Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Vowing to strengthen Hong Kong’s international advantages, Chief Executive John Lee said in today’s 2026 Policy Address that the Government will strive to deepen the city’s development as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, a regional intellectual property (IP) trading centre, and an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

In terms of dispute mediation and resolution, Mr Lee said that the Government will support the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in establishing its inaugural overseas liaison office in Hong Kong, support the Judiciary in advancing the development of the International Commercial Court in Hong Kong, and advance construction of the Hong Kong International Legal Service Building. Programmes organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy will also be expanded, and it will explore research on cross‑jurisdictional topics.

Mr Lee said Hong Kong’s development as a regional IP trading centre will continue, and that in order to ensure solid legal protection of outcomes from research and development, innovation, and cultural and creative efforts, the in-house examination capacity under the city’s original grant patent (OGP) system will be strengthened. Moreover, pilot facilitation measures for OGP applications in major technology fields will be introduced next year.

A public consultation on the regulatory framework for local patent agents will be held before the end of this year, and specific legislative proposals will be formulated next year. In addition, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Academy will officially launch in the fourth quarter of this year.

In the realm of culture, Mr Lee said the Government will expand the scale of arts, culture and the creative industries in Hong Kong, while reinforcing the city’s role as an international arts trading platform.

The WestK Performing Arts Centre, featuring four performance venues built to top international theatre standards, will open next year.

Meanwhile, the newly established WestK Academy will organise an international fellowship programme for auctioneers and offer courses on Chinese arts and heritage conservation.

The Chief Executive added that the Government will inject $200 million into the Arts & Sport Development Fund (Arts Portion) to promote sustainable development and the industrialisation of the performing arts.

Visit Chapter IV of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Government of Singapore

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee has announced a comprehensive set of measures in his Policy Address to proactively align the city with overall national development. The blueprint focuses on deepening regional collaboration with the Mainland, while simultaneously boosting international exchanges, co-operation and participation to promote Chinese standards and the Belt & Road (B&R) Initiative.

High-quality development

To foster synergistic development and regional connectivity, the integration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) will be strengthened. Key initiatives include supporting high-quality development of co-operation platforms in Qianhai and Nansha.

Mr Lee noted that the Hong Kong SAR Government will further enhance Qianhai’s role as a vital liaison point, strengthening connections between Hong Kong’s legal and professional services and GBA enterprises by leveraging the city’s unique professional strengths to help Mainland enterprises “go global”. Additionally, Hong Kong will back Nansha’s development as a national pilot area for climate investment and financing within the GBA.

The Chief Executive added that the Hong Kong SAR will participate in drafting national standards for hydrogen energy.   

Boosting connectivity

The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to broaden international exchange networks and high-quality co‑operation under the B&R Initiative, focusing specifically on the “five areas of connectivity”. Mr Lee emphasised that the Hong Kong SAR Government will promote diverse, comprehensive and pragmatic collaboration while supporting community organisations in expanding international networks to achieve extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits

Furthermore, the Hong Kong SAR Government will launch the Green Technology Bridgehead Programme. This initiative will bring together technology firms from the Mainland and overseas, utilising Hong Kong’s legal, financial and environmental expertise as a springboard to export green solutions to B&R countries.

To attract exceptional talent, the annual quota for the B&R Scholarship will increase to 200 places starting from the 2027-28 academic year. The scholarship scheme attracts outstanding students from B&R regions to pursue higher education in Hong Kong. As of the 2025-26 academic year, the initiative has benefitted students spanning 57 countries.

International platforms

The Chief Executive highlighted plans to deepen co-operation with the International Chamber of Commerce to elevate Hong Kong’s status as an international financial rule-maker, with the goal of attracting more global financial institutions to establish a presence in the city.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has dedicated full support to organise the upcoming Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers’ Meeting, scheduled to be held in the city in October.

To further cement Hong Kong’s role as a premier global platform for high-quality financial dialogue, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to host major flagship events.

