Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Labour Department (LD) today (July 10) reminded employers to make practical and reasonable work arrangements for employees after the cancellation of tropical cyclone warnings or rainstorm warnings, with due consideration to the road and traffic conditions and other factors, and make flexible arrangements for staff to resume work or work remotely (if applicable). This will help maintain good labour-management relations, and ensure the safety of employees as well as the smooth operation of organisations.
      
     “For staff who have genuine difficulties in resuming work on time upon cancellation of a tropical cyclone or rainstorm warning, employers should be sympathetic and handle each case flexibly. For example, employers may allow employees to resume work in stages, permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work remotely (if applicable) or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work,” an LD spokesman said.
      
     The spokesman reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.
      
     “As natural calamities cannot be avoided, for employees who are not able to report for duty or resume duty on time due to adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should neither deduct their wages, good attendance bonus or allowances, nor reduce employees’ entitlement to annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days under the Employment Ordinance, or ask for additional hours of work from employees to compensate for the loss of working hours when they are unable to report for duty,” the spokesman said.
      
     Employers should note that they have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. Moreover, under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force.
      
     The LD has published the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'”, which provides the major principles, reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation on making work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department’s webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan attended a seminar on the development of capital markets in Hong Kong and Korea as well as a business luncheon on the second day of his visit in Seoul, Korea.

 

At the Hong Kong-Korea Capital Markets Conference, Mr Chan highlighted that Hong Kong’s financial market has shown strong resilience over the past two years, with continued capital inflows, a robust stock market and a significant increase in bank deposits.

 

He added that amid profound changes in the global political and economic environment, Hong Kong is regarded as a safe harbour for global capital, characterised by transparent, stable and predictable policies, and its efficient connectivity with China and other Asian markets.

 

He also shared information with the conference participants about Hong Kong’s strategies and initiatives in developing digital assets, including licensing regimes for digital asset platforms and stablecoins.

 

At the Korea–Hong Kong Business Luncheon, with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Tokyo) as the cohost, Mr Chan noted that in the first half of this year alone, Hong Kong welcomed over half a million Korean visitors, a year-on-year growth of 25%.

 

Additionally, he stated that the number of foreign and Mainland companies reached a record high in 2024, with the number of Korean companies growing by 9% in particular.

 

“For Korean enterprises, Hong Kong’s unique advantage of connecting with both the Mainland and the world can create new opportunities in finance, innovation and technology, digital economy, film and entertainment, and more.”

 

After meeting Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byung-hwan, the Financial Secretary held discussions with representatives from the Korea Venture Capital Association and the private equity sector.

 

During such discussions, Mr Chan learnt about Korea’s industry ecosystem and asset allocation strategies, while introducing them to the investment opportunities in Hong Kong across the stock market and the innovation and technology landscape.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

From 10pm on July 12 to 8am on July 13, the supply of fresh and flushing water to residents in the Queen’s Hill area will be temporarily suspended, the Water Supplies Department announced today.

 

The water suspension period is necessary because works will be carried out to connect new temporary water mains to the existing water supply system, with a view to decommissioning the water mains with bitumen lining at Ping Che Road, which supplies water to the Queen’s Hill area, the department explained.

 

The preparations for connecting the temporary water mains will enter a final stage on July 12 for its commissioning this Sunday on July 13.

 

Affected areas will include Queens Hill Estate, Shan Lai Court, as well as 68 villages on Sha Tau Kok Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Sha Tau Kok Town), Ping Che Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Wun Chuen Sin Kwoon), Ng Chow Road, Wo Keng Shan Road and at Luk Keng.

 

To expedite the work processes so that the suspension can be shortened, the department will mobilise a workforce of about 200 to carry out the connection works.

 

While affected consumers are advised to finish major daily cleaning and store water as needed before 10pm on Saturday, the department said it will provide temporary water supply during the suspension period.

 

Moreover, to allow households to make early preparations, the department and the North District Office have liaised with members of the North District Council, Rural Committees as well as District Services & Community Care Teams regarding the water suspension, in order to put in place appropriate assistance measures.

