Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
New District Officer for Sha Tin District assumes office (with photo)
Since joining the Administrative Service in 2006, Ms Lee has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office, the then Home Affairs Bureau, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Development Bureau, the then Food and Health Bureau and the Health Bureau.
She was the Commissioner for Harbourfront at the Development Bureau before taking up the new post of District Officer (Sha Tin).
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN
LCQ8: Implementation of life planning education
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ8: Implementation of life planning education
Question:
Starting from the 2014/15 school year, the Education Bureau (EDB) has implemented life planning education (LPE) in secondary schools and provided each public sector school (including special school) and Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary school operating classes at senior secondary levels with the Career and Life Planning Grant (CLPG). Starting from the 2016/17 school year, schools may turn CLPG into regular teaching posts. In 2019, EDB further announced that public sector secondary schools must turn CLPG into regular teaching posts by the 2022/23 school year to provide more stable teacher manpower for enhancing the development of LPE and guidance services. However, there are views that the Government’s expenditure on LPE is not commensurate with its effectiveness. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of schools which have turned CLPG into regular teaching posts since the 2022/23 school year, and the annual expenditure involved in creating such regular teaching posts;
(2) of the staffing establishment, specific functions and performance indicators of the EDB’s Life Planning Education Section; and
(3) whether the EDB will consider establishing a regular evaluation mechanism to periodically assess the effectiveness of schools in implementing LPE and propose recommendations for improvement; if so, of the details?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) has been attaching great importance to the implementation of life planning education (LPE), allocating additional resources and providing support to strengthen schools’ implementation of LPE on multiple fronts since the 2014/15 school year, which includes providing additional resources/manpower, promoting business-school partnership, providing professional support, enhancing professional training, etc. Through a wide range of LPE and career exploration activities, schools help students enhance self-understanding, identify their interests, abilities and orientations at an earlier stage, set goals and make better planning and preparation for further studies and career pursuits by equipping them with relevant information on the multiple pathways and workplace.
Regarding the question asked by Dr the Hon Junius Ho, our reply is as follows:
(1) Since the 2014/15 school year, the EDB has been providing each public sector school and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) school operating classes at senior secondary levels with a recurrent provision, the Career and Life Planning Grant (CLPG), to enhance LPE elements for students. To provide more stable teacher manpower to enhance LPE development and related guidance service, public sector schools are given the option to convert the CLPG into regular teaching posts starting from the 2016/17 school year. From the 2019/20 school year onwards, the regular teaching posts converted from the CLPG have been counted towards the calculation of promotion post entitlement in order to strengthen the middle management manpower for taking forward LPE. Since the 2022/23 school year, all public sector schools have fully converted the CLPG into regular teaching posts for empowering schools and the responsible teaching teams to implement LPE. As the relevant expenditure has been turned into regular teaching posts in public sector schools and subsumed under the EDB’s overall expenditure, the EDB does not have a breakdown of relevant figures.
(2) The LPE Section is under the School Development Division of the School Development and Administration Branch of the EDB, and is tasked to support secondary schools in providing LPE and career guidance services for their students. The Section is headed by a Senior Education Officer (Administration), under whom there are two teams separately led by a Senior Inspector responsible for coordinating work related to the support for schools’ LPE development and teacher training, and an Education Officer (Administration) responsible for coordinating the Business-School Partnership Programme (BSPP) and collaboration with other organisations.
To enhance the support to schools for the delivery of LPE in a more comprehensive and systematic approach, the LPE Section conducts school visits to render professional advice to schools. In addition, to enhance the capacities of the teachers to support students in life planning, the LPE Section organises structured training, thematic seminars and sharing sessions for secondary school teachers every school year, with a view to strengthening professional training for teachers and disseminating the good practices of schools. The one-stop Life Planning Information Website is also launched to provide students, teachers and parents with comprehensive information on life planning and multiple pathways. Through the implementation of the BSPP, the LPE Section, in collaboration with different business corporations, government departments and community organisations, has been providing students with diversified career exploration activities, with a view to equipping them with knowledge and information about different industries so that they can better understand the workplace, develop positive work attitudes and get well prepared for further studies or career pursuits. As for strengthening public education, the LPE Section has rolled out publicity activities since 2016 to promote the culture of supporting young people in life planning. They include broadcasting feature interviews with outstanding persons of different industries on various promotional platforms to get the message of “every trade has its masters” across, producing newspaper supplements to showcase good practices of schools and BSPP partners in implementing life planning and holding activities to help parents understand the importance of life planning. The LPE Section will continue providing support to schools for the implementation of LPE, with a view to helping students identify their interests, abilities and orientations at an earlier stage, set goals and make better planning and preparation for further studies and career pursuits.
