Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Secretary for Health chairs 17th meeting of Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases      ​
     To effectively monitor NCDs in Hong Kong and support the formulation of public health policies, the DH commenced the fourth territory-wide Population Health Survey last September, collecting pertinent information on the health status and lifestyles of the local population to update and enrich the Government’s database on population health. The findings will facilitate the ongoing review of the various targets under the Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control NCDs in Hong Kong.
Issued at HKT 17:30

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16 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations (with photo) 
      An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.” 
 
      The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged identity card or an identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
 
      The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
 
     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
 
     For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:42

DH holds Training Workshop on Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Intervention 2026  
     The training aimed to enhance healthcare professionals’ skills in providing smoking cessation services. Content included smoking cessation counselling, prevention of relapse, treatment of tobacco dependence, motivational interviews about smoking cessation, case studies of smoking cessation and pharmacotherapy, providing healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary for different smoking cessation interventions and preparing them to help smokers quit smoking by various channels. As the legislation on the comprehensive smoking ban on construction sites has taken effect, this year’s course also shared experiences and practices regarding assisting construction industry workers in quitting smoking, with the aim of working together to help construction industry workers quit smoking and establish healthy lifestyle habits.

     Over 130 healthcare professionals participated in this year’s training workshop, with approximately 20 per cent of them coming from the Chinese Mainland and Macao. This facilitated the exchanges of insights on tobacco control and the sharing of experiences in smoking cessation services among local and regional healthcare practitioners. Participants included representatives from non-governmental organisations that provide outreach smoking cessation support for working adults, with the aim of further promoting smoking cessation in the workplace (including construction sites). In fact, from December last year to July this year, non-governmental organisations subvented by the DH conducted over 230 outreach health talks for the construction industry, successfully attracting approximately 630 smokers working in the sector to use smoking cessation services to make quitting attempts.
 
     Since being designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in 2012, the DH has served as a regional hub for supporting training in smoking cessation treatment and services. Since 2021, a cumulative total of over 700 local and non-local healthcare professionals have participated in the training workshop on comprehensive smoking cessation intervention organised by TACO.
 
     In addition to organising this training workshop on an annual basis, TACO organises the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control for tobacco control and smoking cessation practitioners across the Western Pacific region, and conducts the Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Smoking Cessation Training Workshop to help frontline healthcare professionals enhance their knowledge and skills in delivering cessation treatment. TACO has also prepared a variety of resources for healthcare professionals, including patient pamphlets, referral forms to cessation clinics, “Very Brief Advice” and “Brief Intervention on Smoking Cessation” delivery toolkits, online training courses, and a Practical Handbook for Smoking Cessation Treatments. These resources are designed to support healthcare professionals in helping smokers quit through various channels. Relevant information has been uploaded to TACO’s website 
     To safeguard public health, TACO will continue to promote smoking cessation services and provide support in cessation training and assistance. Members of the public can call 1833 183 or visit the smoking cessation thematic websiteIssued at HKT 15:00

Speech by CE at Hong Kong Association of Banks Distinguished Speaker Luncheon (English only)       
Mr Sun Yu (Chairperson of the Hong Kong Association of Banks), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     Good afternoon. I am delighted to join you, for the fourth time now, the Hong Kong Association of Banks’ annual Distinguished Speaker Luncheon.
      
     This annual gathering brings together prominent leaders of Hong Kong’s banking and financial sectors. Indeed, the Association now represents nearly 150 member banks from 28 countries and regions.
      
     Your continuing dedication, expert counsel and long-standing support for banking, and business in general, are central to Hong Kong’s financial resilience and long-term prosperity.
      
     This year alone, more than 3 000 professionals from your member banks have participated in business and professional education workshops held by the Association. And I understand that the Association’s Kazakhstan Forum, held here in Hong Kong this April, brought together nearly 200 industry leaders and professionals to hear about opportunities in Kazakhstan, and the broader Central Asia.
      
     I am pleased to note the Association’s Hong Kong Banking 2030 report, produced together with Deloitte. It will respond to, and champion, Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan, which I will unveil on the 16th of September.
      
