Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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LCQ9: Combating animal cruelty

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kwok-fan and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
 
Question:
 
     The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) has not been updated since its amendment in 2018. The Government proposed in 2019 to amend the Ordinance to step up efforts to combat animal cruelty, but the specific bill has not yet been introduced into this Council to date for scrutiny. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 26 this year that it would complete the law drafting work as soon as possible after collating the views of the stakeholders concerned and introduce the proposed legislative amendments into this Council, of the specific timetable of the relevant work and the direction of the legislative amendments; whether it has encountered difficulties in the course of preparing for the legislative amendments; if so, of the details;
 
(2) as it is learnt that the community generally considers that the penalties for offences of cruelty to animals under the existing legislation (with the maximum penalty being a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years) fail to reflect the seriousness of some cases (such as cruelty resulting in death and organised cruelty) and to pose sufficient deterrent effect, whether the Government will consider substantially raising the maximum penalty, for example, by increasing the maximum fine to $2,000,000, and raising the maximum term of imprisonment to seven years, so as to satisfy the principle of proportionality;
 
(3) as the Government has indicated that it will study the introduction of the concept of “Duty of Care” in Cap. 169 mandating persons responsible for animals to take proper care of the welfare of animals, but it is learnt that the community has rather strong and diversified views in this regard, whether the authorities will amend Cap. 169 in phases by raising the maximum penalty in the first place, followed by amendments and enhancements to the Ordinance as appropriate and necessary at the next phase;
 
(4) as there are views that the existing evidential threshold in Cap. 169 is too high, for example, requiring law enforcement agencies to prove that the perpetrator has the intent of “deliberately causing cruelty to animals” in order to secure a conviction, resulting in a large number of cases not proceeding to judicial proceedings due to insufficient evidence, whether the authorities will draw up dedicated prosecution guidelines so as to lower the evidential threshold and boost the conviction rate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(5) apart from amending the existing legislation, of the details of the Government’s other specific work in preventing cruelty to animals; whether the authorities will enhance public awareness of animal protection through publicity and educational efforts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government adopts a multi-pronged approach to curb acts of cruelty to animals. This includes exploring raising penalties for offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) (the Ordinance) to enhance deterrent effect, taking stringent enforcement actions against illegal acts, and continuing to enhance relevant public awareness through education and promotion activities.
 
     Having consulted the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, the reply to the question from the Hon Lau Kwok-fan is as follows:
 
(1) and (3) The Government has been studying amendments to the Ordinance. The directions being explored in the legislative amendment include imposing a positive “Duty of Care” on persons responsible for animals, requiring them to take proper care of the welfare of animals (including diet, environment, health, and behaviour); raising penalties for animal cruelty offences; and enhancing enforcement power, etc. In preparing the bill, it is necessary to consult the relevant stakeholders again on some of the proposals. After collating the views, we will finalise the legislative amendment proposals, implementation arrangement, and law drafting work promptly. Once the work is completed, we will consult the Legislative Council on the proposal.
 
(2) Currently, any person who does or omits doing any act and causes unnecessary suffering to an animal, may constitute an offence for animal cruelty. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years.
 
     The Government is studying raises to the penalties for animal cruelty offences to reflect more clearly the gravity of the offence, and to introduce an indictable offence to allow enforcement officers more time to instigate prosecution on complex or serious cruelty cases, in order to further enhance deterrent effect. In finalising the proposal on penalty, the Government will make reference to overseas experience, local penalties for relevant criminal offences, and views of stakeholders, etc.
 
(4) The existing offences under the Ordinance cover different forms of cruelty to animals, including causes any unnecessary suffering to an animal by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act; neglects to supply animal in confinement with sufficient food and sufficient fresh water; conveys an animal in such a manner as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, etc. The Ordinance provides that an owner shall be deemed to have permitted cruelty if he shall have failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of the protection of the animal therefrom, proof of intention to cause cruelty to animals is not required.
 
     In making a decision of whether or not to prosecute in each case, the relevant departments make an objective and professional assessment of the available evidence and applicable law, and strictly act in accordance with the Prosecution Code issued by the Department of Justice. The current practice has worked well and we consider it not necessary to formulate a specific prosecution guideline.
 
     On the other hand, according to the information of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), over 90 per cent of the reports were found to be not related to animal cruelty after investigation, but nuisance or other situations, such as frequent noise from animals or odour from the premises where the animals were kept, and this misled the reporters into thinking that the animals suffered from acts of cruelty.
 
(5) The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the AFCD and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) jointly implement the Animal Watch Scheme to proactively prevent and detect suspected cases of animal cruelty through multi-agency collaboration. The HKPF would also invite the AFCD and the SPCA officers to provide professional advice at the scene of an animal cruelty case and assist thereafter where necessary.
 
     On publicity and education, through various channels including the Animal Watchers Programme, the “Be a Responsible Pet Owner” thematic website and roving exhibitions, the HKPF and the AFCD are respectively promoting the message of preventing cruelty to animals at the community level and online platforms; encouraging the public to report cases timely and to provide information that aids investigations; as well as raising public awareness of animal welfare.
 
     The AFCD has also launched a series of “Duty of Care” publicity programmes, including the production of posts on social media platforms to share information on how to take proper care of animals, and the recent launch of the “Animal Welfare Project: The Adventures of Meow” promotional video, which aims to educate the public on the content and importance of “Duty of Care” in an interesting manner.

