMB liquidity in Hong Kong, increase overseas investors’ interest in allocating to RMB assets, and promote more diversified development of offshore RMB businesses. This in turn will help consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre and an offshore RMB business hub.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chief Executive-in-Council has approved the financial arrangements for the Smart & Green Mass Transit System (SGMTS) in Kai Tak, with a number of innovative measures to be implemented to expedite project delivery, enhance cost effectiveness, and leverage the expertise and financial capability of the private sector.

The Government said that with a strong determination to break new ground, it has been working resolutely to introduce the SGMTSs through a “dual innovation” thinking on policy and technology.

Firstly, the entry of new local, Mainland and overseas investors and operators will be encouraged by selecting a franchisee to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain each new system via an open tender, which can enhance competition and bring in innovative thinking in the provision of public transport services.

The anticipated operating cost for the SGMTS is lower than that for heavy rail, hence a fiscal balance or even a profit can be achieved in its operation.

As the estimated profit from the operation of the SGMTS would normally not be able to cover the substantive capital investment, such as initial construction costs etc., the Government plans to provide funding support via a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach, where property development rights of TOD sites near the SGMTSs would be granted to the franchisees of the SGMTSs for holistic planning and development.

The Government noted that such an approach could unleash the development potential of the sites concerned, achieve synergy of the transit systems and property development, and enhance the business case.

The Government will also introduce a new technology-neutral, common and standardised regulatory framework via legislation to provide the statutory backing for granting and regulating franchises of these systems.

It is anticipated the new legislation could shorten the lead time and allow flexibility for the Government to swiftly grasp the opportunities brought about by technological breakthroughs. The target is to introduce the said bill into the Legislative Council within 2026.

Additionally, the Government will adopt a set of streamlined building control procedures and set up a dedicated interdepartmental one-stop platform, such that the franchisees and the relevant departments could deliberate on the design, construction and operation aspects at an early project stage, saving the franchisees’ effort to seek comments and approvals from each authority individually, so as to expedite the entire approval process.

The Chief Executive-in-Council approved that property development rights of Sites 4B5, 4C4 and 4C5 in Kai Tak should be granted by way of private treaty grants at nominal premiums to the franchisee to be selected through open tender to provide funding support for the Kai Tak Project.

Tenders for the Kai Tak Project will be invited shortly, in which tenderers will be required to propose in their financial proposals a fixed sum payable to the Government for the grant of the SGMTS franchise and property development rights of the Sites.

The Government plans to award the tender for the Kai Tak Project in 2026 for commissioning in 2031.

It also plans to adopt an approach similar to that of the Kai Tak Project in taking forward the SGMTS projects in East Kowloon and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Yuen Long South New Development Areas, with a target to invite tenders for the franchises within 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

In tandem with the implementation of the Basic Housing Unit (BHU) regulatory regime, residents of subdivided units (SDUs) with imminent short-term rehousing needs can apply for transitional housing (TH) as Category C tenants. Category C tenants will be open for application from October 3, 2025.

“The Basic Housing Units Bill was passed by the Legislative Council at its third reading today (September 26). The Basic Housing Units Ordinance will be gazetted on October 3 and come into effect on March 1, 2026. In view of the implementation of the BHU regulatory regime starting from March 1, 2026, SDU residents may be affected due to the need for alteration works in SDUs for obtaining BHU recognition, or the enforcement actions carried out by the Government upon expiry of the 12-month registration period (i.e. from March 1, 2027). Some of these residents may not be able to identify suitable accommodation within a short period of time. If the residents concerned are eligible to apply for Light Public Housing or TH, the projects which are currently in operation and coming on stream can provide them with sufficient accommodation options. However, we understand that some residents may not fulfil the relevant prevailing application requirements, e.g. income/asset exceeding the limits. Therefore, we will create a new type of Category C tenants for TH starting from October 3, in order to provide assistance to those SDU residents affected by alteration works or enforcement actions under the BHU regulatory regime in future and have imminent short-term rehousing needs,” a spokesman for the Housing Bureau (HB) said.

