Month: September 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, will lead a multidisciplinary delegation comprising members of Hong Kong’s legal, arbitration and mediation sectors, as well as the financial and business sectors, to Urumqi, Xinjiang, tomorrow (September 11) to promote Hong Kong’s advantages in its legal system and professional services, and to explore the strengthening of co-operation between Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

     Mr Lam and the delegation will attend a seminar on the role of Hong Kong’s common law in contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative and a networking dinner organised by the Department of Justice and the Xinjiang Lawyers Association on September 12. They will give a briefing on the advantages of Hong Kong’s common law system, and how its legal, dispute resolution and financial services can contribute to Xinjiang’s opening up and facilitate the development of cross-border business for enterprises.
 
     During the visit, the delegation will also meet with local leaders and learn about the development of the local legal services industry.
 
     Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on September 14. During Mr Lam’s absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs on August 26 detected a suspected case of using an ocean-going vessel to smuggle goods to Korea at the Kwai Chung Container Terminals. A large batch of suspected unmanifested goods with an estimated market value of about $140 million was seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use an ocean-going vessel to smuggle goods and thus formulated strategies to combat related activities.

On August 26, Customs officers identified an ocean-going vessel preparing to depart from Hong Kong for Korea for inspection, and seized a large batch of suspected scheduled shark skin, electronic goods and parts, and liquor inside two containers on board the vessel.

An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Customs is the primary agency responsible for tackling smuggling activities and has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to crack down on related crimes.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction. 

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Wendy Hong and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that in recent years, the Government has actively promoted urban renewal, replacing large-scale redevelopment with a “rehabilitation first” strategy to improve building structural safety and prolong their lifespan. Members of the public have recently relayed to me that, even when rehabilitation works have been completed for the buildings and safety standards met to prolong their service life, banks still adopt the “75 minus building age” calculation method (i.e. residential properties over 55 years old can only be granted a maximum mortgage term of 20 years) when assessing mortgage applications. This not only adds to the burden of down payments and monthly mortgage payments on members of the public, but also reduces the liquidity of old buildings. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as it is learnt that the Government is vigorously promoting building rehabilitation as an alternative to redevelopment, whether the authorities have discussed with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority the possibility of appropriately extending the mortgage term for buildings that have completed rehabilitation and passed safety inspections; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) whether the Government will consider establishing a certification mechanism for buildings that have completed prescribed inspections and prescribed repairs, so that banks may consider extending the mortgage term when approving mortgages for such buildings; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether it has compiled statistics on the following information of residential properties currently aged 50 years or above: (i) the total number, (ii) the number of households having mortgages among them, and (iii) their median monthly mortgage payments and loan repayments; if it has not compiled statistics, of the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     After consulting the Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
 
(1) & (2) The Government’s strategy for building renewal emphasises both rehabilitation and redevelopment. The Buildings Department (BD) annually selects about 600 private buildings (Note 1) aged 30 years or above on a risk basis and the owners of such building served with statutory mandatory building inspection notices (MBI notices) are required to carry out inspections and repairs for the common parts of their buildings and the projections of the individual units. Among the 8 364 buildings served with MBI notices so far, about 70 per cent of them aged 50 years or above. Proper maintenance and repair of properties are owners’ primary responsibility. It not only protects the safety of residents, buildings and the public, but also extends the buildings’ lifespan, which has a positive impact on the property values.
 
     If the owners have complied with the requirements of the MBI notices, the BD will issue compliance letters to the owners. Besides, the public can enquire and view the service and compliance status of the statutory notices of the private buildings via the BD’s website. Where owners have voluntarily arranged and carried out building inspection and repair in accordance with the requirements and procedures under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme, the BD will also issue acknowledgement letters to the owners.
 
     The HKMA does not set a specific mortgage term limit based on the age of a property. The approval of loans is a commercial decision made by banks. When processing mortgage applications, banks take into account a host of factors, including the borrower’s repayment capacity and the condition of the building. The age of the property is only one of the factors of consideration. When considering whether to approve mortgage applications for a residential property, the abovementioned information issued by the BD regarding the completion of inspection and repair of the building may assist banks in evaluating the condition of the building.
 
(3) According to the BD’s record, as at the end of 2024, there were 8 977 private residential buildings aged 50 years or above (excluding New Territories Exempted Houses). As regards whether the units in those private residential buildings have a mortgage and the specific details about the mortgage loan payments and repayments, they are agreements reached between the property owners and the banks. The Government does not maintain relevant commercial data for statistical purposes.
 
