Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ17: Supporting the elderly in using eHealth
Function The Government has been actively promoting and facilitating citizens’ registration with and use of eHealth, with special arrangements made through various online and offline channels to assist the elderly and other persons in need. At present, Hong Kong residents can register with eHealth online and use “iAM Smart” for identity verification to set up their eHealth accounts. Citizens can also register in person at 63 registration centres under the HA or the Department of Health (DH), or set up their eHealth accounts at designated post offices in 18 districts across Hong Kong. We have also deployed mobile registration teams to visit hospitals and clinics under the HA or the DH to assist citizens in registering with and using eHealth.
To support elderly persons who have limited mobility or are less accustomed to using online services, we have partnered with various units to help them download the eHealth App and understand the relevant functions. Among others, we collaborated with the District Services and Community Care Teams across 18 districts under the Home Affairs Department to set up “e+Support Stations” at community events and conduct home visits. We also provided technical support and training through the “Smart Silver” Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders under the Digital Policy Office (DPO). Furthermore, we plan to launch the eHealth+ Intergeneration Inclusion Pilot Scheme this year in collaboration with non-governmental organisations, secondary schools, and elderly centres, under which students will serve as mentors to teach the elderly how to use the eHealth App.Issued at HKT 12:20
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ1: Developing Hong Kong into an aircraft parts processing and trading centre Question:
It is expressly pointed out in the 2026-2027 Budget that the Government will promote the development of Hong Kong into the first aircraft parts processing and trading centre in Asia, and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) is also prepared to provide professional services such as aircraft dismantling and parts recycling to further enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Government and AA will set up a task force to conduct dedicated studies on ways to develop Hong Kong into an aircraft parts processing and trading centre in Asia, so as to formulate appropriate complementary policy measures, and, in the course of formulating such measures, whether considerations will be given to setting aside sites near the airport for use as hangars or centres for handling spare parts;
(2) whether discussions have been held with the relevant Mainland authorities to explore the possibility of striving to build Hong Kong into the hub for maintenance and repair of China’s domestically-produced aircrafts, with a view to supporting China’s domestically-produced aircrafts in “going global”; if not, whether it will expeditiously initiate such discussions; and
(3) of the strategies and measures put in place by the authorities to proactively encourage and attract more companies engaged in trading of aircraft parts and components and the related transactions to establish their bases in Hong Kong, and to actively promote greater participation of local companies, so as to develop a comprehensive and mature ecosystem for aircraft parts dismantling and trading?
Reply:
President,
The “National 15th Five-Year Plan” published by the country in March this year explicitly supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international aviation hub. The Chief Executive announced in last year’s Policy Address the introduction of a leading European aeronautic services company to operate in Hong Kong, providing professional services such as aircraft dismantling and parts recycling. This year’s Budget further reaffirmed our goal to develop Hong Kong into the first aircraft parts processing and trading centre in Asia.
Aircraft dismantling and parts recycling is a specialised aviation business encompassing various aspects, including aircraft parts maintenance, inspection, certification, value-added services and logistics. Against the backdrop of a rising number of retired aircraft and delays in the delivery of new commercial aircraft globally, the aircraft dismantling and parts recycling market in the region is poised for significant growth as most components of retired aircraft can be reused after refurbishment.
In addition, we further enhanced the existing tax incentives related to aircraft leasing through the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Aircraft Leasing Tax Concessions) Ordinance 2024. These incentives facilitate the development of leasing business for specific aircraft parts such as engines, thereby generating synergy with aircraft dismantling and parts recycling business to form a complementary value chain.
My reply to the various matters in the question is as follow:
(1) and (3) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (Government) and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) have maintained close contact with local and overseas industry players to keep abreast of market developments in aircraft parts processing and trading businesses. The AA has, from time to time, received enquiries from relevant companies, including aircraft leasing companies, aircraft maintenance companies and aircraft parts trading and investment companies. In addition, the AA has recently met with local and overseas industry institutions and organisations to understand the supply chain landscape and industry needs. These industry insights facilitate further study and formulation of appropriate policy measures, and support actively efforts to promote, co-ordinate and participate in ecosystem design, land use arrangements, investment promotion and industry channel co-ordination.
Hong Kong’s unique advantage in bridging the Chinese Mainland and overseas civil aviation regulatory regimes is conducive to developing aircraft parts processing and trading businesses. Coupled with its traditional advantages, such as its status as a free port, efficient logistics and robust legal system, Hong Kong can expand its professional role in aircraft parts certification, thereby bringing together relevant market participants to form a mature ecosystem of aircraft parts dismantling and trading.