(3) Since the 2014/15 school year, the LPE Section of the EDB has conducted four rounds of school visits, visiting all of the nearly 500 public sector and DSS schools operating classes at senior secondary levels in each round, for professional exchanges, examining and discussing the school-based work on LPE, and further studies and career guidance of the schools, as well as rendering professional advice to schools. Based on the observations from the four rounds of school visits, most schools attached great importance to LPE, developed the school-based LPE and adopted various modes in delivering related activities having regard to their own circumstances and students’ needs. They also gradually enhanced cross-team collaboration to provide students with support related to life planning. A wide range of LPE activities were organised by schools, and a number of schools offered school-based life planning lessons to help students identify their career aspirations, develop a positive work attitude, set goals, etc. Besides, according to the information gathered during the school visits, many schools have progressively implemented the cyclic self-evaluation mechanism of “Planning – Implementation – Evaluation”, and would adjust their work plans based on the evaluation findings in a timely manner, facilitating schools’ self-improvement. The LPE Section will continue to conduct school visits to understand schools’ progress in the implementation of LPE, as well as to render professional advice to schools and gather good practices from different schools for dissemination to other schools for reference.
In addition, to ensure that the activities under the BSPP of the EDB achieve the expected outcomes and objectives, officers from the LPE Section regularly attend various types of activities to observe the activity processes, arrangements and students’ responses. Questionnaires and reflections from participating students are collected to understand their views and the benefits they gained. The relevant feedback is then shared with BSPP partners for collaborative review, ensuring that the activities achieve the expected outcomes and align with the goals of promoting LPE. Moreover, the LPE Section regularly invites BSPP partners to attend meetings to evaluate the content and effectiveness of the activities, as well as to share successful experience in organising activities.
Issued at HKT 14:48
NNNN
LCQ13: Regulation of artificial intelligence chatbots
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Sunny Tan and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (March 25):
Question:
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots (chatbots) has become increasingly popular in recent years, but it has been reported that overseas chatbot platforms were alleged to have induced users to commit suicide and unlawful acts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that the Government has formulated the Ethical Artificial Intelligence Framework (the Framework) and the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline (the Guideline) to provide guidance on identifying and managing potential risks of AI projects, whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the Framework and the Guideline in preventing chatbots from inducing users to commit acts of misconduct, including committing suicide and unlawful acts;
(2) whether the Government will consider introducing other specific measures to prevent the risk of chatbot platforms inducing users to commit acts of misconduct; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) of the measures or mechanisms put in place by the Government to encourage generative AI service providers from overseas jurisdictions to make reference to the recommendations in the Framework and the Guideline, and to ensure that the services provided by them comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation of Hong Kong?
Reply:
President,
Regarding the question from the Hon Sunny Tan, upon consulting the Department of Justice and the Security Bureau, our reply is as follows.
(1) The Government attaches great importance to the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and is committed to ensuring that members of the public possess sufficient safety awareness and literacy when using such technologies. In 2021, the Digital Policy Office (DPO) published the Ethical Artificial Intelligence Framework (the Framework) to provide clear guidance for projects involving the development and application of AI technology, with a view to identifying and effectively managing the potential risks and considerations associated with such projects. The Framework recommends that AI applications implement security measures such as adopting technological means to identify unintended, false, or inaccurate outputs, so as to mitigate the risk of applications generating inappropriate or illegal content.
