Month: December 2025

Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from January 8 to 12, 2026 
     A spokesman for the TD said, “A total of 220 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve the Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with ‘HK’ or ‘XX’ as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged.”
 
     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
 
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by “iAM Smart+” equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered “iAM Smart” users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not “iAM Smart” users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
 
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
 
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
 
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
 (5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved the Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 15:00

Appointments to Council of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts     
Dr Raymond Chan (reappointed)
Mr Jason Joseph Lee Kwong-yee (reappointed)
Miss Christine Leung Wan-chong
Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting
Dr Irene Tang Mo-lin (reappointed)
Dr Tang Yuen-ha (reappointed)
Ms Wong Caroline Ho (reappointed)
Mr Ray Woo Wai-shing
Ms Stella Lau Yin-ling (reappointed, staff representative)
Professor Yiu Song-lam (reappointed, staff representative)
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism or his/her representative (reappointed)
Secretary for Education or his/her representative (reappointed)Director of the HKAPA (ex-officio)Issued at HKT 12:00

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Reappointment to Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced      
     The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the Board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Issued at HKT 12:00

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Government announces appointments to Travel Industry Authority      
     On the appointments, the spokesman of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said, “The Government welcomes the new Chairperson and the 15 new members joining the TIA, and would like to express gratitude to the reappointed members for their continued valuable advice rendered to the TIA. We look forward to the Chairperson and members to continuing to make use of their professional knowledge and experience to assist the TIA in fulfilling its regulatory and service functions. We would also like to thank the outgoing Chairperson Mr Ma Ho-fai and members, Ms Dilys Chau Suet-fung, Professor Alex Fan Hoi-kit, Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung, Mr Victor Lam Hoi-cheung, Mr Johnny Leung Ka-kui, Ms Lanny Leung Kong-lan, Mr Paul Leung Yiu-lam, Mr Martin Ma Yuk-man, Dr Priscilla Poon Chau-min, Mrs Ann Tang Yu Li-hua, Mr James Tong Wai-pong, Mr Tse Yun-sang, Mr Wong Ka-ngai, Mr Adrian Wong Koon-man and Mr Yiu Pak-leung, for their dedicated service and distinguished contributions to the TIA during their tenure.”
      
     The TIA is a statutory regulatory body of the travel industry established under the Travel Industry Ordinance. It is primarily responsible for the licensing and regulation of travel agents, tourist guides and tour escorts.
      
     The membership of the TIA for the new term from January 1, 2026 is as follows:
 
Chairperson
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Mr Kevin Lam Sze-cay
 
Vice Chairperson
————-
Commissioner for Tourism
 
Ordinary Members
——————–
Trade members
 
Mr Kenneth King Yue-kin
Mr Ko Chun-kit
Mr Kelvin Ko Chun-wang
Ms Lam Kai-yi
Mr Andy Lam Ping-sing
Mr Lam Sum-lim
Mr Roy Lo Kai-pong
Mr Ng Hi-on
Mr Jason Shum Jiu-sang
Mr Tommy Tam Kwong-shun
Mr Ricky Tse Kam-shan
Mr James Tung Pui-chuen
Mr Wong Wai-wing
 
Non-trade members
 
Mr Leonard Chan Tik-yuen
Ms Kerry Ching Kim-wai
Ms Agnes Choi Heung-kwan
Mr Edward Ho Man-tat
Mr Yeti Lai Ho-yin
Ms Karen Lee Ka-yan
Dr Louisa Lee Yee-sum
Ms Christine Leung Wan-chong
Ms Jane Curzon Lo
Ms Peng Yu
Mr Wilfred Wong Kam-pui
Ms Annie Wong Pak-yan
Mr Charles Yang Chuen-liang
Ms Vivian Yeung Cheuk-chi
Issued at HKT 12:00

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Approval to Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited for its change of transmission planNote 2: The seven transmitting stations are located at Mount Gough, Cloudy Hill, Castle Peak, Golden Hill, Lamma Island, Beacon Hill and Kowloon Peak.
Note 3: They are CR 1 and CR 2 of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited, and Radio Television Hong Kong’s Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 4 and the channel relaying Radio the Greater Bay of the China Media Group.
Issued at HKT 12:00

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Appointments to Hong Kong Arts Development CouncilProfessor Karen Chan Ka-yin
Dr Chan Suet-yi*
Mr Henry Cheng Sze-chung*
Professor Alex Fan Hoi-kit
Mr Edward Ho Man-tat
Dr Ho Wai-fung*
Mr Kevin Lam Sze-cay
Ms Lau Wai-ming*
Ms Eviana Leung Bon-yuen
Mr Leung Kin-fung*
Ms Lo Kwong-ping*
Mr Lo Wing-hung
Mr Vincent Ma Chi-wai (Steven Ma Chun-wai)
Mr Simon Siu Chak-yu
Dr Chloe Suen Yin-wah
Professor Tam Kwok-kan
Ms Tung Siu-hung*
Mr Wong Cho-lam*
Ms Bonnie Wong Tak-wei
Mr Alexander Yeung Ching-loong
Mr Zhao Zhijun*
 