On attracting investment, the Financial Secretary has established the Steering Committee on Preferential Policies for Attracting Industries and Investment (Steering Committee) to lead relevant policy bureaux, departments and public organisations in formulating packages of preferential policies including land grants, land premiums, financial subsidies and tax incentives to attract high-value-added industries and high-potential enterprises to set up in Hong Kong. The Steering Committee will customise preferential policy packages for relevant enterprises taking into account the enterprise’s industry and its technology level, as well as the potential economic contributions and employment opportunities it can bring to Hong Kong. Invest Hong Kong will use the policy packages flexibly during negotiations with enterprises on settlement details, then report to the Financial Secretary for approval.
Meanwhile, the AA will continue to engage and proactively reach out to various industry stakeholders to promote and brief them on relevant developments. The Government will also assist companies interested in operating relevant businesses in Hong Kong, with a view to expanding the scale of industry in Hong Kong and fostering an ecosystem with a complete value chain.
(2) Leveraging Hong Kong’s distinctive position of enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, we has been capitalising on our strengths in terms of geographical location, flight connectivity, free trade and logistics infrastructure etc.
Hong Kong attaches great importance to the development of home-developed aircraft. The Civil Aviation Department has maintained close co-operation with the Civil Aviation Administration of China to actively participate in the research and certification processes of home-developed aircraft. Hong Kong has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to position the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as a base for commercial flights of home-developed aircraft outside the Chinese Mainland. It also encourages the industry to proactively explore ways to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths as an international aviation hub to support sustainable development of home-developed aircraft through platforms and co-operative arrangements established by Hong Kong and the country.
In terms of aircraft maintenance, HKIA has sufficient capacity to support ground handling and maintenance services for home-developed aircraft. There are around 40 maintenance professionals from local maintenance organisations who are qualified to provide service for the C919 aircraft.
In terms of co-operative arrangements, in April this year, the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao authorities updated the Cooperation Arrangement on Joint Maintenance Management. Building on the existing mutual recognition of aircraft maintenance and training organisations as well as maintenance personnel licenses, the scope of mutual recognition has been extended from aircraft maintenance and training organisations located in the three places to cover relevant overseas organisations approved by the authorities of three regions, with a view to strengthening maintenance capabilities across the three regions and promoting sharing of manpower training resources.
With more flights operated by the C919 aircraft to and from Hong Kong, Hong Kong will continue to enhance its maintenance capabilities and manpower training, providing comprehensive technical and manpower support to facilitate home-developed aircraft’s entry into the international market. We are committed to serving the country’s needs with Hong Kong’s strengths, thereby propelling the country’s civil aviation industry toward new milestones. Issued at HKT 12:10
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Tam Chun-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
Question:
It has been reported that the illegal sale of drugs commonly known as “slimming injections” (glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class injectable prescription drugs) has recently persisted on social media platforms, online shopping channels and messaging application groups. It is learnt that many members of the public have purchased the relevant unregistered drugs or parallel-imported drugs through illegal channels without undergoing professional assessment by a doctor or without a valid doctor’s prescription, posing significant risks to their health. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of reports received, arrests made and prosecutions instituted by the authorities in relation to the illegal online sale or supply of weight-loss injection-type prescription drugs in the past 12 months; and of the respective numbers of enforcement operations launched by the Department of Health, the Customs and Excise Department and the Police against such illegal acts, the quantities of illegal drugs seized, the number of cases in which prosecutions were instituted and the penalties imposed in convicted cases;
(2) whether the Government has conducted interdepartmental joint monitoring and enforcement in respect of the current circulation modes, cross-boundary transportation channels and major sales platforms for the illegal online sale of weight-loss injection-type prescription drugs, including conducting comprehensive inspections and intercepting illegal sales activities on social media platforms and the Internet, as well as combating the cross-boundary illegal importation of the relevant drugs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether the authorities will review the existing legislation relating to drug regulation to strengthen the penalties for the illegal sale and supply of prescription drugs so as to enhance the deterrent effect, as well as to step up the relevant law enforcement work; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) whether the authorities will step up publicity to members of the public on the health risks of the unauthorised use of weight-loss injection-type drugs which are unregistered or purchased through illegal channels, and appeal to members of the public not to purchase and use prescription drugs through illegal channels; if so, of the details?
Reply:
President,
Having consulted the Department of Health (DH), the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Hong Kong Police Force, the consolidated reply to the Hon Nixie Lam’s question is as follows:
In Hong Kong, almost all anti-obesity medicines are prescription drugs, and should only be used under close supervision of doctors.
