Month: October 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Frankie Yick and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):
 
Question:
 
     The Government has devoted considerable efforts to promoting tourism, with Victoria Harbour tours being one of the most popular activities among tourists. However, it is learnt that currently Victoria Harbour tours mainly take place along the promenade of Tsim Sha Tsui East, where there is an excessive demand for the limited number of public landing steps. Some industry players have further pointed out that some vessels occupy the berths at the landing steps, forcing other vessels to wait for an extended period of time for berthing. This often leads to competition for berths and even dangerous situations, raising concerns about maritime safety. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective usage and queuing arrangements for the various public landing steps in Tsim Sha Tsui East during weekdays, weekends and Mainland public holidays (particularly during evening hours);
 
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on visitors joining Victoria Harbour tours; if so, of the respective numbers of those joining through tour groups and as individual travellers;
 
(3) what measures are in place by the authorities to optimize the use of public resources, prevent vessels from occupying the public landing steps in Tsim Sha Tsui East, and maintain order for berthing of vessels and for passengers boarding the vessels for Victoria Harbour tours; and
 
(4) as it is learnt that nowadays the number of restaurants and shops near Kowloon City Pier catering to tour groups has significantly dwindled and crowds of tourists no longer exist there, resulting in extremely low usage of the public landing steps at King Wan Street, Kowloon City, whether the authorities will consider gradually reactivating the public landing steps there under controlled circumstances, for example, by first allowing access during specified times on weekdays or weekends, or even during Mainland public holidays, so as to divert some of the visitors of Victoria Harbour tours from the promenade of Tsim Sha Tsui East; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Landing steps are public landing facilities for use by vessels for passenger embarkation and disembarkation. Regarding the Tsim Sha Tsui East area, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) currently manages Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No. 1, while the Transport Department (TD) is responsible for managing the remaining Landing No. 2 and No. 5 and monitoring their utilisation. The Civil Engineering and Development Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the aforementioned public landing steps. The Government will review the usage of public landing facilities and gauge the views of stakeholders from time to time to improve the design and usage arrangements of the landing facilities.
 
     In consultation with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the TD and the Marine Department (MD), my reply to the question raised by the Hon Frankie Yick is as follows:

(1) The TD conducts utilisation surveys on the over 190 landing facilities (including public piers and landing steps) under its management about every two years. Survey findings on the utilisation of public landing steps in Tsim Sha Tsui East in year 2023-2024 are shown in the following table:
 

Landing facility	Daily utilisation of the facility (Note 1) (No. of vessels)
	Weekdays or Saturdays	Sundays or public holidays
Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.1 (Note 2)	—	—
Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.2	0	0
Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.5	0	0

Note 1: The surveys were conducted between 7am and 8pm on a normal weather day.
Note 2: Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.1 is currently managed by LCSD, which does not keep information such as its utilisation by vessels.

     According to the observations of the LCSD and the Travel Industry Authority (TIA), participation in Victoria Harbour tours using Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.1 has been running smoothly as a whole. The queuing order at the Avenue of Stars is generally good, with no signs of chaos.
 
(2) At present, marine tourism projects and sightseeing vessels are available in the market for the general public and tourists to enjoy the scenery of the Victoria Harbour. Participants of the Victoria Harbour tours include both tour groups and individual travellers.
 
     In respect of tour groups, the TIA estimated that between July and September 2025, there were around 16 000 Mainland inbound tour groups (with around 570 000 visitors in total) registered with itineraries including taking vessels to tour the Victoria Harbour (including joining Victoria Harbour tours or taking inner harbour ferry routes). The aforementioned Mainland inbound tour groups generally embark and disembark in Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Wan Chai or North Point. Nearly half of these groups will embark and disembark in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, among which around 80 per cent will embark at the Star Ferry Pier, while the remaining around 20 per cent will use Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.1 and other landing steps for embarkation and disembarkation. In addition, tour activities using Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No.1 for embarkation and disembarkation are generally self-paid activities, which tour group members could freely choose to participate according to their preference, hence the actual number of participants may be lower than that registered with the itineraries.
 
     The CSTB does not keep figures on the number of tourists who participated in Victoria Harbour tours in the capacity of individual travellers.

