Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Semi-urgent and non-urgent cases drop significantly by 20 per cent; Accident and Emergency Departments focus resources on critical and emergency care
From January 1 to 18, 85 676 patients attended the 18 A&Es under the HA, representing a significant decrease of nearly 15 per cent compared to the same period last year. Among the cases, 4 889 patients were triaged as critical and emergency cases, showing an increase of 7.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. Thirty-eight thousand one hundred fifty-five patients were classified as urgent cases, representing a decrease of 8.4 per cent year on year. The remaining 42 632 patients were classified as semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, marking a substantial decrease of 21.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. The latest A&E statistics are analysed as follows:
The Chairman of the HA Coordinating Committee in A&E, Dr Axel Siu, said, “The latest statistics of A&Es, including attendance numbers, semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, and treatment efficiency for urgent patients, all indicate that resources of A&Es are now better directed towards critical and emergency patients. Non-urgent patients or patients with other medical needs are changing to seek more appropriate healthcare services other than A&Es, achieving the original intention of the public healthcare fees and charges reform. A&Es can better concentrate resources and treat patients with urgent medical needs more effectively. We are very pleased to see that the reform has successfully achieved its positive and intended outcomes.”
Dr Siu reiterated that A&E is positioned to serve critical, emergency and urgent patients. Individuals with minor conditions or episodic illnesses, such as common colds, are encouraged to visit Family Medicine Clinics, private doctors, or 24-hour outpatient services of private hospitals. Following the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the HA has regularised the A&E refund arrangements, which can facilitate less urgent patients in opting to other healthcare institutions after triage. From January 1 to 18 this year, a total of 952 A&E patients applied for refund.Issued at HKT 17:42
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SFST and SCS speak on report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime and outcome of relevant disciplinary investigation (with video)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SFST and SCS speak on report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime and outcome of relevant disciplinary investigation (with video)
Reporter: Why did the accountability buck stop at the Government Logistics Department? Why is the Government satisfied that there was no further oversight from bureau level? And what mechanism besides the preliminary suggestions raised before by the Government imposed to prevent similar oversight from happening again?
Secretary for the Civil Service: Our investigation has been thorough and has been comprehensive, and it has revealed a lot of facts. Our decisions are all made based on the facts. Our decisions in conducting disciplinary actions against certain officers, in reflecting their performances in their performance appraisals and so on, have to be commensurate with the shortcomings revealed in the investigation report. So, everything is based on facts and we’ll seek to take actions that are commensurate with the responsibilities of the officers concerned.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury: In response to your question about what we have done to improve the regulatory regime, or the overall regime of the Government in procurement, I think it is exactly the purpose that we have set out to do when I led the Task Force to look at: what are the areas that we can do further? Along those lines, we have already identified four areas, including in terms of the mechanism to deal with the assessment and the contract management of tendering; and to look into the technology to make sure that there will be a wider circulation of information within the Government in case of any issues that we want to highlight to other procuring departments. At the same time, a lot of these measures have been implemented. For example, in the current re-tendering of our bottled water exercise, we have already implemented those measures. So, in conclusion, I would say that we have already identified the issues, and we have put them into practice and will continue to do so.
Reporter: First, I would like to see if Mrs Yeung could explain a bit more, in terms of why did the Government decide to revoke the former Government Logistics Department head Mr Carlson Chan’s honours, and how appropriate or sufficient do you think it is to reflect the severity of the case?
Secretary for the Civil Service: I think this procurement of drinking water incident has drawn extensive attention from the public and brought serious disrepute to the Government. In this light, after consulting the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee, the Government has decided to reverse the previously announced decision to award the Silver Bauhinia Star to Mr Chan, and Mr Chan has been informed. This is after consideration of the investigation result and all the facts revealed.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Issued at HKT 17:22
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CSSA caseload for December 2025
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in December 2025 showed a drop of 112 cases, representing a decrease of 0.1 per cent compared with that of November, according to the latest CSSA caseload statistics released by the Social Welfare Department today (January 20).
The total CSSA caseload at the end of December stood at 193 850 (see attached table), with a total of 256 518 recipients.