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LCQ17: Efforts in promoting waste reduction and recycling

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
 
     According to a paper submitted by the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department to the Panel on Environmental Affairs and the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of this Council in December last year on the latest progress and achievements of the efforts in promoting waste reduction and recycling, the authorities were conducting a study on how to enhance the municipal solid waste (MSW) charging scheme, and would continuously monitor and assess public views and participation in waste reduction and recycling. It is expected that they will report to members again in the middle of this year on the relevant work progress and the Government’s views on implementing MSW charging. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the specific measures currently put in place by the Government to enhance MSW charging scheme; of the expected time for implementing MSW charging;
 
(2) how the Government assesses the level of public participation in the process of promoting waste reduction and recycling, and of the factors affecting such participation;
 
(3) how the Government plans to increase the number of Food Waste Recycling Spots, and of the specific timetable; and
 
(4) as regards the implementation of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons, of the challenges the Government expects to face; how it ensures that the implementation of the scheme can balance the interests of various parties?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Although the Government announced the suspension of the implementation of municipal solid waste (MSW) charging scheme, our determination to reduce MSW has never wavered. The reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is continuously enhancing the community recycling network and strengthening public education to promote a green waste reduction and recycling culture in our society. We will assess public participation in waste reduction and recycling based on data such as the usage of public collection facilities, the amount of recyclables collected, and the total quantity of MSW disposed of at landfills. In this regard, the latest figures show that the number of visits to GREEN@COMMUNITY (G@C) in 2024 surged to approximately 12.7 million, representing an increase of about 80 per cent compared to that of 2023, while the quantity of recyclables collected (by weight) rose by nearly 60 per cent year-on-year. We have also successfully reversed the rising trend of waste disposal. Since 2021, the daily average quantity of MSW disposed of at landfills has decreased for three consecutive years from 11 358 tonnes per day in 2021 to 10 510 tonnes per day in 2024, representing a 3.4 per cent decrease from 2023 and a 7.5 per cent decrease from 2021. 
 
     Convenient community recycling facilities and continuous public education are crucial in promoting and encouraging public participation in waste reduction and recycling. As revealed by the abovementioned figures, with the gradual enhancement of the community recycling network, public participation in waste reduction and recycling has risen continuously. To this end, the EPD has substantially increased the number of public collection points under G@C to over 800 in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, we are promoting the Waste Reduction and Recycling Charter (the Charter) to encourage private residential premises to set up convenient waste separation and recycling facilities, and to strengthen education and encourage residents to practise waste reduction at source and clean recycling. As of the end of February 2025, a total of 826 private residential premises have signed the Charter, accounting for approximately 40 per cent of the total number of households in private residential buildings with property management companies/owners’ corporations/residents’ organisations in Hong Kong and covering around 700 000 households.
 
     On the other hand, through the outreaching services of the Green Outreach, the EPD has strengthened the publicity and education as well as the community support for waste reduction and recycling. In 2025-26, the Green Outreach will focus on territory-wide or district-based waste reduction and recycling publicity programmes, including “We-recycle@School” and Programme on Source Separation of Waste. The Green Outreach will also make more use of mass media platforms such as social media and the Internet to carry out publicity and promotional activities, and strengthen collaborations with G@C operators, local groups, non-governmental organisations, etc. to promote a green waste reduction and recycling culture to the public. Besides, the EPD launched the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme (GREEN$ ePIS) in 2020. Through providing incentives, it has successfully motivated many members of the public to participate in waste separation and recycling. The EPD has further expanded the electronic redemption options since February 2024, allowing members of the public to convert their GREEN$ points into a more diverse range of electronic rewards, including free MTR tickets, local eco-tours and supermarket items, thereby integrating waste reduction and recycling habits into their daily lives. As of the end of February 2025, the number of user accounts of GREEN$ ePIS has reached over one million.
 
     The total quantity of MSW disposed of at landfills has begun to decline steadily, and the recovery rate has risen. These results demonstrate that the public is actively participating in waste reduction and recycling, and that the community starts to build up a green waste reduction and recycling culture. Taking on the current positive momentum, we will continue to strengthen waste reduction and recycling initiatives, along with publicity and education, so as to encourage more public participation. At the same time, the Government is reviewing the MSW charging scheme. During the process, we will engage with relevant stakeholders, such as representatives from the property management, food and beverage, and cleaning sectors, to continuously and comprehensively evaluate public sentiments and the level of public participation in waste reduction and recycling. The Government will report on the work progress in promoting waste reduction and recycling and present the way forward of MSW charging scheme to the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Environmental Affairs in mid-2025 as planned.
 
(3) As at the end of 2024, the EPD installed around 1 200 food waste smart recycling bins (FWSRBs) in residential buildings across the territory, and will increase the number of FWSRBs or food waste collection facilities in residential premises to around 1 600 in 2025. The EPD will also progressively install additional FWSRBs in public rental housing estates with higher usage rates, with a view to achieving the “one FWSRB per block” target. For premises without sufficient space to install food waste recycling bins (e.g. single-block residential buildings and “three-nil” buildings), the EPD has set up approximately 200 fixed or mobile Public Food Waste Recycling Points, of which 76 are Food Waste Recycling Spots operating as night-time kerbside booths at fixed times and locations for the convenience of small business operators and nearby residents. To expand the service coverage, the EPD is preparing to increase the number of Food Waste Recycling Spots gradually to around 100 in 2025, with priority given to more densely populated districts where fixed food waste collection points have yet to be set up. By taking forward various initiatives, the overall quantity of food waste recovered is expected to increase progressively from an average of about 280 tonnes per day in 2024 to about 350 tonnes per day in 2025, representing an increase of nearly 30 per cent.
 
(4) The Government plans to introduce an amendment bill to the LegCo in April this year to establish a common legislative framework for the producer responsibility schemes (PRSs) applicable to different products. After the passage of the bill, we will extend PRSs to more products (including plastic beverage containers, beverage cartons, electric vehicle batteries, vehicle tyres and lead-acid batteries) as and when appropriate by means of subsidiary legislation. The Government continues the ongoing discussion with the trades about the implementation details and their readiness. Only if the trades are ready shall we consult the LegCo on various PRSs (including the PRS on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons) and gradually implement them in light of the prevailing circumstances.
 
     We will maintain close communication with the trades and consider their views when fine-tuning the operational details of the schemes as appropriate, with a view to alleviating the compliance costs of the trades, setting appropriate recycling targets, assisting the trades in establishing recycling networks, and considering the provision of exemptions as appropriate, etc. In addition, we will provide sufficient preparatory and adaptation periods as well as strengthen publicity and education for members of the public, so as to ensure the smooth implementation of various PRSs in the future.