 

The department added that before the resumption of water supply by 8am on Sunday, it will flush the related water mains to ensure that the water quality is clear. As such, when the water supply resumes, drinking water in the water mains may contain air bubbles, making the water look milky.

 

It is normal if individual consumers encounter milky or slightly turbid water in the early stage of the water resumption, the department pointed out, noting that the water will become clear again as the air bubbles dissipate.

 

It further suggests that consumers first remove strainers of water taps, continuously run the taps for a few minutes and reinstall the strainers after the water becomes clear. Alternatively, they can let the water stand in a container for a while.

 

Separately, the department emphasised that it will also strive to replace the temporary water mains with permanent underground water mains by end of this year. The section of temporary water mains will then be relocated for reuse.

 

For enquiries, call the Water Supplies Department at 2824 5000.

 

Residents of Queens Hill Estate may call 2537 0001, while Shan Lai Court residents may call 2713 9530.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Housing Authority (HA) today announced that a new round of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) flat sales will be open for applications from 8am on July 17 to 7pm on August 6.

The round includes a total of 2,576 new GSH flats, including flats at Wang Chi Court in Kowloon Bay, resale GSH flats which were first put up for sale under the scheme in previous rounds, and a new batch of recovered Tenants Purchase Scheme flats.

Wang Chi Court offers flats with saleable areas ranging from about 193 sq ft to about 466 sq ft. Large flats, for which there is greater demand, will account for more than a quarter of the total number of flats.

Priced for sale at 60% of assessed market values, the flats in Wang Chi Court will be sold for about $1.15 million to $3.49 million. 

The HA said an extra ballot number will be given to applicants who failed to purchase a flat during GSH 2022 or GSH 2023.

It added that Public Rental Housing (PRH) applicants who have passed detailed vetting may choose to apply for a Green Form Certificate to purchase a subsidised sale flat from the HA or the Housing Society in lieu of a PRH allocation.

Tenants affected by the HA’s announced PRH clearance projects who would like to purchase a subsidised sale flat in lieu of PRH will be accorded priority in flat selection over other applicants.

These projects include Pik Hoi House, Kam Pik House and Tan Fung House at Choi Hung Estate, and Wah On House and Wah Lok House at Wah Fu Estate.

The HA added that a quota of 1,050 GSH flats will be allocated to families applying under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members and the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme.

Separately, a quota of 250 GSH flats will be assigned to one-person applicants.

Application forms and relevant information will be available on a dedicated website from tomorrow.

Printed copies will be available from the office of the HA’s GSH sales unit in Kwun Tong, its customer service centre in Lok Fu, its estate offices and district tenancy management offices, the Housing Society’s rental estate offices and the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres.

Members of the public can call the HA’s sales hotline at 2712 8000 for enquires.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs has been mounting a territory-wide enforcement operation codenamed “Thunder” starting this week to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities. A suspected storage centre for duty-not-paid cigarettes, commonly known as “cheap whites”, was shut down yesterday (July 8), and a total of about 1.15 million suspected duty-not-paid “cheap whites” with an estimated market value of about $5.2 million and a duty potential of about $3.8 million were seized. One person involved in the case was arrested.

Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs officers conducted an anti-illicit cigarette operation in Tsuen Wan yesterday and intercepted a suspicious-looking man in an industrial building. A batch of suspected duty-not-paid “cheap whites” was seized from the man’s trolley and from two units in the building which were used as a storage centre. The 27-year-old man, who was in charge of the storage centre and claimed to be a salesperson, was subsequently arrested.

After preliminary investigations, Customs believes that illicit cigarette syndicates would distribute the suspected duty-not-paid “cheap whites” seized to the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing Districts through telephone ordering. The operation has successfully shut down the supply chain in the Districts.

The investigation is ongoing, and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.

Customs reminds all retailers, including newsstands, convenience stores and grocery stores, that if the department has reasonable suspicion that the cigarettes being sold are duty-not-paid products, regardless of the quantity of cigarettes involved, decisive enforcement actions will be taken. Meanwhile, Customs appeals to retailers not to sell cigarettes from unknown sources. They must ascertain whether the relevant cigarette companies or intermediaries are legal and whether the cigarettes they supply are duty-paid in order to avoid criminal liability.

Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storages, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.

Customs stresses that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two 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.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Erik Yim and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):

Question:

     The 2024 Policy Address proposes to strengthen elderly services and foster an elderly-friendly building environment. There are views pointing out that the choice of Hong Kong elderly persons to spend their retirement years in the Mainland, particularly other Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), can not only improve elderly persons’ quality of life, but also free up valuable living space in Hong Kong and ease the burden of public welfare on the Government. Moreover, amid the recent significant adjustments in property prices in the Mainland, such as areas like Huidong County in Huizhou and Shaxi Town in Zhongshan, some members of the public have proposed that the SAR Government may study the construction or purchase of buildings in the Mainland with better views, affordable rents, and more spacious and brighter interiors at lower costs for use as public rental housing (PRH), so as to provide Hong Kong elderly people with new opportunities to spend their retirement years in the Mainland. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will consider acquiring vacant properties pending sale in the Mainland cities of GBA for use as PRH flats with which the elderly people can replace their existing PRH flats in Hong Kong, thereby encouraging them to spend their retirement years in the Mainland cities of GBA; if so, of the details;

(2) given that at present, under the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the Greater Bay Area, arrangements can be made for patients to be transferred directly from designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong in a point-to-point mode, whether the Government will further deepen the collaboration mechanism concerned by expanding the scope of the pilot scheme this year to cover other major cities in GBA and include emergency cases, so that emergency transport to Hong Kong can be arranged when necessary for elderly patients retiring in such cities, with a view to increasing the incentive for them to go north for retirement; and

(3) whether it will strengthen collaboration with the Mainland cities of GBA, such as jointly promoting remote diagnosis and AI medical consultation, to enhance healthcare service efficiency, as well as driving the development of gerontechnology and relevant industries, thereby better supporting Hong Kong people in spending their retirement years in such Mainland cities?

Reply:

President,

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been following the principle of complementarity and mutual benefits to enhance co-operation with Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), on the premise of benefitting the development of Hong Kong and the Mainland, so as to provide more options and convenience for Hong Kong residents who choose to work, reside or retire on the Mainland.

     Having consulted the Housing Bureau, the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Erik Yim is as follows:

(1) The Housing Bureau has all along been supporting the implementation of various strategies and policies to cope with an ageing population. In order to strengthen the support to those who choose to retire on the Mainland, the Housing Bureau makes flexible arrangement for elderly public rental housing (PRH) residents who are required to surrender their PRH flats or delete their names from the tenancies upon receiving portable cash assistance. Considering Hong Kong elderly persons may encounter adaptation issues after moving to the Mainland, the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society allow elderly persons to retain their PRH flats or their names in the tenancies for no more than six months, with the grace period starting from the date of the elderly persons’ departure from Hong Kong. The above measure could address elderly persons’ concern about moving to the Mainland and help release PRH flats for turnover.

(2) The study on the provision of land-based cross-boundary transfer for non-emergency and non-critically ill patients and the exploration of rolling out a pilot co-operation scheme for cross-boundary referral of patients between designated hospitals were put forward in the Outline Development Plan for the GBA. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR also put forward in his 2023 Policy Address the initiative to explore cross-boundary ambulance transfer arrangements between hospitals in the GBA. With the support of various national ministries, the HKSAR Government, in collaboration with the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Macao SAR Government, officially launched the one-year Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the Greater Bay Area (Pilot Scheme) on November 30, 2024.

     The Pilot Scheme starts by arranging direct cross-boundary ambulance transfer of patients from designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen and Macao (i.e. the University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and the Conde S. Januario Hospital of Macao) to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong. Upon assessment and agreement by the teams of designated cross-boundary collaborating hospitals, arrangements can be made for patients with specific clinical needs and suitable clinical conditions (including that the conditions are relatively stable) to be transferred directly to Hong Kong between designated hospitals in a point-to-point mode without the handover of patients between ambulances at boundary control points, thus minimising risks posed to patients during transfer. Indeed, persons with urgent medical needs should receive treatment at the nearest medical facility. Therefore, the Pilot Scheme does not cover emergency cases.

     Subject to the effectiveness and operational experience of the Pilot Scheme, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will consider how to extend the Pilot Scheme, such as including more designated hospitals (including those in GBA Mainland cities other than Shenzhen) and/or extending the Pilot Scheme to a two-way arrangement.

(3) As mentioned above, the HKSAR Government will follow the principle of complementarity and mutual benefits to strengthen the collaboration with Mainland cities of the GBA. Indeed, the resources, needs, relevant laws and regulations, and regulatory regimes differ between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The HKSAR Government will explore cross-boundary facilitation measures on the premise that these cross-boundary measures are feasible and mutually beneficial.

     Specifically, the Government has been implementing various measures to facilitate the retirement of Hong Kong elderly persons in Mainland cities of the GBA, including providing subsidised residential care services and portable cash assistance. Among them, the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong provides an additional choice for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to receive subsidised residential care services. The Labour and Welfare Bureau signed a “Letter of Intent on Collaboration to Expand the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong” with the Department of Civil Affairs of Guangdong Province in November 2023 to co-operate in selecting suitable residential care homes for the elderly operated by Mainland organisations in Mainland cities of the GBA for joining the Scheme. With the assistance of the relevant authorities, the number of residential care homes for the elderly in Guangdong joining the Scheme has increased to 15, scattering in six Mainland cities within the GBA. The Government has, starting from this May, commissioned a non-governmental organisation to provide Social and Care Support Service for the elderly participants of the Scheme and their families, and will launch a two-year pilot arrangement by the end of this year to share part of the medical expenses that the elderly participants of the Scheme need to bear on their own under the National Basic Medical Insurance Policy.

     In terms of healthcare services, the public or subsidised healthcare services provided by the HKSAR Government are based on catering for the needs of local Hong Kong residents, rather than the healthcare needs of Hong Kong residents on the Mainland or overseas. Nevertheless, the Government has been actively promoting GBA healthcare collaboration in recent years to provide Hong Kong residents, who regularly travel to and from Mainland cities in the GBA for work or living, with additional choices of subsidised healthcare services comparable to those in Hong Kong at designated service points on the Mainland. Such measures, however, are not intended to fully cater for the healthcare services required by Hong Kong residents who choose to settle on the Mainland. Examples include:

(i) The Government launched the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme in 2024 to extend the coverage of the Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) to seven integrated medical/dental institutions in Mainland cities of the GBA, offering more convenience and flexibility for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons by providing more service points in the GBA for them to better use their EHCVs on primary healthcare services to improve health conditions. The Government announced this May to extend the said Pilot Scheme and to increase 12 additional pilot medical institutions to cover all nine Mainland cities in the GBA. Among the 12 additional pilot medical institutions, four (viz. two located in Zhuhai and one each in Zhongshan and Guangzhou) launched the service on June 26 and July 9 respectively, while another two new service points in Foshan will launch the service on July 17. It is expected that the remaining six pilot medical institutions will launch the service gradually in the second half of this year. By then, together with the two existing service points operated by the HKU-SZH, eligible Hong Kong elderly persons can use the EHCVs at a total of 21 service points in Mainland cities of the GBA.

(ii) The Government announced this March the extension of the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the HA in the GBA till March 31, 2026, with a view to enabling eligible patients of the HA to choose to receive subsidised consultation services at the designated collaborating healthcare institution in the GBA. The Scheme aims to provide Hong Kong people with more choices when receiving HA’s services, and is currently applicable to the HKU-SZH. The Government and the HA will evaluate the effectiveness and the scope of services of this Pilot Scheme each year and make necessary adjustments in a timely manner.

(iii) In order to enhance the continuity of medical care for elderly persons through facilitating their secure use of electronic health records across the boundary, the Government has progressively launched the new functions of “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” of the eHealth mobile application (eHealth App) at the HKU-SZH and the seven medical institutions under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme since July 2024. The two functions have will be progressively extended to the new medical institutions under the said Pilot Scheme this year. In addition, elderly persons and their carers can also use the eHealth App to check their EHCV balance and usage record, as well as access at any time important information stored in the eHealth App, such as their medications, allergies and adverse drug reactions.