Visit Part VI of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A suite of newly announced initiatives across housing production and enterprise growth formed the core of Chief Executive John Lee’s Policy Address delivered today, prioritising community well-being alongside business expansion.

Subsidised housing supply will speed up, with all 30,000 Light Public Housing units launched by the current-term Government set for completion by end-March next year, ahead of the original target.

Public housing production is projected to exceed 35,000 units per year on average in the next five years from 2027-28, representing an increase of about 73% compared to the five-year period since the current-term Government took office.

To boost economic growth, the Policy Address introduces ten small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) support measures, including expanding the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading & Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) to Uzbekistan and Qatar and offering targeted funding for artificial intelligence (AI) projects under the scheme.

To support SME business and financing, the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation will extend its 20 free-buyer credit checks for one year. Concurrently, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Trade & Industry Department will assist SMEs with cross-border e-commerce and brand development.

To facilitate banks’ granting credit approvals to SMEs, connections to the Commercial Data Interchange will be strengthened, while the Hong Kong Monetary Authority advances trade data sharing with Shanghai and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) electronic port systems.

Subsidies will be provided for intellectual property asset valuations and innovative logistics technology interfacing with the Port Community System. Additionally, Cyberport will offer matching funds for AI and cybersecurity digital solutions.

To further improve living conditions, a three-tier mechanism for resolving building management disputes will be introduced, using District Council members for early intervention, Home Affairs Department mediation services, and court recourse if needed.

Visit Chapter IV and Chapter VII of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The 2026 Policy Address, delivered this morning by Chief Executive John Lee, includes extensive measures to support youth employment and the elderly, and to promote fertility.

Among other policies, Mr Lee announced the launch of a youth employment scheme, increased newborn baby bonuses, and an expansion of voucher schemes for the elderly.

The two-year “30,000 Youth Employment & Internship Programme” is designed to facilitate youth employment and development, especially among those with limited or no work experience. The Government will mobilise the business sector, including major employer and trade associations, to provide an additional 10,000 full‑time jobs lasting six months or more within a two‑year period starting from the first quarter of next year. The jobs will be open to young people newly entering the workforce, with the Government providing a portion of the wages.

In addition, the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will launch an International Young Talent Exchange Base before the end of the year. The base will offer a new HYAB-United Nations Youth Leaders Internship Programme, providing internship placements at various United Nations agencies.

Eleven measures in total were outlined to promote fertility in Hong Kong.

These include an extension of the $20,000 newborn baby bonus for another three years, and an increase in bonuses for a second or subsequent child from $20,000 to $30,000, with the increase taking effect immediately for children born today or later. The relevant tax allowance for a second or subsequent child will increase from $140,000 to $160,000, with this rate being effective for two years following childbirth.

In addition, eligible families purchasing a residential property within the period of one year preceding or two years following the birth of a child will be granted a stamp duty waiver of up to $20,000. The maximum mortgage loan-to-value ratio for White Form family applicants with newborns will be raised to 95% starting from the next Home Ownership Scheme sales exercise.

Moreover, the Hospital Authority will increase the provision of in-vitro fertilisation treatment in phases over the next three years to 1,900 treatment cycles per year, and the Primary Healthcare Commission will gradually extend its free pre-pregnancy, antenatal and postnatal classes to all District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses. The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong will launch a publicity campaign this year to promote healthy fertility.

Other measures include setting up three more aided standalone child care centres, which are expected to provide around 1,800 additional day care places for children under the age of three by the end of 2030. The School-based After School Care Service Scheme will be regularised starting from the 2027-28 school year, and professional support for the After School Care Programme for Pre-primary Children will be strengthened.

With regard to Hong Kong’s elderly population, the Government will strive to foster a sense of security and worth among senior residents, in adherence with the principle of promoting “ageing in place as the core, with institutional care as back-up”.

The number of Community Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly will be increased by 2,000 to 18,000 in the 2027-28 financial year, while the number of Residential Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly will rise by 1,000 to 8,000.