Note 1: Except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Tony Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):

Question:

With the endeavours made by me and the industry, the Government launched a subsidy scheme in 2020 (2020 Scheme) as a means of encouraging and supporting private organisations to employ graduates and assistant professionals of the engineering, architectural, surveying, town planning and landscape (EASTL) sectors, so as to enable them to acquire necessary work experience in order to obtain professional qualifications and to alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry. As the impacts of the pandemic on the job market remained, the Development Bureau further launched in 2021 an initiative called Support for Engineering, Architectural, Surveying, Town Planning and Landscape Sectors 2.0 (2021 Scheme) to assist the industry in tiding over the difficult times and reducing its manpower drain. In view of the recent downturn in the construction industry, the Government announced in the Budget of this year that the Construction Industry Council (CIC) would allocate around $150 million to subsidise the construction industry to provide on-the-job training for about 2 500 graduates of the EASTL degree programmes (2025 Scheme) and provide a monthly subsidy of $5,000 to each eligible/approved young talent for a period of 12 months. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the following details about the 2020 Scheme and the 2021 Scheme: (i) the number of applications for subsidy places, (ii) the number of approved subsidy places, (iii) the number of employees to whom salary subsidies were actually disbursed, and (iv) the total amount of salary subsidies eventually disbursed, with a breakdown by professional sector;

(2) of the following details about the 2025 Scheme: (i) the number of applications for subsidy places, and (ii) the number of approved subsidy places, with a breakdown by professional sector;

(3) as some members of the industry have expressed that with the severe downturn in the construction industry, it is expected that many companies will be unable to increase their employment of graduates, whether the Government and the CIC will take account of the actual circumstances and, without the need for additional resources, appropriately increase the monthly subsidy amount under the 2025 Scheme, so as to enhance the industry’s motivation to employ more graduates; and

(4) as there are views suggesting that the downturn in the construction industry is expected to persist for quite some time, and massive development projects (including the Northern Metropolis) will require a substantial amount of related professional talents in the future, whether the Government will consider the provision of additional subsidies and an extension of the relevant subsidy scheme?

Reply:

President,

The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) have been closely monitoring the situation of the construction industry. We have introduced suitable schemes, including the funding schemes mentioned in the subject question launched under the Anti-epidemic Fund during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 (i.e. 2020 Scheme and 2021 Scheme), and the Construction Industry Professional Degree Graduate On-the-Job Training Subsidy Scheme (2025 Scheme) launched through the CIC’s allocation of $150 million this year, to support the industry in overcoming prevailing difficulties and to nurture and retain talent for the industry.

In response to the various parts of the LegCo question, the DEVB’s corresponding replies are as follows:

(1) The details of the 2020 Scheme are as follows:
 

Professional discipline	Number of applications for subsidy places	Number of approved subsidy places	Number of employees to whom salary subsidies were disbursed	Total subsidy disbursed
Architecture	601	601	601	About $54 million
Engineering	1 487	1 487	1 477	About $126 million
Surveying	755	755	747	About $67 million
Planning	20	20	20	About $2 million
Landscape Architecture	52	52	52	About $5 million
Total	2 915	2 915	2 897	About $254 million

​The details of the 2021 Scheme are as follows:
 

Professional discipline	Number of applications for subsidy places	Number of approved subsidy places	Number of employees to whom salary subsidies were disbursed	Total subsidy disbursed
Architecture	685	570	563	About $49 million
Engineering	1 012	964	907	About $90 million
Surveying	655	547	537	About $44 million
Planning	26	17	16	About $2 million
Landscape Architecture	40	28	28	About $2 million
Total	2 418	2 126	2 051	About $187 million

(2) The application period for the 2025 Scheme was from March 17 to April 16, 2025. The CIC completed the processing of applications and notified all successful applicants in May 2025. The details of the 2025 Scheme are as follows:
 

Professional discipline	Number of applications for subsidy places	Number of approved subsidy places
Architecture	706	600
Engineering	5 422	1 300
Surveying	1 188	500
Planning	88	50
Landscape Architecture	100	50
Total	7 504	2 500

(3) As all the 2 500 quotas under the 2025 Scheme have already been allocated, thereby using up all its allocation of $150 million, the CIC is unable to further increase the monthly subsidy amount.

Furthermore, with the support of the DEVB, the CIC allocated an additional $24 million in March 2025 to subsidise the construction industry to provide on-the-job training for 400 higher diploma graduates in engineering, architecture, surveying, town planning, and landscape architecture. Successful applicants for this funding scheme will receive a monthly subsidy of $5,000 for each approved higher diploma graduate for a period of 12 months, amounting to $60,000 in total. The application period for this scheme was the same as the aforementioned 2025 Scheme. The CIC has already completed the application processing and notified all successful applicants in May 2025.

For the above two schemes, the CIC has allocated a total of $174 million to subsidise the construction industry to provide on-the-job training for a total of 2 900 graduates.

(4) The construction industry generally welcomed and supported the above two subsidy schemes launched in 2025, acknowledging that they are helpful to the current situation of the industry. The DEVB, in collaboration with the CIC, will continue to maintain close communication with the industry, to keep in view the implementation of the schemes, the overall situation of the industry, the needs of different stakeholders and the CIC’s budget for the coming years, and to consider the future arrangement for the schemes.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​A property owner was convicted and fined $213,550 in total, of which $113,550 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (September 9) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).  

The case involved three unauthorised structures with a total area of about 1 354 square metres on three lots in D.D. 80, Lin Ma Hang, Sha Tau Kok. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without the prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), three removal orders were served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.

A spokesman for the BD said today (September 10), “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.”