(3) In terms of berthing by vessels, public landing steps are generally public facilities that are open all day and for use by all vessels provided that they comply with the relevant marine regulations to ensure safe embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. Under the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (General) Regulation (Cap. 548F), the purpose of berthing at public landing steps should be to enable embarkation and disembarkation of passengers on or from a vessel only. Upon completion of which, the vessel concerned must leave the public landing steps to allow berthing by other vessels. During periods of high demand for the public landing steps, vessels are required to queue up in an orderly manner so as to facilitate passenger embarkation and disembarkation. 
 
     The MD conducts daily patrols and law enforcement in various Hong Kong waters (including the Tsim Sha Tsui East area), including against unauthorised occupation of the public landing steps by vessels. The MD also conducts joint operations with the Police to combat conducts in violation of marine legislations such as illegal carriage of passengers and overloading.
 
     In terms of order of the tourists, the TIA has been closely monitoring the situation of registered Mainland inbound tour groups using Tsim Sha Tsui Landing No. 1 to participate in Victoria Harbour tours, and frequently deploying staff to monitor and inspect the operating situation on site. The Victoria Harbour operators concerned have been properly managing the order of passengers queuing for embarkation and disembarkation. The TIA also maintains close communication with members of the travel trade, districts, the Police, etc, to facilitate measures to be implemented by travel agents and Victoria Harbour tour operators to co-ordinate, adjust and stagger the itineraries of tour groups, as well as deploy additional manpower to maintain order, with a view to avoiding excessive concentration of tour groups at the same location at the same time.

(4) Kowloon City is currently one of the districts gathered with the largest number of Mainland inbound tour groups. There are multiple public landing facilities that are open all day for use by vessels for passenger embarkation and disembarkation, including the King Wan Street Landing mentioned in the question. If Victoria Harbour tour operators intend to use landing facilities along both sides of the Victoria Harbour other than the current embarkation and disembarkation points for the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers from Mainland inbound tour groups participating in Victoria Harbour tours, the TIA will maintain close liaison with relevant members of the trade, districts, Government departments, etc, striving to balance the impact of tour group activities on the local communities at the locations concerned.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):
 
Question:
 
     Various sectors in the community have all along been concerned about the impact of labour importation policy on local workers’ employment opportunities and labour rights, and the Supplement to the 2025 Policy Address also states that the Government will announce the findings of the review of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme in the second quarter of 2026, including measures to safeguard employment priority for local workers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the monthly number of applications received and approved under various labour importation schemes since 2023, with a breakdown by (i) type of industry of the applicant companies (based on the industry section defined by the Census and Statistics Department for labour statistics), (ii) classification of occupations, and (iii) the number of imported workers involved in each application (e.g. One to 10 persons, 11 to 20 persons, etc);
 
(2) as there are views pointing out that the Labour Department (LD) has closed three job centres since April last year, which has significantly reduced the network of job centres and industry-based recruitment centres and made it difficult for some local job seekers to obtain immediate and comprehensive employment support services, prompting the chances of getting on-the-spot interviews by attending job fairs to reduce correspondingly, of the reasons for making such arrangements; given that unemployment rate in Hong Kong has rebounded since the beginning of this year, and the increase was particularly notable in some industries such as construction, and on the other hand some companies have continuously applied for labour importation, indicating that there is considerable needs for employment and recruitment in Hong Kong, whether the LD will consider reinstating the number of job centres and industry-based recruitment centres (or at least maintaining the current number) and appropriately increasing the number of job fairs to enhance support for local workers in job-seeking;

(3) of the respective number of service users of LD’s job centres and industry-based recruitment centres in each year since 2023, the number of job fairs organised, the number of attendances and employers participating in the job fairs, the average number of interviews offered in each job fair, and the respective rates of change of such numbers in each year;
 
(4) as it is learnt that apart from the explicit requirement for applicant companies to arrange recruitment days under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector and the requirement for employers of the catering industry to organise job fairs at the LD’s job centres when importing workers for designated posts, there is no such mandatory requirements for other labour importation schemes/industries, of the reasons for that;
 
(5) whether it has considered requiring all employers applying for labour importation (regardless of industry, job category and number of workers applied for) to arrange recruitment days and register available jobs at the LD’s job centres and industry-based recruitment centres so as to facilitate local job seekers to apply for such vacancies and ensure fairness and sincerity in the local recruitment process, thereby eliminating “bogus recruitment”;
 