Five new subsidised day care facilities, providing about 200 services places, and five new Neighbourhood Elderly Centres, expected to serve about 5,000 persons each year, will be set up. Three new residential care homes for the elderly will also be set up, providing about 400 places.

A sum of $100 million will be earmarked for the launch of the Gerontechnology Promotion Scheme, which will support local technology enterprises in developing elderly-care products and solution. In addition, a mobile version of the JoyYou Card will be launched before the end of this year, bringing added convenience to elderly users.

View Chapter VII of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Government of Singapore

16 September 2026 – More showers are expected in the second half of September 2026 compared to the first half of the month. Southwest Monsoon conditions are prevailing over Singapore and the surrounding region and are expected to continue in the coming fortnight, with winds blowing mainly from the southeast or southwest.

2            In the second fortnight of September 2026, localised short-duration thundery showers are expected between the late morning and afternoon over parts of the island on most days. On one or two days, regional convergence of winds may bring widespread moderate to heavy thundery showers over Singapore. Overall, the total rainfall for the second fortnight of September 2026 is forecast to be near the long-term average across most parts of the island.

3            For the rest of September 2026, the daily maximum temperatures are likely to range between 33 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days and could reach around 35 degrees Celsius on a few days. Warm and humid conditions can still be expected on some nights with minimum temperatures remaining above 27 degrees Celsius.

4            For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg) or download the myENV app. Since 4 September 2026, NEA has commenced issuance of the Daily Haze Advisories (DHA). Please refer to the DHA for the latest update of the haze situation.

REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (1 – 15 September 2026)

 5            Southwest Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region in the first half of September 2026, with winds blowing mostly from the southeast or southwest.

6            The first half of September 2026 was mostly dry, with brief thundery showers occurring over parts of the island on some days. On 11 September 2026, regional wind convergence brought moderate to heavy thundery showers over many parts of Singapore during the late morning and afternoon. The daily total rainfall of 105mm recorded around Scotts Road area that day was the highest rainfall recorded for the first half of September 2026.

7         In the first half of September 2026, daily maximum temperatures exceeded 34 degrees Celsius on 12 occasions. The highest temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius was recorded at Sembawang on 9 September 2026. Nights remained warm, with minimum temperatures staying above 27 degrees Celsius across many parts of the island.

8         Singapore recorded well below average rainfall in the first half of September 2026. The area around Changi registered rainfall of about 98 per cent below average.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

Long-term Statistics for September   (Climatological reference period: 1991-2020)
Average daily maximum temperature:	31.6	°C
Average daily minimum temperature:	25.2	°C
Average monthly temperature:	28.0	°C
Average rainfall:	124.9	mm
Average number of rain days:	13
Historical Extremes for September   (Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)
Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature:	33.0	°C (2019)
Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature:	22.4	°C (1930)
Highest monthly rainfall ever recorded:	440.4	mm (1988)
Lowest monthly rainfall ever recorded:	22.8	mm (2019)

 

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE

16 Sep 2026

~~ End ~~

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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Major development initiatives were unveiled today in Chief Executive John Lee’s Policy Address to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM).

Noting the development of the NM is well underway, Mr Lee elaborated today that construction works have begun at four new development areas while site formation work for the site in Ngau Tam Mei will start next year. As for the remaining four new development areas, statutory planning and related procedures will begin in the coming year.

The Government will continue to streamline procedures, including using a digital platform to shorten the approval time for works projects by three to six months, reducing the time for the first approval for building plans of new railway projects by half to 30 days, and optimising foundation designs to save about $1.4 billion in the construction costs of NM public housing.

Furthermore, the Government will expand the application scope of the Hong Kong Environmental Database by optimising planning with artificial intelligence to reduce the time needed for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process to about 15 to 24 months from about 36 to 48 months. For NM-related projects, the time needed for the EIA process will be targeted at about 15 to 20 months.