In April 2025, the DPO also published the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline (the Guideline), stating that service providers are responsible for ensuring that their service systems do not output illegal, non-compliant, or inappropriate content, and should establish mechanisms to enhance the traceability and auditability of their systems. At the same time, the Guideline reminds service users to be aware that AI-generated content may contain misleading, false, or inaccurate information, and to exercise independent judgement when using such content.
The Government has been closely monitoring the development of AI and will review and update relevant guidelines and regulations as necessary to cope with new challenges brought by the technology. The most recent updates to the Framework and the Guidelines were released in December 2025.
(2) The Government has been broadly enhancing public awareness and preparedness regarding AI, information security, and cybersecurity through various channels. For example, the DPO, through the thematic website “Cyber Security Information Portal”, introduces to the public on how to use AI tools properly, including avoiding the disclosure of sensitive personal and work-related information, selecting reputable AI tools that prioritise data security, and carefully reviewing the privacy policies, data processing policies and the terms of use of the relevant AI tools.
Regarding the legal framework, to review whether the laws under different policy areas can keep pace with technological developments including AI, the Secretary for Justice has convened a Steering Committee meeting on March 6 on the establishment of the Inter-Departmental Working Group to Review Legislation to Support Wider Application of AI (Working Group). The establishment of the Working Group is crucial for addressing issues arising from the rapid development and widespread application of AI, and its core members will come from different policy bureaux and government departments. Each policy bureau and government department will first conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review of existing laws to identify loopholes or deficiencies, and then based on the actual circumstances of Hong Kong, explore targeted and practicable solutions (including the need for and feasibility of enacting specific legislation or implementing administrative measures).
(3) The Government welcomes innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises from the Mainland and other regions to establish or expand their businesses in Hong Kong, thereby providing local people with more I&T applications. The Guidelines and Framework are consistent with the direction of similar documents on AI ethics and safety standards issued by other regions. Relevant enterprises may refer to the Guidelines and Framework as guidance for developing local products or services. On the other hand, most of the existing laws in Hong Kong are, in principle, applicable to the online world, and can effectively regulate the risks and illegal activities related to AI applications. If an AI service provider extends its business operations to Hong Kong, it must comply with relevant Hong Kong laws. If such operations are suspected of violating the law, law enforcement agencies may investigate and take follow-up actions in accordance with the law.
Furthermore, the Government recognises the cross-border nature of generative AI services and will, through the soon-to-be-launched Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute, promote the establishment of an AI governance framework and related standards in line with international practices. This aims to foster exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and the international community regarding AI governance and technical standards, thereby addressing the diverse risks associated with generative AI through strategies covering soft guidelines, laws, standard alignment, etc.
LCQ14: Food assistance and donation services
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ14: Food assistance and donation services
Question:
There are views that many supermarkets and restaurants discard from time to time food items that are of acceptable quality but near their expiry dates or have damaged packaging; although some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) currently provide food bank services, there is room for improvement in areas such as their service coverage and application of technology. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has ascertained the current situation regarding food recovery, donation and redistribution in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) as there are views that with an increased proportion of singleton elderly and doubleton elderly households due to the continued ageing of the population in Hong Kong, coupled with rising unemployment rates in certain sectors, the demand for food assistance in Hong Kong is expected to persist, whether the authorities have plans to enhance food recovery and redistribution services, such as offering tax deductions or subsidies to catering and retail enterprises that donate food, as well as providing incentives and assistance to enterprises and private housing courts to encourage them to set up food recovery points and pickup points on their premises;
(3) as it is learnt that a public welfare programme of 24-hour self-service food bank has been launched in the Futian District of Shenzhen Municipality, where people can make reservation through “iShenzhen”, the Shenzhen Municipal Government’s mobile application for government services, and collect food from smart vending machines by scanning a code, whether the Government will draw on the Shenzhen Municipal Government’s experiences and collaborate with NGOs providing food bank services to install smart food pickup machines in Hong Kong, and introduce reservation functions for food pickup to the “iAM Smart” mobile application; and
(4) as there are views that food bank services can move towards further intelligentisation with the enhanced use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as using AI for dynamic scheduling as well as smart logistics and delivery, optimizing and planning routes for food recovery and replenishment, and utilising AI visual image recognition technologies for surveillance on food safety, or using big data to analyse users’ needs and give advice on nutrition intake or recipes, whether the Government will help promote the use of AI in food banks operated by NGOs to enhance the smart functions of local food recovery and redistribution services, thereby improving the overall efficacy and safety of food bank services?