(6) of the number of complaints received by the authorities regarding the displacement of local workers with imported workers in each year since 2023 and the industries involved; of the progress and findings of the investigations into such complaints; of the authorities’ measures in place to further prevent employers from displacing local workers with imported workers; and
 
(7) given that intermediaries/organisations (including unlicensed employment agencies) in the market have claimed to assist local companies in applying for labour importation subject to a charge, whether the authorities have plans for regulation in this regard to protect the rights of local workers, imported workers and applicant employers?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     To cope with the challenges brought by manpower shortage and foster Hong Kong’s economic development, the Government, on the premise of ensuring employment priority for local workers, suitably allows employers with genuine difficulty in recruiting suitable local workers to apply for importation of workers. On June 19, 2023, the Labour and Welfare Bureau introduced the Special Scheme to Import Care Workers for Residential Care Homes for the residential care home sector. On July 17, 2023, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) respectively launched sector-specific labour importation schemes for the construction and transport sectors (including the aviation industry and the public light bus/coach trade). In addition, the Labour Department (LD) has implemented the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) since September 4, 2023, allowing employers with genuine needs to apply for importation of workers for posts that were generally excluded under the previous Supplementary Labour Scheme (including the 26 job categories as well as unskilled or low-skilled posts).
 
     In consultation with the DEVB and the TLB, the reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
 
(1) As at September 2025, the numbers of applications received and approved under various labour importation schemes are at Annex 1. A breakdown of the numbers of applications received and approved by industry under the ESLS is at Annex 2. The Government does not maintain breakdowns of the numbers of applications received and approved by post and number of imported workers involved in each application.

(2) and (3) The LD provides diversified and free employment services to job seekers through its job centres and industry-based recruitment centres. In addition, LD’s Interactive Employment Service website (iES) and mobile application offer round-the-clock online employment services and employment information. Job seekers can also call the job seeker hotline of the Telephone Employment Service Centre (TESC) of the LD to obtain employment services.
 
     In view of the increasing popularity of online employment services among the general public and to utilise public resources more effectively, the LD has adjusted and enhanced its employment services since April 2024, including extending the daily service hours of job centres and industry-based recruitment centres, introducing voicemail service of the TESC outside office hours, merging certain job centres and redeploying manpower resources, to provide more costâ€�effective services to members of the public.
 
     From 2023 to September 2025, the numbers of visitors, job fairs held, participating employers, on-the-spot interviews arranged and the average number of interviews per job fair recorded by job centres and industry-based recruitment centres each year are at Annex 3. The data indicates that from 2024 onwards, job centres and industry-based recruitment centres have recorded increases in the numbers of annual visitors and on-the-spot interviews as well as the average number of interviews per job fair. In tandem, the numbers of page views and usage counts for the iES website and mobile application also recorded year-on-year increases, indicating that the job centres and online employment services continue to provide optimal services to job seekers after redeploying the resources.
 
     The LD will continue to closely monitor changes in the employment market, review the services provided in a timely manner, and make adjustments and enhancements to services in light of the service needs and market situation.
            
(4) and (5) The requirements and implementation arrangements of various labour importation schemes ensure the employment priority for local workers. Relevant measures include employers applying for importation of labour must first undertake local open recruitment according to the requirements of relevant schemes at a salary not lower than the median monthly wage of a comparable position in the market and accord priority to employing qualified local workers to fill the job vacancies. Employers must also sign a Standard Employment Contract with imported workers, and shall pay a salary not lower than the median monthly wage of a comparable position to prevent the imported workers from becoming “cheap labour” and undermining the employment opportunities of local workers. Besides, employers applying for importation of labour should meet the manning ratio requirement of local employees to imported workers.
    