Failure to comply with a removal order without a reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):
 
Question:
 
     There are views pointing out that the demand for cross-boundary remittances between Hong Kong and the Mainland is increasing, yet restrictions on remittance limits and channel regulation remain imperfect. Regarding the enhancement of cross-boundary remittance arrangements, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the number of agencies providing cross-boundary remittance services between Hong Kong and the Mainland, (ii) the total amount of remittance involved, and (iii) the total amount of banks’ revenue from the provision of the relevant cross-boundary remittance services under the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme in each of the years between January 2016 and June 2025 (set out in Table 1‍);
 
Table 1

Year	(i)	(ii)	(iii)
2016
……
2025 (January to June)

 
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of (a) ‍transactions and (b) remittances in total (including telegraphic transfers) from Hong Kong to the Mainland (northbound) through banks by (i) individuals and (ii) ‍institutions in each year from January 2019 to June 2025 (set out in Table 2);
 
Table 2

Year	(i)		(ii)
	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)
2019
……
2025 (January to June)

 
(3) whether the Government has requested that remittance agencies compile statistics on the use of remittances by individuals/institutions; if so, of the details (including a breakdown of the data on the use of remittances); if not, whether it will request that remittance agencies compile the relevant data and standardise the category of the relevant uses;
 
(4) whether it has compiled statistics on the remittance handling fee structure (including the actual fee charged for each remittance) of the various legal and authorised remittance agencies (such as banks) providing northbound cross-boundary remittance services in Hong Kong and the Mainland to individuals from January 2019 to June 2025, as well as the total amount of proceeds earned from remittance services provided by such agencies;
 
(5) as there are views that the Mainland’s facilitative foreign exchange arrangement subject to an annual quota of US$50,000 per person has not been adjusted in light of market developments, whether the Government has plans to discuss with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange the adjustment of this quota against the background of the ongoing deepening of the financial co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland as well as the joint promotion of cross-boundary financial interconnection and mutual access in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area;
 
(6) whether the Government will consider encouraging banks to adjust their fees and charges for cross-boundary remittances and stepping up public education and publicity to encourage members of the public to remit money through legal and compliant channels; if not, of the reasons for that; and
 
(7) whether it will consider further regulating the operations of non-‍banking agencies involved in cross-boundary remittance services (e.g. money changers, etc), including requiring such agencies to transfer fund through legal and compliant channels, and setting up mechanisms on minimum capital requirements, risk reserve standards and daily operational monitoring; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), my reply to the seven parts of the question is as follows:
 
(1) Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors are foreign institutional investors approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission to use funds from outside mainland China to invest in domestic securities and futures. We do not maintain relevant data of the number of agencies, the total amount of remittance, and the total amount of banks’ revenue from the provision of the relevant cross-boundary remittance services.
 
(2) The figures of Renminbi (RMB) cross-boundary remittance transactions from Hong Kong to the Mainland (including individual and non-individual remitters) are as follows:
 

	RMB cross-boundary remittance transactions from Hong Kong to the Mainland (including individual and non-individual remitters)
Year	Number of counts (thousand)	Transaction value (RMB trillion)
2019	923	18.4
2020	1 054	22.3
2021	1 336	29.9
2022	1 597	35.5
2023	2 488	53.6
2024	3 299	100.7
2025 (January to June)	1 883	42.6

 
(3) As the regulator of banks in Hong Kong, the HKMA has been collecting different scope of data from banks, for the purpose of conducting risk assessments and continuous monitoring on banks’ business.
 
     In respect of RMB remittance business of banks in Hong Kong, besides the statistics on cross-boundary remittance transactions set out above, the HKMA also regularly releases banks’ RMB remittance for trade settlement business, with relevant data as below:
 

Year	Total remittances for RMB cross-border trade settlement (RMB billion)
2019	5,376.4
2020	6,324.1
2021	7,083.6
2022	9,337.9
2023	11,676.1
2024	15,184.6
2025 (January to June)	7,334.7

 
(4) There are different scales and operational models of the cross-boundary payment services across banks. Individual banks would set their fee structure and level for the services according to the bank’s own circumstances as a commercial decision of the banks. Nonetheless, banks should comply with the relevant requirements of the Code of Banking Practice when providing cross-boundary payment services. These include, among other things, providing for customers details of the services they offer, such as a basic description of the service; the basis on which exchange rates will be applied; details of any commission or charges payable by customers to the bank; and other commission or charges levied by correspondent banks outside Hong Kong (if available). By maintaining transparency of the fees charged by banks in providing cross-boundary payment services, the HKMA hopes to enhance competition in this market segment.
 
     As for money service operators, since their business models and operational circumstances vary, there is no uniform fee structure for remittance services across the industry.
 
(5) According to the prevailing Mainland regulations, Hong Kong residents can in general remit funds to the Mainland through banks for spending or expenses related to travel, business trips, study abroad, daily life, and family support, etc. Within this scope, if the remittances are made in RMB, Hong Kong residents can transfer funds to their same-name bank accounts on the Mainland, subject to a daily limit of RMB80,000, under the existing arrangements. If the remittances are made in non-RMB currencies (including HKD), there is a facilitative arrangement available for individual recipients, subject to an annual quota equivalent to USD50,000. If the recipients can provide supporting documents to confirm genuineness of the remittances, the policy also allows Hong Kong residents to make cross-boundary remittances to the Mainland without utilising the aforementioned limits.
 
