Source: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dans le contexte des tensions actuelles au Moyen-Orient et des interrogations qu’elles peuvent susciter sur l’approvisionnement mondial, notamment dans les domaines énergétique, médical et économique, le gouvernement souhaite apporter un point de situation sur les impacts en Nouvelle-Calédonie et rassurer les Calédoniens.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The 2026-27 Valuation List & Government Rent Roll will be available for inspection by members of the public from March 16 to May 31, the Rating & Valuation Department announced today.
The documents can be viewed at the Rating & Valuation Department, located at 15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon. They will also be published on the department’s website and its Property Information Online website.
Entries for rates and government rent demands, due to be issued in early April, will show the rateable values for 2026-27, the net amounts payable after deducting rates concessions, or Government rent payable. Objections to the new rateable values can be lodged from March 16 to May 31 by means of Form R20A or the electronic Form e-R20A.
In the 2026-27 Budget, the Financial Secretary proposed rates concessions for the first two quarters of 2026-27, subject to a ceiling of $500 per quarter for each rateable tenement.
Call 2152 0111 for enquiries.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Health Bureau today rejected claims that, under proposed new regulations, verification of whether conventional smoking products are “duty-paid” will depend solely on packaging.
The Government tentatively plans to implement both uniform packaging design for conventional smoking products and a duty stamp system simultaneously in the second quarter of next year.
In response to media enquiries today, the bureau emphasised that the uniform packaging plan aims to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products, while the duty stamp requirement will strengthen efforts to combat “cheap-whites”, which are tobacco products imported without duties having been paid.
Following the measures’ implementation, all tobacco legally sold in Hong Kong will be required to have duty stamps affixed.
The bureau emphasised that uniform packaging is not itself intended to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from “cheap-whites” and expressed regret at the dissemination of inaccurate information.
It said the duty stamps will adopt both physical and digital anti-counterfeiting technologies. The former will be similar to those commonly used in banknotes. Readily discernible to the naked eye, they allow swift and convenient verification.
The bureau added that physical anti-counterfeiting technologies are sufficiently mature to effectively prevent forgery of duty stamps.
Digital anti-counterfeiting features are intended to assist frontline Customs officers in law enforcement. Members of the public who are uncertain about the authenticity of duty stamps on tobacco products will be advised to report their concerns to Customs.
Source: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie
Christopher Gygès, membre du gouvernement chargé de l’économie et du numérique et Naïa Wateou, membre du gouvernement chargée du travail et de l’emploi, ont présenté la nouvelle plateforme emploi.nc. Destiné aussi bien aux employeurs qu’aux personnes à la recherche d’un emploi, ce nouvel outil de référence a pour objectifs de simplifier les démarches, d’optimiser les recrutements et d’offrir aux utilisateurs plus de transparence dans le suivi des candidatures.
Dans une optique de relance du marché de l’emploi en Nouvelle-Calédonie et de simplification des démarches administratives, le gouvernement met en place des solutions rapides et utiles à l’ensemble des Calédoniens, à l’instar du la plateforme emploi.nc
Ce nouvel outil de référence répond à trois objectifs majeurs :
« L’enjeu pour le gouvernement, dans ce contexte particulier où l’on a beaucoup de demandeurs d’emploi mais aussi des entreprises qui recherchent des compétences, est de faire se retrouver ces demandes au travers d’une plateforme simple d’utilisation offrant une réponse rapide aux besoins des utilisateurs grâce à l’aide l’intelligence artificielle, a indiqué Naïa Wateou. L’autre point essentiel pour le gouvernement, est cette donnée que l’on va recueillir au travers de cette plateforme et qui va nous permettre d’ajuster nos actions et l’évaluation de nos politiques publiques en matière d’emploi. Cela nous fera apparaitre par exemple, des points d’alerte sur des métiers ou des secteurs en tension ».
Pour les employeurs, emploi.nc offre une optimisation des recrutements tout en préservant la conformité avec la réglementation calédonienne. La plateforme propose :
« Le gain de temps est important pour les entreprises, notamment grâce à ce numéro unique qui va venir rendre l’offre réglementaire et leur épargner un certain nombre de démarches », a précisé la membre du gouvernement.
Pour les personnes à la recherche d’un emploi, emploi.nc résout la problématique des candidatures laissées sans réponse et permet des démarches simplifiées grâce à :
Une candidature rapide : la possibilité de postuler directement en ligne et de gérer son profil professionnel en quelques clics.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will proactively align with the “Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic & Social Development of the People’s Republic of China” (the 15th Five-Year Plan) and press ahead with high-quality development.
The fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress approved the 15th Five-Year Plan today.
In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government thanked the central authorities for their support in consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s competitive edge across various key areas, and for facilitating Hong Kong’s better integration into and service of the overall national development.
Mr Lee outlined that the 15th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action agenda for the country’s social and economic development in the next five years.
“The major objectives for this period include significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative and further advances in strengthening the national security shield.”
The Chief Executive added that the Hong Kong SAR is greatly encouraged by these objectives and will proactively align with the outline, contributing Hong Kong’s strength to further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernisation.
“I extend my sincere gratitude for the country’s steadfast support and care for Hong Kong as demonstrated by the inclusion of multiple provisions in the 15th Five-Year Plan to promote Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, and to deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” he said.
“I will lead the Hong Kong SAR Government to earnestly fulfil its role in bearing the primary responsibility for the governance of Hong Kong, unite various sectors of the community to actively support and proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan.”
Mr Lee stressed that, through formulating a systematic policy framework, the Hong Kong SAR Government will map out strategic initiatives of greater comprehensiveness, higher precision and finer detail for key development areas, and will, for the first time, draw up a macroscopic, strategic and forward-looking five-year plan for Hong Kong.
Preparatory groups set up by various bureaus under Mr Lee’s instruction have been converted into formulation teams for alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan, and will work at full speed to craft Hong Kong’s five-year plan this year.
Mr Lee said Hong Kong’s first Five-year Plan, aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, will have far-reaching implications.
“Serving as the collective action framework for the Hong Kong SAR, it will outline Hong Kong’s development vision, core objectives, key areas and major initiatives over the next five years. This plan will provide clear guidance for Hong Kong’s socio-economic and livelihood development, driving Hong Kong’s deeper integration into and contribution to the overall national development.”
The Chief Executive emphasised that the most direct benefit of Hong Kong’s five-year plan will stem from having the robust backing of national development. As the world’s second-largest economy, he said, the country’s comprehensive capabilities provide Hong Kong with immense market momentum and development opportunities.
He remarked that as China has surged to global leadership in various fields – including innovation and technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and infrastructural development – Hong Kong can leverage the country’s industrial ecosystem and progress to achieve “leapfrog development” in its own emerging industries.
“To ensure the smooth progress of the formulation work, I will take the lead in this endeavour, with the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau assuming primary responsibility,” Mr Lee said.
He added that all Secretaries of Departments and Directors of Bureaus shall fully commit to driving forward and jointly participating in this initiative.
“I am confident that with our concerted efforts and collective wisdom, the first Hong Kong’s Five-year Plan will serve as a guiding framework for pioneering new horizons and achieving a new leap forward for Hong Kong.
“It will lay a more concrete foundation for our long-term prosperity and stability, enabling Hong Kong to demonstrate renewed commitment and achievements in the journey of integrating into and serving the overall national development.”
The fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress also adopted the National Development Planning Law. This is the first time that a dedicated piece of legislation concerning national development planning has been enacted at the top level.
The law provides a robust legal foundation for the formulation of development plans.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs mounted an operation codenamed “Axis” yesterday (March 11) and arrested a local man who is suspected of dealing with a total of about $4.7 billion of funds with unknown sources via his bank accounts of two companies between April 2022 and February 2026. During the follow-up investigation, another local man who was suspected of operating a dangerous drugs packing and distribution centre was arrested in a commercial premises.
Customs officers targeted a money laundering syndicate and initiated financial investigation against a 66-year-old local man. It was revealed that his financial background was highly incommensurate with the enormous transactions conducted in his company bank accounts. It is suspected that he had dealt with suspicious funds through local companies accounts and engaged in money laundering activity.
After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers raided a residential address yesterday and seized mobile phones and bank documents therein. During the premises search against the business address of one of the subject companies, Customs officers seized a bankbook counter, cash, bank cards, suspected dangerous drugs, including cannabis buds, cannabis oil products, cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA tablets and a batch of suspected drug packaging paraphernalia and inhalation apparatuses, about 9 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and suspected nicotine oil. The estimated market value of the drug seizures was about $300,000. A 36-year-old local man was arrested.
Customs will conduct follow up investigation under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO), Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.
Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering 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
In response to media enquiries today (March 12) regarding the implementation arrangements of the uniform packaging design for conventional smoking products and the duty stamp system, the Health Bureau (HHB) gave the following response:
The Government tentatively plans to fully implement both the uniform packaging design for conventional smoking products and the duty stamp system simultaneously in the second quarter of 2027.
The uniform packaging design and the duty stamp serve distinct purposes. The former aims to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products, while the latter strengthens efforts to combat “cheap-whites” through duty stamps. Following the simultaneous and full implementation of both measures, all specified tobacco legally sold in Hong Kong must have the duty stamps affixed. There is no basis for an organisation to allege that one would need to identify whether the products are duty-paid through the uniform packaging design alone. It must be emphasised that the uniform packaging design itself is not intended to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes or “cheap-whites”. The HHB expressed regret at the dissemination of inaccurate information by the organisation concerned.
The duty stamps will feature both physical and digital anti-counterfeiting technologies, rather than merely the digital anti-counterfeiting features. Physical anti-counterfeiting features are referenced from technologies commonly used in banknotes, and are readily discernible to the naked eye. Therefore, members of the public and retailers can swiftly and conveniently verify the authenticity of the stamps. At present, physical anti-counterfeiting technologies in the market are sufficiently mature to effectively prevent forgery of the stamps. On the other hand, digital anti-counterfeiting features are intended to assist frontline Customs officers in law enforcement. Should members of the public remain uncertain about the authenticity of a duty stamp after examining the physical anti-counterfeiting features, they may report to the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) to facilitate the latter’s investigation.
The C&ED concluded the Pilot Run for the Duty Stamp System in January this year and has held multiple information sessions to comprehensively introduce the latest developments of the system and future arrangements to the tobacco industry. The C&ED will continue its publicity efforts and encourages the active participation of the industry.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKSAR Government actively aligns with National 15th Five-Year Plan and presses ahead with high-quality development
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said, “The 15th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action agenda for the social and economic development of the country in the next five years. The major objectives for this period include significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative and further advances in strengthening the national security shield. The HKSAR is greatly encouraged by this and will proactively align with the 15th Five-Year Plan Outline, contributing Hong Kong’s strength to further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernisation.
“I extend my sincere gratitude for the country’s steadfast support and care for Hong Kong as demonstrated by the inclusion of multiple provisions in the 15th Five-Year Plan to promote Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, and to deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. I will lead the HKSAR Government to earnestly fulfil its role in bearing the primary responsibility for the governance of Hong Kong, unite various sectors of the community to actively support and proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Through formulating a systematic policy framework, we will map out strategic initiatives of greater comprehensiveness, higher precision and in finer detail for key development areas, and draw up a macroscopic, strategic and forward-looking five-year plan for the first time for Hong Kong. The preparatory groups set up earlier by various bureaux under my instruction have been converted into the formulation teams for the alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will work full speed to complete the Hong Kong five-year plan within this year.
“The first Hong Kong’s Five-year Plan, aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, will have far-reaching implications. Serving as the collective action framework for the HKSAR, it will outline Hong Kong’s development vision, core objectives, key areas and major initiatives over the next five years. This plan will provide clear guidance for Hong Kong’s socio-economic and livelihood development, driving Hong Kong’s deeper integration into and contribution to the overall national development. The most direct benefit of the Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan stems from the robust backing of national development. As the world’s second-largest economy, the country’s comprehensive capabilities provide Hong Kong with immense market momentum and development opportunities. As the country has surged to global leadership in various fields including innovation and technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and infrastructural development, Hong Kong can leverage the country’s industrial ecosystem and progress to achieve leapfrog development in our own emerging industries. For instance, in the financial sector, Hong Kong can build upon the country’s strategy to promote the internationalisation of the Renminbi to strengthen our function as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, and to enhance the mutual market access regime and consolidate our status as an international financial centre. In the area of innovation and technology, Hong Kong can accelerate collaboration and transformation among the industry, academic and research sectors through the development of the Northern Metropolis. As regards industrial upgrading, Hong Kong can also integrate into national strategies, such as the ‘Artificial Intelligence Plus (AI+) Initiative’, to empower its traditional competitive industries, thereby strengthening its new productive forces amid the new round of scientific and technological revolution as well as industry transformation.
“To ensure the smooth progress of the formulation work, I will take the lead in this endeavour, with the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau assuming primary responsibility. All Secretaries of Bureaux shall fully commit to driving forward and jointly participating in this initiative. I am confident that with our concerted efforts and collective wisdom, the first Hong Kong’s Five-year Plan will serve as a guiding framework for pioneering new horizons and achieving a new leap forward for Hong Kong. It will lay a more concrete foundation for our long-term prosperity and stability, enabling Hong Kong to demonstrate renewed commitment and achievements in the journey of integrating into and serving the overall national development.”
The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly points out that the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy should be implemented with unwavering commitment; the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” should be put into practice; and the efficacy of governance in accordance with the law should be ensured to promote Hong Kong’s economic and social development, and give full play to Hong Kong’s unique advantages and important role of maintaining close connections with both the Mainland and the world. The 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre and an international aviation hub. It aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s functions as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, an international asset management centre, and an international risk management centre. The plan also supports Hong Kong in developing into an international innovation and technology hub, while deepening its development as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, a regional intellectual property trading centre, and the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The 15th Five-Year Plan also further incorporates, for the first time, support for Hong Kong in establishing a commodity trading ecosystem and a high value-added supply chain service centre. It also explicitly backs Hong Kong in accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis and building an international hub for high-calibre talents. A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that the Government is deeply encouraged by the Central Government’s staunch support. Hong Kong will definitely seize the opportunity to proactively align with the requirements of national strategies, effectively translating the new positioning, functions and tasks entrusted by the Central Government into tangible outcomes that will drive high-quality economic development and improve people’s livelihoods. The Government is accelerating the advancement of the Northern Metropolis, a crucial strategic development zone for Hong Kong, through innovative collaborative models, including large-scale land disposal and preferential policies. Multiple measures will be implemented with a view to attracting more leading enterprises to establish their operations there, thereby transforming this piece of land which is connected to the Mainland by mountains and sea into a new engine for Hong Kong’s economic growth.
The 15th Five-Year Plan stated that co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in the areas of economic, trade, technology and culture should be strengthened; policies and measures facilitating Hong Kong residents’ development and life on the Mainland should be improved; and the mutual market access regime between Hong Kong and Mainland financial markets should be advanced in an orderly manner. The 15th Five-Year Plan also clearly proposed for the first time to deepen innovation collaboration between industry, academic and research sectors with the Mainland; to drive breakthroughs continuously in priority areas of co-operation; to promote the co-ordinated development of ports, airports and rail transit; to advance the preparatory work for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link; and to develop major co-operation platforms including the Loop to high standards. It also called for improving mechanisms for Hong Kong to assume a greater role in the country’s opening up to the world, supporting Hong Kong’s deep involvement in the high-quality co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative, leveraging its strengths in professional service to assist enterprises in going global, and harnessing Hong Kong’s role as an important window for exchange and mutual learning between the Chinese and Western cultures.
The Government spokesman said that Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of connecting the Mainland and the world under the “one country, two systems” principle. It will fully leverage its international and market-oriented characteristics to promote connectivity with the Mainland. The HKSAR Government has established the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global to connect the robust productivity of the Mainland, Hong Kong’s world-renowned professional services and the keen demand of global buyers. Hong Kong will facilitate the efforts of quality enterprises in going global and bringing in international capital, steadfastly advancing high-quality development of the economy. Regarding the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the HKSAR Government will proactively engage with relevant platform initiatives, continuously deepen the harmonisation of rules and mechanisms with Greater Bay Area cities, and facilitate the convenient cross-boundary flow of innovation elements.
The fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress also adopted the National Development Planning Law, marking for the first time that a dedicated piece of legislation concerning national development planning has been enacted at the top level. This provides a robust legal foundation for formulating development plans. The Government spokesman said that the National Development Planning Law established principles for national support in Hong Kong’s proactive alignment with national development planning. It clearly affirmed the country’s upholding of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, supporting the HKSAR’s proactive integration into and service of the overall national development. This fully reflected the staunch support of the Central Authorities for Hong Kong’s alignment with national development planning, providing robust legal safeguards for Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development. It will enable Hong Kong to better leverage its unique advantages under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and achieve deep alignment with the overall development strategy of the country, thereby giving full play to Hong Kong’s strengths to serve the country’s needs and facilitating Hong Kong’s enhanced integration into and service of the overall national development.
The Government spokesman concluded, “This year marks the beginning of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan and represents a critical year for Hong Kong as it advances from stability towards prosperity. With the robust support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, we shall continue to consolidate and enhance our international competitiveness, deepen international exchanges and co-operation, strengthen our bridging role between the Mainland and the world, and pioneer a new phase of high-quality development for Hong Kong. This will enable us to better integrate into and serve the overall national development, thereby making Hong Kong’s contributions to the nation’s endeavours in building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation.”