     The Plan will mark a defining moment for our city. Launched in the first year of the period of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, it responds to Hong Kong’s compelling need for strategic and forward-looking planning, both for our economic and social development. At the same time, it has been created to integrate into, and serve, our country’s national development.
      
     The Plan will leverage Hong Kong’s unparalleled roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”, linking Mainland capital and enterprises with global markets, while bringing in international capital, technology and talent.
      
     The banking sector is our crucial partner in realising this strategic vision – bringing it to our dynamic life. Allow me now to highlight four key areas where the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government and the banking industry can work together to drive Hong Kong’s prosperity and contribute to our country’s development.
      
     First, expanding the offshore Renminbi business and deepening financial connectivity. The National 15th Five-Year Plan charts the country’s course for high-level opening up, and the internationalisation of the Renminbi stands as a strategic priority.
      
     Hong Kong, the world’s largest offshore Renminbi business hub, is uniquely positioned to spearhead this effort. We are committed to enriching the Renminbi liquidity pool, expanding offshore Renminbi investment and risk management products, and reinforcing our financial market infrastructure.
      
     We will expand the mutual market access schemes with the Mainland. That includes Stock Connect, Bond Connect, Wealth Management Connect and Swap Connect.
      
     And the Government looks forward to working closely with banks – with you – to innovate Renminbi-denominated products, enable cross-boundary trade settlement and broaden the global use of Renminbi.
      
     Second, empowering the real economy and encouraging innovation and technology through finance. Strategic growth hinges on technological self-reliance and high-quality development.
      
     That very much includes the Northern Metropolis. With the support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the Northern Metropolis development will integrate university town areas, innovation and technology, and industry, providing an environment suitable for living, working and travelling. In short, it will become a breakthrough points for our city’s rapid development.
      
     I am pleased to note that the Hong Kong Association of Banks, together with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, jointly established the Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce in April.
      
     The Taskforce, which currently counts 23 participating banks, formalises communication and collaboration with the Government, while exploring ways to support the Northern Metropolis through financing.
      
     I am confident that the Association, and the banking sector in general, will play an instrumental role in financing large-scale infrastructure projects in the Northern Metropolis, unlocking opportunities created by this boundless new economic engine for Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
      
     Developing commodity trading is the third area we can make a difference, working together. With the clear support in the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the HKSAR Government is pursuing developments in this area, with the gold market as our entry point.
      
     In July, we reached a milestone, launching the trial operation of Hong Kong’s central clearing and settlement system for gold.
      
     And I am grateful for the staunch support we received from banks participating directly in the clearing system.
      
     That banking support goes well beyond infrastructure, let me add. It also includes issuing gold-backed investment products and market development, as well as vaulting. I encourage you all to join us on this golden journey of opportunities.
      
     And fourth, strengthening financial security and market integrity. A thriving international financial centre must be anchored in a safe, trusted and secure environment.
      
     Guided by the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation”, the HKSAR Government believes that while innovation lights our future, sound oversight ensures lasting progress.
      
     As technologies rapidly evolve, so do unforeseen vulnerabilities and emerging risks. The Government will continue to partner with the banking industry to promote responsible technology adoption through such initiatives as practical guidance and sandbox schemes, safeguarding our financial system and upholding public trust.
      
     Ladies and gentlemen, the National 15th Five-Year Plan opens up vast horizons, unlimited opportunities, for Hong Kong. And Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan will help us capitalise on these strategic strengths. It helps that, under “one country, two systems”, our institutional strengths – our common law system, free flow of capital, simple and low tax regime and seamless connectivity with global standards – remain rock-solid. Hong Kong’s strengths are what businesses can always bank on as they pursue diversification and development.
      
     Government strategies set the direction, but it is the energy, enterprise and expertise of our banking sector that turn vision into reality. As Hong Kong aligns its strengths with the country’s development, I am confident that the vital partnership between the Government and the banking industry will continue to serve as the primary engine for Hong Kong’s economic dynamism.
      
     I know you will enjoy today’s luncheon, and I wish you all the best of business, finance and banking in the rest of this year – and long into the future. Thank you.
Issued at HKT 13:40

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