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TD urges public to plan their cross-boundary trips in advance during long weekend of Ching Ming Festival holiday

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

TD urges public to plan their cross-boundary trips in advance during long weekend of Ching Ming Festival holiday 
For public transport services, the TD has liaised with local and cross-boundary public transport services operators to strengthen their services during the long weekend. The waiting time for public transport services, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus (Gold Bus), may be longer. Passengers are encouraged to make their journeys during non-peak hours, observe order and heed advice from on-site Police and staff of the public transport service operators concerned. Passengers of cross-boundary coaches are also advised to reserve their coach tickets in advance.
 
Motorists are advised that, subject to actual traffic conditions, special traffic arrangements may be implemented at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Port from April 4 to 6 to allow smooth access of public transport vehicles to the above control points. Cross-boundary private cars may need to queue up for crossing the BCPs. Motorists should pay extra attention to variable message signs and traffic signs along the road. They are also advised to be patient in case of traffic congestion and follow the instructions of on-site Police.

For the HZMB, in order to plan their journey ahead, the public can make use of the TD’s HKeMobility mobile application to access snapshots of traffic conditions at inbound and outbound vehicle plazas of the Hong Kong Port. They can also check real-time situations of the vehicle clearance plaza of the Zhuhai port through the WeChat official accounts “hzmbzhport” or “zhuhaifabu” (traffic-info.gzazhka.com:5015/#/ 
The TD’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will continue to operate 24 hours to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services of different districts including various BCPs and major stations. The TD will disseminate the latest traffic information through various channels. Members of the public are advised to check the latest traffic news through radio, television broadcasts, and HKeMobility.
Issued at HKT 12:00

NNNN

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LCQ8: Government tunnels and trunk roads

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Siu-hung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):

Question:
(1) The average traffic flow, peak-hour traffic flow and its ratio to the daily traffic flow for government-tolled tunnels in 2024 are set out at Annex 1.   
The projected revenue and expenditure of government tunnels in 2025-26 are at Annex 4. ???
The TD is conducting a review of tunnel tolls. We plan to complete the review within this year and consult the Panel on Transport of the Legislative Council.

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LCQ13: Development of Hong Kong athletes in Mainland

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
 
Question:
 
It has been reported that Hong Kong athletes have all along been unable to be certified for acquiring the technical grade titles awarded to Mainland athletes because of their status as Hong Kong citizens, even though they won championships in sports competitions held in the Mainland. In view of this, the Administrative Measures for Technical Grades of Athletes (the Administrative Measures) was promulgated by our country in March last year to point out clearly that athletes from Hong Kong, the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) and Taiwan may be awarded technical grade titles when they participate in national competitions and provincial competitions. The Administrative Measures have been implemented since January 1 this year to ensure that Hong Kong athletes and Mainland athletes are entitled to the same treatment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of Hong Kong athletes pursuing development in the Mainland, with a tabulated breakdown by province;
 
(2) whether it knows the specific process through which Hong Kong athletes pursuing development in the Mainland are certified for acquiring the technical grade titles awarded to Mainland athletes; whether the process is handled by the General Administration of Sport of China in a centralised manner, or there is a designated organisation in Hong Kong which is responsible for handling the relevant certification for them; if there is such a designated organisation, of the organisation;
 
(3) as the Administrative Measures point out that prior consent should be obtained from the relevant National Sports Associations (NSAs) in Hong Kong and Macao SAR for awarding technical grade titles to their registered athletes, whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of athletes registered with NSAs in Hong Kong who are awarded the Mainland athletes’ technical grade titles upon obtaining consents from their relevant NSAs; whether there are cases in which NSAs did not give consents for their athletes to acquire the Mainland athletes’ technical grade titles; if so, of the details;
 
(4) whether it knows the mechanism for Hong Kong athletes pursuing development in the Mainland without registration with the relevant NSAs in Hong Kong who are eligible to be certified under the standards for technical grades of athletes to obtain certification for acquiring the technical grade titles awarded to Mainland athletes; and
 
(5) to facilitate the professional development of Hong Kong athletes in the Mainland, whether the Government will set a timetable for regular review of the existing process through which Hong Kong athletes are certified for acquiring the Mainland athletes’ technical grade titles, and streamline the relevant procedures in a timely manner?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
My consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Stanley Ng is as follows:
 
The General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) promulgated the “the Administrative Measures for Technical Grades of Athletes” (the Administrative Measures) in 2014 to award athletes with different technical grade titles after attaining specific results in competitions. In order of priority, the technical grade titles are namely International Elite Athlete, Elite Athlete, Grade One Athlete, Grade Two Athlete and Grade Three Athlete.
 
To promote the integration of Hong Kong into national development, the GASC promulgated the “Notice by the General Office of GASC on the Work of Awarding the Technical Grade Titles to Athletes from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao SAR and Taiwan” in 2021, which explicitly indicated that it accepts Hong Kong athletes’ applications for award of the technical grade titles. For Hong Kong athletes who wish to be awarded the technical grade titles, they are required to submit written applications. In addition to submitting proof of results, the applications should be endorsed by the relevant National Sports Associations (NSAs) to which they belong.  
 
Subsequently, having communicated with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and the sports sector to understand the situation, the GASC has revised the the Administrative Measures to simplify the application procedures. The GASC promulgated the amended Administrative Measures on March 14, 2024.
 
Article 15 of the amended Administrative Measures specifies that Hong Kong athletes can be awarded the technical grade titles directly according to their results in national and provincial competitions, without having to submit written applications. The awarding body (e.g. the relevant sports centres or associations) may publicise the proposed technical grade titles directly based on the competition results for a period of five working days. The athletes will be awarded the respective technical grade titles if there is no objection within the period.
 