     Separately, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Healthcare Security Administration promulgated the Interim Measures for Participation in Social Insurance by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents on the Mainland in 2019, allowing eligible Hong Kong residents to participate in the national health insurance schemes on the Mainland.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To decommission water mains with bitumen lining at Ping Che Road, which supplies water to the area of Queen’s Hill, the preparations for connecting the temporary water mains will enter a final stage this Saturday (July 12) for its commissioning on Sunday (July 13), the Water Supplies Department announced.

The WSD is thankful for the co-operation of various sectors of the community and road users, which has facilitated the full expedition and completion of the project on laying new temporary water mains as scheduled over a two-week time period.

The WSD will carry out a number of work processes on Saturday to connect the new water mains to the existing water supply system. Those processes include closing the existing valves, draining off the water in the water supply system, changing pipe fittings and welding the fittings to the new water mains, reopening the valves in phases and thoroughly flushing the water supply system. During the construction period, the water supply will have to be temporarily suspended so that the water supply route can be diverted to the newly laid temporary water mains.

To expedite the work processes so that the temporary water suspension duration can be shortened, the WSD will mobilise a workforce of about 200 to carry out the water main connection works during off-peak water usage hours, from 10pm on Saturday to 8am on Sunday, during which time the supply of fresh and flushing water to residents at the areas of Queen’s Hill will be temporarily suspended. Affected areas will include Queens Hill Estate, Shan Lai Court, as well as 68 villages located at Sha Tau Kok Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Sha Tau Kok Town), Ping Che Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Wun Chuen Sin Kwoon), Ng Chow Road, Wo Keng Shan Road and Luk Keng. Since Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court have water tanks acting as buffers, the actual duration of the water suspension may be shortened from 11pm on Saturday to 7am on Sunday.

Owing to the above situation, the WSD appealed to affected consumers to finish major daily cleaning and store water as needed before 10pm on Saturday. During the water suspension period, the WSD will provide sufficient temporary water supply which includes:

• A total of 28 water tanks will be placed (before noon on Saturday) in Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court with the assistance of the Housing Department; 
• Co-operation with the North District Office (NDO) of the Home Affairs Department and placement of water tanks (before noon on Saturday) at 26 temporary water supply collection points in the affected rural areas; and
• As some villages are remote with scattered populations, it may not be convenient for the residents to collect water at the designated water tanks. Therefore, the WSD, with the assistance of the NDO, will provide large bottled water to the affected villages through various distribution points. 

Please see the Annex for the affected premises or villages, relevant locations of water tanks and distribution points of large bottled water.

To allow households to make early preparations, the WSD and the NDO have communicated with members of the North District Council, Rural Committees and Care Teams on the arrangements of the water suspension to put in place appropriate assistance measures for affected households. These measures include progressively distributing water suspension leaflets and affixing notices at conspicuous locations, and visiting households in need and social welfare organisations to remind them of making arrangements ahead of the suspension. Moreover, Care Teams will set up street counters again this weekend at Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court to provide the latest information and assistance. As for the rural areas, Care Teams will set up street counters at the community halls in Sha Tau Kok Town and Ta Kwu Ling. Residents in need may also seek assistance from Care Teams by phone or instant messaging applications.

Before the resumption of the water supply by 8am Sunday, the WSD will flush the related water mains to ensure that the water quality is clear. When the water supply resumes, drinking water in the water mains may contain more air which will form numerous air bubbles, thus making the water look milky. Individual consumers may encounter milky or slightly turbid water in the early stage of the water resumption, which is normal. The WSD suggests that consumers first remove strainers of water taps, continuously run the taps for a few minutes and reinstall the strainers after the water becomes clear. Alternatively, consumers can let the water stand in a container for a while. The water will become clear again as the air bubbles dissipate.

For enquiries regarding water supply matters, consumers may call the WSD’s 24-hour hotline: 2824 5000. Residents of Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court may also call the respective 24-hour hotline of the estate/court at 2537 0001 or 2713 9530.