Reply:
To explore different approaches to waste reduction, the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) has previously piloted funding for local non-profit-making organisations to carry out food recovery projects. Experience shows that as a measure to reduce food waste, food recovery is extremely costly and has limited overall impact on food waste reduction. The ECF has not approved any funding for food recovery since last year. Our waste reduction strategy focuses on publicity and education to encourage waste reduction at source and prevent generation of food waste; expanding the food waste recycling network; and testing different on-site treatment technology to reduce food waste and the amount of waste disposal as a whole more effectively, with a view to achieving the target of obviating reliance on landfills for municipal solid waste disposal by or before 2035.Issued at HKT 14:20
NNNN
LCQ18: Development of digital Renminbi and stablecoins
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ18: Development of digital Renminbi and stablecoins
Question:
At the end of 2025, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) released the “Action Plan on Further Strengthening the Digital Renminbi Management Service System and Related Financial Infrastructure Construction” (Action Plan), which officially came into effect on January 1, 2026, launching the next-generation digital Renminbi (e-CNY) measurement framework. Banking institutions will pay interest on the balances of clients’ real-name e-CNY wallets, and the e-CNY of banking institutions operating e-CNY services will also be included in the reserve requirement system framework for management. In addition, in May 2024, PBoC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) expanded the scope of cross-boundary e-CNY pilot in Hong Kong to facilitate the set-up and use of e-CNY wallets by Hong Kong residents, as well as the top-up of these wallets via the Faster Payment System. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the latest application situation and relevant data regarding the cross-boundary e-CNY pilot in Hong Kong (including the number and trend of e-CNY wallets operated by Mainland operating institutions, the number and trend of e-CNY wallets set up locally, and the number and trend of local retail merchants accepting e-CNY);
(2) whether it knows if HKMA will, in response to PBoC’s Action Plan, study with local banks ways to optimise the management of e-CNY wallets; if HKMA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) the Stablecoins Ordinance (Cap. 656) came into effect on August 1, 2025, with its main purpose being to supervise activities involving stablecoins and to introduce a licensing regime for regulated stablecoin activities in Hong Kong; it has been reported that the first batch of stablecoin licences is expected to be issued within this year, whether stablecoins and e-CNY can achieve differentiated development in Hong Kong as envisaged by the authorities?
Reply:
President,
The Government attaches great importance to promoting fintech development, and has been working closely with financial regulators as well as industry players to adopt multi-pronged measures for driving fintech forward.
In May 2024, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) expanded the scope of the next-generation digital Renminbi (e-CNY) pilot in Hong Kong to facilitate the set-up and the use of e-CNY wallets by Hong Kong residents, as well as the top-up of e-CNY wallets via the Faster Payment System (FPS). The e-CNY provides an additional safe, convenient and innovative payment option to residents of the two places, thereby enhancing efficiency and user experience of cross-boundary payment services, as well as promoting interconnectivity of the two places.
In consultation with the HKMA, our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows.
(1) The PBoC and the HKMA work closely to optimise the e-CNY arrangements. At present, the number of Mainland operating institutions responsible for operating e-CNY wallets has increased from four in the initial period to five, while the number of local banks in Hong Kong participating in the top-up of e-CNY wallets via the FPS has also increased from 17 in the initial period to 18. The number of e-CNY wallets set up using Hong Kong mobile numbers and their usage have been increasing steadily. According to the PBoC’s information, as at end-January 2026, around 80 000 e-CNY wallets have been registered cumulatively.
The HKMA and the local banks have been actively promoting the application of e-CNY in Hong Kong. Currently, the number of local retail merchants accepting e-CNY have increased from around 300 in the initial period to around 5 200, covering chain retail stores, hotels, travel agencies, catering, convenience stores, supermarkets, etc.