Applicants for Category C tenants can be exempted from meeting the prevailing income/asset limits for TH, but they still need to meet other eligibility requirements (including the applicants must be 18 years of age or above; the applicants and/or their family member(s) must be residing in Hong Kong and have the right to land in Hong Kong; and must not own or co-own or have an interest in any domestic property in Hong Kong/Chinese Mainland/overseas, etc). In addition, the applicant for Category C tenants and/or his/her family member(s) must have lived in SDUs consecutively for at least six months, and provide valid documentary proof for review by any of the six District Service Teams (DSTs) commissioned by the HB to prove their rehousing needs.

Apart from reviewing the applications for Category C tenants of TH from SDU residents in need, the six DSTs will also continue to promote SDU tenancy control and the future BHU regulatory regime at the district level, as well as to provide support to SDU residents. If needed, the relevant DSTs can be contacted through the following channels:

Non-governmental organisation	Service region	Service district (based on District Council boundaries)	Contact information
New Home Association Hong Kong Island Service Centre	Hong Kong Island	Central & Western, Eastern, Southern and Wan Chai	2807 2188 / 9267 9548 hkitcsu.nha@gmail.com
Y.T.M. Concern For Livelihood Association	Kowloon West (1)	Yau Tsim Mong	6257 4590 ytmcfla.sub@gmail.com
Hong Kong Single Parents Association	Kowloon West (2)	Sham Shui Po	9813 7512 sdu@hkspa.org.hk
New Home Association Kowloon West Service Centre	Kowloon Central & East	Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong	2720 7010 / 6435 2496 sdu@nha.org.hk
New Territories Association of Societies (Community Services) Foundation	New Territories West	Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing and Islands	5169 5757 ntwtpsitcsu01@gmail.com
Shatin Inhabitants Association	New Territories East	Tai Po, North, Sai Kung and Sha Tin	2691 8055 / 9683 0925 siadistrictserviceteam@gmail.com

​”The objective of creating Category C tenants for TH is to provide short-term accommodation for SDU residents in need before they identify suitable long-term accommodation. We anticipate that some Category C tenants may be able to identify suitable long-term accommodation soon after moving into TH (e.g. SDUs which have obtained BHU recognition upon completion of alteration works) and will not live in TH for a long time. Therefore, there will be a certain degree of flexibility in the tenancy for Category C tenants, which will be set on a monthly basis, with the shortest being one month and the longest generally not exceeding two years. A three-tier rental arrangement will be adopted for Category C tenants to prevent the precious housing resources from being abused. In short, Category C tenants shall pay the original rent of the TH project in the first 12 months of residence. Upon completion of the 12-month residence, they may apply for two extensions. For the first extension (i.e. 13th to 18th month of residence), upon assessment by the operating organisation, Category C tenants who are still in imminent rehousing need may be granted a six-month extension of lease, but they will be required to pay 1.5 times the rent. For the second extension (i.e. 19th to 24th month of residence), upon assessment by the operating organisation, Category C tenants who are still in imminent rehousing need may be granted a further six-month extension of lease, but they will be required to pay double rent. In addition, Category C tenants with residence of only one to six months may be required to pay an additional cleaning/administration fee to the relevant operating organisation, although this fee will not exceed half a month’s rent for the relevant unit,” the spokesman added.

Upon completion of review of Category C tenants by DSTs, applicants for Category C tenants can submit their applications through “TH-E” – Central and Unified Platform for TH via the HB’s website; or complete the TH application form exclusively for Category C tenants and then upload it to the above-mentioned platform, or submit it by post (Task Force on Transitional Housing, Housing Bureau, P.O. Box 183, General Post Office), fax (3565 4382), email (thapp@hb.gov.hk), etc. The application form can be downloaded from the above-mentioned website or obtained from the DSTs.

For information on the application for TH, please visit the HB’s website www.hb.gov.hk/eng/policy/housing/policy/transitional/tenantapplications.html. For any enquiries, please contact the Task Force on Transitional Housing under the HB (Tel: 3611 8156; email: thapp@hb.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department today (September 26) announced that the new energy efficiency grading standards for refrigerating appliances, washing machines and storage type electric water heaters under the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MEELS) will be fully implemented on September 30. The new standards aim to encourage suppliers to introduce more energy-efficient models and help consumers select such products.

Starting from September 30, refrigerating appliances, washing machines and storage type electric water heaters must bear energy labels in compliance with the new energy efficiency grading standards before they are supplied to the local market. The reference number of the new energy label will carry the prefix “U3”.

