Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Housing Authority announced today that the White Form Secondary Market Scheme 2024 (WSM 2024) will open for applications starting from 8am tomorrow until 7pm on March 26.

 

Starting from WSM 2024, the quota will increase significantly by 1,500 to 6,000, the authority explained. The additional 1,500 quotas are designated for the Youth Scheme (WSM) and will be allocated to young applicants aged below 40.

 

The additional Youth Scheme (WSM) quotas comprise 1,350 quotas allocated to young family applicants and 150 allocated to young one-person applicants.

 

The remaining 4,500 ordinary quotas include 4,050 quotas allocated to family applicants and 450 quotas allocated to one-person applicants.

 

Regarding application arrangements, the authority pointed out that the WSM 2024 will adopt the eligibility criteria for the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024, including the income and asset limits as well as restrictions on domestic property ownership in Hong Kong.

 

The income and asset limits for family applicants are set at $60,000 per month and $1.23 million, while the income and asset limits for one-person applicants are set at $30,000 per month and $615,000.

 

Balloting exercises are expected to be held in the second quarter of this year, and the issuance of approval letters to successful applicants are expected to start from the third or fourth quarter of this year.

 

Application forms and guides can be viewed and downloaded from the designated website from today.

 

Printed copies can be obtained from the authority’s Customer Service Centre in Lok Fu, the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Sales Unit’s office, estate offices and district tenancy management offices as well as the Housing Society’s rental estate offices and the Home Affairs Department’s Home Affairs Enquiry Centres, also from today.

 

Call the 24-hour hotline at 2712 8000 for application matters.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Government announced today that the five taxi fleet operators it selected will soon commence service with a fleet of over 3,500 taxis, accounting for nearly 20% of the total number of taxis in Hong Kong.

 

While addressing the Taxi Fleet Launching Ceremony this morning, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan said that the launch of the service marks an important milestone of the trade’s development in the city.

 

The selected operators comprise three urban fleets and two mixed fleets, ranging from 300 to 1,000 taxis each. They will deploy about 1,500 new vehicles at the time of the service commencement and the first fleet is expected to start service by the end of this month.

 

Passengers will be served with electric taxis, wheelchair-accessible taxis or premium taxis to promote green transport and cater for the diverse travel needs of the customers.

 

All fleets must provide online hailing services, customer service hotlines and different electronic communication channels for passengers to select appropriate vehicle types, and rate driver services.

 

Additionally, all fleet taxis will provide multiple electronic payment means, while safety devices and driver monitoring systems will be equipped for passengers’ convenience and driving safety.

 

For passengers’ easy identification, all fleet taxis are required to display a fleet taxi certificate and fleet taxi plate.

 

Ms Chan noted that the Government introduced a series of measures to enhance taxi services in the past two years, and the introduction of the new taxi fleet regime was one of the key initiatives.

 

Under the Transport Department’s regulatory regime, operators form fleets with professional management and good use of technologies to provide quality service for passengers, bringing a new look to the taxi trade, she added.

 

The department issued conditional grants of the Taxi Fleet License to the five selected operators in July 2024, and they are required to complete the gearing-up work and commence service within one year.

 

The department will monitor the fleet’s operations and actively promote the remaining fleets to commence operations as soon as possible.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Judiciary will launch a two-year pilot scheme involving live broadcasts of substantive appellate proceedings in the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) on April 1.

The first two hearings under the scheme will be broadcast live on April 1 and 7.

Members of the public may view the webcasts by visiting the CFA website on computers or mobile devices installed with common browsers.

The Judiciary said the move will enhance the transparency of court procedures and strengthen public confidence in the judicial process.

It plans to implement live broadcasting for all substantive appeal cases in the CFA, except for cases where protection of the interests of children or mentally disabled adults, privacy, trade secrets or commercial confidentiality is required.

Proceedings related to national security, high-profile public order cases, and highly politically charged cases will also be exceptions.

The Judiciary explained that these exceptions are intended to preserve judicial decorum, prevent excessive pressure on litigants and lawyers, and safeguard the fair and proper administration of justice.

Where such exceptions apply, people may still attend the hearings in person, unless otherwise directed by the CFA.

Members of the public, including the media, must not record live webcasts or use live broadcast footage for any purpose.

After each live webcast ends, video of the court proceedings will be uploaded to and kept on the CFA website for one month.

The Judiciary conducted four trial runs, featuring live broadcasts of court proceedings in four selected CFA cases, last year, in order to test the technical, logistical and operational arrangements. 

Under the pilot scheme, the live broadcasts will be conducted on the Judiciary’s in-house platform, replacing the outsourcing arrangements used in the four trial runs. The Judiciary said this approach will ensure the most cost-effective use of public resources.

Upon completion of the pilot scheme, the Judiciary will review and consider long-term arrangements for live broadcasting of court proceedings.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

​​Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung today officiated at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC) new headquarters and training centre located at Shiu Fai Terrace in Wan Chai, marking a new chapter in the corps’ development.

Speaking at the event, Mr Tang noted that the domestically developed C919 passenger aircraft began regular flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai in January this year, and that last month’s Budget highlighted the support for the C919 to enter the international market.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s first aircraft components handling and trading centre, indicating promising prospects for the future of the city’s aviation industry and an increasing demand for talent.