     With the efforts of financial regulators and the industry in Hong Kong and the Mainland in recent years, we have introduced various facilitative arrangements on personal cross-boundary remittance. In early 2024, facilitation arrangements for remittances were introduced to facilitate Hong Kong residents purchasing properties in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to remit funds related to property purchases to the Mainland through the banking system. The HKMA and the People’s Bank of China launched Payment Connect on June 22 this year. Hong Kong residents can make real-time and small-value cross-boundary remittances at participating institutions in Hong Kong via Faster Payment System.
 
     We notice that some citizens wish for further enhancement to cross-boundary remittance arrangements to facilitate cross-boundary transactions relating to their everyday life on the Mainland, for example, transportation and living, medical services, retirement and elderly care, etc. We are engaging with Mainland authorities to explore further facilitative measures under different scenarios.
 
(6) In respect of public education, the HKMA released a set of FAQs on the website at the beginning of this year, explaining the current Mainland policy arrangements under different scenarios on cross-boundary remittance, and introducing the remittance and payment products provided by banks and stored value payment facilities in Hong Kong and the Mainland. Subsequently the HKMA held an industry briefing with banks to discuss the implementation arrangements, and reminded banks to ensure that frontline staff are aware of the relevant policy arrangements and handle clients’ inquiries accordingly.
 
     The C&ED places great importance on safeguarding consumer rights. It regularly promotes legally compliant money changing and remittance services through various channels, such as press releases and social media, and reminds consumers to consider a range of factors (including the delivery channels and reputation of the money service operators (MSOs)) in a comprehensive manner when choosing remittance services, as well as to be aware of the risks associated with remittance. The C&ED also actively provides promotional and educational talks to different communities. For example, between 2024 and June 2025, the C&ED conducted over 160 talks for over 21 000 workers newly arrived in Hong Kong under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, educating them on points to note when using remittance services.
 
(7) The Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) (AMLO) provides for a licensing regime for MSOs, empowering the C&ED to supervise their compliance.
 
     Under the current licensing system, when applying for a licence or licence renewal, MSOs must meet the “fit and proper” test, and submit a business plan to the C&ED. This plan must explain their operating model and its rationale, clearly disclose the flow of funds and delivery channels, and demonstrate the existence of effective and appropriate anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures and a daily operational monitoring mechanism. Through these licensing requirements, the C&ED can effectively assess and monitor the risks associated with MSOs of different operating models and sizes.
 
     The C&ED attaches great importance to the compliance of the money service industry in providing remittance services and has consistently taken various measures to ensure that MSOs handle customer funds and complete relevant transactions in an appropriate manner. Among these, the C&ED has formulated the “Money Service Operators Licensing Guide” and the “Guideline on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism” to ensure licensed MSOs comply with customer due diligence, record-keeping, proper handling of customer funds, and other licensing requirements. For MSOs with higher risk profiles (due to factors such as customer nature, products, services, transactions, or delivery channels), the C&ED may also impose specific licence conditions to strengthen supervision. The C&ED will continue to monitor market developments and review the requirements of the relevant regulatory mechanisms for the money service industry.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Leung and a reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):
 
Question:

     According to the statistics of mid-year population for 2025 released by the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong’s overall population has shown slight growth, benefiting from various measures on talent attraction. On the other hand, society is also concerned about the integration of immigrants and the related issues of social resource allocation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of persons who came to Hong Kong as dependants under various talent admission schemes in each of the past three years and this year to date; whether the authorities have projected the potential increase in population in the coming years as a result of such schemes;

(2) as it is learnt that in recent years, hundreds of thousands of immigrants have come to Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes, of the measures put in place by the authorities to co-ordinate policies and supporting arrangements in areas such as education, healthcare, housing and employment to meet the needs of both the local and immigrant populations; whether tracking surveys and studies and analysis of admitted talents will be strengthened so as to optimise the effectiveness of various talent admission schemes; and

(3) when formulating the indicators for the new round of talent admission policies, whether the Government will simultaneously consider the overall impact of the relevant talent admission schemes on the population structure, and formulate policy planning and allocate public resources from a high-level and macro perspective; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) compiles new population projection every five years to understand the trend of change in Hong Kong’s population during the projection period so as to provide the basis for the Government’s planning in various policy areas and resource allocation. 

     To address the challenges in manpower demand brought by an ageing population, the Government implemented in end-2022 a package of measures to proactively trawl for talents from around the world. In recent years, outside talents gradually arrived in Hong Kong, with some bringing along their families to settle in Hong Kong. This has offset the impact of natural population decrease and effectively alleviating the challenges caused by the persistently low local birth rate and the ageing of the population. The overall population in mid-2025 has increased by over 180 000 compared to mid-2022. In addition, the arrival of these incoming talents has reversed the decline in the local labour force during the pandemic, and the majority of them are in the prime years of their careers. This further enriches the local talent pool and enhances Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness. Hong Kong ranked first in Asia in the World Talent Ranking 2025 published yesterday by the International Institute for Management Development, leaping markedly to fourth globally from ninth last year and marking the highest-ever ranking. This is clear evidence that the series of talent attraction measures implemented by the current-term Government are in the right direction and yielding significant results.

     In consultation with the Education Bureau, the Health Bureau, the Housing Bureau, the C&SD, and the Immigration Department (ImmD), my reply to the Member’s question is as follows:

(1) As at end-August 2025, the various talent admission schemes have attracted over 230 000 talents arriving in Hong Kong. Some brought along to Hong Kong their spouses and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. Nearly 220 000 individuals have arrived in Hong Kong as dependants under the various talent admission schemes since 2023. A breakdown of the relevant statistics by talent admission scheme is at Annex.