(2) The PBoC and the HKMA are exploring the arrangements and feasibility of upgrading e-CNY wallets, with a view to raising the usage limit of e-CNY wallets, expanding application scenarios and enhancing user experience. As the policy and technical details involved require further in-depth discussion, the specific proposals and timetable are not finalised yet.
(3) Stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (e.g. e-CNY), as well as other new payment tools, including tokenised deposits and cross-boundary linkage of fast payment systems, have the potential to be applied in various scenarios such as transaction settlement and local or cross-boundary payments, provided that the relevant legal and regulatory requirements are met. These payment tools have their own characteristics and varying degrees of maturity. Their future development prospects will largely be determined by market forces.
The Government and financial regulators will continue to explore the potential and application scenarios of various new payment tools to better leverage the synergy among them, thereby addressing more pain points in the real economy.
Issued at HKT 14:20
NNNN
HK to host Art Basel for 5 years
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau today announced a five-year collaboration arrangement with Art Basel, solidifying Hong Kong’s status as the exclusive regional host city.
The agreement aims to deepen the Government’s partnership with the world-renowned art fair over the next five years.
Beyond the annual fair held each March, Art Basel Hong Kong will continue to promote public art and education in the city. It will also support the bureau in developing strategies to further enhance the local art ecosystem and market.
Speaking at the opening reception of Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 today, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law said the long-term partnership underscores the Government’s commitment to cementing Hong Kong’s status as a global hub for premium arts trading. She added that the collaboration reinforces the city’s role as a premier centre for international cultural exchange between East and West.
Over the next five years, the Government and Art Basel will work together to elevate Hong Kong’s high-end arts trading platform and showcase the brilliance of local and Asian talent to a global audience.
Miss Law expressed confidence that the partnership will extend beyond the exhibition hall to the wider community.
She noted that Art Basel Hong Kong has consistently served as a powerful engine for the city’s mega-event economy, attracting art enthusiasts, collectors and industry leaders from around the world to experience Hong Kong’s unique energy.
The bureau highlighted that Art Basel Hong Kong has become a flagship event and a key fixture on the city’s international event calendar since its debut in 2013.
Last year, the five-day fair featured 240 galleries from 42 countries and regions. It attracted over 86,000 visitors with more than half travelling from outside Hong Kong specifically for the event.
Looking ahead, the bureau said that its close collaboration with Art Basel Hong Kong will continue to foster the growth of the cultural and arts industries, delivering sustained economic and social benefits for Hong Kong.
President Lai meets Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association Chairman Eto Seishiro
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
On the afternoon of March 24, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association Chairman Eto Seishiro. In remarks, President Lai thanked the association for its longstanding support for Taiwan and for promoting exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in various fields. He stated that Taiwan and Japan have established models for close cooperation in such key fields as semiconductors and AI, while travel between the two countries has continued to increase. The president expressed hope that bilateral ties will steadily grow, and that Taiwan and Japan can build on their existing foundations to further expand cooperation and contribute even more to regional economic development.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I want to extend a warm welcome to Chairman Eto, who is leading a delegation from the Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association on another visit to Taiwan. I look forward to conducting an in-depth exchange of views on a range of important issues with our guests shortly so that we can continue to expand our bilateral cooperation.
I would like to thank Chairman Eto for his strong and longstanding support for Taiwan, and for his outstanding contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. For many years, under Chairman Eto’s leadership, the Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association has actively promoted bilateral exchanges among legislators and in other fields. These activities have continued to deepen mutual understanding and trust, and have further elevated the friendship between Taiwan and Japan. On behalf of all our citizens, I wish to convey sincere appreciation to our guests.
After Taiwan’s Hualien County was hit by a major earthquake in 2024, the Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association donated funds to assist with reconstruction. Taiwan is deeply grateful and moved by this gesture. The heartfelt concern and support shown by people from all walks of life in Japan have laid a solid foundation for Taiwan and Japan to cooperate in disaster response and in efforts to strengthen societal resilience. In recent years, due to the continuous expansion of authoritarianism, the issue of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait has received a high level of attention in the international community. I want to thank the government of Japan for emphasizing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at numerous international venues. Just last week, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and United States President Donald Trump held a meeting, following which they issued a fact sheet reiterating their commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This reflects the concern and support for regional security within the international community.
