Month: November 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC) published a notice in the Gazette today (November 10) to declare that two registrations of ex-officio members of the Election Committee (EC) are valid.
 
In accordance with section 5J of the Schedule to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance (Cap. 569), a person holding a specified office under Part 2A of the Schedule may register as an ex-officio member of the EC. If the specified person is not eligible to be registered as an ex-officio member, or is the holder of more than one specified office, he/she may designate another person who is holding an office in a relevant body in relation to the specified office to be registered as an ex-officio member.
 
The Registration and Electoral Office has received two registrations of ex-officio members. After review, the CERC has determined that the relevant registrations are valid. The subsectors and specified offices involved are listed below:
 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The proprietor of a food shop was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violation of the requirements under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (ECO). The proprietor pleaded guilty and was fined $96,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (November 10). 

A worker employed by the proprietor sustained an injury after she slipped by accident while working on September 10, 2024. The proprietor failed to pay periodical payments to the injured employee during her period of temporary incapacity on normal paydays or within seven days thereafter as required by the ECO, the amount of which should have been at the rate of four-fifths of the difference between the employee’s monthly earnings at the time of the accident and her monthly earnings during the period of temporary incapacity. Moreover, the proprietor also failed to secure an insurance policy for the employee.

“The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers that they have to pay periodical payments to employees who sustain injuries at work within the statutory time limit stipulated in the ECO. Employers are also required to take out insurance policies for all employees to cover their liabilities both under the ECO and common law for injuries at work,” an LD spokesman said.

“The LD will not tolerate these offences and will continue to make dedicated efforts in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) made the following announcement today (November 10):
 
     A 76-year-old male patient in a surgical ward of TKOH was confirmed to be infected with Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) on November 3. In accordance with prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has conducted contact tracing. Four more male patients (aged from 58 to 71) were found to be VRE carriers. All patients have no signs of infection and are in stable condition. Three of the patients are currently being treated in isolation in TKOH; the other two patients have already been discharged.
 
     The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted in the ward concerned:
 

1. isolation of VRE cases and application of stringent contact precautions;
2. enhanced environmental cleaning and disinfection; and
3. enhanced hand hygiene for staff and patients.

 
     The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation of the ward concerned. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Four incoming male passengers were sentenced from 14 weeks to four months’ imprisonment and fined from $1,500 to $2,000 respectively by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (November 10) for possession and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

A 33-year-old incoming male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, on September 14. During Customs clearance, Customs officers seized about 11 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 40 200 alternative smoking products, with a total estimated market value of about $165,000 and a duty potential of about $36,000, from his personal baggage. He was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment with a fine of $1,500 by the court today for contravening the DCO and IEO.

In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 45-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on November 8. About 46 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $188,000 and a duty potential of about $151,000, were seized from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to 24 weeks’ imprisonment and fined $2,000 for contravening the DCO by the court today.

Two incoming male passengers, aged 36 and 45, arrived in Hong Kong yesterday (November 9). About 16 000 and 21 000 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes were seized from their personal baggage respectively. The estimated market value was about $67,000 and $88,000, and the duty potential was about $54,000 and $71,000 respectively. The two persons were arrested immediately. As a result, they were sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment with a fine of $2,000, and 16 weeks’ imprisonment with a fine of $2,000 respectively, for contravening the DCO by the court today.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

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.

Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong 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 Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, led the directorate of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) to the Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building today (November 10) to promote the Legislative Council (LegCo) Election on December 7 to departmental frontline civil servants stationed at district offices and venues, urging them to vote and support the election. They also promoted the LegCo Election to the market vendors at the Municipal Services Building.

Mrs Yeung, the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, and the deputy secretaries formed a team to visit colleagues at the Hong Kong and Islands Prosecution and Licensing Section and the Wan Chai District Environmental Hygiene Office of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, as well as the Wan Chai District Leisure Services Office, the Lockhart Road Sports Centre and the Lockhart Road Public Library of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. They also called on colleagues to mobilise their families to vote together. The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Donald Ng, and Acting Directors of Leisure and Cultural Services Miss Winnie Chui and Miss Eve Tam also attended the event.

Mrs Yeung said, “I will continue to widely promote the message of voting and supporting the election to colleagues in different departments, positions, and offices. Today, I met with civil servants of various grades, including Health Inspectors, Hawker Control Officers, Foremen, Leisure Services Managers, Librarians, Amenities Assistants, Cultural Services Assistants, colleagues from General Grades, and staff handling public applications at service counters. These civil servants interact most frequently with the public and serve as frontline service providers. I hope that each civil servant in every department at all levels clearly receives the message of voting together and demonstrates team spirit. Civil servants have a duty to lead by example, support the LegCo Election, and vote for their preferred representatives.”

Mrs Yeung also took the opportunity to explain to civil servants working on shifts that they will not be prevented from voting due to their shift schedule, as departments will co-ordinate voting schedules with colleagues. She said, “Departments will also provide appropriate arrangements to allow colleagues to have a brief leave from their posts to vote at their designated polling stations. If colleagues are not on duty that day, I also encourage them to seize the opportunity and bring along family members to vote early.” 

The CSB will continue to adopt different means and formats to motivate civil servants to vote together on December 7.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Women Empowerment Fund is open for the second round of applications this year starting from today (November 10) until December 9. The Fund subsidises projects that support women in balancing their career and family commitments, raise awareness of women’s physical and mental health, and unlock their potential.
    
Set up in June 2023, the Fund aims to empower women, regardless of their age, occupation and background, to unlock their full potential in their respective roles, thereby promoting women’s development in Hong Kong. The Fund is divided into general and thematic projects. The funding cap of each one-year and two-year general project is $400,000 and $800,000 respectively.
 
Thematic projects under the Fund include the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Programme and the Programme on Women’s Participation in Community Services. The Exchange Programme enables women to broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding of national affairs, and interact with local residents, thereby promoting women’s development. Each exchange project shall be completed within one year, and the funding cap is $120,000. Meanwhile, the Programme on Women’s Participation in Community Services aims to encourage women to leverage their own strengths to plan and launch community service projects, thereby promoting care and inclusion. Each community service project shall be completed within one year, and the funding cap is $400,000.
    
The Fund accepts two rounds of applications each year. The Guide to Application and the application form have been uploaded to the Fund’s website (www.wef.gov.hk). Interested eligible women’s groups and non-governmental organisations may submit an electronic or paper application.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (November 10) announced that the department collected five liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) samples from auto-LPG filling stations and LPG terminals on a random basis in October 2025 for laboratory tests. The results show that the LPG quality of all these samples complied with auto-LPG specifications.

The detailed test results are available on the EMSD’s website ( www.emsd.gov.hk/en/gas_safety/lpg_vehicle_scheme/publications/general/results_of_lpg_sample_analysis/index.html). Enquiries can also be made to the EMSD’s hotline on 2333 3762.

In addition, the EMSD has been vetting independent third-party test reports submitted by LPG supply companies for each shipment to ensure that the quality of imported LPG complies with the specified requirements.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee has reviewed the nominations of 161 candidates for the 2025 Legislative Council General Election and determined that all are valid.

The Returning Officers for the 10 geographical constituencies, 28 functional constituencies and the Election Committee constituency received a total of 161 nomination forms during the nomination period.

Upon review, the committee considered that all of the candidates met the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law and bearing allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The committee will publish notices in the Government Gazette today detailing the names, addresses and candidate numbers of the 161 individuals.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region