The security chief said the new headquarters will provide a perfect place for members to explore their aviation dreams, and encouraged them to equip themselves to contribute to the aviation industry of Hong Kong and the nation.

The new headquarters is equipped with flight simulators, virtual reality equipment and drill practice areas, giving members various learning and training opportunities to enhance their aviation knowledge, positive thinking, discipline and team spirit.

It also features a national education exhibition, showcasing the country’s achievements and developments to strengthen young people’s national identity and sense of pride.

During the ceremony, corps members performed a flag-raising ceremony and a Chinese-style drill demonstration, followed by a review conducted by Mr Tang. The guests enjoyed a performance by the HKACC band before touring the main facilities at the new headquarters.

On April 1, 2024, the Government Flying Service incorporated the HKACC as a department-funded youth uniformed group, further enhancing support for the corps in order to promote youth development and train more talent for Hong Kong’s aviation industry.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan today said the Department of Justice is studying a Court of Final Appeal (CFA) judgment with a view to finding ways to further improve the enforcement mechanism of national security in Hong Kong.

Mr Cheung made the remarks after attending a radio programme this morning, where he addressed media questions about the CFA judgment concerning a case involving three former members of a disbanded group who did not comply with Police’s request for information.

“We are carefully studying the judgment handed down by the Court of Final Appeal. We will see how the judgment can further improve the law enforcement mechanism of national security in Hong Kong, but I will say that the judgment and the case law will contribute significantly to the development of jurisprudence of the national security related law in Hong Kong.”

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Civil Aid Service (CAS) today expressed deep sorrow over the passing of a 57-year-old member who fell unconscious after completing a fitness assessment at the CAS headquarters in Yau Ma Tei last night and later died in hospital.

The man joined the CAS in 1986 and was a Grade III member.

The CAS extended its deepest condolences to his family and will provide appropriate assistance to them.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Security Bureau today said the last of six Hong Kong residents lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work and rescued following Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung’s participation in the operation in Thailand, arrived in Hong Kong this morning.

Mr Tang departed for Thailand earlier to participate in the co-ordination and rescue operation of Hong Kong detainees in Myanmar. Six people were rescued and five of them returned home yesterday.

The final rescued citizen stayed in Thailand yesterday to assist in the Thai Police investigation as a witness for the case of people being lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work.

A member of the bureau’s dedicated task force also stayed in Thailand to accompany and assist the rescued Hong Kong resident. They returned home in the small hours of today.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) today said it expects about five to eight tropical cyclones will likely hit Hong Kong during the year, which is in the normal to above normal range.

Presenting the city’s weather outlook at a press briefing, HKO Director Chan Pak-wai said the tropical cyclone season is expected to start in June or earlier and cease in October or later.

The annual mean temperature in Hong Kong is expected to be above normal this year, while the annual rainfall is expected to be near normal, ranging from 2,100mm to 2,700mm. However, Mr Chan stressed that Hong Kong may still be affected by heavy rain and advised the public to be prepared for the rain and tropical cyclone seasons.

Mr Chan also highlighted the ongoing improvements to the HKO’s various services, noting that with the rainy season approaching, the HKO will enhance its radar and satellite imagery services to allow the public to better grasp the rainfall situation in the lower atmosphere.

The department also plans to add graphical rainfall information for various districts in the next couple of months.

From the second half of this year, the HKO will, on a trial basis, attach videos featuring its forecasters explaining future weather changes on camera, to some of its Weather Notes articles.

There are also plans to add more computer model forecast products, including the forecasting of chances of thunderstorms, onto the “Earth Weather” webpage this year, to provide people with a comprehensive understanding of weather changes.

Separately, the HKO will hold open days on March 22 and 23 to showcase its work. Apart from joining the event in person with a valid ticket, members of the public can take a virtual tour on a dedicated webpage due to be launched on March 22.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be published in the Gazette on Friday, seeking to enhance Hong Kong’s buildings energy efficiency management regime and lessen the financial burden on the public.

The Environment & Ecology Bureau noted that the proposed amendments aim to achieve a win-win scenario of saving electricity costs for buildings, reducing carbon emissions and boosting the development of a green economy.

The amendment bill contains five parts – regulating the energy efficiency standards of building services installations for all data centres in Hong Kong; requiring more types of buildings to conduct regular energy audits; shortening the intervals of energy audits; disclosing certain technical information in energy audit reports; and including more qualifications eligible for registration as Registered Energy Assessors.

The bureau said if the amendment bill is passed by the Legislative Council and implemented in full, it is estimated that an additional 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 150,000 three-person households, could be saved in 2035.

The amendment bill will be introduced into LegCo for first reading and the commencement of second reading debate on March 26.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Six projects have been approved in the new application round of the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, involving a total grant of around $51 million, the Government announced today.

The newly approved projects cover diversified ecological and cultural conservation work in remote countryside areas such as Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam, Kap Tong, Kuk Po, Kat O and Deep Bay wetlands.

They involve the adoption of ecologically friendly means to conduct farming and fishpond habitat management to revitalise farmland and fish ponds, and increase their ecological value.

The approved projects also include the revitalisation of traditional Hakka culture, showcasing unique and precious cultural assets in the countryside, enhancing travellers’ ecotour experience, as well as increasing public awareness of conserving natural ecology and cultural and historic assets.

So far, a total of 56 projects involving a subsidy of more than $325 million have been approved under the 10 application rounds.