     For the ESLS, employers shall adopt the recruitment terms agreed by the LD and undergo local recruitment for the applied posts. During the recruitment period, the LD will publish the job vacancies on iES, conduct job matching for relevant vacancies and disseminate the vacancy information to members of the Labour Advisory Board, relevant trade unions and training institutions to facilitate their referral of suitable local job seekers for application. Upon completion of the local recruitment procedures, employers shall report the results to the LD. If an employer is unsuccessful in employing suitable candidate(s), the LD will contact each local job seeker who is not employed to verify the interview details. If there is evidence showing that an employer has violated the requirements of local recruitment or refused to employ qualified local job seekers without reasonable grounds, the LD will terminate the processing of the relevant application. The LD will also impose administrative sanction on the employer and refuse to process any other application(s) submitted by the concerned employer, with a debarment period up to two years.
 
     The 2025 Policy Address announced that, with effect from September 18, 2025, the local recruitment period of employers applying for importing waiters/waitresses and junior cooks will be extended from four weeks to six weeks, during which an employer must attend an on-site job fair once a week at a job centre assigned by the LD. This measure takes into account changes in the labour market of individual industries and focuses on job categories with more imported workers. The Government will continue to closely monitor changes in the employment situation and adopt a flexible approach to adjust the implementation arrangements, striving to ensure the priority for local employment.

(6) Employers approved to import workers shall not displace serving local employees with imported workers. In the event of redundancy, imported workers should be retrenched first. The LD has implemented new measures since June 2025, including launching an online complaint form on the ESLS dedicated webpage to enable local employees and imported workers to lodge complaints against employers over suspected breaches of the ESLS requirements. In addition, Labour Inspectors of the LD conduct inspections of workplaces of imported workers from time to time to verify whether employers are complying with the ESLS requirements. If an employer has violated relevant requirements, the LD will impose administrative sanction on that employer, including withdrawal of approvals for importation of labour previously granted to the employer and refusal to process other subsequent applications for labour importation in the following two years.
 
     Since the implementation of the ESLS on September 4, 2023, the LD received one, 19 and 321 complaints in 2023 (from September 4 to December 31), 2024 and 2025 (as at September 30) respectively alleging that employers had displaced serving local employees with imported workers. These complaints mainly involved food and beverage services, manufacturing and cleaning services. The LD has launched investigations into all complaints received, including conducting inspections and evidence-gathering at the workplaces of imported workers, verifying with employers and employees in detail whether the numbers of local staff had decreased after the arrival of imported workers, the reasons for the decrease and whether the employers had undertaken local recruitment to fill the vacancies left by the departing local workers.
 
     Of the above complaints received, the LD completed the investigation of 68 cases, of which 67 did not have sufficient evidence to establish that the employers had violated the ESLS requirements, while the remaining cases are still under investigation. In one of the cases where a violation was found, the LD announced on August 29, 2025 the imposition of administrative sanction on that employer, and withdrew the approvals for importation of labour previously granted and refused to process its subsequent applications for labour importation in the following two years.
 
(7) Any person or institution who operates a business in Hong Kong for the purpose of obtaining employment for another person or supplying the labour of another person to an employer is regarded as an employment agency (EA) and is subject to regulation under the Employment Ordinance, the Employment Agency Regulations and the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies. All EAs operating in Hong Kong, regardless of their mode of operation or categories of jobs offered (including those involving imported workers), must first obtain an EA licence issued by the LD before commencing operation. If any person or institution is found operating an EA without a valid licence, the LD will conduct investigations seriously and take enforcement actions, and instigate prosecution where there is sufficient evidence to substantiate an offence. The LD also reminds the public on the dedicated webpage of the ESLS to stay vigilant towards advertisements or messages claiming to provide services for recruiting Mainland workers and to ascertain the capability of an enterprise to operate the business to avoid being deceived or misled, which may result in financial loss or delay in the processing of applications.
 
     Besides, to strengthen the protection for Mainland workers, the Government requires employers who are granted approval-in-principle/quotas to import workers under various labour importation schemes and intend to import workers from the Mainland must recruit the workers through enterprises which have been approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and granted the permission to operate business on labour service co-operation with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Government has implemented a monitoring mechanism that requires employers to submit designated documents containing information about the relevant approved labour service enterprises when applying for entry permits for the Mainland workers with the Immigration Department (ImmD). Otherwise, the ImmD will not process relevant applications.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will depart for Haikou, Hainan, this afternoon (October 15) to attend the 2025 Hainan Free Trade Port Legal Week to promote Hong Kong’s legal services and strengthen co-operation between Hainan and Hong Kong to seize the opportunities arising from the official launch of an island-wide independent customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port, scheduled to commence this December.