The WSD will also strive to replace the exposed temporary water mains which occupy part of the road with permanent underground water mains by end of this year. By that time, the section of temporary water mains will be relocated to other locations for reuse. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Insurance Authority (IA) and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today (July 9) announced the launch of the Anti-Scam Consumer Protection Charter 3.0 (the Charter 3.0). This joint effort is fully supported by the Consumer Council, the Hong Kong Association of Banks, the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Office of the Communications Authority.

Building on the success of the Charters 1.0 and 2.0, launched in 2023 and 2024 respectively, the Charter 3.0 represents a significant step forward in anti-scam actions by establishing a collaborative framework between financial regulators and technology firms and telecommunications firms in combatting financial fraud and scams targeting the Hong Kong public. The Charter 3.0 introduces six key principles (see Annex), focusing on the reporting of suspected financial fraud and scams, checking of advertisers, internal monitoring processes, enforcement of terms of service, and collaboration on public education and awareness.

During the launch event, executives from financial regulators, technology firms and telecommunications firms engaged in productive discussions on the latest trends of financial fraud and scams as well as their collaborative efforts for the common purpose of combatting such fraud and scams. 

The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “The fight against financial fraud and scams and to protect the public requires a united front, bringing together the public and private sectors, as well as the community at large. The Charter 3.0 represents a significant milestone in this endeavour, harnessing the collective strength of the financial, technology, and telecommunications industries to better safeguard the public.”

The Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung, added, “The Charter 3.0 is a meaningful step forward, bringing in major technology and telecommunications companies to join the fight against online scams. It is our shared responsibility to disrupt these threats at their source. This initiative not only echoes global governments and regulators’ call to action but also positions Hong Kong as a leader in safeguarding the financial world’s digital future. Together, we are building a safer, more responsible online landscape that prioritises vigilance, collaboration, and public trust.”

The Chief Executive Officer of the IA, Mr Clement Cheung, said, “The Charter 3.0 represents the outcome of collaborative efforts made by key stakeholders in forging a robust and resilient alliance to prevent financial fraud and scams. The IA will leverage on this platform to strengthen public education and empower policy holders so that they can safeguard effectively against the increasingly sophisticated plots concocted by swindlers.”

The Managing Director of the MPFA, Mr Cheng Yan-chee, said, “MPF is the valuable retirement reserve accumulated by the working population. The MPFA will not tolerate any fraudulent activities that undermine their retirement savings in MPF. We are pleased to see financial regulators, enforcement agencies and relevant organisations together with major technology and telecommunications companies under the Charter 3.0 stepping up efforts in combatting scams and enhancing anti-scam awareness in the community. We urge the working population to stay vigilant and join hands with us by proactively reporting suspected scams to safeguard their MPF interests.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):

Question:

     It is learnt that the Department of Justice has been actively promoting the application of legal technology (lawtech) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal sector. There are views that the Government should actively develop AI tools (e.g. large language model developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center) for application in areas of the common law, so as to enhance the operational efficiency and competitiveness of the legal sector. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has currently developed large language models for application in areas of the common law; if so, of the specific details and the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has plans to organise lawtech and AI summits or international exhibitions with the Mainland on a regular basis, so as to promote exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong in lawtech; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it has plans to introduce lawtech from the Mainland and apply it in areas of Hong Kong common law, as well as promote the Mainland’s AI legal service products to Hong Kong and overseas; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) of the measures in place to ensure that small and medium-sized law firms in Hong Kong can benefit from the development of lawtech and AI, such as providing technical support, introducing a tax allowance for “lawtech equipment” and subsidising their procurement of lawtech-related equipment?

