Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Special traffic and transport arrangements for Chinese New Year’s Eve3. Eight special bus services (Citybus route No. 38S, KMB route Nos. N43, N64P, N243, N272 and Cross Harbour route Nos. N116, N600 and N601) will be operated in the small hours on the first day of the Chinese New Year (February 17);

4. Franchised bus companies will adjust the frequency/departure time or cancel some special trips of 253 routes (including 39 Citybus, 128 KMB and 86 Cross Harbour routes); extend the service hours of 22 bus routes (including 21 KMB and one Cross Harbour route) and strengthen the services of eight (including seven KMB and one Cross Harbour route) bus routes; 
6. The frequency of tram services will be strengthened subject to passenger demand.
 
Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System services
      
     The service of the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System on February 16 will be extended to 3am on the following day. 
     For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 19:50

Dazzling lantern display opens today at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza to celebrate Chinese New Year with public and visitors  
     The lantern display titled “Spirited Horse and ICH Bring You the New Year Blessings”, presented by the ICH Office, was created by veteran paper-crafting master Mo Cheuk-kei. The lantern features motifs including horses, bats and lions. Another lantern display, “Leaping into Spring, Galloping to Success”, is created by veteran paper-crafting master Hui Ka-hung. It incorporates Hong Kong-style cheongsams, Chinese candy boxes, gold coins and auspicious symbols, offering a fusion of tradition and creativity to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
 
     The display is open to the public free of charge, with lighted display hours from 6pm to 11pm daily. For enquiries, please call 2591 1340 or visit:
www.cpo.gov.hk/event/en-chinese-new-year-lantern-display-2026Issued at HKT 19:00

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing alternative smoking products and importing duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photo)      
     Customs officers intercepted an incoming female passenger, aged 31, at Hong Kong International Airport on December 17, 2025, and seized about 20 000 alternative smoking products and about 17 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a total estimated market value of about $134,100 and a duty potential of about $58,800, from her personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:15

HKMA 2026 Chinese New Year anti-fraud and electronic lai-see campaign     The first campaign project utilises artificial intelligence technology to create a brand-new anti-fraud music video. Based on the concept of Kung Fu (martial arts) game, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA Mr Arthur Yuen transforms into a game character, facing off against the original fraudster character “Lachachu” (despicable banana in Cantonese) in a battle between good and evil.     The new series features the HKMA’s original character, “Horse Butler”, and includes 10 animated stickers covering themes such as festive greetings, daily transfers, financial innovation, and fraud prevention.     Lately, there have been fraudsters distributing fraudulent Chinese New Year stickers or electronic lai-see with phishing QR codes or hyperlinks via instant messaging software, tricking users into receiving lai-see or greeting cards, and attempting to steal personal information or money. Members of the public should stay highly vigilant during the festive season.Issued at HKT 17:40

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Housing Bureau releases latest quarterly Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing 
     As at end-December 2025, the CWT for general applicants (i.e. family and elderly one-person applicants) that were housed in public rental housing (PRH) or Light Public Housing (LPH) in the past 12 months has continued to remain at 5.1 years, which is again the lowest record since the first quarter of 2018. Compared with the highest level of 6.1 years before the current-term Government took office, the CWT has been shortened by a full year.
 
     It is noteworthy that the number of applicants housed in PRH in 2025 has maintained a high level of over 20 000 cases, nearly 6 300 cases more than the newly registered general applications of 14 500 cases in the same year, which has cleared up a certain amount of long-standing backlogged applications. The number of general applications allocated PRH each year has far exceeded the number of new applications registered in the same year for two consecutive years (namely 2024 and 2025), which is the first time since records became available for the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA).
 
Huge PRH and LPH supply has effectively shortened the PRH waiting list
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2025, the HB has successfully arranged a total of about 8 800 general applicants to be housed in PRH or LPH, including about 3 600 newly completed PRH flats, about 3 800 recovered PRH flats, and about 1 400 LPH units. The huge housing supply has effectively shortened the PRH waiting list. Among the general applicants housed in PRH, about 70 per cent were housed in the urban district and extended urban district, while more applicants, as compared with the last quarter, were housed in flats in the New Territories (including the newly completed Choi Shek Estate in Sheung Shui and recovered PRH flats). Since the urban district and extended urban district are very popular districts among applicants, their waiting time is about two years longer than that for the New Territories, thus when their waiting time has been taken into account, the CWT has not decreased.
 
     On the other hand, the waiting time of general applicants housed in LPH is obviously shorter, the overall CWT has managed to stay at 5.1 years as at end-December 2025. In fact, since the first LPH project began allocation in the first quarter of 2025, the waiting time of general applicants who were housed in LPH is only 3.2 years on average. This fully highlights that LPH has not only improved living conditions and the quality of life of low-income families, but has also played a key role in shortening the waiting time for PRH. As compared with subdivided units, residents who are housed in LPH can also save an average of over $50,000 in rent per year, which can be accumulated as family savings to plan for a better future.