     The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the C&SD published the latest manpower projection and population projection in 2024 and 2023 respectively. These projections have taken into account the impact of the major talent admission schemes. The LWB is now conducting a mid-term update of the manpower projection, which will comprehensively assess the implications of the latest global and local developments (including the Government’s latest manpower policies and measures) on the manpower situation in 2028. The results are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. On the other hand, the C&SD will conduct a population census in 2026 to obtain up-to-date benchmark information of the Hong Kong population. When the census results become available, the C&SD will update the population projection upon integrating the available data then about fertility, mortality and population movement with the prevailing policy factors.

(2) and (3) Currently, population policy measures have been subsumed under the portfolios of various bureaux as part of the ongoing efforts. The relevant policy bureaux are regularly reviewing the implementation and effectiveness of the measures under their purviews, performing their respective duties with cross-bureau collaboration so as to formulate and implement various policy measures in response to the latest social, demographic and manpower conditions. For instance, the Education Bureau will review education policies from time to time, with a view to meeting the needs of society. The Health Bureau will continue to deepen the reform of the healthcare system, including strengthening health promotion and disease prevention in primary healthcare; implementing reform on fees and charges for public healthcare; as well as enhancing the price transparency of private healthcare services, and encouraging better use of medical insurance to ensure the viability of Hong Kong’s healthcare system. The Housing Bureau will continue to closely monitor the supply and demand of different types of housing and adjust the corresponding policies in a timely manner. The Chief Executive, and Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Departments are providing high-level steer as necessary through various channels, such as committees, working groups and inter-departmental meetings, to co-ordinate relevant inter-departmental work in light of changes in the local demography and manpower situation in various industries, continuously review the implementation and effectiveness of relevant measures and make timely adjustments, so as to meet Hong Kong’s economic and social development needs. 

     As regards human resources planning, the Government will enhance the measures on local training, talent attraction and retention, in response to the trends of social development and manpower demand, and set corresponding key performance indicators as appropriate. In fact, the Government has been consistently collecting information on the employment situation of talents approved for admission upon their first entries and at the time of their applications for extension of stay. The Hong Kong Talent Engage under the LWB also maintains close contact with incoming talents to understand and keep track of their development and needs in Hong Kong through both online and offline channels, and provide support services. In respect of the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) newly launched by the current-term Government, the LWB will further invite applicants to participate in follow-up surveys when the ImmD issues their visas for extension of stay, in order to gather information on such areas as housing and education for dependent children of the TTPS talents approved for extension of stay. The first round of findings of the follow-up surveys and the situation of the extension of stay were released last month. The LWB will continue to keep in view the settlement of incoming talents in Hong Kong through various channels, and use the information as reference for the ongoing enhancement of talent admission policies and support services.

     Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (Sep 10):

Question:

     As reported, the problem of illegal workers has emerged in many industries in Hong Kong, including illegal employment involving visitors holding an “endorsement for business visit” in Hong Kong, and enterprises’ solicitation of business by offering a low price through channels such as cross-border e-‍commerce platforms and their subsequent arrangement for the provision of services in Hong Kong by holders of an “endorsement for individual visit” that allows multiple entries. The situation concerned has affected the livelihood of local workers and caused unfair competition to local enterprises. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the monthly number of holders of an “endorsement for individual visit” with unusually frequent visits to Hong Kong (such as travelling to Hong Kong for four to five weekdays a week) since December last year; whether the authorities have taken the initiative to ascertain their purpose of visiting Hong Kong; of the number of visitors holding an “endorsement for business visit” who have been arrested for illegal employment in each month of the past two years, with a tabulated breakdown by type of employment;

(2) whether it will consider the introduction of new measures to combat illegal workers, such as implementing a reward system for reporting illegal workers, and enhancing publicity for the general public that if a service provider employs illegal workers, the customer may also have to bear criminal liability and offer compensation in case of accidents or incidents; and
 
(3) whether it will strengthen co-operation with the Mainland authorities in combating illegal workers, including eliminating information involving travelling to Hong Kong and providing services against the law from online platforms on the Mainland, removing non-compliant accounts, stepping up the penalty for offences involving illegal workers, and reminding Mainland residents of the criminal liability for engaging in illegal employment in Hong Kong, so as to prevent them from mistakenly believing in erroneous information?

Reply:

President,

     The Government is committed to combating illegal employment so as to protect job opportunities for the local workforce. It is a serious offence to engage in illegal employment. Illegal workers, employers, as well as aiders and abettors of illegal employment will be liable to prosecution in accordance with the Immigration Ordinance.

     According the record of the Immigration Department (ImmD), of the illegal workers arrested from 2023 up to August this year, around half of them were from Mainland, while the remaining included non-ethnic Chinese illegal immigrants or overstayers, and foreign domestic helpers, etc. During the said period, about two in a hundred thousand of all Mainland visitors entering Hong Kong with business visit endorsements were arrested for illegal employment while the relevant figure for Mainland visitors with multiple-entry individual visit endorsements was about one in a hundred thousand.