The implementation of the new energy efficiency grading standards is expected to bring an additional energy saving of about 270 million kilowatt-hours per year, which is equivalent to an annual reduction of carbon emissions by about 189 000 tonnes.

The Code of Practice on Energy Labelling of Products was revised last year with the energy efficiency grading standards for the aforementioned three products raised by about 30 per cent. The 15-month transitional period will end on September 29, 2025. For further information about MEELS and the new energy efficiency grading standards, please visit the thematic website of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (www.emsd.gov.hk/energylabel/en/home.html).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, and the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Jack Mwiimbu, signed bilateral agreements on the surrender of fugitive offenders (SFO), mutual legal assistance in criminal matters (MLA) and the transfer of sentenced persons (TSP) in the Central Government Offices today (September 26) on behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Government of Zambia respectively.

“Both Hong Kong and Zambia are committed players in the international efforts to fight crime. The signing of the agreements on SFO, MLA and TSP today represents an important step forward in legal co-operation between Hong Kong and Zambia,” Mr Tang said at the signing ceremony.

Under the Basic Law, the Government of the HKSAR may, with the authorisation of the Central People’s Government, make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal juridical assistance.

The SFO agreement sets out the conditions for the surrender of fugitive offenders between the HKSAR and Zambia and contains the usual safeguards found in similar international agreements, including that the conduct must constitute an offence according to the laws of both parties, and surrender may be refused if the offence is punishable by the death penalty.

The MLA agreement between the Government of the HKSAR and the Government of Zambia contains the essential features and safeguards of international agreements of this type. Assistance covered by the agreement includes identifying and locating persons, serving documents, taking evidence, executing requests for search and seizure, providing information, confiscating proceeds of crime, and more.

The TSP agreement embodies the shared conviction of Hong Kong and Zambia that allowing sentenced persons to return to their places of origin, where there are no language or cultural barriers and where friends and relatives can pay more regular visits, is conducive to their rehabilitation. Hong Kong’s policy is therefore to facilitate such transfers between Hong Kong and other jurisdictions as far as possible.

A list of the major bilateral international agreements (including SFO, MLA and TSP agreements) of the HKSAR that have come into force can be found at www.doj.gov.hk/en/external/international_agreements.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government announced a proposal to amend the Dutiable Commodities Regulations (Cap. 109A) under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). The suggested amendment will provide duty exemption for methyl alcohol (MA) to be placed in the fuel tank of an outbound vessel for use as fuel to encourage the development of the local bunkering industry and support the development of Hong Kong as a green maritime fuel bunkering centre.

     The spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “Hong Kong is an international maritime centre and a major maritime fuel bunkering port. To support the green transformation of the international shipping industry, we promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering in November 2024, setting out a multi-fuel strategy to develop Hong Kong into a green maritime fuel bunkering and trading centre. Out of different green maritime fuels, only MA (including both green MA produced sustainably and conventional MA) is subject to duty under Cap. 109. Therefore, it was announced in the Supplement of the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address that duty concessions would be provided for methanol used for bunkering of outbound vessels to increase the attractiveness of MA bunkering in Hong Kong and foster the development of the relevant industry.”

     The Legislative Council can by resolution approve the Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Regulation 2025 made by the Chief Executive in Council under Cap. 109. The Secretary for Transport and Logistics will move a motion at the Legislative Council meeting on October 15 to pass the resolution.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Global Head of Family Office at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Jason Fong, yesterday (September 25) concluded a European mission spanning London, Zurich, Geneva and Milan, where he led a delegation to highlight Hong Kong’s strengths as a leading global family office hub. This trip has prompted greater interest among European families and professionals in exploring the opportunities available in Hong Kong.

     During the visit, Mr Fong and the delegation held a series of in-depth exchanges with European family offices, family representatives, asset owners, wealth managers and professional service providers. These engagements included roundtables, panel sessions, high-level forums, investor luncheons and one-on-one meetings. The meetings highlighted Hong Kong’s advantages as Asia’s leading international financial centre – an open-architecture capital market. The robust legal system in Hong Kong and the unique positioning under “one country, two systems” showcase the city as the ideal hub for European investors seeking to access Chinese Mainland and Asian markets.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region