*Representatives returned by the arts interests in the 2025 nomination exercise.Permanent Secretary for Education or his/her representative
Director of Leisure and Cultural Services or his/her representative
 
     A spokesman for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said, “We welcome the above appointments and express gratitude to the reappointed members for their service over the past years.”      
     The HKADC is a statutory body established in 1995 to promote and support the development of the arts in Hong Kong.
Issued at HKT 12:00

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Interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements releases latest information on special boundary-crossing and corresponding public transport service arrangements during New Year’s Eve and New Year holidays      
     In view of a series of New Year’s Eve countdown events, while the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port (LMC/HG Port) will maintain 24-hour operations as usual, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government reached a consensus with the relevant departments of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality to make the following special boundary-crossing arrangements on New Year’s Eve to facilitate cross-boundary passenger and vehicular movements:
      
(1) Passenger clearance services at the Lo Wu Control Point, which usually close at midnight, will be extended to 2am the next day. The operating hours of the MTR East Rail Line will be extended correspondingly, with the departure of the last East Rail Line train from Admiralty to Lo Wu extended to 12.56am; and
                
(2) Passenger and passenger vehicle clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port (SBP), which usually close at midnight, will operate overnight, providing round-the-clock services.
      
     For more effective diversion of cross-boundary private cars on New Year’s Day with the implementation of round-the-clock clearance at the SBP, only cross-boundary private cars issued with Closed Road Permits (Permits) for the LMC/HG Port are allowed to use the LMC/HG crossing. For cross-boundary private cars issued with Permits for SBP, LMC/HG, Heung Yuen Wai, Man Kam To Boundary Control Point (BCP) or Sha Tau Kok BCP, they can use the SBP during early-morning hours on New Year’s Day.

     For cross-boundary coaches, the HKSAR Government has also worked with cross-boundary coach service operators to arrange additional services using the SBP during early-morning hours on New Year’s Day, and to enhance the services using the LMC/HG Port, including cross-boundary coaches departing from major stopping points in urban areas such as Wan Chai, Prince Edward and Jordan, as well as a shuttle bus running between the Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange and the LMC/HG Port (Yellow Bus), and the HZMB shuttle bus (Gold Bus). Moreover, a dedicated traffic lane section will be reserved for public transport services at the HZMB, LMC/HG Port, and SBP when necessary, to ensure the smooth operation of public transport services.
          
     As regards local public transport services connecting to BCPs, to tie in with the special round-the-clock passenger clearance arrangements of the SBP on New Year’s Day, franchised bus operators will operate two special overnight bus routes, Nos. NB2 and NB3, to provide services to and from Yuen Long/Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun respectively during the overnight period. Furthermore, in the case of travellers using overnight services of the MTR East Rail Line that night, after the closure of the Lo Wu Control Point, they may also take the specially arranged short-working bus service, route No. N73, from MTR Sheung Shui Station to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange, and transfer to the Yellow bus for their journey to Shenzhen.
      
     Residents and visitors may visit “Easy Boundary” (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound      
     The Transport Department’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will operate 24 hours to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services of various districts, the BCPs and major stations; implement contingency measures when necessary to meet service demands; and disseminate the latest traffic information through various channels.
      
     “The full support and co-ordination of the leaders and relevant departments of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality are crucial to the implementation of the special boundary-crossing arrangements to facilitate the two-way flow of people between Hong Kong and the Mainland, reflecting the effective and close co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” the spokesman said.
      
     The HKSAR Government will closely monitor the situation and take contingency actions promptly where necessary and deploy manpower flexibly to ensure orderly operations of the BCPs. The Government has formulated contingency plans for the peak periods of cross-boundary travel and made preparations for preventive and control measures to cater for different scenarios. Relevant bureaux and departments have formulated the plans below.
      
     First, with the extension of operating hours at certain BCPs on New Year’s Eve, the relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers for flexible manpower deployment. Additional counters, temporary counters and channels will be in operation to facilitate passenger and vehicular flow.
      
     Second, the Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs and Excise Department and other relevant departments will be activated from December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026 to monitor the real-time situations at various BCPs and regularly report to the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, maintain close liaison with Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism, and take timely contingency actions to flexibly deploy manpower at the BCPs to ensure smooth operation of the land control points.
      
     Third, the Security Bureau will activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre from December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026 to closely monitor public order matters and co-ordinate any necessary actions at various BCPs, and support the working group in facilitating interdepartmental follow-up actions where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies.
      
     The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year’s Eve and New Year holidays, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
Issued at HKT 20:00