     In consultation with the ImmD, the Hong Kong Police Force (the Police) and the Labour Department (LD), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai is as follows:

(1) Mainland travellers entering Hong Kong with business visit endorsements or multiple-entry individual visit endorsements are regarded as visitors in Hong Kong. In general, visitors shall not take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid, in Hong Kong.

     From 2023 to August this year, the monthly average number of persons entering Hong Kong with business visit endorsements who were arrested for illegal employment was 0.7. Since the resumption and expansion of multiple-entry individual visit endorsements for Shenzhen in December last year to August this year, the monthly average number of persons entering Hong Kong with such endorsements who were arrested for illegal employment was 4.1. These arrested persons were primarily engaged in work relating to the construction, catering and retail/wholesale sectors.

     The ImmD has all along been performing its gatekeeping role diligently. During immigration examination, the ImmD will conduct individual assessment on visitors with unusually frequent visits to Hong Kong in order to identify persons with doubtful purpose of visit. Depending on circumstances, the ImmD will refuse their entry or shorten their stay in Hong Kong. Where necessary, the ImmD will step up spot checks at control points targeting specific groups based on intelligence. The ImmD does not maintain other breakdown figures requested in the question.

(2) and (3) The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy to combat illegal employment, including stepping up intelligence collection and strict law enforcement, increase in penalty, collaboration with Mainland authorities, as well as publicity and education.

(i) Stepping up intelligence collection and strict law enforcement

     Various law enforcement agencies have been proactively collecting intelligence and conducting joint operations to raid premises suspected of having illegal employment activities. Since the third quarter this year and up till now, the ImmD has carried out 3 500 enforcement actions for combating illegal employment, the monthly average increased by around 18 per cent over that of the second quarter. In August alone, the ImmD, in collaboration with relevant departments, mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations during which over 1 800 locations were inspected, and a total of 173 illegal workers and 67 employers were arrested. These operations were also widely publicised to achieve a deterrent effect.

     In addition, the ImmD conducts constant cyber patrols. It will take enforcement action by decoy operation against any person who is found using social media platforms, etc to arrange for illegal workers to work in Hong Kong. For example, the ImmD recently noticed through cyber patrols that some Mainland photographers and make-up artists were promoting on social media platforms that they could provide services in Hong Kong. After investigation, the ImmD conducted enforcement actions and arrested a total of 10 persons, including eight Mainland illegal workers.

     Meanwhile, during the enforcement actions against illegal hire car services taken by the Police since early this year, a total of eight illegal workers were arrested, and 11 persons alleged to have assisted illegal workers to engage in illegal employment in Hong Kong through online car hailing platforms were arrested for offences such as conspiracy to defraud.

     Besides, the labour inspectors of the LD will, under the power conferred by the Immigration Ordinance, continue to check the proof of identity of employees on site and records of employees kept by employers during regular workplace inspections. Suspected cases of illegal employment will be referred to law enforcement agencies for follow-up.

(ii) Increase in penalty

     The Government amended the Immigration Ordinance in 2021 by increasing the penalty on employing prohibited employees. The maximum penalty was significantly increased from the original fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and ten years’ imprisonment. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. The ImmD will pay close attention to sentences imposed by the courts, and where necessary, seek legal advice in considering whether to apply for a sentence review based on the case.

(iii) Collaboration with Mainland authorities

     The Police and the ImmD have established a reciprocal notification mechanism with the relevant Mainland authorities, and have always maintained liaison and intelligence exchange with them.

     Under the existing notification mechanism, the ImmD will regularly pass information on Mainland residents who have been convicted of criminal offences in Hong Kong, including those engaging in illegal employment, to relevant Mainland authorities. Depending on the circumstances, the Mainland authorities will not issue exit endorsements to such persons for a period of two to five years in general, in order to prevent them from revisiting Hong Kong for illegal activities. In addition, if anyone is found to have allegedly arranged for illegal workers to work in Hong Kong using Mainland online platforms, the ImmD will exchange intelligence with the Mainland authorities and urge them to arrange with the relevant platforms for taking appropriate follow-up actions, such as taking down the posts involved.

(iv) Publicity and education

     The Government has been actively conducting publicity and education through various channels, including press conferences, social media, promotional leaflets, etc, to enable the public to understand the criminal liability for employing illegal workers. Besides, in case of accidents involving any illegal workers, the validity of the relevant insurance policy may be affected. The ImmD also proactively reminds members of the public that customers may also be held criminally liable if they knowingly employ illegal workers via any service providers to offer services for them.

     Meanwhile, the ImmD actively disseminates information on the effectiveness of the latest enforcement operations against illegal employment and the message of “Employing Illegal Workers is an Offence” through its official accounts of social media platforms frequently used by Hong Kong and Mainland residents such as Xiaohongshu, Weibo and Instagram. This can facilitate easier access to the relevant information by local residents and Mainland visitors.

     Illegal employment is an issue of public concern. Members of the public have been actively making such reports to the authorities. Currently, the ImmD provides dedicated reporting hotline and online reporting platform. The ImmD will explore more channels (such as WeChat and “iAM Smart” application) so as to further enhance the reporting mechanism for illegal workers, and will review the effectiveness from time to time.