Dr Cheung will speak at the opening ceremony of the Hainan Legal Week themed “Law-based Free Trade Port‧Sharing New Opportunities”. During his visit to Haikou, Dr Cheung will also meet with leaders of the Department of Justice of Hainan Province and the High People’s Court of Hainan Province, as well as the local legal community to strengthen co-operation between Hong Kong and Hainan.

​Dr Cheung will return to Hong Kong on October 17.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 15) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Kretingos District Municipality of Klaipedos County in Lithuania, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Lithuania for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat was imported into Hong Kong from Lithuania in the first six months of this year.

     “The CFS has contacted the Lithuanian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Two incoming passengers were both sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (October 15) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
 
     Customs officers intercepted a 47-year-old incoming female passenger and a 43-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on October 13. A total of about 24 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a total estimated market value of about $98,000 and a total duty potential of about $79,000, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
 
     The passengers were both sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000 in contravention of the DCO today.
 
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence imposes a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
 
     Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes 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 $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
 
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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Operator of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) announced today (October 15) that CMHHK will commence services in phases starting from December 11. In the first year after the service commencement, CMHHK will provide outpatient and day-patient services and fully launch six specialised Chinese medicine (CM) services, along with 12 special disease programmes.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “CMHHK is the first CM service-predominant hospital in Hong Kong. As a highly anticipated CM flagship project, the hospital will help further promote the high-quality and high-standard development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts. Upon its service commencement, CMHHK will lead the way for Hong Kong’s CM services to go beyond primary healthcare and play a part in secondary and tertiary healthcare services, bringing significant breakthroughs in the development of CM in Hong Kong. I am very excited that the hospital is about to commence its service, and look forward to its development of a ‘Hong Kong model’ for pure CM services, services with CM playing the predominant role and integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) services, providing more comprehensive CM services to members of the public.

     “Meanwhile, as a flagship CM institution in Hong Kong, CMHHK will undertake five key missions of development. Apart from providing healthcare services to members of the public, its missions include training and education, research, collaboration and creating health values. CMHHK will give full play to its role as a ‘change driver’ to drive CM development in Hong Kong and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through close collaboration with the CM sector and stakeholders, as well as to assist CM services to go global, thereby contributing to the national development of CM.”

     CMHHK is a hospital controlled by the Health Bureau and not a public hospital managed by the Hospital Authority under the Hospital Authority Ordinance (Chapter 113). The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong Ordinance (Chapter 655), which took effect in May this year, ensures the smooth daily operation of the hospital. CMHHK will also collaborate with public and private healthcare institutions to provide quality CM services for members of the public.

Clinical services of CMHHK

     In the first year, CMHHK will provide outpatient and day-patient services and fully launch six specialised CM services, namely Internal Medicine in CM, External Medicine in CM, Gynaecology in CM, Paediatrics in CM, Orthopaedics and Traumatology in CM, and Acupuncture and Moxibustion in CM. It will also provide 12 special disease programmes including those for elderly degenerative diseases and stroke rehabilitation.

     For outpatient services, government-subsidised services cover General Clinic, Specialised Clinic and Integrated Allied Health Clinic services, while market-oriented services cover Private Clinic and Integrated Allied Health Clinic services.

     Day-patient services also cover both government-subsidised services and market-oriented services. Twenty-five beds will be provided in the first year, primarily for CM cases requiring longer treatment time or more complicated procedures, providing patients with one-stop comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment.

     Inpatient services will mainly commence from the second year, with other services expanding year by year, including the remaining 11 special disease programmes. It is expected that by the end of 2030, CMHHK will provide full inpatient services with 400 patient beds, as well as outpatient services of 400 000 annual attendance.

     CMHHK’s government-subsidised services, which are accessible to eligible Hong Kong citizens, will account for 65 per cent of the hospital’s total service volume, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to public health. The hospital will also provide market-oriented services to foster positive interaction with the private market.

Service highlights

     The services of CMHHK will feature the following highlights:

(i) Specialised CM services and special disease progarmmes: Adhering to the principle of “Pursuing speciality in specialised CM services and exceling in special disease programmes”, the hospital will pool talent, experience, knowledge and techniques to focus on the development of key areas where CM has distinct advantages, offering effective treatment outcomes for members of the public.