Drug regulation and import and export control
Currently, injectable medicines registered in Hong Kong for the treatment of obesity include liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide, which are all Part 1 poisons and prescription drugs (i.e. Schedule 3 Poisons) under the the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (the Ordinance). According to the Ordinance, pharmaceutical products must meet the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality and be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market.
As Part 1 poisons-containing pharmaceutical products and prescription drugs, injectable medicines for the treatment of obesity could only be sold at the registered premises of an authorised seller of poisons (commonly referred as pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription, and should be used under a doctor’s direction. Any person who illegally sells (through any channel, including the Internet) or possesses unregistered pharmaceutical products, Part 1 poisons, or sells prescription drugs without the authority of a prescription commits an offence and shall be liable, upon conviction, to a maximum penalty of a fine of $100,000 and two-years’ imprisonment. Any person who is not a registered medical practitioner or registered dentist could not perform medicine injection procedures; otherwise, the person may be charged for violating the Medical Registration Ordinance (Cap. 161) or the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Cap. 156).
Furthermore, import and export of pharmaceutical products are controlled under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). Any person who imports or exports pharmaceutical product without relevant licence commits an offence, and shall be liable, upon conviction, to a maximum penalty of a fine of $500,000 and two-years’ imprisonment.
Law enforcement
In response to the illegal sale of controlled anti-obesity injectable medicines in the market, the Drug Office of the DH has in particular stepped up inspection and enforcement across Hong Kong from January to April 2026, as well as maintained close communication with other law enforcement agencies regarding the suspected cases, the nature of the medicines and relevant regulatory matters:
(a) The Drug Office of the DH conducted six joint enforcement actions with the Hong Kong Police Force or the C&ED, arrested several persons for suspected contravention of drug related legislations which included persons involved in illegal possession or sale of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products, and seized a total of 47 boxes of anti-obesity injections. The DH will continue to work with relevant enforcement agencies to crack down on such illegal activities.
(b) In response to the illegal import and export of controlled injections and drugs, the C&ED conducted multiple special operations during the same period, detected 15 major smuggling cases and seized over five million suspected pharmaceutical products and approximately 150 000 controlled injections suspected of containing Part 1 poisons (including approximately 130 000 anti-obesity injection vials and approximately 20 000 cosmetic injection vials), with an estimated market value of approximately $220 million.
The DH has an established mechanism to monitor the sale of medicines in the market (including the Internet) through unannounced inspections, market surveillance and control buy to surveil the sale of medicines including the Internet. If the DH detects any persons suspected of illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons, sale of prescription drugs without the authority of a prescription, and more, it will promptly investigate, and, depending on actual needs, refer the case to other law enforcement agencies such as the Hong Kong Police Force and the C&ED to follow up, or conduct joint operations with them, to crack down unlawful acts.
Overall speaking, over the past 12 months (from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026), enforcement actions taken by the Drug Office of the DH and the C&ED regarding the sale of medicines include:
(a) The Drug Office of the DH conducted around 1 189 unannounced inspections against pharmacies in Hong Kong. During the same period, it handled 41 conviction cases involving illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons (including but not limited to the so-called “Anti-obesity injectable” medicines) with two cases involving Internet sellers. Among these 41 cases, the cases with the highest penalties were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment (suspended for three years) or imposed with a $87,000 fine.
(b) During the same period, the DH handled six conviction cases involving illegal sale of prescription drugs by pharmacies. The case with the highest fine imposed was $87,000.
(c) The C&ED received a total of 54 reports involving illegal import and export of injectable medicines (including but not limited to the so-called “Anti-obesity injectable” medicines). The number of cases involving illegal import and export of injectable medicines detected by the C&ED, number of seizures, number of prosecutions, number of persons prosecuted and penalties imposed are tabulated below:
From April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026
Number of cases detected
(Note 1 and 5)
45
Number of seizures
(Note 1 and 2)
Approximately 96 000 nos., 185 000 mL,
and 160 mg respectively
Number of prosecutions (Note 3)
6
Number of persons prosecuted
(Note 3)
7
Penalties (Note 4)
Fine of $20,000 and imprisonment of
two to six months
Note 1: This refers to cases involving illegal import or export of injectable medicines in violation of the Import and Export Ordinance and the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, including drugs commonly known as “Anti-obesity injectable” medicines. The C&ED does not maintain a breakdown of statistics for drugs commonly known as “Anti-obesity injectable” medicines.