     The Government will continue to adopt a wider range of measures to step up efforts in combating illegal workers with a view to protecting the local workforce.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Lam So-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):

Question:

There are views that the disposal of large quantities of waste vehicle tyres at landfills in Hong Kong constitutes a waste of resources. Converting such tyres into rubber powder and adding it to conventional bitumin as a road paving material (rubberised bitumin) can facilitate the handling of waste tyres, enhance environmental benefits and also reduce costs of public works projects. In addition, in a blog post on August 17 last year, the then Secretary for Transport and Logistics, indicated that the Highways Department (HyD) had achieved satisfactory results in its research on the application of rubberised bitumin in road paving and was exploring the wider use of this material in road maintenance works. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of waste vehicle tyres disposed of at landfills since last year;

(2) of the total consumption of bituminous materials in road works across the territory and the quantity of waste tyres recycled for use in rubberised bitumin in each of the past three years; whether the authorities have plans to fully adopt rubberised bitumin for road paving, and whether an assessment has been conducted on the potential waste reduction benefits of using this material for road paving (including the additional quantity of waste tyres that could be handled annually after its full adoption); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that according to the information on the HyD’s webpage, the Government has fully adopted a low noise road paving material called “Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt” for road paving since April this year. However, the HyD has also stated that it has been conducting site trials on rubberised bitumin to formulate criteria for future application of this material in road paving, of the authorities’ major considerations when deciding on the choice of road paving materials (e.g. whether technical and cost differences are included)?

Reply:

President,

In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department and the Highways Department (HyD), the reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Lam So-wai is as follows:

(1) The total volume of vehicle tyre waste disposed of at landfills from 2021 to 2023 is tabulated as follows:
 

Year (Note 1)	Volume of vehicle tyre waste disposed of at landfills (tonnes) (Note 2)
2021	19 900
2022	16 200
2023	14 300

Note 1: Relevant statistics for 2024 are still under compilation
Note 2: The volume includes a small volume of other tyres which cannot be classified 
 
(2) and (3) Rubberised bituminous material is a paving material that replaces part of petroleum-based bitumen with crumb rubber made from waste tyres. The HyD, in collaboration with academia, has earlier researched and confirmed the technical feasibility of incorporating crumb rubber from waste tyres into conventional bituminous materials. Not only does this technology provide a recycling pathway for waste tyres and reduce burden on landfills, but it also lowers the consumption of non-renewable petroleum resources. Following the completion of site trials for the aforementioned research, the HyD incorporated rubberised bituminous paving materials into road maintenance contracts in 2024 as one of the optional materials for road repairs. Its application will be determined based on the actual needs of road sections and cost-effectiveness considerations.

In addition to using conventional and rubberised bituminous materials as paving materials, the HyD continues to research, develop and introduce more durable bituminous materials. Starting April 1, 2025, highly modified bituminous materials have been fully adopted for paving on suitable road sections to further enhance the overall quality of road pavement in Hong Kong.

When determining which paving material to use, the HyD selects the appropriate material from among conventional, rubberised, and highly modified bituminous paving materials taking into account factors such as the specific needs of the road and the cost-effectiveness of the paving materials. In general, conventional and rubberised bituminous materials are used on non-busy urban and rural roads, while highly modified bituminous materials are applied to high-traffic road sections. For example, among highly modified bituminous materials, the “6 mm Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt”, which effectively reduces tyre-road noise, is particularly suitable for urban road surfaces near residential areas, while the highly permeable “Highly Modified Friction Course” is more commonly used for highway surfaces.

On the other hand, the cost-effectiveness of paving materials is also an important criterion in selecting which paving material to use. Regarding conventional and rubberised bituminous materials, according to HyD’s estimates, the overall project cost (including that of construction and maintenance) of paving with rubberised bituminous material is significantly higher than that of conventional bituminous material and its durability is lower than that of highly modified bituminous materials. Therefore, considering its cost-effectiveness, the HyD currently uses rubberised bituminous material for paving in certain non-busy urban and rural road projects. Moreover, regarding highly modified bituminous materials, according to HyD’s estimates, although the overall cost is slightly higher than that of conventional bituminous materials, their better durability reduces the frequency of road maintenance and minimises the inconvenience caused by road resurfacing works to the public, thereby lowering social costs. With the full adoption of highly modified bituminous materials for suitable road sections, their costs are expected to gradually decrease.

Over the past three years, the total annual consumption of bituminous materials in road projects undertaken by public works departments in Hong Kong averaged approximately 330 000 tonnes, of which the total amount of rubberised bituminous material accounted for an average of about 5 000 tonnes. This included about 25 tonnes of crumb rubber recycled from waste tyres.