The amended Administrative Measures also indicate that for Hong Kong athletes who are registered with specific NSAs, they should obtain endorsement from the relevant NSAs before participating in competitions (i.e. providing a letter of consent from the relevant NSAs when participating in the competitions). In that way, the athletes can be awarded the technical grade titles based on their competition results after the public announcement period. Hong Kong athletes who are not registered with specific NSAs are not required to seek endorsement from relevant NSAs before they are awarded the technical grade titles. The amended Administrative Measures have come into effect from January 1, 2025.
 
The CSTB does not have the relevant information about the number of Hong Kong athletes currently developing in the Mainland, the number of NSA-registered Hong Kong athletes who have been awarded the technical grade titles with endorsement of the relevant NSAs, and the cases not being endorsed by the relevant NSAs.
 
The Hong Kong SAR Government encourages and supports Hong Kong athletes and NSAs to enhance exchange and co-operation with athletes and associations of various sports from different provinces and cities in the Mainland. The amended Administrative Measures, which came into effect on January 1, 2025, facilitate the award of the technical grade titles to Hong Kong athletes. The amended Administrative Measures also promote development opportunities of Hong Kong athletes in the Mainland, and enhance the integrated development of Hong Kong and the Mainland. The CSTB will continue to maintain communication with the GASC on the relevant arrangements.

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Finalists for WAVES Comics Creator Championship & WAVES Awards of Excellence Announced

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 APR 2025 7:37PM by PIB Mumbai

Mumbai/Bhopal, 1 April 2025

 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, in collaboration with Indian Comics Association (ICA) and ASIFA India, has announced the finalists for two prestigious competitions under the WAVES Create in India Challenge—the WAVES Comics Creator Championship and the WAVES Awards of Excellence.

The competitions have attracted participation from across India and internationally, highlighting the country’s potential as a global hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. The winners will be announced at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 1-4, 2025.

Additional Director General, PIB, Bhopal, Shri Prashant Pathrabe said that, WAVES is an important event that provides a global platform for professional entrepreneurs, investors, producers and innovators to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute in the entertainment sector.

   

Photo caption : Shri Prashant Pathrabe, Additional Director General, PIB Bhopal addressing the ceremony of announcement of finalists of Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence

 

WAVES Comics Creator Championship:

Indian Comics Association (ICA) President Ajitesh Sharma stated that ICA has selected 10 teams for the final round and that the candidates for the final round were selected based on their creative story, artistic skills and overall impact.

Photo caption: Shri Ajitesh Sharma, President, Indian Comics Association addressing the Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence finalists announcement ceremony.

The finalists for the Comics Creator Championship are as follows:

Finalists – Professional Category:

1. Mohit Sharma (Meerut) – Ayush Kumar (Delhi)

2. Aparna Chaurasia (Chhatarpur)

3. Bijoy Raveendran (Delhi) – Tadam Gyadu (Delhi)

4. Puneet Shukla (Gorakhpur) – Piyush Kumar (Ranchi)

5. Tejas Janardhan Kamble (Mumbai)

Finalists – Amateur Category:

1. Suvojit Pal (Howrah) – Vivek Pradhan (Raipur)

2. Vindhyarsh Mishra (Bareilly)

3. Rohit Shukla (Chennai) – Shivangi Shaily (Indore)

4. Ritesh Patra (Kolkata)

5. Randeep Singh (Kendrapara)

Jury Panel for Comics Creator Championship

The five-member jury to evaluate the competition entries included: Dilip Kadam – Renowned comic artist and illustrator; Nikhil Pran – Acclaimed comic creator and son of Pran Kumar Sharma; Jajil Homaveer – Creator of the web manga The Beast Legion; Sanjay Gupta – Founder of Raj Comics; Preeti Vyas – President & CEO of Amar Chitra Katha. The jury panel will now select the winners by evaluating the Semi-Finalists’ entries. The selected 10 Finalists will then compete at the Mumbai Waves Event from 1-4 May 2025.The final competition will take place at WAVES 2025 in Mumbai, where the best talents in Indian comics will be recognized on an international stage.

ASIFA announces Waves’ Awards of Excellence

The WAVES Awards of Excellence, organized by ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) India under the Create in India Challenge, has received 1,331 entries from 28 Indian states and 13 countries.

Shri Sanjay Khimesara, President, ASIFA India addressing the Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence finalists announcement ceremony.

Jury for WAVES Awards of Excellence

The evaluation process for the WAVES Awards of Excellence was led by an esteemed five-member international jury, ensuring global standards in selection: Dr. Anastasia Dimitra (Greece) – VP, ASIFA International & Animation Educator; Briana Yarhouse (USA) – Director, Awards of Excellence & Professor; Pramita Mukherjee (USA) – Sr. Creature FX Developer, DreamWorks; Dhimant Vyas (India) – Professor of Practice, IDC School of Design; B.N. Vichar (India) – Art Director, Technicolor Games

The winning entries will receive mentorship, global exposure, and networking opportunities with industry leaders.

 

Final Nominations-Professionals

1

Patrick

Smith

ASIFA24102

Onward Ye Costumed Souls

USA

2

Fabian

Driehorst

ASIFA24142

Little Fan

Germany

3

Yingyan Chen

Linxiao Zhou, Zehao Chen

ASIFA24205

Online interview

China

4

Long Qin

CHINA

ASIFA24207

IN BEWTEEN

China

5

Suresh

Eriyat

ASIFA24298

The Seed

Mumbai, India

6

Adithi

Krishnadas

ASIFA24299

The Legend of Arana

Mumbai, India

7

Suresh

Eriyat

ASIFA24302

Pune Design Festival Versus Ident Film

Mumbai, India

8

Swati

Agarwal

ASIFA24654

Chalisa’

