Month: February 2026

Applications for Bun Scrambling Competition on Cheung Chau to close next Friday 
     The maximum capacity for the Competition is 200 participants. Places will be allocated by ballot via the SmartPLAY system. Applicants who reside in, work or study on Cheung Chau will be accorded priority in the ballot.
 
     Applicants should complete the user registration and identity authentication at SmartPLAY and make their e-ballot applications via the system’s mobile app (My SmartPLAY), website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/home 
     All selected applicants are required to complete safety training sessions on bun tower climbing and prevention of falls on April 12 in order to qualify for the final selection exercise of the Competition on April 26. At the selection exercise, the 24 contestants recording the shortest time in the preliminary round (including no fewer than six female participants) will be eligible to enter the semi-final on the same day to compete for the 12 finalist places (including no fewer than three female participants).
 
     The 12 finalists will enter the Bun Scrambling Final on May 24 night. Trophies will be awarded to the champion as well as the first and second runners-up in the men’s division, and to the champion in the women’s division. The contestant who bags the highest number of buns within the time limit will win the “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” prize.
 
     To recognise the outstanding performance of the winners and enhance the atmosphere of the event, the male or female athlete who has been the champion for three times in the Competition since 2016 will become the “King of Kings” or the “Queen of Queens” and be awarded a trophy.
 
     The 2026 Bun Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Besides the Competition, the Bun Tower Climbing Team Relay will be held on May 10 morning. Local tertiary institutions, Government Departments, public utilities as well as commercial and industrial organisations will be invited to join. At the Climbing Carnival to be held in the afternoon of May 10, there will be bun tower climbing activities, game stalls, handicraft-making activities and variety shows. A Wishing Bun Tower will be set up. The winning entries of the Student Drawing Competitions will also be displayed. Members of the public are welcome to enjoy the carnival fun.
  
     Details of the events are available at the SmartPLAY website, the mobile app (My SmartPLAY) and the 2026 Bun Carnival dedicated website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/bun/index.htmlIssued at HKT 12:00

Appointments to Law Reform CommissionChief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (ex officio member)
Law Draftsman (ex officio member)
Mr Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon
Mr Stephen Hung Wan-shun
Mrs Janice Choi Kwan Wing-kum
Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee
Professor Alexander Loke
Professor Michael Jackson
Ms Frances Lok Man-yin, SC
Professor Xi Chao
Ms Tammy Tam Wai-yi 
Issued at HKT 11:00

NNNN

Three other new drugs approved for registration under “1+” mechanism      
Three new drugs approved
——————————–
      
      The “1+” mechanism has been implemented since November 1, 2023, to facilitate the registration of new drugs used for the treatment of life-threatening or severely debilitating diseases in Hong Kong. With effect from November 1, 2024, the “1+” mechanism has been extended to all new drugs, including all new chemical or biological entities and new indications, and vaccines and advanced therapy products. New drugs that are supported by local clinical data and recognised by local experts can be applied for registration in Hong Kong by submitting evidence of approval from one reference drug regulatory authority (instead of two in the past).
      
     The above new drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration, while the other two have been approved by the regulatory authority of the United States and submitted for registration applications under the “1+” mechanism. Having evaluated the clinical data and relevant information submitted by the applicants and advice given by local experts, the Registration Committee under the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong considered that the new drugs satisfied the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality, and approved the registration of the new drugs. The Department of Health (DH) has already notified the applicants of the results of their applications.
      
Paving the way towards primary evaluation
————————————————
      
     Since the implementation of the “1+” mechanism, a total of 19 new drugs, including the above three drugs, have been approved under this mechanism. Seven of them have been listed in the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary. The DH has been promoting the “1+” mechanism through different channels and has so far received more than 770 enquiries from around 200 pharmaceutical companies, including those from overseas and the Mainland. Many companies have expressed interest in submitting applications for registration of their products, including advanced therapy products, under the extended “1+” mechanism. Since the launch of the pre-new drug application consultation service in March last year, the DH has already held a number of briefing seminars and workshops. The DH has also rolled out pre-new drug application meetings since December last year to enhance efficiency in processing relevant applications.
      
     “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” announced that the Government will accelerate the reform of the regulatory system of drugs and medical devices, thereby consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international health and medical innovation hub. The DH will expedite the “1+” mechanism for new drugs, piloting priority evaluation and approval of innovative drugs as recommended by the Hospital Authority for treatment of severe or rare diseases and to accelerate patients’ use of the advanced treatments. The DH will establish the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026, and implement “primary evaluation” for new drug registration in phases beginning in 2026. The DH will continue to proactively advance preparatory work for “primary evaluation” for new drug registration and progressively establish a robust approval system, providing strong momentum for the development and market expansion of the healthcare industry in the HKSAR, the Mainland, and beyond, thereby transforming Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.
Issued at HKT 18:50

NNNN

Tender for re-opening of 5-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds to be held on March 5      
     An additional amount of RMB1.25 billion of the outstanding 5-year Bonds (issue no. 05GB3005001) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on May 15, 2030 and will carry interest at the rate of 1.97 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on February 27, 2026 are 101.08 with a semi-annualised yield of 1.702 per cent.
      
     Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk      
     Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK ) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day.