The Government will introduce an amendment bill into the Legislative Council by year-end, providing preferential tax rates of 5%, or half-rate, for selected enterprises operating in key sectors such as finance, advanced manufacturing, innovation and technology (I&T), as well as research and development (R&D), headquarters activities, and logistics and supply chain management.

At the back of the layout, three university towns exceeding 1,000 hectares will be developed in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling under “One Town, Five Elements” framework, covering education, technology, industry, talent, and urban development.

Construction of Building 1 of the Loop Hong Kong Park at San Tin University Town is scheduled for completion by year-end, with applications for Hung Shui Kiu campus construction opening within this year. An upgraded committee led by the Chief Secretary will steer research outcome transformations.

To dovetail with the development of the NM University Towns, the Government will expand the capacity of post-secondary. Measures include increasing UGC-funded research postgraduate places by around 30% to 9,600 by 2030-31 academic year, boosting Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme quotas from 400 to 550 from 2027-28 to 2029-30 academic years, and adding $20 million annually for knowledge transfer starting 2027-28 academic year.

Visit Chapter V of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today outlined specific measures in his Policy Address to reinforce Hong Kong’s strategic position, concentrating heavily on driving the city’s growth as an innovation and technology (I&T) centre and an international education hub under the framework of the “Four Centres and One Hub”.

To develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, the Government will establish a new Task Group on Frontier Technology.

The administration is taking comprehensive action to co-ordinate the application and risk governance of artificial intelligence (AI) by appointing a Commissioner for AI, promoting AI adoption across key sectors and implementing a seven-point risk-governance strategy.

In aerospace, a new Special Call on Aerospace Technology will support national space missions.

Additionally, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization will establish its first Asia-Pacific centre of excellence on global advanced manufacturing in Hong Kong by the second quarter of next year.

To drive growth of the low-altitude economy, an Action Plan will launch cross-boundary logistics trial flights and initiate drafting legislation for heavy unconventional aircraft.

In parallel, the Government is deepening the development of Hong Kong as an international education hub to power the city’s talent ecosystem.

To support non-local talent retention, the pilot arrangement allowing graduates from the GBA campuses of Hong Kong universities to seek employment in Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates will be extended for two years.

The administration is also actively expanding student accommodation by putting the first dedicated student hostel site up for sale within this financial year and supporting the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council to formulate a Code of Practice for Operating Student Hostels.

Furthermore, sites in the Northern Metropolis or other areas will be allocated next year for international school development.

Visit Chapter III of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Delivering his 2026 Policy Address this morning, Chief Executive John Lee outlined various measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s “four centres”, or the city’s development as an international finance, maritime and aviation, trading, and innovation and technology centre.

Key initiatives include developing a commodity trading system, strengthening high value-added maritime services, fostering the development of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry, and building a high value-added supply chain services centre.

Financial centre

Regarding the city’s diversified development as an international financial centre, Mr Lee said Hong Kong would aim to consolidate the leading positions of its stock market, deepen its presence in areas such as bonds, specialty insurance and Renminbi (RMB) business and make forward plans for emerging sectors such as tokenised products.

In terms of RMB business, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is exploring enhancements to the currency swap agreement with the People’s Bank of China, as well as arrangements for direct exchanges between offshore RMB and other currencies.

On bonds, connectivity will be strengthened between the Central Moneymarkets Unit and markets in Europe and America, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Association of South East Asian Nations. Meanwhile, a consultation will be held on streamlining prospectus disclosure requirements to facilitate the listing of quality overseas enterprises in Hong Kong, and tests will be conducted on the tokenisation of Exchange Fund Bills.

Mr Lee also highlighted that specialty insurance – covering gold storage, commodity trading, green-fuel bunkering and more – will be developed to meet the needs of emerging industries.

In terms of the development of commodity trading, the Government will implement a half-rate tax concession for physical commodity trading, and will explore the provision of tax concessions for qualifying activities within the gold and commodity trading ecosystem.