Note 2: As the packaging of the seized injectable medicines varies, they cannot be presented in a uniform unit.
Note 3: Cases with prosecutions instituted during the year.
Note 4: Cases with trial concluded during the year.
Note 5: As some cases are under the legal proceedings, the outcomes conviction/sentencing results have not yet been determined.
Publicity and education
The DH has been providing drug safety information to the public through different channels, urging members of the public not to purchase and use prescription drugs through illegal channels. The DH has also advised the public that the relevant drugs may not be properly stored during transportation (especially for drugs requiring cold-chain storage), which may result in adverse effect to the drug safety and create health risks. The DH has also reminded the public that selling medicines controlled under the Ordinance illegally, regardless of the sales channel (including online sales platforms, instant messaging applications or social media), carries criminal liabilities.
The DH has prepared safety information for consumers regarding the purchase and use of medicines, including online information of “General Knowledge on the Use of Medicines”, “Be Cautious when Buying Medicines on Internet”, “Health message on overweight problem and slimming products” and “Slimming Products with Undeclared Western Drug Ingredients”, to remind the public to refrain from purchasing or using products of doubtful composition or from dubious sources, with a view to safeguarding public health.
At the same time, the Government has always been concerned about the adverse health effects of obesity on members of the public. In March this year, the Government launched Hong Kong’s inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management, adopting a life-course approach and whole-of-society participation as its strategic framework. Through cross-departmental and multi-disciplinary effort, the Government encourages members of the public to adopt healthy lifestyle. To manage weight effectively, members of the public should maintain a balanced diet and engage in appropriate amounts of physical activity. Members of the public should consult a doctor or pharmacist before using any anti-obesity medication, and strictly adhere to the treatment plans prescribed by doctors.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ11: Strengthening regulatory oversight of employment agencies for foreign domestic helpers Question:
It is reported that according to the latest announcement by the Consumer Council (the Council), the Council has received a total of 391 complaints against employment agencies (EAs) for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) since 2023, including cases where FDHs failed to report for duty as scheduled and instances where their competence did not meet expectations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information regarding EAs in each of the past three years (set out in a table):
(i) the number of complaints received against EAs and the year-on-year rates of change (broken down by nature of complaint); and President,
The Labour Department (LD) enforces Part XII of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Employment Agency Regulations and the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (CoP), and regulates employment agencies (EAs) in Hong Kong through license administration, inspections, complaint investigation and prosecution, so as to protect the rights of job seekers and employers.
The reply to the Member’s question is set out below:
(+175%)(-54.5%) (2) and (3) EAs are required to operate in accordance with the law and abide by the CoP issued by the LD. The CoP sets out the legislative requirements that EAs must observe and the standards which the Commissioner for Labour expects EAs to meet, such as maintaining transparency in business operations, drawing up written service agreements with job seekers and employers, providing payment receipts, and avoiding involvement in the financial affairs of job seekers, etc. If the licensee of an EA, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee fails to comply with the CoP, the LD may refuse to issue or renew a licence, or may revoke the licence of the EA under EO.
To further enhance the professionalism and service quality of EAs, the LD promulgated the revised CoP in May 2024, introducing additional requirements expected of EAs by the Commissioner for Labour, which include that EAs must specify in the written service agreements drawn up with job seekers and employers the scope of services, the fees charged on each service item, payment arrangements, etc, and clearly state whether the EAs will provide a refund or arrangements for replacement of foreign domestic helpers (FDH) in case the EAs’ services are not delivered in full or if the FDHs prematurely terminate the employment contracts. These revisions enhance the transparency of service fees charged by EAs and strengthen the protection of the rights of employers as customers. In the course of revising the CoP, relevant organisations (including the Consumer Council) had been consulted.
The CoP requires EAs, when providing services to job seekers and employers, to exercise due diligence in verifying the information provided by both parties, and ensure that any information provided to both sides is consistent with the facts known to the EAs. When charging service fees to employers, EAs must make sure that the job applicants referred to employers meet the qualifications and other requirements listed by the employers. In addition, EAs should exercise professional judgment in selecting any business partners within and outside Hong Kong, and consider the reliability of information on job seekers provided by their business partner(s) located outside Hong Kong, including but not limited to the job seekers’ academic qualifications, skills, training received, etc.
Job seekers and employers should compare the services and fees offered by different EAs and choose the EAs that suit their needs. They should carefully read and understand relevant terms before signing the service agreements. If unreasonable terms are spotted in the service agreements, they should refuse to sign and, where necessary, seek assistance from the Customs and Excise Department, the Consumer Council or the LD.