Mumbai, India

9

Swathy

Pushpalochanan

ASIFA24678

Anpu

Kollam, Kerala

10

Bimal

Poddar

ASIFA24693

IPL opening graphics

Mumbai, India

11

Bimal

Poddar

ASIFA24694

Home season opening graphics/Legend

Mumbai, India

12

Bimal

Poddar

ASIFA24696

RADHA

Mumbai, India

13

Bimal

Poddar

ASIFA24697

13th Portal

Mumbai, India

14

Bimal

Poddar

ASIFA24698

More kaka

Mumbai, India

15

Prateek

Sethi

ASIFA24726

Informa Markets In India – Milan

Mumbai, India

16

Ujwal

Nair

ASIFA24740

Lucky Dog

Chennai, India

17

Gary

Schwartz

ASIFA2492

FLINTMATION ll

USA

18

David

Ehrlich

ASIFA2494

A New World

USA

19

Suresh

Eriyat

ASIFA251377

Desi Oon

Mumbai, India

20

Amit

Sonawane

ASIFA251402

What’s Your Story

Mumbai, India

Top 26 Nominated works includes Showreels/Shorts from students from across India including states/UT’s of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, New Delhi.

Final Nominations- Students

S.No

First Name

Last Name

Tracking Number

Project Title

Location

1

Varun

Choudhry

ASIFA24942

Varun Choudhry | Modeling Reel 2024

Mumbai

2

Hussain

Bohra

ASIFA24744

IRAN 600 BC

Udaipur

3

Shavikant

Chauhan

ASIFA24474

texturing showreel

Surat

4

Karan

Meghlan

ASIFA24930

Karan_Malghan_Modeling_Texturing_Reel_Wave

Pune

5

Rajat

Aingh

ASIFA241036

CG Lighting Showreel_Rajat Singh

Chandigarh

6

Ajit Tanaji

Kinare

ASIFA24881

CG Lighting

Mumbai

7

Ankan

Samanta

ASIFA24850

Rigging Showreel By Ankan Samanta

Hooghly, WB

8

Sumedha

Paul

ASIFA24814

Rigging Showreel

Kolkata

9

Arjun

kumar

ASIFA24157

Animation Showreel

Chandigarh

10

Arpit

Thakur

ASIFA24948

Animation Showreel By ARPIT THAKUR

Chandigarh

11

Kumkum

Gupta

ASIFA24966

Digital_Painting_Kumkum Gupta

Mumbai

12

Ishwari

Tarkar

ASIFA24969

Digital_Painting_Ishwari_Tarkar

Mumbai

13

Tarun

None

ASIFA24800

Digital Matte Painting

Bengaluru

14

Arena

Andheri

ASIFA241073

Matte Paint-Sameer Parab

Mumbai

15

ElangoM

Elango

ASIFA241306

Digital matte painting

Bengaluru

16

Prajval

Nanote

ASIFA241005

Motion graphic

sausar
Chhindwara,MP

17

Sk

Nur Islam

ASIFA241121

Motion Graphics Showreel

Malda, WB

18

Sourav

Bishwakarma

ASIFA241202

Compositing Showreel

Kanchrapara,WB

19

Varun

Sapkal

ASIFA24565

Showreel Varun Sapkal VFX

Mumbai

20

Vijay

Bangar

ASIFA24922

Kothrud_Vijay_Bangar

Kothrud, Pune

21

Shaikh

Sahil

ASIFA241176

Avengers: Infinity War movie Shots

Mankhurd, Mumbai

22

Aditi

Dixit

ASIFA251357

Showreel

Delhi

23

Rutvik

Dhole

ASIFA24736

Arwick 2d Animated explainer Video Ad

Not specified

24

Debopom

Chakraborty

ASIFA24661

Rasmalai

Gurgaon, Haryana

25

Kartik

Mahajan

ASIFA24731

Phool Dei

Dehradun, Utta

26

Harshita

Nehlani

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LCQ16: Employees’ compensation insurance

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ16: Employees’ compensation insurance 
Question:
 
     Regarding employees’ compensation insurance (commonly known as labour insurance), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of cases recorded by the Labour Department (LD) in which employees died as a result of accidents arising out of and in the course their employment in each of the past seven years and this year to date, together with a breakdown by industry;
 
(2) among the cases mentioned in (1), ︀of the number of cases in which employers were prosecuted by the authorities for failing to take out labour insurance policies for their employees as required under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282); among such prosecuted cases, ︀of the following information on each of the convicted cases: (i) the date of the accident, (ii) the industry and occupation to which the workers involved belonged, (iii) the date on which the judgment was handed down by the court and (iv) the penalties imposed;
 
(3) in respect of the penalties imposed on the convicted cases mentioned in (2), whether the authorities have applied for reviews or appeals; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(4) given that under the Employees Compensation Assistance Ordinance (Cap. 365), any employer who contravenes the requirements of Cap. ‍282 on taking out labour insurance policies shall be liable to pay a surcharge to the Employees Compensation Assistance Fund Board, of the highest, lowest and average amounts of surcharge paid by the employers in the convicted cases mentioned in (2);
 
(5) of the respective numbers of insurance applications from the employers of the 22 ‍high-‍risk industries specified under the Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme (ECIRS) which were received, approved and rejected by the Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme Bureau Limited in each of the past seven years and this year to date, ︀as well as the number of employees involved in the approved applications, ︀together with a breakdown by industry; the main reasons for rejecting such applications under the Scheme;
 
(6) as it is learnt that the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Council and the LD have jointly launched the OSH Star Enterprise – Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Safety Accreditation Scheme (the Accreditation Scheme) to assist the insurance industry in considering offering discounts on labour insurance premium under ECIRS to enterprises satisfying the safety accreditations, of the number of enterprises which have (i) applied, (ii) have been approved and (iii) have been rejected to participate in the Accreditation Scheme in each of the past seven years and this year to date, and set out in the table below a breakdown by type of enterprise (i.e. (I) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and (II) ‍non-SMEs) and business nature of enterprise (i.e. (a) erection, dismantling and use of truss-out bamboo scaffolds, (b) repair to external walls or pipings, (c) air-conditioning works and (d) interior fitting-out works); the main reasons for rejecting the applications under the Scheme;

Type of
enterprisenature of
enterprise(7) whether it has compiled statistics on the percentage of the number of enterprises approved under the Accreditation Scheme in the total number of enterprises of the same business nature in Hong Kong at present, together with a tabulated breakdown by type of enterprise (i.e. (I) SMEs and (II) non-SMEs) and business nature of enterprise (i.e. (a) erection, dismantling and use of truss-out bamboo scaffolds, (b) repair to external walls or pipings, (c) air-conditioning works and (d) ‍interior fitting-out works); of the measures in place to step up publicity and promotion of the Accreditation Scheme, so as to encourage more enterprises to participate in the Scheme; and

(8) as there are views that the existing penalties for not taking out labour insurance policies are too light, and some employers may be prompted to take the risk of not taking out labour insurance policies for their employees as required by the law, whether the authorities will consider amending Cap. 282 to raise the relevant penalties, so as to enhance the deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the Hon Chau Siu-chung’s question is as follows:
 
(1) From 2018 to February 2025, the numbers of fatal cases reported under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (ECO) (Cap. 282) and received by the Labour Department (LD) each year, with a breakdown by industry, are at Annex 1.
 
(2) Among the cases mentioned in (1), 14 employers were prosecuted by the LD for failing to take out employees’ compensation insurance (EC insurance) for their employees as required by the ECO. All the 14 cases were convicted. The details are at Annex 2.
 
(3) In accordance with the Prosecution Code of the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Secretary for Justice may apply to the court in exceptional cases for the review of a sentence on the basis that it has proceeded on an error of law or of principle or that it is manifestly inadequate or excessive. In general, apart from the factors such as the circumstances of a case, the maximum penalty of an offence and the level of sentence imposed on the offence in the past, the court will also consider a defendant’s guilty plea and mitigations when sentencing. The LD will examine the sentence imposed by the court on each case. If the sentence of an individual case is manifestly inadequate or excessive, or has proceeded on an error of law or of principle, the LD will request the DoJ to consider applying for a review of the sentence. In line with the above principles, the LD has not applied for the review or appeal against the sentence of the convicted cases mentioned in (2). 
(5) The Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme (ECIRS) serves as a market of last resort to assist employers who cannot procure the EC insurance in the market, with a view to ensuring that employers can acquire the EC insurance. The applications received and approved by the Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme Bureau Limited (ECIRSB) from 2018 to February 2025, with a breakdown by the High Risk Groups, are at Annex 3. During the period, the ECIRSB did not reject any applications submitted by employers.
 
(6) The LD has collaborated with the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) to launch the OSH Star Enterprise – Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition (RMAA) Safety Accreditation Scheme (Accreditation Scheme) to provide subsidies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the RMAA sector for purchasing fall prevention devices, assisting them in establishing a safety management system, and offering training on work-at-height safety as well as conducting safety audits. We adopt a multi-pronged approach to enhance the safety standard of relevant enterprises and assist users in identifying those RMAA enterprises with recognised safety standards. According to the OSHC, the number of applications for the Accreditation Scheme and the number of Star Enterprises accredited in the past seven years (up to March 20, 2025) are at Annex 4.
 
     As OSHC has enhanced the OSH Star Enterprise List under the Accreditation Scheme since September 2024 and added the category of “nature of business” (including erection and dismantling of truss-out scaffolding works, repair of external wall and pipe works, air-conditioning works and interior renovation works) to the list, a breakdown by nature of business of the enterprises before the date of enhancement is not available. 
 
     The number of Star Enterprises accredited in 2024-2025 (as at March 20, 2025) is eight. A breakdown of their business nature (Note) is as follows:
 

Erection and dismantling of truss-out scaffolding works     At present, there are 66 SME Star Enterprises under the Accreditation Scheme and their business nature (Note) is categorised as follows:
 

Erection and dismantling of truss-out scaffolding worksNote: Accredited Star Enterprise may offer more than one type of business.

(7) The OSHC does not keep statistics on the percentage of the number of accredited Star Enterprises among the total number of enterprises of the same business nature in Hong Kong, and it does not have a breakdown of the figures by the nature of business of the enterprises.
 
     To enhance the awareness of the RMAA industry and the community at large on the Accreditation Scheme, the LD and the OSHC have been publicising and promoting the Accreditation Scheme through various channels, including promotion on mass media such as television, radio and e-‍newspapers; dissemination of video clips, text and graphic information through social media; and collaboration with the Home Affairs Department and District Councils to promote the Accreditation Scheme to property owners, property management companies, etc, and to educate them on the key points and importance of choosing suitable scaffolding and the RMAA contractors. For newly completed public housing estates and buildings with more the RMAA works, the LD and the OSHC, in collaboration with trade unions, regularly set up information kiosks in the districts to publicise and promote the Accreditation Scheme to community members, owners’ corporations and local organisations. In addition, more than 1 300 organisations have signed the Charter on Preferential Appointment of OSH Star Enterprise, pledging to give priority to Star Enterprises in carrying out RMAA works, so as to encourage more RMAA enterprises to upgrade their safety standards through market force.
 
(8) In accordance with section 40 of the ECO, no employer shall employ any employee in any employment unless there is in force a policy of insurance to cover his liabilities under the ECO and common law. Employers failing to comply with the ECO to secure an insurance cover are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years. Among the past prosecution cases, there have been cases where the convicted employers were sentenced to imprisonment or with higher levels of fines. 
     The LD will continue to monitor employers’ compliance with the requirement of taking out EC insurance and will consider whether to amend the relevant penalties under the ECO as and when required.
Issued at HKT 11:45

NNNN

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LCQ7: Large language models developed in Hong Kong

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Johnny Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):

Question:

     It has been reported that the HKGAI V1 large model, which was released in February this year by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI) funded by the Government’s InnoHK research clusters, is the first large language model generated in Hong Kong based on the full parameter fine-tuning of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, and continuous training, marking a major breakthrough in the field of local AI. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the development and operating costs of the HKGAI V1 large model, and how such costs compare with the development and operating costs of other similar models;

(2) as it is learnt that AI technology has been actively applied around the world in recent years, whether the Government has compared the effectiveness of the HKGAI V1 large model with that of the AI large models developed in other regions; if so, of the results;

(3) as it is learnt that HKPilot (i.e. a generative AI document processing copilot application), which is the large language model version developed by HKGAI, has been put on trial use in more than 70 government departments at present, of its initial effectiveness and the relevant data (e.g. the amount of costs that can be reduced and the extent of benefits that can be enhanced);

(4) as it is learnt that neighbouring regions (including a number of Mainland cities) have started to deploy DeepSeek large models in the field of government services to create “AI civil servants” to take up some of the work originally undertaken by manpower, how the SAR Government will make use of the HKGAI V1 large model to assist the Government in enhancing government efficiency and reducing manpower expenditure, so as to improve the quality of government services; and

(5) of the Government’s specific plans and performance targets for realizing the extensive application of the HKGAI VI large model, including (i) the specific timetable for opening up the model for public use, (ii) how it will enrich the application scenarios in the long run so as to apply and popularize the technology, (iii) how it will make the best use of the model to benefit people’s livelihood, and (iv) how it will make use of the model to assist in promoting the upgrading and transformation of Hong Kong’s industry structure?

Reply:

President,

     The reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Johnny Ng is as follows:

(1) and (2) The Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI), set up in 2023 with the funding support of the AIR@InnoHK research cluster focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies, specialises in the research and development (R&D) of generative AI technology, with the goal of building Hong Kong’s self-developed AI foundation models and ecosystem. HKGAI is currently conducting R&D on a series of open-source foundation models, including a local large language model (LLM) and a generative AI document processing copilot application (HKPilot) based on this LLM.

     According to the information provided by HKGAI, its locally developed LLM has been specifically optimised for Hong Kong’s cultural and linguistic environment as well as safety, which enables the LLM to possess not only capabilities similar to other outstanding LLMs in the market, but also excels in handling localised application scenarios.

     The estimates of R&D and operating expenditure of HKGAI is around $235 million. We do not maintain the breakdown related to the development costs of individual models or applications.

(3) and (4) HKPilot which is now at the R&D stage is mainly used for document processing tasks such as drafting, translation, and summarisation of documents. In order to help HKGAI further train up and optimise its LLM, the Government started using the HKPilot from mid-2024. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) has invited all bureaux and departments (B/Ds) to arrange government personnel of different grades to participate in the pilot programme. Currently, the DPO does not have information related to cost reduction or efficiency improvement from the pilot.

     In February 2025, HKGAI updated its locally developed “HKGAI V1” LLM based on DeepSeek technology, and is integrating the model into the HKPilot to further enhance its document processing capabilities, while allowing pilot use by government staff and collecting their user feedback. The DPO will continue to co-ordinate B/Ds to gradually increase the number of government personnel participating in the pilot programme. In the longer term, the application will help reduce the manpower required for government personnel to handle general document processing tasks, allowing manpower to be deployed to other areas of need.

(5) As mentioned above, HKGAI is making every effort to optimise its LLM and applications such as HKPilot, and aims to launch to the market a chatbot “HKChat” developed on the basis of its LLM for public use this year. HKGAI will conduct testing on the cybersecurity and stability of related systems before the official launch of HKChat, including inviting third-party experts to conduct audits. On the other hand, HKGAI’s LLM has the potential to develop and support practical applications in other professional fields (such as law and environmental protection). HKGAI will formulate an overall strategy and timetable for releasing the LLM and the applications for use by various sectors in the community.

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LCQ15: Efforts to improve environmental hygiene

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
 
Question:
 
     The Working Group on Environmental Hygiene and Cityscape led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration steers various bureaux and departments in improving environmental hygiene and street management. However, there are views that the fragmentation of responsibilities among departments (for example, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is responsible for clearing refuse in rear lanes, while the Transport Department is responsible for handling abandoned motorcycles) and the unclear delineation of enforcement powers and responsibilities (for example, the FEHD and the Highways Department can both clean up graffiti and bills) have undermined the effectiveness of improving environmental hygiene. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it will consider conferring comprehensive enforcement powers on specific government departments to centrally handle environmental hygiene and street management, so as to enhance speed and efficiency; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) as it has been learnt that many problems of hygiene black spots originate from scavengers or street sleepers, whether the government departments keep a systematic record of such people and refer their cases to the Social Welfare Department, charitable organizations or District Services and Community Care Teams, etc for follow-up, so as to tackle problems of hygiene black spots at source;
 
(3) as some hawker stall operators have relayed to me that the streets stink due to effluent flowing from suspected burst sewers of locked vacant shops near their stalls, and some people also advise that some fenced-off private sites have long been reduced to rubbish dumps fraught with pest and rodent problems, regarding hygiene problems with private premises/sites (especially cases where owners cannot be contacted), apart from applying for a warrant to effect entry into premises from the Court (warrant) to enter such premises, how the authorities handle such cases more expeditiously and effectively; and
 
(4) of the number of cases in the past three years in which various government departments have applied for warrants from the Court to enter locked/fenced-off private premises/sites to handle hygiene problems, and the respective average duration between the decision of the government departments to take legal actions and the granting of warrants by the Court?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the relevant Bureaux, the reply to the questions raised by the Hon Kingsley Wong is as follows:
 
(1) Each department handles environmental hygiene and street management issues according to its jurisdiction. This reflects the different function, profession and legal empowerment of each department. Conferring comprehensive enforcement powers on specific Government departments is not practical and will also lead to the problem of excessive span of control. To tackle district environmental hygiene problems that involve various departments and with unclear delineation of responsibilities, the Task Force on District Governance (Task Force) chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (now renamed as the Working Group on Environmental Hygiene and Cityscape) has already formulated the relevant standard mode of operation, i.e. departments concerned will conduct joint operations in accordance with the clarified division of labour. Successful examples include resolving the problems of shopfront extension and abandoned motorcycles in back alleys. We therefore do not consider it necessary to empower a designated department to carry out comprehensive enforcement.
 