Aiming to expedite the development of an international gold trading market, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing will announce details of new RMB-denominated and physically settled gold futures contracts.

Meanwhile, a Joint Working Group on Commodity Trading will be established to identify market opportunities and prospects for cross-exchange collaboration.

Maritime centre and aviation hub

In relation to Hong Kong’s development as an international maritime centre, the development focus will further shift from traditional port logistics to leveraging the city’s advantages in high value-added maritime services, covering areas such as ship management, ship leasing, ship finance, marine insurance, and maritime law and arbitration.

Mr Lee said the Government will announce plans later this year to develop a Hong Kong-centric “Green Energy Corridor” in collaboration with a Mainland city. Furthermore, it will establish a clear and transparent carbon-emissions calculation framework for the bunkering and trading of green maritime fuels, drive the expansion of underwriting capacity in the industry’s marine specialty risk pool.

Support will also be given to the development of onshore power-supply facilities, exploring port dues incentives to attract international liners, and the establishment of a maritime academy in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, in terms of Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub, Mr Lee outlined efforts to foster the development of the SAF industry. He said the Government has spearheaded the establishment of a world‑leading SAF production base in Dongguan, which will begin production by 2030, and plans to construct an SAF blending facility in Hong Kong.

The Government is also studying the establishment of a mandatory consumption‑ratio mechanism and the development of a green energy certification system to boost Hong Kong’s green energy value chain and maintain a long‑term supply of competitive SAF.

Trade centre

Vowing to consolidate Hong Kong’s role as an international trade centre and build a high value-added supply chain services centre, Mr Lee said the Government would deepen the work of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global.

A bill is to be introduced in the Legislative Council to provide pre-approved Corporate Treasury Centres and their associated companies with additional flexibility and tax benefits. Meanwhile, digital trade will be promoted in a bill facilitating the digitalisation of “business-to-business” trade documents.

Mr Lee added that a “Task Force on High Quality Development of Textile and Fashion Industry” will be established, to be led by the Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development.

Visit Chapter III of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address for more details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today outlined comprehensive policy blueprints to resolve the housing issue, provide targeted livelihood support and realise a green transformation in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan.

The Government will eradicate substandard subdivided units in an orderly manner by pressing ahead with the Basic Housing Unit regime, aiming to resolve the issue of substandard units in residential buildings by 2030.

Public housing supply will substantially increase, reaching around 196,000 units from 2026-27 to 2030-31 when accounting for Light Public Housing, reducing the Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing to less than four years in 2030-31.

The housing ladder will be further enhanced by increasing subsidised sale flat supply and refining sale and resale arrangements to support young people, public rental housing residents, and different income groups in achieving home ownership. Concurrently, the Urban Renewal Authority will commit at least around $40 billion over the next five years for urban renewal initiatives.

Addressing livelihood protection, the First Five-Year Plan states that the administration will promote data-driven proactive support to shift from a “reactive response” towards “proactive identification and targeted support”, exploring a “welfare information sharing e-platform” and institutionalising tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community.

Support measures will focus on strengthening the child protection system, enhancing elderly care service capacity, encouraging social integration of the elderly, and expanding cross-boundary elderly care support measures.

The Government will also offer targeted support for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers, while harnessing innovation and technology to enhance employment services and safeguard labour rights.

On green transformation and the strengthening of ecological protection, the Government will optimise the energy mix by increasing zero-carbon energy use to ensure energy security and stable electricity tariffs, while promoting green transport to achieve zero vehicular emissions before 2050.

The First Five-Year Plan adds that Hong Kong will move away from reliance on landfill disposal of municipal solid waste by 2035 by enhancing recycling and waste-to-energy networks.

Efforts to realise green transformation also include developing green technologies, establishing a green and low-carbon hydrogen certification system that connects with Mainland and global standards, while expanding ecological conservation co-operation with Mainland provinces and municipalities to protect wild fauna, flora and endangered species.

View Part 5 of Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan for more details.