In the face of regional challenges, besides continuing to strengthen its self-defense capabilities, Taiwan will also deepen cooperation with Japan and other like-minded friends and allies in order to jointly defend regional peace, stability, and prosperity. Taiwanese and Japanese industries have already established models for close cooperation in such key fields as semiconductors and AI, and have played a crucial role in global supply chain stability. I am confident that Taiwan and Japan will be able to build on our existing foundations to further expand cooperation, bringing progress and prosperity to both nations while contributing even more to regional economic development.
Last year, the total number of visitors traveling between Taiwan and Japan exceeded 8.2 million. I hope that in the future, we can push that number beyond 10 million. The Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association has organized delegations to Taiwan many times. I hope that with the support of Chairman Eto and our other guests, the number of visitors traveling between our two countries will grow even more. This will help spur the growth of our tourism sectors and economies, deepen the ties of friendship between our peoples, and enable Taiwan-Japan relations to steadily grow. In closing, I wish the delegation a pleasant and successful visit, and hope you make wonderful and lasting memories here in Taiwan.
Chairman Eto then delivered remarks, first expressing sincere gratitude to President Lai for taking the time to meet with the delegation. He noted that the history of the Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association dates back to 1949, when it was organized as a club . It was later restructured as the East Asia Friendship Association in 1971, he said, and adopted its current name in 2018. He emphasized that the association has long been dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and exchanges and continuing to deepen bilateral relations, and that its core mission has remained unchanged.
Chairman Eto mentioned that in President Lai’s National Day Address last year, he noted that democratic Taiwan is a crucial link for the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific, and as such, will work to uphold the status quo; furthermore, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are seen as cornerstones of regional economic prosperity. The chairman then noted the consensus reached at the recent Japan-US summit, where the Japanese prime minister and US president emphasized the critical importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for regional security and global prosperity.
Chairman Eto stated that amid the changing international situation, Taiwan’s performance in freedom, human rights, and the rule of law has been recognized by the international community, and these core values are increasingly important in the Indo-Pacific region. He emphasized his full support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police Organization, demonstrating a firm stance of support.
Regarding Taiwan-Japan exchanges, Chairman Eto also noted that the number of visitors between Taiwan and Japan has exceeded 8 million, and they will work toward the goal of 10 million. He stated that grassroots exchanges are also vital, especially interactions between young people, and expressed hope for more frequent and in-depth exchanges between senior high school and junior high school students. The chairman said that he looks forward to continuing to work with Taiwan to further deepen various cooperative relationships.
Sha Tin district officer named
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Government announced that Leonie Lee will assume the post of District Officer (Sha Tin) tomorrow, succeeding Frederick Yu.
Ms Lee joined the Administrative Service in 2006. She has served in various bureaus and departments, including the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office, the then Home Affairs Bureau, the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Development Bureau, the then Food & Health Bureau and the Health Bureau.
Before taking up the new post, Ms Lee was Commissioner for Harbourfront at the Development Bureau.
2025 Year In Review: NEA Steps Up Cleanliness Efforts With Enhanced Partnerships And Enforcement
Source: Government of Singapore
25 March 2026 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) continued its stepped-up enforcement approach to uphold high standards of public cleanliness in 2025.
Over 13,600 enforcement actions taken for littering offences in 2025
2. In 2025, NEA took approximately 13,600 enforcement actions for littering offences islandwide, of which 13,200 were for ground littering. At cleanliness hotspots – identified through localised litter counts, public feedback and sustained ground observations – enforcement efforts were enhanced through visible patrols, standees, surveillance cameras, and ground engagements.
3. About 300 enforcement blitzes were conducted at hotspots, more than double the blitzes in 2024. Additionally, NEA issued over 700 Corrective Work Orders (CWO) in 2025, with 60 CWO sessions conducted at cleanliness hotspots to enhance deterrence. These targeted measures proved effective, resulting in a 40 per cent reduction in litter count at hotspots observed over a six-month period.
About 350 enforcement actions taken for high-rise littering in 2025
4. High-rise littering feedback has remained stable over the past three years, averaging 28,600 feedback cases annually. In 2025, NEA conducted approximately 2,200 camera deployments and took about 350 [1] enforcement actions for high-rise littering offences.
5. One notable enforcement outcome involved a case at Ang Mo Kio Ave 6. Following persistent feedback of high-rise littering, surveillance cameras were deployed and successfully captured multiple acts of littering from a unit within a two-week period. The offender was convicted in court and fined a total of $2,800.
6. Under the Environmental Public Health Act, any individual who litters is liable on conviction to a court fine of up to $2,000 for a first conviction, $4,000 for a second conviction, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions. The court may also impose a Corrective Work Order, requiring offenders to clean public areas for up to 12 hours.
Strengthening detection through extended surveillance and partnerships
7. NEA continues to explore new ways to enhance surveillance and enforcement capabilities. Since August 2025, NEA has extended camera surveillance duration for high-rise littering from 14 days to up to 28 days, to improve the effectiveness of the intervention.
8. In October 2025, NEA also introduced a six-month pilot programme with town councils (TCs), providing each TC with two high-rise littering surveillance camera deployments per month, to enable TCs to respond to the ground situation. TCs can deploy cameras at high-rise littering hotspots identified by their ground staff. All TCs have joined the pilot, with 39 cameras deployed since October 2025 with a 30 per cent catch-rate.
About 1,300 enforcement actions for rat-related lapses in 2025
9. NEA’s two-monthly surveillance cycle showed a decrease in the average number of rat burrows per cycle from about 5,400 in the first half of 2025 to about 4,200 in the second half of the year. Majority of burrows were detected in public housing estates, followed by grass verges along roadsides and in industrial estates.
10. Since 1 April 2025, NEA has tightened enforcement against premises managers and owners for rat-related lapses including poor refuse management and housekeeping practices, defects in refuse handling facilities (e.g. bins, bin centres), and presence of rat harbourage. About 1,300 enforcement actions were jointly taken by NEA and the Singapore Food Agency against premises owners for rat-related lapses, of which about 620 were for poor refuse management.
11. Targeted operations were conducted in areas such as Little India, which saw stepped up rat control efforts since September 2025. These efforts included engaging stakeholders on good housekeeping and proper refuse management, conducting regular night inspections, and stepped-up enforcement. Between September 2025 and January 2026, a total of 114 enforcement actions were taken against premises owners and operators for rat-related lapses, of which 70 were for poor refuse management [2] . With the collective efforts of stakeholders in the area, NEA’s latest thermal and passive infrared camera deployments showed up to 70 per cent reduction in rat activities at various locations within Little India.
12. Sustained efforts from all stakeholders remain crucial, as rat populations can quickly rebound if good housekeeping practices are not maintained consistently. NEA will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach encompassing enforcement, innovative solutions, and stakeholder engagements, to uphold high standards of public cleanliness. Everyone plays a part to keep Singapore clean. All residents are encouraged to take active ownership of cleanliness in their environment and report public health offences via the OneService app.
————————-
[1] Data is provisional as of 6 March 2026
[2] Data is provisional as of 6 March 2026
~~ End ~~
For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.
Tree planting days set for April
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) and Friends of the Country Parks will hold the Country Parks Hiking & Planting Day 2026 on two separate Sundays, April 19 and April 26.
The event, at Tai Lam Chung Country Trail, Tai Lam Country Park, is open to the public. Participants can register on-site at the designated point from 9am to 10.30am on each of the event days. No pre-registration is required.
Seedlings and planting tools will be provided by the AFCD. Seedlings will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The department reminded the public to assess their physical strength and hiking experience before taking part.
Participants are also encouraged to hike with friends or family members and help conserve the countryside by practising proper hiking etiquette. This includes bringing reusable water bottles and towels, as well as following the “Take Your Litter Home” principle.