Reply:

President,

(1) The Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center (HKGAI), an inter-school co-operative research centre led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has developed the first local large language model (LLM) based on DeepSeek technology with full parameter fine-tuning – “HKGAI V1”. The HKGAI has developed multiple vertical applications for various public service sectors based on this local LLM, including the generative artificial intelligence (AI) document assistance application “HKPilot” and the legal-related “LexiHK”. The Department of Justice (DoJ) is currently participating in the pilot use of “HKPilot” and is considering participating in the trial of “LexiHK” after reviewing its effectiveness. At the same time, the Faculty of Law of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has recently collaborated with an AI software company to develop a legal information AI model based on the Cantonese LLM to facilitate the digital transformation of the legal system and industry. WiseLaw Digital Technology, a company incubated by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has also recently announced its innovation achievement in legal AI products. The DoJ will collaborate with the HKGAI and other relevant government departments or institutions based on the trial results, market technology development, the needs of the legal sector and the community, and related resource considerations to examine and promote the further application of AI in the legal sector, especially LLMs related to Hong Kong law.

(2) The DoJ attaches great importance on the development of areas of lawtech and AI, and believes that forums and exhibitions provides an important platform for fostering exchange and co-operation. Currently, the DoJ is actively preparing related activities, aiming to hold the first large-scale activity open to global participants, creating a diverse and open exchange platform to promote the sharing of wisdom and experience from various regions.

     We note that there are currently a number of well-developed lawtech enterprises in Mainland China. Since Mainland lawtech is now primarily designed for the Mainland legal system, it may not be directly applicable to Hong Kong’s common law market. However, we strongly encourage Mainland lawtech enterprises to set up in Hong Kong to explore the local legal market, develop AI products suitable for the Hong Kong common law market, and use Hong Kong as a springboard to develop markets in other common law jurisdictions overseas.

(3) To promote the development of lawtech, the DoJ established the Consultation Group on Lawtech Development (Consultation Group) in January 2025, and invited the industry and various stakeholders to jointly study and formulate policy measures related to lawtech. The Consultation Group members include representatives from the legal and dispute resolution sectors, law schools, and the lawtech industry, including representatives from small and medium-sized law firms, ensuring that the policies will suit the needs of practitioners.

     The Consultation Group notes in particular the challenges faced by small and medium-sized law firms in promoting the use of lawtech. In addition to economic factors, we understand that small and medium-sized law firms often have limited understanding of lawtech, and traditional practice models tend to rely less on technology, which affects their willingness to adopt new technologies.

     In response to this situation, the DoJ has accepted the suggestion of the Consultation Group and plans to promote the use of technology in the legal industry progressively in three stages:

(1) Phase 1: Lawtech awareness and education

     The aim of the first stage of the policy on promoting lawtech is to change certain ingrained mindsets and practices within the legal profession by raising their awareness of lawtech, and helping them to understand the benefits of the use of lawtech that can bring to the profession and the risk management awareness that the profession should have. To this end, the DoJ is organising a series of lawtech-related roundtables and events to raise the profession’s understanding of lawtech and to facilitate the exchange and sharing of information between the profession and lawtech experts to enable them to plan for viable adoption of lawtech.

     The DoJ is also aware of the importance of educating law students about lawtech, and will work with stakeholders in legal education and training to strengthen training related to lawtech in legal education curricula through the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training platform. The DoJ plans to draft and publish a roadmap to assist the legal profession in embarking on their path to technology applications. The DoJ also plans to issue ethical and security guidelines for the legal profession to follow when using lawtech.

(2) Phase 2: Promoting the profession’s engagement with lawtech products

     The DoJ intends to organise an exhibition of lawtech products to enable the legal profession to access and experience a variety of lawtech products available in the market and to identify lawtech solutions suitable for their business development.

     In addition, we are considering conducting a market survey to consolidate a list of lawtech products available in the market in order to provide more comprehensive information to the legal sector for reference.

(3) Phase 3: Promoting the use of lawtech in the legal profession

     The DoJ will encourage local and overseas lawtech enterprises to establish and grow in the local market, thereby fostering Hong Kong’s lawtech ecosystem. The DoJ will review the effectiveness of the above strategies and take policy measures to promote the use of lawtech in the legal profession as appropriate. The DoJ will also review the existing legal framework from time to time in order to better support and regulate the development of innovative and emerging legal technologies.

     Through these strategies, we hope to effectively enhance the awareness and use of lawtech by the legal profession, thereby enhancing the efficiency and quality of professional services and strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international legal services and dispute resolution centre in the Asia-Pacific region.

     Thank you, President.