     In addition, with the HB’s multipronged approach to expedite the turnover of PRH flats, the number of PRH general applicants has further decreased. As at end-December 2025, there were about 106 300 general applications for PRH, and about 81 500 non-elderly one-person applications under the Quota and Points System. As compared with the highest level of 156 400 cases and 143 700 cases of general applications and non-elderly one-person applications, the application number has been reduced significantly by more than 30 per cent and over 40 per cent respectively. In addition, the number of non-elderly one-person applicants aged below 30 recorded an even sharper decline of 60 per cent over the 10-year period, from about 74 500 to about 29 500 as at end-December 2025, clearly demonstrating that the PRH waiting queue is being reduced. 
 
Public housing allocations outpace new applications for two consecutive years
 
     The Housing Department (HD) has conducted an analysis of the housing situation of general applicants that were housed in PRH or LPH in 2025. The results show that, following the gradual completion of new PRH projects, the significant results achieved by the HD in its enhanced effectiveness in combating tenancy abuse in recent years, coupled with the completion and occupancy of several Home Ownership Scheme projects and Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme projects by the HA, a significant number of PRH tenants vacated their PRH flats due to their purchase of subsidised sale flats. As a result, the number of applicants housed in PRH in 2025 has maintained a high level of over 20 000 cases, nearly 6 300 cases more than the newly registered general applications of 14 500 cases in the same year, which has cleared up a certain amount of long-standing backlogged applications. It is noteworthy that the number of general applications allocated PRH each year has far exceeded the number of new applications registered in the same year for two consecutive years, 2024 and 2025, which is the first time since records became available for the HA. This reflects the current-term Government’s determination to increase the supply of public housing and to shorten the PRH waiting time, as well as the significant and sustainable effectiveness of its various policies. 
 
The overall public housing production is reaching its peak
 
     Looking ahead at the five years starting from 2026-27 onwards, the overall public housing production (including LPH) will reach over 195 000 units, over 80 per cent higher than when the current-term Government took office, among which, about 115 000 PRH flats will be completed during this period, reaching the peak in supply. In respect of LPH, about 9 500 units have been gradually completed in 2025, and about 20 300 and 200 units will be successively completed in 2026 and early 2027 respectively, gradually moving towards the target of completing the construction of about 30 000 units by 2027-28.
 
     Under the current-term Government’s unremitting efforts to “enhance speed, quantity, quality and efficiency” in the past three years, the back-loaded situation has been completely reversed by the public housing production. This shift has enabled faster fulfilment of the housing needs of low-income families. The target of reducing the CWT to 4.5 years by 2026-27 remains unchanged.
Issued at HKT 16:38

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Year-end Population for 2025      
     A net inflow of 29 100 Hong Kong residents (i.e. inflow more than outflow) was recorded during the period from end-2024 to end-2025. Over the same period, a natural decrease (i.e. deaths surpassing births) of 18 900 was recorded, with 31 100 births and 50 000 deaths.

     Among the total population at end-2025, 7 242 400 were Usual Residents and 268 400 were Mobile Residents. The revised figure for the mid-year population for 2025 was 7 498 900. The number of Usual Residents was revised to 7 232 900 and the number of Mobile Residents to 266 000. The rate of change in population from mid-2024 to mid-2025 was also revised to -0.3%.Issued at HKT 16:30

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Special traffic and transport arrangements for International Chinese New Year Night Parade and Chinese New Year fireworks display 
(I)       International Chinese New Year Night Parade on the first day of Chinese New Year
 
Road closures
 
     In connection with the holding of the International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Tsim Sha Tsui at 8pm on the first day of the Chinese New Year, road closures and the corresponding traffic diversions will be implemented in phases on roads in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, including the Parade route along Canton Road, Haiphong Road and Nathan Road, and the section of Salisbury Road between Chatham Road South and Star Ferry Pier, from 3.30pm until the reopening of roads at about 11.45pm. During the road closure period, taxi stands (including taxi pick-up/drop-off points), public light bus stands, roadside parking spaces and private car parks on the roads affected will be suspended.
 
Public transport services arrangements
   (II)       Chinese New Year fireworks display on the second day of Chinese New Year
 
Road closures
 
     In connection with the holding of the fireworks display at Victoria Harbour at 8pm on the second day of Chinese New Year, road closures and the corresponding traffic diversions will be implemented in phases in Central District, Wan Chai and Eastern District on Hong Kong Island from about 6pm. Moreover, the section of Island Eastern Corridor westbound between Man Hong Street and Victoria Park Road will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic (except for franchised buses) from 7.45pm until the reopening of roads.
 
     In Kowloon, road closures and the corresponding traffic diversions will be implemented in phases from about 5pm in the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and the West Kowloon Cultural District until the crowd disperses and the roads reopen.
     
     During the road closure period, taxi stands (including taxi pick-up/drop-off points), public light bus stands, roadside parking spaces and private car parks on the roads affected will be suspended.
           
Public transport service arrangements
     Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System services
 
     The service of the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System on the second day of Chinese New Year will be extended to 2am on the following day.
 
     Due to extensive road closures, the TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of Hong Kong Island North (including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central and the Island Eastern Corridor), the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and the West Kowloon Cultural District in Kowloon, and the Cross Harbour Tunnel as well as the Aberdeen Tunnel, will become significantly congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to these areas affected by the road closures. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise patience and drive with care, and follow the instructions of the Police on site.
     
     Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. Subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas, the Police may adjust the traffic arrangements. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the TD mobile application “HKeMobility”.
 
     For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:06