Analysed by case nature, both single parent cases and unemployment cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 0.7 per cent to 17 988 cases and 15 238 cases respectively. Permanent disability cases decreased by 0.2 per cent to 16 375 cases.
Low-earnings cases registered an increase of 0.5 per cent to 1 288 cases. Both ill-health cases and old age cases increase by 0.1 per cent to 28 028 cases and 111 009 cases respectively.
LCSD’s new measures to combat touting activities take effect tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) reminds SmartPLAY users that the new measures to combat unauthorised transfer of bookings of LCSD recreation and sports facilities/venues (commonly referred to as touting activities) will take effect tomorrow (January 21).
SmartPLAY has introduced new conditions prohibiting the use of computer programmes or other automated tools to book facilities or interfere with the normal operation of the system. Any breach will result in the suspension of the account concerned for 360 days without prior notice.
The LCSD only accepts bookings made through the official SmartPLAY website, the My SmartPLAY mobile app or smart self-service stations at various leisure venues (including the 18 District Leisure Services Offices) by normal manual procedures. Any attempt to bypass the normal booking procedures or interfere with the normal operation of the system will constitute a breach of the conditions. The LCSD will adopt phased strategies to combat touting activities, and stresses again that users should not provide their user account details to, and pay scalpers to book facilities on their behalf. Users having purchased such booking services or have provided their account details to others should change their passwords as soon as possible to prevent unauthorised use of their accounts.
In addition, to ensure that hirers are genuine users, a hirer is required to provide the information of two other users when booking an indoor basketball or volleyball court starting from tomorrow. The hirer and one of the two users named in the booking are required to check in together and be present during use of the booked session.
Details of the new measures to combat touting activities are available at the LCSD’s thematic webpage “Improvement measures to booking and use of recreation and sports facilities” (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/facilities/facilitiesbooking/procedure/ls_fac_improve.html). For enquiries, please call the SmartPLAY hotline at 3954 5150.
Korean premium hair brand LEEKAJA arrives in Central, establishing Hong Kong regional headquarters for Asian expansion (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (January 20) announced that LEEKAJA x AMONG, a new flagship store collaborated on between Korean premium hair brand LEEKAJA and creative brand AMONG, has launched in Central. The brand also established its Hong Kong regional headquarters as a core base for expanding its Asian operations.
The Central flagship store blends LEEKAJA’s hair expertise with AMONG’s aesthetic vision, bringing a fresh K-Beauty experience that encompasses Korean scalp care, professional styling, fashion artistry, and lifestyle aesthetics in an immersive beauty space.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau said, “We warmly welcome Korean brand LEEKAJA to Hong Kong, injecting new energy into our lifestyle and beauty industry. Hong Kong’s multicultural environment, international talent pool, and demand for premium lifestyle experiences make it an ideal platform for brands expanding into the Asia-Pacific market. We look forward to witnessing LEEKAJA’s success in Hong Kong and across Asia.”
The Chief Executive Officer of LEEKAJA, Ms Choi Yoobin, said, “The opening of our Hong Kong flagship store and regional headquarters marks a significant milestone in LEEKAJA’s deepening presence across Asia. Hong Kong is Asia’s trendsetting hub with advantages in talent and capital markets, making it the ideal base for promoting our next-generation K-Beauty concept. This flagship store is not just a premium salon but our strategic hub for expanding throughout the Asia-Pacific region with Hong Kong at its centre.”
Ms Choi added, “Looking ahead, we will open more salons and a hair technology academy here to cultivate talent and set global-level service benchmarks. Our Hong Kong office is not merely a branch but a control tower for Asian operations, steering towards our ultimate goal of getting listed in Hong Kong by 2030.”
Founded in 1972, LEEKAJA is Korea’s leading high-end hair brand with a global footprint of 130 locations across Asia, the United States, and Europe. Known for its premium hair rituals, head spa services, and refined design identity, the brand continually redefines the global beauty experience through innovation, cross-sectoral collaboration, and cultural relevance. The brand’s Hong Kong regional headquarters will oversee operations in Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other markets – managing performance, service standards, and global expansion strategies while leveraging Hong Kong’s role as a key Asian hub.
For more information about LEEKAJA, please visit: www.leekaja.hk.
To download photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720331299266.