Issued at HKT 23:59
NNNN
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Secretary for the Civil Service’s Commendation Award & Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Award Presentation Ceremony was held at the Central Government Offices today, with Chief Executive John Lee in attendance to extend his congratulations to the award recipients.
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung today presented prizes to civil servants from various bureaus and departments with a persistent exemplary work performance and recognised civil service volunteer teams and individuals for their outstanding performance and contributions in participating in and promoting volunteer services.
This year, 100 civil servants from 39 bureaus and departments across 55 grades received the Secretary for the Civil Service’s (SCS) Commendation Award. Among them, 16 have less than 20 years of service.
As for awards of the Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme, six government departments received the Outstanding Volunteer Team Award, seven volunteer teams received the Meritorious Volunteer Service Award, and 435 individuals received individual awards – a nearly 30% increase compared to the last round.
Mrs Yeung congratulated the awardees and thanked them for their dedication to serving the public through their work or volunteer services, setting an excellent example for the entire civil service.
Addressing the ceremony, Mrs Yeung noted that all civil servants should take the initiative to understand the content of the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan and actively reflect on how to align their work with it and contribute to Hong Kong’s alignment with the plan, thereby enabling Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
She expressed confidence that civil servants would continue to uphold a strong sense of responsibility and mission, coupled with an innovative mindset, to enhance public service standards with a view to enabling Hong Kong to achieve high-quality development.
Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) Senior Scientific Officer (Forecast Development) Wong Wai-kin was one of the awardees receiving the SCS’s Commendation Award. He leads the team in developing AI-based technologies and applications in nowcasting.
Chief Customs Officer Wong Chi-ming also received the SCS’s Commendation Award. Together with his team, he successfully handled cases involving the emerging drug etomidate, effectively intercepting both supply sources and distribution channels, demonstrating his determination to combat drug abuse and safeguard youth development.
The Electrical & Mechanical Services Department Staff Club Volunteer Services Team received the Meritorious Volunteer Service Award. The team, utilising their electrical expertise, has launched a programme in Wong Tai Sin to regularly visits elderly households in the district to replace conventional light bulbs with energy-saving LED alternatives for them. The service has reached 80 elderly households to date, with volunteers contributing more than 400 service hours.
Additionally, the Oi Kwan Volunteer Group of the Correctional Services Department was presented with the Meritorious Volunteer Service Award. Its Dog Unit Volunteer Sub-team collaborates with a non-profit animal welfare organisation, where professionally trained volunteers provide basic training in social etiquette and basic obedience to stray dogs to boost their adoption prospects.
To enhance public understanding of the achievements and dedication of award-winning civil servants to serving society, the bureau and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) have jointly produced a 10-episode, five-minute television series United to serve the community – Good stories of civil servants, and a two-episode, five-minute television programme Volunteering for the well-being of our community – Good stories of civil servants, featuring awarded outstanding civil servants, departmental volunteer teams and individuals.
The programmes will be broadcast on RTHK TV31 this month and next Month.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS), Mrs Ingrid Yeung, presented the SCS’s Commendation Award to civil servants from various bureaux and departments with persistent exemplary work performances, and awards of the Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme (CSVCS) to recognise civil service volunteer teams and individuals for their outstanding performances and contributions in participating in and promoting volunteer services at the SCS’s Commendation Award and Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Award Presentation Ceremony 2025 at the Central Government Offices today (March 12). The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, also attended the ceremony to extend his congratulations to the award recipients.
Addressing the ceremony, Mrs Yeung said that all civil servants should take the initiative to understand the content of the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan and actively reflect on how to align their work with it and contribute to Hong Kong’s alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan, thereby enabling Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development. She expressed confidence that civil servants would continue to uphold a strong sense of responsibility and mission, coupled with an innovative mindset, to enhance public service standards with a view to enabling Hong Kong to achieve high-quality development.
Mrs Yeung congratulated the awardees and thanked them for their dedication to serving the public through their work or volunteer services, setting an excellent example for the entire civil service. A total of 100 civil servants received the SCS’s Commendation Award in 2025. They are from 39 bureaux and departments across 55 grades, including professional and technical grades, disciplined services and general grades. The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has lifted, since 2024, the requirement that award recipients must have 20 years of service to be eligible for a travel award such that all awardees could benefit regardless of their length of service. Among the 2025 awardees, 16 have less than 20 years of service, which fully demonstrates the departments’ readiness to commend colleagues with outstanding performances with varied lengths of service as an encouragement and as a role model.