The HyD will continue to keep abreast of the latest research, development, and practical experience related to road paving materials and review the application plans for different bituminous materials (including rubberised bituminous materials) in a timely manner to enhance road pavement quality while bringing greater benefits to society.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):

Question:

     It has been reported that in August this year, a taxi driver in his eighties struck and killed a Filipino tourist in Tsuen Wan, arousing concerns among various sectors in the community about the driving ability and safety of elderly professional drivers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the Government has yet to implement the proposals put forward in 2023 to lower the age threshold of commercial vehicle drivers submitting physical fitness certification to the age of 65 and to require them undergoing a medical examination once every year, of the resistance the Government encounters when implementing these proposals, and whether it can commit to a specific implementation timeline;

(2) as there are views that the current physical fitness certification requirements and the examination items for driving licence applicants and holders are overly simplistic and fail to ensure the fitness of elderly professional drivers for driving, whether the authorities will review the requirements for medical examination of elderly professional drivers by drawing reference from practices on the Mainland or Taiwan, such as introducing more stringent examination items, including reaction tests and screening for chronic diseases, as well as formulating detailed assessment guidelines for doctors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will draw on practices on the Mainland, Taiwan region or Japan to set a mandatory retirement age for professional drivers; if so, of the details; if not, how it will ensure the driving ability of elderly professional drivers?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has always attached importance to the health conditions of drivers and understands that the physical condition of drivers is of vital significance to ensuring road safety. With the increasing number of aged drivers, commercial vehicle drivers face relatively higher risks due to the nature of their profession. In this connection, the Government has conducted a review of the requirements and mechanism for medical certification of driving licence applicants or holders under the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B) (the Regulations) with a view to further safeguarding the safety of drivers and other road users. In consultation with the Transport Department (TD), the reply to the various parts of the question raised by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon is as follows:

(1) and (2) Currently, when a person aged 70 or above applies for a full driving licence of any class of motor vehicle, he/she must provide a medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner to prove that the applicant is medically fit to drive and control a vehicle in that class. Depending on applicants’ choices, the validity period of such driving licences is one year or three years. The Regulations also stipulate that if an applicant is suffering from a disease or physical disability specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, the Commissioner for Transport shall refuse the application.

     To improve road safety, we consulted the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Transport in 2023, proposing to enhance the requirements for medical certification of commercial vehicle drivers. Specifically, the Government proposes amending the First Schedule to the Regulations, including raising the standards of eyesight to cover visual acuity and visual field, and adding items applicable to commercial vehicle drivers, including hearing requirements, to enhance the relevant requirements. The Government also proposes lowering the age threshold for commercial vehicle drivers to submit medical examination certificates from the age of 70 to that of 65. In addition, the validity period of their driving licences is proposed to be shortened to one year, meaning that an annual check-up is required before the licence can be renewed. Meanwhile, the requirements for non-commercial vehicles drivers to provide medical certification will remain unchanged.

     After consulting the LegCo Panel on Transport, we have kept listening to the views of all sectors. Recently, we have further consulted various stakeholders including LegCo Members, the transport trade and the medical sector, etc. While society as a whole supports the above direction, some trade representatives suggested relaxing the frequency of medical assessment for drivers aged between 65 and 70. Other stakeholders suggested that consideration should be given to requiring drivers to undergo reaction tests. Medical representatives have also pointed out the need to give greater consideration to the practical circumstances faced by frontline medical practitioners.

     In response to the latest opinions collected recently, the consultant team from the University of Hong Kong commissioned by the TD and the medical expert panel, comprising representatives from the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and other bureaux and departments, are reviewing and considering to fine-tune the diseases or physical disabilities items specified in the First Schedule to the Regulations, as well as the content of the medical guidelines for medical practitioners’ reference, with a view to making the guidelines clearer, more objective, and more practical.

     To ensure that frontline medical practitioners fully understand the contents of the medical guidelines and the points to note for conducting medical examination and completing medical certificates in the future, and to enhance commercial vehicle drivers’ health awareness and their understanding of the new assessment requirements, the TD will make reference to the Marine Department’s trial experience with the industry in introducing the medical fitness certificate requirement for local vessel operators, and will invite members of the commercial vehicle industry to participate in medical assessment trials ahead of schedule during the fourth quarter of this year. The trial aims to collect and incorporate practical feedback from frontline medical practitioners, thereby reviewing and enhancing the overall process. Meanwhile, as regards reaction tests, we will explore the utilisation of innovative technology and artificial intelligence, including drawing on the experiences in technological innovation across different regions to test the physical responsiveness of drivers, or to simulate various road situations and driving conditions so as to assess aged drivers’ reactions under different circumstances.

     Regarding the specific timetable, we are continuing to actively pursue the law drafting in parallel and will further incorporate the views of the consultant team and the expert panel. We will also draw on the experience of medical assessment trials to be conducted shortly with the trade and medical practitioners with a view to finalising the legislative proposal and medical guidelines in the fourth quarter. We plan to report to the LegCo Panel on Transport the collective findings in the first quarter of next year, and submit the subsidiary legislation amendments to the LegCo. The TD will continue to carry out various preparatory work, including the production of demonstration video clips for frontline medical practitioners, and strive for the implementation of the new arrangement in the second quarter of next year to enhance overall road safety.

(3) As regards comments made in the question on setting a retirement age for commercial vehicle drivers, we notice that different regions have adopted various practices. For instance, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom impose no restrictions, whereas the Mainland imposes age restrictions on the types of vehicles that may be driven. We consider that medical assessment would help prevent illnesses and build healthy lifestyle habits. As currently nearly 40 percent of taxi and light bus driving licence holders are aged 65 or above, a blanket retirement age would inevitably disrupt the manpower in the trade. The Government proposes to first enhance the requirements for medical certification of commercial vehicle drivers at this stage, and will continue to review and enhance its effectiveness.

     Thank you, President.