Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A new batch of 18 strategic enterprises, in the presence of Financial Secretary Paul Chan, committed to establishing global headquarters, regional headquarters or research and development centres in Hong Kong during a ceremony today held by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES).

These firms come from high-tech industries such as advanced manufacturing and new energy technology, artificial intelligence and data science, fintech, and life and health technology.

In his speech, Mr Chan said that Hong Kong treasures not only the investments, jobs and expertise that the strategic enterprises bring to the city, but also their products and solutions that will transform people’s way of life and inspire new innovation.

Their presence supports Hong Kong’s vision of becoming an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, he stressed.

“Amid rising tides of unilateralism and protectionism, Hong Kong remains steadfast in our commitment to upholding our free-port status and free trade policy; ensuring the free flow of capital, goods, information and people; maintaining our simple and low tax system; and building a dynamic and vibrant I&T ecosystem with a full range of funding support.

“Coupled with the best connectivity and seamless access to the Mainland and Asia markets, here is the best launch pad for realising your ambition.”

The Financial Secretary added that going forward, OASES will broaden its scope to attract cultural and creative enterprises that can fuse I&T with artistry. He also remarked that through Hong Kong’s platform, these firms can expand their businesses to various new markets.

Together with the 66 companies previously attracted to the city, the strategic enterprises will invest about $50 billion in total in the years to come, creating over 20,000 jobs. OASES, in collaboration with government departments, provides them with comprehensive services to facilitate their business set-up and operations, thereby promoting growth in the I&T sector and contributing to Hong Kong’s economic development.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan and Shenzhen Vice Mayor Zhang Hua, and leading officials from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government respectively, held the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection meeting in Hong Kong today.

Highlighting that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China announced a resolution on “building a beautiful China”, Mr Tse said: “As part of our country and the Greater Bay Area, the Hong Kong SAR Government will definitely work hand in hand with Shenzhen in this direction to make positive contributions to ecological civilization construction.”

Presenting Hong Kong’s work progress on environmental protection, the Environment & Ecology Bureau said that eight more hectares of landfill were restored and greened in the North East New Territories Landfill last year, and the number of odour complaints dropped by more than 90% compared to the peak period.

In terms of water quality improvement, the total phosphorus level in the Shenzhen River in 2024 reached the national surface water quality Class III standard.

As for marine ecological protection, the Hong Kong SAR Government has established a number of marine parks in recent years, increasing the area of protected sea areas from 3,400 hectares to more than 8,500 hectares. It also subsidised local universities to conduct research on various coral restoration technologies.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR Government has been working hard to expand the city’s community recycling network as well as strengthen waste reduction and recycling measures. To maximise the utilisation of recyclables, it actively assists the industry in developing local resource recycling facilities.

Furthermore, Hong Kong vigorously promotes discussions with major Greater Bay Area cities on the construction of a “Zero Waste Bay Area” and regional recycling.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A symposium on safeguarding national security for Hong Kong’s social welfare sector, jointly organised by the Labour & Welfare Bureau, the Social Welfare Department and Connecting Hearts, was held today.

 

Officiated by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, the symposium attracted over 8,000 participants from the local social welfare sector who took part both online and offline.

 

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun and Director-General of the Social Work Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Liu Songlin also attended the symposium.

 

While addressing the forum, Mr Chan highlighted that the Government has achieved fruitful results in safeguarding national security and promoting patriotic education over the past year or so.

 

Such achievements include the completion of the legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law that ensures the smooth implementation of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance as well as the amendments to the Social Workers Registration Ordinance which foster a better environment for social welfare professionals to leverage their expertise.

 

Mr Chan said that the social welfare sector is charged with the important and long-term responsibilities in serving the community and caring for the public. It is also their mission and duty to safeguard national security.

 

He urged the sector to continue collaborating with the Government to sustain efforts in safeguarding national security, thereby ensuring the healthy development of welfare services in Hong Kong and enhanced safeguards for public well-being.

 

A sharing session was held at the symposium where Mr Sun was joined by representatives from the social welfare sector, including professors from education institutions, management of social welfare organisations and professional social workers, to explore how the sector can fulfil its responsibility of safeguarding national security and promote patriotic education.

 

Mr Sun said that the Labour & Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department have been working closely with social welfare organisations in the previous year to promote national security education within the sector through organising symposiums, seminars and visits with a view to enhancing the sector’s understanding of national affairs.

 

He added that a dedicated fund of $500 million was rolled out last year, in which $100 million was allocated to non-governmental organisations operating subvented welfare services to arrange Mainland exchange tours and national studies programmes for their staff.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Business of Innovation & Technology Week (BIT Week) will make a grand return in April, the Innovation, Technology & Industry Bureau announced today.

Mega innovation and technology (I&T) events include InnoEX, the Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference, and the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit.

The third edition of InnoEX will take place from April 13 to 16 at the Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), bringing together I&T elites, enterprises and buyers from the Mainland and overseas to promote I&T advancements.

It will showcase cutting-edge technology solutions across five key areas of low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cybersecurity and smart mobility.

The event’s highlight is a Hong Kong pavilion set up by the Digital Policy Office to exhibit over 100 I&T solutions, including those developed by government departments concerning citizens’ daily lives as well as award-winning projects by local innovators and students.

The second Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and the Xiangjiang Nobel Forum 2025 will take place concurrently at the HKCEC, assembling top-notch I&T talent and renowned scientists including laureates of the Nobel Prize and Turing Award in the city.

Through keynote speeches, roundtable forums and other formats, the conference participants will tap into global wisdom on cutting-edge topics in big data, AI, biotechnology, new materials and large models. 

