Month: March 2026

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po:
 
     The Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today (March 30) that it is inviting members of the public and organisations to provide information and views from tomorrow (March 31) to April 14 on whether there were systemic problems, such as undue connected interests, conflicts of roles, or improper collusion across all stages of large-scale building maintenance and renovation works (not limited to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po); and whether bid-rigging corruption or irregularities were involved in the tendering process of the relevant works.
 
     Members of the public and organisations who wish to provide information may do so from 10am on March 31 to 11.59pm on April 14 through one of the following means:
 

1. complete and submit an electronic form online (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ic-submissions-2/en/); or
2. download and print a physical form (www.ic-wangfukcourtfire.gov.hk/pdf/PDF-form-Invitation-to-public-and-relevant-organisations-to-provide-information-2-(English).pdf), complete it and email it to secretariat@ic-wangfukcourtfire.gov.hk, fax it to 2333 1302; or mail it to the Secretariat of the Committee at 10/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

 
     The Committee accepts anonymous submissions to facilitate the provision of information by persons with relevant knowledge. However, anonymous submissions must be accompanied by specific details and/or substantive evidence (for example, tender documents, contracts, meeting minutes, screenshots of communications or other supporting materials).
 
     The Chief Executive established the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to review the causes of the incident and related issues of the fire, and to make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. The Committee formally commenced its work on December 19, 2025, and the evidential hearing on March 19, 2026, to hear opening remarks from the legal teams and oral evidence from witnesses (including oral evidence from Wang Fuk Court residents).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The independent committee set up in relation to November’s fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today that it is inviting members of the public and organisations to provide information and views on whether there were systemic problems in large-scale building maintenance and renovation works.

 

Besides probing issues such as undue connected interests, conflicts of roles, or improper collusion across different stages of such works, the committee is seeking information about any bid-rigging corruption or irregularities in tendering processes.

 

Works under consideration are not limited to those carried out at Wang Fuk Court.

 

People wishing to provide information can do so from 10am tomorrow to 11.59pm on April 14 by filling out and submitting an electronic form online or downloading and printing a physical form. Completed physical forms can be submitted by email, faxed to 2333 1302, or mailed to the Secretariat of the Committee at 10/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

 

To facilitate the submission of information from people with relevant knowledge, the committee is accepting anonymous submissions. However, these must be accompanied by specific details and/or substantive evidence such as tender documents, contracts, meeting minutes, screenshots of communications or other supporting materials.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Led by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki led, a delegation from the Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town (WG) under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis today arrive at Ningbo, where they toured the Ningbo Higher Education Park and met local officials.

 

At the education park, the delegates were shown around various institutions and were briefed on their positioning, characteristics, and development strategies.

 

Constructed in 1999, the park is the first of its kind in the country. A number of higher education institutions are located there, sharing resources such as libraries and sports facilities.

 

In addition to Zhejiang Wanli University, NingboTech University, and the School of Software Technology, Zhejiang University, the delegates saw the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, which was jointly established by Zhejiang Wanli University and the University of Nottingham in the UK.

 

Afterwards, they held an exchange meeting with representatives from the Zhejiang Department of Education, Ningbo Municipal Government, Ningbo Municipal Education Bureau, and the heads of various higher education institutions in the park.

 

They also received a briefing on the development of the Ningbo Higher Education Park by member of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee Standing Committee and Vice Mayor of the Ningbo Municipal People’s Government Xu Yan, Deputy Director of Zhejiang Department of Education Shu Peidong, and other representatives.

 

Mr Chan mentioned that the Chief Executive announced, in the 2025 Policy Address, the establishment of a research task force under the WG to study development models for the Northern Metropolis University Town.

 

He urged the delegation to draw on the successful experience of the Ningbo Higher Education Park over the past two decades, and consider how different institutions can promote the integrated development of industry, academia and research. He added that he hoped visit will help to promote education exchanges and co-operation between the two places.

 

This evening, Mr Chan and the delegation arrived in Hangzhou, where they met member of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee Standing Committee and Zhejiang Executive Vice Governor Xu Wenguang, and other Zhejiang provincial officials. They exchanged views on deepening Zhejiang-Hong Kong co-operation, particularly in the education field.

 

Mr Chan remarked that in recent years Zhejiang has achieved remarkable results through implementing a strategy of modernising education and building strength in higher education.

 

He highlighted that Zhejiang and Hong Kong have signed multiple co-operation agreements, and expressed hope of replicating Zhejiang’s success in Hong Kong through developing the latter as an international hub for post-secondary education, thereby contributing towards establishing China as a leading country in education.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Director of Environmental Protection Samuel Chui has expressed sorrow after a worker was today found unconscious at a works site on an artificial island off Shek Kwu Chau and later certified dead in hospital.

Mr Chui extended his deepest condolences to the deceased worker’s family. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has requested that the contractor provide appropriate assistance to the family.

At around 11am, the worker, hired by a sub-contractor at the island’s waste-to-energy facility, was found unconscious on the ground inside the facility.

On-site first aid officers used an automated external defibrillator to perform first aid treatment. The worker was subsequently transported by the Government Flying Service to Eastern Hospital for resuscitation.