(ii) CM playing the predominant role and ICWM: The hospital is committed to preserving and inheriting CM theory and practice, while also developing evidence-based innovative treatment plans for pure CM services and services with CM playing the predominant role. The hospital will also actively develop an ICWM service model, combining the strengths of both Chinese and Western medicines to formulate treatment plans, supplemented by multidisciplinary healthcare teams, thereby providing comprehensive and optimal clinical support for patients.

(iii) Galaxy of talent: The hospital will bring together an elite team of Hong Kong, the Mainland, and international CM expert teams across multiple disciplines at the hospital to participate in short-term services, training, and research, leveraging their outstanding capabilities to drive the hospital’s development.

(iv) Personalised services: The hospital will uphold the traditional CM philosophy of “treatment based on pattern differentiation”. Through providing wholehearted services together with professional and precise analysis, the hospital will tailor-make personalised care services for patients to resolve their problems. 

Fee arrangements

     CMHHK will take on the role of a “change driver”, driving the development of the CM market with a primary focus on “develop and transfer”. CMHHK has fully considered factors such as market prices, public affordability and service costs when formulating its service fee models, with a view to ensuring members of the public can access the services at reasonable and affordable prices.

     The hospital adopts fee models including package charges, simplified itemised charges and combined charges to enhance fee transparency, enabling members of the public to easily understand the fee arrangements and manage their healthcare expenses. This approach also encourages members of the public to select services according to their actual needs and make optimal use of resources. A medical fee waiver mechanism will be in place in CMHHK. Specified patient groups will be eligible for a full fee waiver. Other patients facing financial hardship and cannot afford the medical expenses may also apply to the hospital for fee waiver.

     To encourage citizens in need to experience the services of the first CM hospital in Hong Kong, CMHHK will offer a special experience discount in its first year of operation. Selected designated services will be offered at a promotional rate of 10 per cent to 30 per cent off the original price.

     Fees for subsidised services and market-oriented services are listed at Annex 1 and Annex 2.
 
Information and appointment booking

     CMHHK has launched its new website (www.cmhhk.org.hk). Members of the public can make appointments via the website or the hotline (3121 3121) from November 1 onwards. Moreover, members of the public can make appointments through the hospital mobile application to be launched on December 1. In-person appointments can be made at CMHHK from December 11 onwards. In addition, members of the public are welcome to join the open day activities organised by the hospital with details to be announced in due course.

     Located at 1 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, CMHHK adopts a public-private partnership model with its construction fully funded by the Government. Hong Kong Baptist University was selected as the Contractor through tendering procedures in 2021 and it subsequently incorporated a company as the Operator responsible for the overall services of the hospital, including its management, operation, and maintenance, according to a service deed. Funding arrangements for subsidised services, education and training, and research, as well as the overall fee setting, are all executed in accordance with the service deed signed among the Government, the Contractor and the Operator.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Jeffrey Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):

Question:

     This year’s Policy Address has proposed to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Government has indicated that it will adopt diversified development models including large-scale land disposal to promote market participation for expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis, and intends to roll out the Hung Shui Kiu pilot area for large-scale land disposal in the fourth quarter of this year, as well as the pilot areas in Fanling North New Development Area and San Tin Technopole next year, of the specific tendering procedures for these three pilot areas, and when the relevant timetable will be announced;

(2) as it has been reported that the Government plans to adopt the “two-envelope approach” in the tender exercises for certain land projects in the Northern Metropolis, so that factors such as the technical, economic and tax contributions of the bidding enterprises can be considered at the same time during the assessment process, of the specific scoring criteria for such tender exercises (including the respective weightings for the technical and price aspects); how the Government will ensure the openness and transparency of the assessment process; and

(3) of the latest leasing position of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in the Northern Metropolis, including the number of enterprises that have signed leases to date, and the expected date of commencement of operation of the first batch of tenants; the further supporting and preferential measures put in place by the authorities to attract high-end innovation and technology enterprises to the Park?