(4) To enhance transparency of the past records of EAs, the LD’s Employment Agencies Portal not only uploads information on EAs with valid licences, but also publishes records of EAs that have been convicted of overcharging commissions or unlicensed operation, have had their licences revoked or renewal refused, and have been issued written warnings. This facilitates the public in making informed decisions when engaging EA services, avoiding impairment of their rights.
The LD has also established regular liaison mechanism with the consulates-general of major FDH-sending countries in Hong Kong to strengthen collaboration and exchange of information on unscrupulous EAs with a view to ensuring the rights of employers and FDHs are fully protected. If malpractices by organisations outside Hong Kong in arranging FDHs to take up employment in Hong Kong are identified, the LD will reflect the matter to relevant governments concerned through the liaison mechanism and request appropriate follow-up actions.Issued at HKT 11:35
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Lothair Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Inter-departmental Task Force on Monitoring Fuel Supply today (May 13) announced that the Government will waive 50 per cent of the toll for all commercial vehicles (including buses, goods vehicles, light buses and taxis as registered under records of the Transport Department (TD)) using all government tolled tunnels and the Tsing Sha Control Area from 0.00am on May 17 (Sunday), excluding private cars and motor cycles/motor tricycles. The temporary measure will last for two months until 11.59pm on July 16 (Thursday). The Government will publish relevant notices in the Gazette on May 15.
The Task Force said that the targeted temporary measure aims to alleviate the operating costs of various types of commercial vehicles, and assist drivers and operators in coping with the pressure arising from rising fuel prices.
The TD has steered the toll service provider to adjust the HKeToll system to ensure smooth implementation. Commercial vehicle owners are not required to submit any application; they only need to pay the reduced amount as displayed in the system. The payment methods and time limits designated by existing legislation remain unchanged. In addition, taxi passengers are reminded that they must continue to pay the statutory tolls in full during the waiver period.
Commercial vehicle drivers can obtain the waiver details via the HKeToll and HKeMobility mobile apps, toll information displays, variable message signs on major trunk roads, tunnel radio break-in messages and letters issued by the TD to the trades concerned. During this period, placards will be displayed in taxi compartments to remind passengers to pay tolls in full.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
London ETO supports Hong Kong artisans at London Craft Week This exhibition showcases a collection of craft works through a fresh and contemporary lens, bringing together the exquisite craftsmanship of traditional artisans and the innovative ideas of emerging designers, demonstrating the creative synergy generated through cross-generation collaboration.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, welcomed the opportunity to support Crafts on Peel in showcasing its work once again at London Craft Week. She remarked, “The exhibition offers a compelling fusion of time-honoured traditions and forward-looking innovation, vividly reflecting the creative spirit of Hong Kong.”
The “Creative Cross-Pollination: The Future of Crafts” exhibition is being held at the Royal Society of Sculptors (108 Old Brompton Rd, London SW7 3RA) from May 11 to 17 (London time). Issued at HKT 6:05
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) today (May 13) announced the results of the HA Outstanding Staff and Teams Award for 2026. This year, seven outstanding staff, eight outstanding teams and 12 young achievers have been awarded. Five new awards were introduced this year, including Outstanding Award in Patient Service, Outstanding Award in Safety Enhancement, Outstanding Award in Creativity, Outstanding Award in Research, and Outstanding Award in Operation Support, each recognising one group/individual staff member who has demonstrated an exceptional performance in the respective area (the list of awardees is appended).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
Question:
Under the existing policy, residents of public rental housing (PRH) are not permitted to install closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) outside their flats or in public corridors. Offenders are liable to a warning or point allotment under the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement. However, it is learnt that quite a number of residents have installed recording devices outside their flats or in public corridors without authorization in order to ensure security or prevent nuisance caused by neighbours. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: Reply:
President,
Public rental housing (PRH) residents are required to comply with the terms of the tenancy agreement as well as the policies set by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA). Otherwise, their tenancy may be terminated. According to the terms of the PRH tenancy agreement, tenants are prohibited from causing any disturbance or nuisance inside or outside the rented flat to other residents. Should a PRH tenant breach the tenancy agreement by causing nuisance to others, the Housing Department (HD) will take tenancy control actions against the offending tenant in accordance with the terms of the PRH tenancy agreement or the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates (the Marking Scheme). Serious cases will result in termination of the tenancy and recovery of the flat.
In response to the question raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong, our reply is as follows: