Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DPO and PMSA jointly organise seminar on application of “iAM Smart” Personal Code in property management
The Chairperson of the PMSA, Dr James Wong, and the Assistant Commissioner (Data Applications) of the DPO, Mr Brian Sun, delivered welcoming remarks for the seminar. The Assistant Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), Ms Rebecca Ho; Chief Manager (Estate Management) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) Mr Derek Lo; Chief Systems Manager (Data Applications) of the DPO Mr Patrick Lai; as well as a number of industry experts and representatives who had adopted the “iAM Smart” Personal Code attended the seminar and shared their experiences.
Frontline property management personnel are frequently required to carry out visitor registration during their daily operations, which involves collecting and handling a large amount of personal data. In his speech, Mr Sun said that the Government has been actively promoting digital transformation across industries. The “iAM Smart” Personal Code function introduced by the DPO precisely provides an innovative solution that supports identity verification while balancing privacy protection. The “iAM Smart” Personal Code allows citizens to display anonymous personal identity information in the format of a QR code via the “iAM Smart” app, assisting property management enterprises in easily achieving privacy compliance goals.
At present, more than 60 residential estates, government buildings and commercial buildings across the territory have adopted the “iAM Smart” Personal Code to support visitor registration or access control facilities.
During the thematic sharing session, the PCPD introduced the latest privacy compliance guidelines and shared case studies relevant to the property management industry. The HKHA explained recent practical examples of piloting a smart access control system compatible with the “iAM Smart” Personal Code at Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin and Long Shin Estate in Yuen Long. The DPO introduced how the “iAM Smart” Personal Code could help the property management industry easily achieve privacy compliance goals. In addition, various property management industry experts and representatives shared their practical experiences and the benefits of integrating “iAM Smart” functions into property management workflows, access control facilities and daily operations.
The DPO expressed the hope that the property management industry will continue to innovate, actively embrace digital technology and make good use of the “iAM Smart” functions, and flexibly integrate technology into property management services to jointly build a safer, more convenient and more efficient smart city for Hong Kong residents.
Issued at HKT 18:16
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Ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to Belt and Road Initiative held in Beijing
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to Belt and Road Initiative held in Beijing
Vice Chairman of the NDRC Mr Zhou Haibing attended the conference with Mainland officials led by him, including representatives from the NDRC, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Supreme People’s Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.
The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his capacity as the chairperson of the Working Group on Belt and Road (B&R) Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, led HKSAR representatives to attend the conference. They included the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, who was also the Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, and representatives from the Department of Justice, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Belt and Road Office of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing. Representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Insurance Authority also attended the meeting.
Mr Lam said that the HKSAR Government has been taking forward B&R co-operation to go deeper and drive concrete outcomes. Guided by the eight major steps the country has been taking to support high-quality B&R co-operation, Hong Kong fully participates in and contributes to the B&RI, with a view to actively integrating into and serving the national development.
He pointed out that over the past year, the HKSAR Government has actively expanded its economic and trade networks through deepening ties and co-operation with B&R markets with potential; actively enhanced connectivity with B&R countries through strengthening collaboration in the areas of aviation and ports; actively promoted green finance and stepped up co-operation with B&R countries in areas such as green development and environmental conservation; actively fostered cultural, art and tourism development to facilitate exchanges and mutual learning; as well as continued to attract more young people from B&R regions to pursue opportunities in Hong Kong through various measures. He also expressed gratitude to the Central Government for the staunch support of setting up the International Organization for Mediation headquarters in Hong Kong, which would help strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a capital for international mediation.
He highlighted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan Outline reaffirmed the support for Hong Kong’s deep participation in the high-quality development of the B&RI. To better leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems”, and better integrate into and serve the national development, the HKSAR Government is conducting public consultation on the formulation of Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan. It has proposed the directions for deeply participating in the high-quality development of the B&RI, including leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths as international finance, maritime, and trade centres as well as an international aviation hub and in professional services, pooling capital, projects, talent, technical standards, and professional services, to establish Hong Kong as an important functional platform for the B&RI and a collaboration hub for B&R countries and enterprises.
Mr Yau raised in the meeting that the HKSAR Government has been committed to promoting all-round and multifaceted B&R co-operation. He reported the relevant work progress, including forging more free trade agreements and investment agreements, continuing to follow up on the plan to establish an Economic and Trade Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and actively advancing the work of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global to assist Mainland enterprises in expanding their business to overseas markets (including B&R countries) through Hong Kong, with a view to fully taking forward the economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and B&R countries.
The meeting also focused its discussion on the 12 work proposals on further promoting the B&RI that the HKSAR Government put forward for consideration by central ministries, covering international mediation, legal talent training, Mainland enterprises going global through Hong Kong, deepening exchanges and co-operation with B&R countries, construction industry, tax arrangement, offshore Renminbi business, risk management, green talent training, hydrogen development, and tourism, etc. Representatives of relevant Mainland ministries in the Joint Conference introduced their respective work in supporting Hong Kong’s full participation in and contribution to the B&RI, and provided feedback on the HKSAR Government’s work proposals. The HKSAR Government is grateful for the support expressed by relevant central ministries at the meeting on various work proposals, and will actively follow up with them.
In addition, the meeting covered the HKSAR Government’s key areas and major work in its future participation and contribution to the B&RI, including continuing to explore business opportunities along the B&R, facilitating matching and participation of B&R projects, carrying out practical co-operation in new fields, and continuously promoting all-round and multifaceted connectivity. The HKSAR Government will continue to consolidate Hong Kong’s unique institutional advantages under “one country, two systems”, seize the enormous opportunities brought by the national development, strengthen and deepen exchanges and co-operation with B&R countries and regions, give full play to Hong Kong’s role as the functional platform for B&RI, help to build a community with a shared future for mankind through promoting B&R development, and contribute to the Global Governance Initiative, with a view to actively integrating into and serving the national development.
The Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the B&RI, signed between the HKSAR Government and the NDRC in 2017, provides the direction and a blueprint for Hong Kong’s full participation in and contribution to the B&RI, and sets up the Joint Conference mechanism to discuss relevant matters, with meetings convened at least once a year.
Issued at HKT 16:00
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Kwai Chung Hospital to commence inpatient services in new blocks in phases
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Kwai Chung Hospital (KCH) announced today (July 24) that, following the earlier phased commissioning of psychiatric outpatient services at the new hospital blocks, inpatient services will also be relocated to the new Main Block and the Child and Adolescent Block in phases starting next Monday (July 27). This marks the full commissioning of the new blocks and a new milestone in the development of psychiatric services in public hospitals.
KCH has been providing psychiatric services to patients with mental illnesses across Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, Tsuen Wan, North Lantau, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin, serving approximately one-quarter of psychiatric patients in Hong Kong. The total construction floor area of the new blocks has increased from about 80 000 square metres before redevelopment to about 134 000 square metres, representing an increase of over 67 per cent. With the overall enhancement in spatial capacity, KCH offers more comprehensive psychiatric care services for patients in a more spacious and optimal environment, further empowering patients on their path to recovery and reintegration into the community.
The new blocks provide a total of 1 000 psychiatric beds. Adult wards are located on 3/F to 9/F of the Main Block, while child and adolescent wards are situated on 4/F to 5/F of the Child and Adolescent Block. Visiting hours remain unchanged (see Annex 1). The wards are spacious, featuring six-bed rooms and single rooms, each equipped with an en-suite bathroom and toilet. The design of the new blocks also breaks with tradition, with each ward featuring a garden, where patients in need can relax outdoors accompanied by healthcare staff. The hospital also includes multi-purpose activity rooms and interview rooms. By integrating individual activity space with hospitalisation, KCH strives to provide a less restrictive and home-like therapeutic environment for patients.
The Hospital Chief Executive of KCH, Dr Cheng Koi-man, said, “In psychiatry, the environment itself is therapeutic. The spacious design of the new blocks creates an open, safe and community-like therapeutic environment. It also provides more indoor and outdoor activity spaces for inpatients, making them feel at home and breaking the public’s stereotype of traditional psychiatric hospitals. Furthermore, the new blocks consolidate the specialist outpatient services previously operated separately at different hospitals and clinics, facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration among clinical teams to formulate personalised and diversified treatment plans, along with community reintegration services that simulate real-life settings and reduce avoidable hospitalisation. This will effectively promote patient recovery and bring the concept of a ‘therapeutic village’ to fruition through walking alongside patients.”
Following the relocation of inpatient services, subsequent follow-up project works will commence immediately, including the demolition of the old L/M Blocks to make way for the construction of a rehabilitation garden, which will provide more outdoor activity space to foster patients’ recovery.
Specialist outpatient services of KCH have already been progressively relocated to the new blocks and have been operating smoothly. The West Kowloon Psychiatric Centre will also complete its relocation within the third quarter this year.
To tie in with the service commissioning of KCH new blocks, a minibus stop and a taxi stand are available at the entrance of the Main Block of KCH for passengers. Visitors may also take a bus and alight at KCH stop, or walk along Lai King Hill Road to KCH lift tower and use the lift to the respective blocks (see Annex 2). The lift tower is open daily from 6am to 11.30pm for public access. In addition, the hospital’s new main telephone number, 2752 3000, is now in service. The existing hotline, 2959 8111, will cease operation upon completion of the full service relocation. The caller display number for outgoing calls from KCH is 1828547. For more information about KCH services, please visit www3.ha.org.hk/kch/en/index_default.htm.
Candidates interested in applying for six civil service posts reminded to take Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law and National Security Law Test
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Government announced today (July 24) that the next round of recruitment exercises for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Information Officer (General) (AIO(G)), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII), Management Services Officer II (MSOII) and Transport Officer II (TOII) will begin in September this year.
As part of the entry requirements, applicants for these posts will need to attain:
(a) Level 2 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) or other results which are accepted as equivalent;
(b) a pass result in the Aptitude Test paper in the CRE; and
(c) a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (Degree/Professional Grades).
Candidates who wish to apply for the posts mentioned above but have not attained the requisite results in the CRE should apply through an online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) website from tomorrow (July 25) to August 7 to take the relevant paper(s) in the CRE tentatively scheduled to be held on October 3 in Hong Kong and obtain the requisite results in order to be considered for appointment. Details and the online application system will be made available on the CSB website at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html during the application period.
The Digitalised BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades) accepts applications year-round. Candidates who are interested in applying for the above vacancies but have not attained a pass result in the test must separately apply for the test (application details are available at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/dblnst.html) and obtain a pass result before the specified date (i.e. December 5) in order to be considered for appointment.
Candidates located outside Hong Kong can still apply for the CRE and the paper-based BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades) tentatively scheduled to be held in Beijing, Shanghai, London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney on December 5. Application details will be announced in September.
Students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, and graduating in the academic years of 2026-27 or 2027-28 are also eligible to apply for the posts and/or apply to take the CRE and the BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades).
Details of the 2026-27 AO, EOII, AIO(G), ATOII, MSOII and TOII recruitment exercises will also be announced in September.
Adjustment in ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in August 2026
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Adjustment in ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in August 2026