Reply: 

President,

As an important engine for the future development of Hong Kong and the transformation of industries, as well as a new platform for coordinated development with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, the Northern Metropolis (NM) will enhance Hong Kong’s role as the key node connecting the Mainland with the world. Given the sheer size of the NM and the magnitude of the investment required, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region adopts innovative and diverse development approaches to leverage the resources from the Government and the market to take forward the project.

Having consulted the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), my reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) Under the large-scale land disposal approach, the successful bidder will comprehensively develop sizable land parcels including residential and industrial sites with commercial value, as well as public facility sites. The Government has proposed three pilot areas which are located in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK), Fanling North New Development Area and San Tin Technopole respectively. 22 submissions were received under the expression of interest exercise earlier, providing us with market views before we finalise the tender terms.

We plan to start with the tendering of the HSK pilot area by end of this year. Tenders for the remaining two pilot areas will be put up progressively next year. We are now adjusting the relevant arrangements and requirements for the HSK pilot area in response to the market views, including increasing the number of private residential sites from two to three and taking out the requirement for bidders to construct a major road, so as to reduce the requirements for constructing public facilities and increase the project’s financial viability. There are three Enterprises and Technology Park sites within the pilot area. Originally, we required the successful tenderer to develop and operate one of them, while the remaining two should be returned to the Government after the sites are formed. We are now considering providing an option in the tender, so that tenderers who are willing to participate in developing more industrial sites within the pilot area will be given more marks for such additional undertaking under the two-envelope approach. Besides, we are considering allowing a longer building covenant and a more flexible land premium payment arrangement, including payment by instalments. We will announce the final arrangements when we launch the tender at the end of this year.

(2) We will employ flexible land grant arrangements in the NM, encouraging enterprises to set up businesses and invest in the area. If a tendering approach is adopted, depending on the circumstances, we may consider the premium offer only, or to adopt a two-envelope approach in the tendering. The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site recently put up by the ITIB has adopted the two-envelope approach, and we are inclined to adopt this approach for the HSK pilot area as well. The adoption of a two-envelope approach in the tendering will consider the non-premium and premium proposals comprehensively, with the weightings and elements for assessment set to suit the individual circumstances. Taking the tendering of Sandy Ridge as an example, the weightings of non-premium and premium proposals are 70 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The non-premium proposal will assess the bidders’ contribution to Hong Kong in terms of investment and development of industries, such as the number of persons employed, the investment scale and the period for commencement of operation. To ensure that the tendering work is open and transparent, the assessment criteria will be set out in the tender documents, so that bidders may thoroughly understand the project requirements and the marking scheme. The Government will set up a tender assessment panel comprising relevant bureaux and departments for assessing the tenders objectively and professionally in accordance with the Stores and Procurement Regulations. The assessment result will be submitted to the Central Tender Board under the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau for approval.

(3) The construction of the first three buildings in Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Hong Kong Park) has been completed. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited (HSITPL) is pressing ahead with the relevant leasing work. Currently, in-depth discussion with around 30 enterprises, universities and research organisations from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and around the world regarding their plans to set foot in the Hong Kong Park has been carried out. Among which, a significant portion has signed tenancy agreements. The first batch of tenants covering pillar industries such as life and health technology, microelectronics, new energy, and AI are expected to enter into operation officially before the end of this year. As the leasing work of the HSITPL is in progress, the number of enterprises and organisations signing tenancy agreements will increase gradually.

The HSITPL will provide supporting facilities, such as talent accommodation, commercial and other ancillary facilities to support the operation of enterprises and organisations in the Hong Kong Park. Meanwhile, the HSITPL is actively preparing the launch of “Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Incubation Support Programme” within 2025-26, to provide funding and support services to start-up teams and enterprises so as to fully realise the notion of attracting talent with industries. Besides, the Government is exploring, under the dedicated legislation for the NM being prepared, facilitating measures for cross-boundary flow of personnel, data and materials, etc for designated areas. Also, the Financial Secretary will lead the relevant policy bureaux in formulating packages of preferential policies covering land grants, land premiums, financial subsidies or tax incentives. These strategic measures will help attract research and high-end manufacturing industries to establish a presence in Hong Kong including the Hong Kong Park.      