The World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit will happen on April 14 and 15 at the HKCEC, focusing on discussions in large AI models, digital finance, and digital government and smart life.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Sun Dong said that BIT Week will bring together I&T elites from 29 countries and regions and over 2,800 exhibitors, adding that Hong Kong’s I&T strengths will be showcased via a series of exhibitions, forums, seminars, business networking, and talent matching.

Other industry events during BIT Week include the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition), Smart Lighting Expo, and the Hong Kong Web3 Festival, the bureau said.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chief Executive in Council today authorised the Northern Link (NOL) Main Line railway scheme, in accordance with the Railways Ordinance.

The Government outlined that the NOL Main Line will become the main transportation backbone of the Northern Metropolis, unleashing the development potential of land along it. It will also connect the existing Tuen Ma Line and the East Rail Line, forming a railway loop that links up the New Territories and the Kowloon urban area, thereby substantially improving the existing railway network.

When the NOL Main Line comes into operation, the expected travel time between Kam Sheung Road Station and Kwu Tung Station is expected to be substantially reduced from the current 60 to 80 minutes during peak hours to about 12 minutes.

The Government and the MTR Corporation (MTRC) have to date collected public views on the NOL Main Line project through various channels. This includes consulting the North District Council and the Yuen Long District Council, holding discussions with relevant rural committees and stakeholders, and organising various publicity activities in the community. The public is generally supportive of the NOL Main Line project.

The original plan for the NOL Main Line was published in the Government Gazette on October 6, 2023, with two subsequent amendments being made. The first amendment and a correction to the scheme were published on May 3 last year, and the second amendment was published on August 30.

The Government noted that all objections not subsequently withdrawn have been submitted to the Executive Council for consideration.

It added that during implementation of the NOL Main Line project, the MTRC will continue to maintain close communication with relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the MTRC is also required to comply with the conditions stipulated in the environmental permit issued by the Director of Environmental Protection.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chief Executive-in-Council today gave consent to Hong Kong Tramways (HKT) to alter its fares starting May 12, when passengers aged 12 or above will pay $3.3 for a tram ride, up $0.3 from the current $3.

Child fares will increase from $1.5 to $1.6, while for people aged 65 or above tickets will go up from $1.3 to $1.5.

The Government said it took into account various factors when assessing the fare increase application, such as the service quality and quantity, HKT’s planned improvement projects, changes in operating costs and revenue since its last fare adjustment, and the likely public acceptability etc.

Under the current fare adjustment, the $260 monthly ticket will remain unchanged so as to alleviate the impact on passengers who travel by tram for their daily commute.  

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Since the previous fare adjustment in July 2022, HKT has been facing competition from other modes of public transport.

Meanwhile, tram service patronage has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and the potential to further increase non-fare box revenue, currently accounting for about 50% of HKT’s total revenue, is rather limited.

Moreover, operating costs and staff costs have been rising continuously, and the company will continue to invest in improvement projects, including the renewal of tram tracks and upgrading tram cars to provide more stable rides, as well as safer and more comfortable journeys.

Having considered all relevant factors, the Government considered the fare increase necessary for maintaining HKT’s stable operation and that the proposed increase level is acceptable.

After the fare increase, the tramway remains the most economical means of transport serving the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, the Government added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of India

Government of India Procures 100 Lakh Bales of Cotton Under MSP Operations through its Nodal Agency

38% of total cotton arrivals procured under MSP operations up to March 31, 2025

Rs 37,450 crore paid to cotton farmers

Telangana leads with 40 lakh bales, followed by Maharashtra WITH 30 lakh bales and Gujarat WITH 14.02 lakh bales

508 procurement centers operational

Direct Aadhaar-linked payments and digital tracking through the Cott-Ally mobile app

Posted On: 08 APR 2025 3:27PM by PIB Delhi

In current cotton season 2024-25, up to March 31, 2025, Government of India, through its nodal agency, the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. (CCI) under Ministry of Textiles has successfully procured 525 lakh quintals of seed cotton, equivalent to 100 lakh bales, under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations. This procurement accounts for 38% of the total cotton arrivals of 263 lakh bales and 34% of the estimated total cotton production of 294.25 lakh bales in the country.

Among the states, Telangana has recorded the highest procurement at 40 lakh bales, followed by Maharashtra with 30 lakh bales and Gujarat with 14 lakh bales. Other states with significant procurement include Karnataka (5 lakh bales), Madhya Pradesh (4 lakh bales), Andhra Pradesh (4 lakh bales), and Odisha (2 lakh bales). Procurement in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab stands at 1.15 lakh bales.  In total, Rs.37,450 crore has been paid to approximately 21 lakh cotton farmers across all  cotton producing states.

The MSP mechanism continues to provide remunerative prices to cotton farmers, protecting them from distress sales when market prices fall below the MSP. To facilitate efficient procurement, CCI has opened 508 procurement centers nationwide. Several digital initiatives have been implemented, including on-spot Aadhaar authentication, SMS notifications for payments and 100% direct payments through the National Automated Clearing House (NACH).   The Cott-Ally mobile app, available in nine regional languages, enables farmers to access real-time information on MSP rates, procurement centers, and payment tracking.   Further, all cotton bales produced by CCI are traceable via QR codes, by using Block-chain technology to ensure transparency and accountability.

Government of India remains committed to safeguard interests of cotton farmers through a fair, transparent and efficient procurement process.

***

Dhanya Sanal K, IIS

Director

(Release ID: 2120025) Visitor Counter : 46

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region