(2) Scavengers or street sleepers is not merely an environmental hygiene issue. The Government would be caring and reasonable in handling these cases, taking into account individual circumstances in considering whether to take enforcement action and/or to make appropriate referral, so as to strike a balance between maintaining environmental hygiene and handling the matter in a humane manner. Upon receiving public complaints or reports concerning environmental hygiene, the District Office (DO) concerned will review the cases and, where necessary, deploy staff to conduct site inspections and preliminary assessments, and then liaise with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and/or other relevant departments for their prompt follow-up actions. If the hygiene black spots are owing to the behaviour of scavengers or street sleepers, for whom professional follow-up and handling are required to cater for their physical and mental well-being as well as welfare needs, the DO concerned, the FEHD or the relevant department will refer the case to the Social Welfare Department for appropriate support and assistance. 
 
(3) Owners and occupiers are responsible for maintaining the good hygiene of their private premises. For hygiene problem that occurs in private premises and causes nuisance to others or the general public, the FEHD will provide hygiene education to the occupiers or owners concerned, or order them to rectify the situation according to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) (Ordinance). If they fail to comply, the FEHD will carry out prosecution and other follow-up actions. In case of appalling hygiene conditions, the FEHD would consider conducting one-off operation to improve the hygiene situation as soon as possible, and subsequently recover the expenses incurred from the person(s) concerned.
 
     The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the existing statutory powers and penalties of environmental hygiene-related legislation and is amending the Ordinance and other relevant legislations to enhance the Government’s efficiency, effectiveness and deterrence in handling various environmental hygiene problems. As regards the problem of rodent infestation in private premises, amendments to the Ordinance include raising the penalty for non-compliance with the “Notice of Elimination of Vermin”, to make the persons concerned take timely follow-up action. It is also proposed that the “Notice of Elimination of Vermin” be served on property management companies for their follow-up action to eliminate vermin infestation in the common areas of private premises.
 
(4) In the past three years (2022 to 2024), the FEHD has successfully obtained 144 warrants from the Court for investigating or handling water seepage cases in buildings and other environmental hygiene cases. The FEHD would generally issue a notice to the occupier or owner concerned before applying for a warrant. However, in urgent circumstance, the FEHD will apply for a warrant from the Court without first issuing a notice. Upon receiving the application, the Court will typically decide on the same day whether to grant the warrant.

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LCQ10: Enhancing Top Talent Pass Scheme

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Shang Hailong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
 
Question:
 
     The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the initial visa validity period for high-income talents under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (i.e. Category A talents under the Scheme) would be extended from two years to three years (the new measure). However, quite a number of Category A talents have relayed to me that they are doubtful about the application process for extending the validity period, and consider that there is room for improvement in the process. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the specific process for Category A talents to apply for extension of the initial visa validity period to three years under the new measure; whether clear announcements have been made on the relevant application process to facilitate submission of applications by Category A talents;
 
(2) whether it has plans to enhance the process mentioned in (1), e.g. whether consideration will be given to exempt current visa holders who are Category A talents from submitting applications for extension of stay, or implement the initiative of “one-click application” on the Internet to automatically extend the visa validity period to three years; if so, of the specific details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the Government has considered, in approving Category A talents’ applications for extension of stay, granting approval for both the extension of visa validity period normally granted and the extension of an additional one-year under the new measure at the same time (e.g. applicants who meet the requirements will be granted not only extension of visa period for three years under normal circumstances, but also an additional one-year visa period in the light of the new measure, adding up to a total of four years); if so, of the specific details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     To alleviate the acute manpower shortage, the Government launched the new Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) in end-2022, targeting high-income individuals and top-notch university bachelor’s degree graduates, to trawl for outside quality talents to enrich the local talent pool. The eligibility and assessment criteria of the TTPS are concise and clear. Eligible talents are not required to have secured offers of employment in Hong Kong before applying for visas through the TTPS to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. Yet, upon expiry of the first visas, they will have to be employed or have established/joined in business in Hong Kong so that extension of stay can be granted.
 
     An applicant under Category A of the TTPS is required to have an annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above in the year immediately preceding the date of application. Since the launch of the TTPS, up to end-February this year, close to 99 000 applicants have been approved, of which over 25 000 are under Category A, accounting for about one-quarter of the total.
 
     Our reply, in consultation with the Immigration Department (ImmD), to the Member’s questions is as follows:
 
     The 2024 Policy Address announced the reform of various aspects of the talent admission regime, including extending the validity period of the first visas of high-income talents under the TTPS from two years to three years. For Category A applicants with approvals given from the day of announcement (i.e. October 16, 2024), the validity period of their first visas has been extended from two years to three years to facilitate their planning to move to Hong Kong with their families. 
 
     The new measure also applies to around 21 000 Category A applicants whose applications were approved before the announcement in the 2024 Policy Address. As announced by the Government through a press release and media briefing on November 1, 2024, these previously approved talents may apply to the ImmD, within three months before the expiry of their limit of stay, for unconditional extension of stay for one year. If they have secured offers of employment, or have established or joined in a business in Hong Kong upon applying for an extension, they may be granted an extension of stay for up to three years after submitting relevant proof. The pattern of their limit of stay is in line with the prevailing arrangement of granting extension of stay of up to three years under most of the talent admission schemes. We have no plan to change it.
 
     The ImmD, before granting an extension of stay, has to ensure the relevant person’s compliance with the normal immigration requirements, including holding a valid travel document for return to his/her country of residence or citizenship. Hence, Category A applicants are required to submit applications to the ImmD for extension of stay. Applicants only need to submit their applications through the platform on the ImmD’s website, providing basic information and uploading valid travel documents. The procedures are very simple and convenient.