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Education Bureau (EDB) today (October 15) held the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” Joint School National Education Activities Kick-off Ceremony in celebration of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In view of the regularisation and popularisation of the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities starting from the 2025/26 school year, the EDB will continue to lead government schools and collaborate with more school sponsoring bodies (including Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui) and school councils to jointly plan and implement the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities. It will foster patriotic education through collaboration across school sponsoring bodies and among schools, with a view to strengthening students’ sense of national identity and cultural confidence.

The Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, together with representatives from school sponsoring bodies, school councils and school head associations involved in organising the activities, jointly officiated at the kick-off ceremony. About 2 500 representatives from the EDB and school sponsoring bodies, principals, teachers, students and parents attended.

Addressing the event, Dr Sze said that starting from this school year, as announced by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address, the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities will be regularised and popularised to further strengthen collaboration across school sponsoring bodies and among schools. The EDB will invite all schools in Hong Kong to apply for the Title Scheme for the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities to organise quality joint school national education activities, thereby pooling the resources and strengths of different schools to maximise the impact of patriotic education.

This year marks the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Dr Sze emphasised the importance of remembering the history of the Chinese people’s perseverance and solidarity in resisting foreign aggression, jointly safeguarding national security, and cherishing the hard-earned peace. The EDB will continue to support schools in integrating patriotic education into daily learning and teaching through a multipronged and co-ordinated approach, with the aim of deepening students’ affection for and sense of belonging to the country. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the school sponsoring bodies, school councils and fellow educators for their continuous collaboration in fostering national education and nurturing a healthy new generation with affection for the country and Hong Kong.

The kick-off ceremony featured a variety of programmes, including the performance of the magnificent “Yellow River Cantata” by a joint school Chinese orchestra comprised of nearly 80 students; lion dances, literary recitation and Cantonese opera performances by over 100 students; and a song performed by a choir composed of 80 students from different school sponsoring bodies, school councils and government schools, marking the finale of the ceremony. All the participants joined together to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and witness the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities embark on a new chapter.

Highlights of the kick-off ceremony will be broadcast on RTHK TV 31 at 2pm on November 22 (Saturday).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (October 15) released the second batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in October, covering eight survey areas, as follows:
 

District	Survey Area	October 2025
		First Phase Gravidtrap Index	First Phase Density Index
Eastern	Chai Wan West	0.0%	N/A
Wan Chai	Happy Valley	0.0%	N/A
Kowloon City	Ho Man Tin	0.0%	N/A
Tai Po	Tai Po West	3.4%	1.0
	Tai Po East	0.0%	N/A
North	Sheung Shui	0.0%	N/A

 

District	Survey Area	October 2025
		Area Gravidtrap Index	Area Density Index
Eastern	North Point	2.7%	1.0
Wan Chai	Wan Chai North	0.9%	1.0

Among the second batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering two survey areas in October, all were below 10 per cent.

The FEHD has so far released two batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in October 2025, covering 14 survey areas. Among these 14 survey areas, nine recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. September 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Five other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

• tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside their premises;
• remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
• check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
• change the water in flower vases and saucers of potted plants at least once every seven days;
• properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water; and
• properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as empty lunch boxes and cans.

Starting in August this year, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD will disseminate the relevant information through press releases, its website, and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

Following the recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks’ surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Vegetable Marketing Organization:
 
The Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO) announced today (October 15) that an information security incident involving a ransomware attack had been detected on part of its computer systems on October 13. Upon discovery, the VMO immediately suspended the operation of its network systems and disconnected relevant computer servers from external connections to prevent further hacker intrusion. The incident has been reported to the Police, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.
 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the incident involves the gate and accounting systems of the Cheung Sha Wan Vegetable Wholesale Market. Such computer systems contain particulars of about 7 000 market users, and data of some market users in the systems may be affected. The VMO is conducting an investigation to assess whether any personal data has been leaked. The VMO will promptly notify affected individuals when necessary.
 
The VMO has engaged an external contractor to expedite system restoration and assist with the investigation. The Market maintains normal operation overall, with processes such as invoicing and payments being handled manually. The VMO is pressing ahead with restoring full services as soon as possible.
 
The VMO attaches great importance to cybersecurity and will conduct a comprehensive review of this incident and further strengthen its information and network protection measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.
 
For enquiries, please contact the VMO at 2710 0964 or 2710 0931.