Unemployment and underemployment statistics for October – December 2025
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
According to the latest labour force statistics (i.e. provisional figures for October – December 2025) released today (January 20) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.8% in October – December 2025, same as that in September – November 2025. The underemployment rate increased from 1.6% in September – November 2025 to 1.7% in October – December 2025.
Comparing October – December 2025 with September – November 2025, movements in the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) in different industry sectors varied, but the magnitudes were generally small. As to the underemployment rate, increases were mainly seen in the transportation sector and information and communications sector. Meanwhile, a decline in the underemployment rate was seen in the cleaning and similar activities sector.
Total employment decreased by around 2 900 from 3 669 900 in September – November 2025 to 3 667 000 in October – December 2025. Over the same period, the labour force also decreased by around 9 100 from 3 814 300 to 3 805 200.
The number of unemployed persons (not seasonally adjusted) decreased by around 6 200 from 144 400 in September – November 2025 to 138 200 in October – December 2025. Over the same period, the number of underemployed persons increased by around 3 900 from 60 900 to 64 800.
Commentary
Commenting on the latest unemployment figures, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said, “The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 3.8% in October – December 2025, same as that in the preceding three-month period. The underemployment rate edged up by 0.1 percentage point to 1.7%. Over the same period, the labour force and total employment decreased slightly, and the number of unemployed persons also decreased further.”
Looking ahead, Mr Chris Sun said, “The continued growth of the Hong Kong economy and the improvement in local consumption sentiment should help stabilise the labour market. Nonetheless, the employment situations in some sectors may continue to be affected by their challenging business conditions.”
Further information
The unemployment and underemployment statistics were compiled from the findings of the continuous General Household Survey.
In the survey, the definitions used in measuring unemployment and underemployment follow closely those recommended by the International Labour Organization. The employed population covers all employers, self-employed persons, employees (including full-time, part-time, casual workers, etc.) and unpaid family workers. Unemployed persons by industry (or occupation) are classified according to their previous industry (or occupation).
The survey for October – December 2025 covered a sample of some 26 000 households or 68 000 persons, selected in accordance with a scientifically designed sampling scheme to represent the population of Hong Kong. Labour force statistics compiled from this sample represented the situation in the moving three-month period of October to December 2025.
Data on labour force characteristics were obtained from the survey by interviewing each member aged 15 or over in the sampled households.
Statistical tables on the latest labour force statistics can be downloaded at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode200.html). More detailed analysis of the labour force characteristics is given in the “Quarterly Report on General Household Survey” which is published four times a year. The latest issue of the report contains statistics for the quarter July – September 2025 while the next issue covering the quarter October – December 2025 will be available by end February 2026. Users can also browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050001&scode=200).
For enquiries about labour force statistics, please contact the General Household Survey Section (3) of the C&SD (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).
Digital Policy Office holds annual Cybersecurity Symposium (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Cybersecurity Symposium convened today (January 20). The Symposium was co-organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) and the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited, with the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Cybersecurity Professional Association being the strategic partners.
Under the theme “Navigating Cybersecurity Trends, Strengthening Organisational Defence”, the Symposium featured eight keynote speeches and five panel discussions covering key topics including emerging threats, cybersecurity trends, attack and defence strategies, protection of the computer systems of critical infrastructure, and AI. More than 30 experts from the Government, academia, technology, telecommunications, finance, and insurance sectors were invited as speakers and around 1 000 cybersecurity professionals and industry leaders from various sectors attended the Symposium.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, officiated and delivered the welcome remarks at the Symposium. He said, “Technological development and security protection must be pursued in tandem. Innovation and technology (I&T) can truly benefit society only when it is built on the foundation of safety and reliability. Hong Kong is determined to become an international I&T centre, and will actively support national strategies, and fully leverage the institutional strengths and professional capabilities to build a robust stronghold for digital security.”
Professor Sun emphasised that cyberattacks and defence today are no longer confined to technical confrontations, but have evolved into a global race that transcends geographical boundaries and integrates intelligence. He also urged all sectors of the community to work together and take practical actions to strengthen cybersecurity defence, thereby ensuring that Hong Kong will not only become a pioneer in developing the digital economy, but also a guardian of cybersecurity.
The Deputy Commissioner for Digital Policy (Digital Infrastructure), Mr Daniel Cheung, delivered a keynote speech at the Symposium, presenting the DPO’s major cybersecurity strategies and initiatives in 2025. He stated that the DPO laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong’s cybersecurity through various areas, including internal government protection measures, public promotion and support, national and international collaboration, and talent development. The DPO also co-ordinated efforts across various sectors to ensure robust cybersecurity preparations and the smooth execution of several large-scale major events in the second half of last year. He also shared the outcomes of the second Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill, which was co-ordinated by the DPO in October last year. He said that last year’s drill was further expanded in scale to cover more public services, thereby providing a more comprehensive assessment of the cybersecurity defence and response capabilities of government departments and public organisations with significant results.
The Cybersecurity Symposium aimed to bring together industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by public and private organisations across the three key dimensions of policy, technology, and operations. The participants explored the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, fostered collaboration and knowledge exchanges between public and private organisations, and thereby further strengthening Hong Kong’s cybersecurity resilience. A cybersecurity solutions and services exhibition was also held alongside the Symposium to showcase the latest technologies and offer enterprises and organisations opportunities to engage directly with cybersecurity service providers, share practical experiences and forge connections.
Independent Committee in relation to fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to hold direction conference on February 5
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po:
The Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today (January 20) that it will hold a direction conference on February 5 (Thursday) to give directions on the arrangements for subsequent hearings to be conducted by the Committee.
At the direction conference, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Justice David Lok, will give directions on the subsequent hearings, including identifying individuals or organisations, or their legal representatives, who intend to attend the hearings; the language to be used, the manner of submission of witness statements and documents, etc; and will consider other matters relating to the hearings. There will not be any presentation of evidence or examination of witnesses at the direction conference.
The direction conference will be held at 10am on February 5 in Cantonese at the Multi-purpose Room, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central. Simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua and English will be arranged in the City Gallery.
The direction conference will be open to the public. To allow more members of the public to observe the conduct of the conference, the proceedings will be broadcast simultaneously in transmission areas set up on the ground floor of the City Gallery and in the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library. Some members of the public will be arranged to observe the conference in these two areas. A total of about 400 seats will be available for the public, with separate arrangements for the media.
To avoid members of the public queuing up outside the venue for a long time, and to allow those who wish to observe the conference to have certainty of whether seats have been secured before the day of the conference, interested individuals are required to make an online reservation through the submission of a pre-registration form in advance. The Secretariat of the Committee will allocate seats on a first-come, first-served basis according to the system’s record of the time that the pre-registration forms are received. Details of the online reservations will be announced separately.
In addition, the scope of the Committee’s work is extensive, and the issues are numerous and complex. In order to review the incident and related issues more comprehensively and from different perspectives, the Committee will invite members of the public and organisations to provide information on the causes and circumstances that led to the fire and its rapid spread at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, and related issues. Details of the method, timing, and scope of submission of information will be announced separately.
The Chief Executive has established the Committee to review the causes of the incident and related issues of Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, and to make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. The Committee formally commenced its work on December 19, 2025.
Development Bureau invites market to submit expressions of interest for student hostel development on three formed sites
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Development Bureau invites market to submit expressions of interest for student hostel development on three formed sites
In July 2025, the DEVB and the Education Bureau (EDB) jointly launched the Hostels in the City Scheme. By relaxing some development controls, it has facilitated private developers/operators in converting commercial buildings into student hostels to meet the needs of post-secondary students. Subsequently, it was announced in the 2025 Policy Address that the Scheme would be expanded to also cover new hostel developments.
The Scheme has been met with an encouraging response, with 24 applications received involving around 5 000 beds in total, most of which were in urban areas. Apart from two applications that concern new student hostel development on private land, all applications were for the conversion of existing buildings, the majority of which involved wholesale conversion. Out of the 24 applications received, 22 have been confirmed to have complied with the eligibility criteria (Note) as laid down under the Scheme, with the remaining two under processing. Proponents of these 22 cases are starting to apply for development approvals under relaxed development controls, while the relevant government departments are processing at full steam the planning applications (Note: 18 out of 22 cases do not require a planning application) and the building plans received.
A DEVB spokesman said, “The 2025 Policy Address has recommended that suitable sites for student hostel development be put up through land sale, besides facilitating the market in converting existing commercial buildings and building hostels on existing private land. This would be the first time for us to use land disposal in the open market to encourage the development of student hostels.”
All three sites included in this EOI exercise are located in urban or extended urban areas with better traffic accessibility and more mature community and commercial facilities in the vicinity. These sites are zoned “Commercial” on the respective Outline Zoning Plans, meaning developing student hostels according to the Scheme would not require further planning applications. The relevant land has already been formed with basic infrastructure.
The spokesman said, “The three sites are all readily developable land where zoning and development parameters are suitable for student hostel developments. Those who are awarded the sites through tender could promptly develop these sites into student hostels and help respond to the demand for post-secondary hostel accommodation. Subject to the response received from this EOI exercise, the Government can make available one or more of the three sites supporting student hostel development for land sale through open tender in 2026-27 at the earliest.
In order to properly serve the policy objective of promoting the development of an education hub through increasing the supply of quality hostel places, the DEVB is initially planning to restrict under the lease the use of the sites to student hostels only and impose a restriction against alienation of individual rooms, meaning alienation is only allowed for the entire development as a whole, so as to ensure the hostel facilities on each of the sites are cohesively owned and operated. The Building Covenant period is now proposed to be 48 months. Respondents to the EOI exercise are invited to indicate their interest in bidding for one or more of the sites, share their preliminary plans for the hostel operation, and provide views on the land disposal arrangements including the above proposed alienation restriction and the Building Covenant period. The Government’s preliminary estimate is that around 4 500 beds can be provided in total on the three sites, but the actual bed numbers will depend on the design of the project proponents. Development parameters of the three sites are summarised in Annex A to the invitation document of this EOI exercise. Some salient features of the sites are highlighted as follows:
Site in Kai Tak
The site in Kai Tak is located at the former South Apron area of the Kai Tak Development Area, near the Kai Tak Sports Park and adjacent to the New Acute Hospital that is expected to commence operation this year. Nearby MTR stations include Kai Tak Station and Kowloon Bay Station. Its site area is around 0.74 hectares (ha) and is subject to a maximum plot ratio (PR) of 5.8, a building height restriction (BHR) of 80mPD, a maximum site coverage of 65 per cent, and a maximum gross floor area (GFA) of around 43 000 square metres (sq m).
Site in Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin
The immediate area of the site in Siu Lek Yuen is intermixed with commercial, residential, and other uses and is in proximity to the MTR City One Station and Shek Mun Station. Of around 0.11 ha, the site is subject to a maximum PR of 9.5, a BHR of 120mPD, and a maximum GFA of around 10 000 sq m.
Site in Tung Chung East
The site in Tung Chung New Town Extension is located close to the MTR Tung Chung East Station that is expected to commence operation in 2029. Its site area is around 0.25 ha and is subject to a maximum PR of 9, a BHR of 160mPD, and a maximum GFA of around 23 000 sq m.
The invitation documents for EOI have been uploaded onto the DEVB’s website (www.devb.gov.hk/en/issues_in_focus/planning-lands/invitation-for-expression-of-interest-for-student/index.htmlIssued at HKT 15:15
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Government releases report of Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime and announces outcome of relevant disciplinary investigation
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government released today (January 20) the report of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime (in Annex), as well as the disciplinary investigation regarding the incident in the procurement of bottled drinking water and relevant follow-up actions.
Report of Task Force
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The Task Force report summarised the recommendations from the Task Force chaired by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (SFST), Mr Christopher Hui, upon a thorough review of the government procurement regime, and having made reference to the management letter submitted by the Audit Commission on its review of the tender exercise for the procurement of bottled drinking water. The measures focused on four broad directions, namely institutional change, reshaping work culture, enhancement in cross-departmental information exchange, and application of technologies and artificial intelligence, with a view to holistically refining the tendering and procurement regime and procedures.
Following the six quick-win measures announced in October last year, the Task Force put forward various further enhancement measures. Starting from January 1 this year, a financial vetting requirement has been introduced to the tendering of goods contracts with a value exceeding $15 million, making it on par with the prevailing practice of conducting financial vetting for service contracts with a contract value exceeding $15 million. Having regard to the nature and scale of procurement as well as practical operational needs, procurement officers may also set the tenderer’s experience as an “essential requirement” in a more flexible manner, in order to ensure that tenderers are capable of fulfilling contractual obligations. The Treasury has also promulgated internal guidelines to assist officers responsible for conducting financial vetting to identify possible red flags of fraud, so that they will be more vigilant and take timely follow-up actions.
Moreover, following the revisions to the Standard Terms and Conditions of Tenders and Contracts (STC) in October last year that specifically empower procurement officers to disqualify a tenderer if they consider the tenderer not capable of fulfilling the contract terms, and to terminate a contract immediately if they reasonably believe that a contractor has made a material misrepresentation during the contract period, the Government has further updated the STC to stipulate that the Government may terminate a contract immediately on public interest grounds.
To progress with the times and leverage technology, the Government Logistics Department (GLD) will adopt an AI tool to assist in information search on tenderers and contractors on a pilot basis in the first quarter of this year. Subject to the outcome of the trial, the AI tool will be extended to other procuring departments for adoption, so as to enhance the Government’s overall operational efficiency in conducting due diligence checks.
Mr Hui said, “We have long been acting in the interest of the public and handling the incident regarding the procurement of bottled drinking water with openness and transparency. Our commitment to enhance the government procurement regime is ongoing and will never stop. We will continue to refine the Government’s procurement work with a resolve to reform, so as to obtain goods and services at the best value for money and ensure prudent use of public money through effective procurement procedures that adapt to the needs of the modern business environment.”
Outcome of disciplinary investigation and relevant follow-up actions
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In late October last year, the SFST invited Ms Alice Lau, Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1, to conduct a disciplinary investigation into the incident with a view to ascertaining if any officers should be held accountable for the incident and, if so, the nature and level of their responsibility, such as whether any officers had contravened government or departmental rules and regulations in the process, or failed to act or perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience.
After reviewing relevant documents, the investigation team led by Ms Lau identified over 20 officers from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the GLD, and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and requested from them written statements. The investigation team also interviewed some of the officers concerned based on the contents of the statements.
Following an in-depth and comprehensive collection and analysis of facts, the investigation team found that three GLD officers failed to perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience in the procurement of bottled drinking water exercise. They demonstrated a lack of vigilance and judgement, thus failing to identify obvious irregularities and seize the opportunity to follow up as appropriate and report to their seniors in a timely manner. This resulted in the department missing the chance to detect the false documents and take appropriate actions earlier.
Based on the findings of the above investigation, there is prima facie evidence at this stage suggesting that two of the three GLD officers, including one directorate officer, had failed to appreciate the significance of obvious irregularities and report such irregularities to their seniors in a timely manner. The Government will initiate formal disciplinary proceedings against them and mete out punishment based on the findings of the disciplinary inquiry. Besides, the deficiencies in the work performance of the two officers will be reflected in their appraisals, and the Government will not grant an increment to the officers who have not reached the maximum salary point of their ranks.
For the remaining GLD officer, the Government will reflect the officer’s inadequacy in vigilance, judgement, and analytical power in his/her appraisal report and will not grant an increment to him/her. Written advice will also be served, requiring the officer to demonstrate significant improvement in the above competencies in the future.
Having found that there were officers who failed to report the irregularities to their seniors, the investigation team did not find any act of negligence on the part of the former Director of Government Logistics in the incident. However, the fact that all of the three aforementioned GLD officers at different ranks did not perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience in the incident reflects some prevalence of such substandard performance in the GLD. The report of the Task Force also revealed that there was room for improvement in the GLD’s procurement work, with the need to heighten officers’ guard against government loss and to put in place a more proactive and prudent procurement process. In this regard, the SFST has written to the former Director of Government Logistics, pointing out that more should have been done during his tenure as the Head of Department to enhance staff’s capabilities and develop their sensitivity and proactiveness.
The incident has drawn extensive attention from the public and brought serious disrepute to the Government. In this light, after consulting the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee, the Government has decided to reverse the previously announced decision to award the Silver Bauhinia Star to Mr Carlson Chan, and he has been informed.