The EPD said it was very concerned about the incident. In addition to immediately deploying staff members to the hospital, it has notified the Labour Department about the incident.

It has also requested the contractor to fully co-operate with the Labour Department in its investigation, and to submit an incident report within seven days.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Parents of Primary Six students participating in the current (2026) cycle of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System who have made applications at the discretionary places (DP) stage will receive notifications tomorrow (March 31) from the secondary schools they have applied for if their children have been selected as successful applicants. Students who have not been notified as successful DP applicants can participate in the Central Allocation (CA), the Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (March 30).
 
Digitalisation of SSPA
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     The EDB encourages parents to register with “iAM Smart+” as early as possible and activate their SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) (esspa.edb.gov.hk) account using “iAM Smart+” for more convenient and faster electronic services throughout the entire Secondary One application process. The SSPA e-Platform Parent’s Guide is available on the EDB’s website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/sspa_eplatform_parents_guide.html) with a series of videos to introduce the procedures for submitting CA applications via the eSSPA.
 
Notification arrangements for successful DP applicants
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     Under the notification arrangements for successful DP applicants, if students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for Discretionary Places, their parents will receive notifications from the secondary schools concerned on March 31. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with “iAM Smart” or “iAM Smart+” may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they will accept the DP offers or not.
 
     Parents of successful DP applicants who have also successfully applied for a school place in a non-participating Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary school should decide between the two options. If the parents decide to accept the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary schools, they should disregard the notifications from the secondary schools which have selected their children at the DP stage. Their children will be allocated to the DSS secondary school concerned according to the established mechanism. If the parents decide to decline the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary schools, they should notify the DSS secondary schools concerned and retrieve the originals of the signed Parent’s Undertaking and the Primary 6 Student Record Form on or before April 10 in order to retain the school place successfully applied for at the DP stage.
 
Distribution of school choice documents for CA
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     Parents who have registered as eSSPA users and bound their account to “iAM Smart+” may browse choice-making information and documents, submit CA applications and view allocation results via the eSSPA.
 
     Primary schools participating in the SSPA System have been informed to collect copies of choice-making documents on April 9. Parents of Primary Six students participating in the SSPA will each receive from their children’s primary schools the following documents:
 

• the Secondary School List (SSL) of the respective school net (with the latest version available online); and
• the Secondary One Choice of Schools Form (Choice Form) (only for parents who have not submitted DP applications on the eSSPA).

 
     To cater for the needs of different parents, the EDB will distribute paper Choice Forms through primary schools to parents who have not submitted DP applications on the eSSPA. If parents have submitted DP applications via the eSSPA, they are required to continue using the e-platform to submit their CA applications. Parents may borrow the Handbook for Unrestricted School Choices for reference from primary schools or obtain the latest version of the Handbook through the EDB’s website (www.edb.gov.hk) and the fax service of the EDB’s 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system on 2891 0088.

Filling in CA Choice Form
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     Both the electronic and paper Choice Forms are divided into two parts (Part A and Part B). Parents should refer to the Handbook with information on secondary schools in all districts when filling in Part A “Unrestricted School Choices” of the Choice Form and choose not more than three secondary schools from any school net, including the student’s school net. As for Part B “Restricted School Choices”, parents should refer to their children’s SSL of their school net to choose secondary schools according to their preference, and fill up the 30 choices as far as possible. Parents must not enter any school choices which are not in the SSL of the school net of the children in Part B since those school choices will not be processed.
 
     The EDB reminded parents that prior to making school choices for their children, they should read carefully the Notes for Parents on Central Allocation on the EDB’s website to understand in detail the SSPA System. Parents should also consider the schools in all respects, such as their educational philosophy, tradition, religion, class structure, development and operation, and their children’s characteristics, personalities, abilities and interests, so as to make a suitable school choice. Parents may refer to the Secondary School Profiles 2025/2026 (www.chsc.hk/secondary) or school websites for the relevant information.
 
     Parents must return the completed electronic or paper Choice Form to their children’s primary schools for the schools’ submission to the EDB on or before May 7. Parents should not submit duplicate applications via the eSSPA and in paper form to the attending primary school for the same child. Should individual parents have genuine difficulties in returning the duly completed Choice Form to their children’s primary schools in person or through an authorised representative, he or she should contact the primary schools in advance for appropriate arrangements.
 
Announcement of allocation results for SSPA
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     The results for SSPA 2026 for both the DP and CA stages will be announced on July 7. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with “iAM Smart” or “iAM Smart+” may view the allocation results via the eSSPA starting from 10am that day. Parents wishing to receive the result of their children via SMS message on that day should provide a mobile phone number on the electronic or paper Choice Form to indicate their consent to receive the SMS message of the result at that phone number. Parents may refer to the Notes for Parents for more information.
 
     Parents who have questions in completing the Choice Form are advised to consult their children’s primary schools. Relevant information about the SSPA System and some frequently asked questions will be uploaded to the EDB’s website on April 9 for parents’ reference. Further enquiries may also be directed to the School Places Allocation Section (SSPA) of the EDB (Tel: 2832 7740 and 2832 7700).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region