Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Government of India

PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ‘ENVIRONMENT – 2025’

IT IS OUR MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A LEGACY OF A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT TO THE COMING GENERATIONS: PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU

Posted On: 29 MAR 2025 1:07PM by PIB Delhi

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a two-day National Conference on ‘Environment – 2025’ in New Delhi today (March 29, 2025).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that all days related to the environment give the message that we should keep their objectives and programs in mind every day and make them a part of our daily life as far as possible. Environmental protection and promotion will be possible only through continuous activism based on awareness and everyone’s participation.

 

The President said that our children and the younger generation have to face and contribute to environmental transition on a much wider scale. She highlighted that elders in every family worry about which school or college their children will study in, and what career they will choose. This worry is justified. But, we all also have to think about what kind of air our children will breathe, what kind of water they will get to drink, whether they will be able to hear the sweet sounds of birds or not, whether they will be able to experience the beauty of lush green forests or not. She said that these topics have economic, social, and scientific aspects, but the most important thing is that the challenges related to all these topics also have a moral aspect. It is our moral responsibility to provide a legacy of a clean environment to the coming generations. For this, we will have to adopt an environmentally conscious and sensitive lifestyle so that the environment is not only protected but also enhanced and the environment can become more vibrant. Balancing clean environment and modern development is both an opportunity and a challenge.

 

The President said that we believed that nature, like a mother, nourishes us, and we should respect and protect nature. The basis of the Indian heritage of development is nourishment, not exploitation; protection, not elimination. Following this tradition, we want to move forward toward a developed India. She was happy to note that over the last decade, India has achieved several examples of early completion of its Nationally Determined Contributions as per international agreements.

 

The President said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has played an important role in the environmental governance of our country. It has played a decisive role in the field of environmental justice or climate justice. The historic decisions given by NGT have a wide impact on our lives, our health, and the future of our earth. She urged the institutions associated with the environment management eco-system and citizens to continuously strive for environmental protection and promotion.

 The President said that our country and the entire world community have to follow a path that is environment friendly. Only then will humanity make real progress. She stated that India has presented many exemplary examples to the world community through its green initiatives. She expressed confidence that with the participation of all stakeholders, India will play the role of green leadership at the global level. She said that we all have to make India a developed nation by the year 2047 where the air, water, greenery, and prosperity attract the entire world community.

 The National Conference on ‘Environment – 2025’, being organised by NGT, aims to bring together key stakeholders to discuss pressing environmental challenges, share best practices, and collaborate on future action plans for sustainable environmental management.

Click here to see the President’s Message 

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MJPS/SR/SKS

(Release ID: 2116543) Visitor Counter : 1068

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (March 28) published the March 2025 issue of its Quarterly Bulletin and Half-Yearly Monetary and Financial Stability Report.
 
The Quarterly Bulletin carries a feature article entitled “The Hong Kong Bond Market in 2024”. The Half-Yearly Report provides detailed analyses of the global and local economy, as well as the monetary and financial conditions in Hong Kong. It also examines the recent performance and risks of the local banking sector.
 
The Quarterly Bulletin and the Half-Yearly Report can be viewed on and downloaded from the HKMA website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Overall Wage and Payroll Statistics
 
     According to the figures released today (March 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed, as measured by the wage index, increased by 3.5% in nominal terms in December 2024 over a year earlier.
 
     About 63% of the companies reported increase in average wage rates in December 2024 compared with a year ago. A total of 33% of the companies recorded decrease in average wage rates over the same period. The remaining 4% reported virtually no change in average wage rates.
 
     After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed increased by 1.8% in real terms in December 2024 over a year earlier. 
 
     As for payroll, the index of payroll per person engaged for all the industry sections surveyed increased by 3.4% in nominal terms in the fourth quarter of 2024 over a year earlier. 
 
     After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged increased by 2.0% in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with a year earlier.
 
     The wage rate includes basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses. Payroll includes elements covered by wage rate as well as other irregular payments to workers such as discretionary bonuses and overtime allowances.  The payroll statistics therefore tend to show relatively larger quarter-to-quarter changes, affected by the number of hours actually worked and the timing of payment of bonuses and back-pay.
 
Sectoral Changes
 
     For the nominal wage indices, year-on-year increases were recorded in all selected industry sections in December 2024, ranging from 3.0% to 4.1%.
 
     For the real wage indices, year-on-year increases were also recorded in all selected industry sections in December 2024, ranging from 1.3% to 2.3%.
 
     The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real wage indices for the selected industry sections from December 2023 to December 2024 are shown in Table 1.
 
     As for the nominal indices of payroll per person engaged, year-on-year increases were recorded in all selected industry sections in the fourth quarter of 2024, ranging from 1.7% to 4.3%.

     For the real payroll indices, year-on-year increases were also recorded in all selected industry sections in the fourth quarter of 2024, ranging from 0.3% to 2.8%.
 
     The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged for selected industry sections from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2024 are shown in Table 2. The quarterly changes in the seasonally adjusted nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged in the same period are shown in Table 3.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that wages and labour earnings saw increases in all surveyed industries in the fourth quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, alongside the tight labour market.
 
     The average wage rate for all selected industries rose by 3.5% in nominal terms in December 2024, at a similar pace of increase in September 2024. After discounting for inflation, the average wage rate increased by an accelerated 1.8% in real terms.
 
     Payroll per person engaged, which includes basic wage, discretionary bonuses and other irregular payments, recorded a steady increase of 3.4% in nominal terms and faster growth of 2.0% in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2024. All selected industries saw increases in payroll per person engaged in both nominal and real terms.
 
     Looking ahead, continued economic expansion should render support to the labour market, as well as wages and labour earnings in the near term, though some industries may be affected by the United States’ trade protection measures and other external uncertainties.
 
Other Information
 
     Both wage indices and payroll indices are compiled quarterly based on the results of the Labour Earnings Survey (LES) conducted by C&SD. Wage index only covers employees up to the supervisory level (i.e. not including managerial and professional employees), whereas payroll index covers employees at all levels and proprietors actively engaged in the work of the establishment.
 
     Apart from the differences in employee coverage, wage statistics are conceptually different from the payroll statistics.  Firstly, wage rate for an employee refers to the sum earned for his normal hours of work. It covers basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses, but excludes earnings from overtime work and discretionary bonuses, which are however included in payroll per person engaged. Secondly, the payroll index of an industry is an indicator of the simple average payroll received per person engaged in the industry. Its movement is therefore affected by changes in wage rates, number of hours of work and occupational composition in the industry. In contrast, the wage index of an industry is devised to reflect the pure changes in wage rate, with the occupational composition between two successive statistical periods being kept unchanged. In other words, the wage index reflects the change in the price of labour. Because of these conceptual and enumeration differences between payroll and wage statistics, the movements in payroll indices and in wage indices do not necessarily match closely with each other.
 
     It should also be noted that different consumer price indices are used for compiling the real indices of wage and payroll to take into account the differences in their respective occupation coverage. Specifically, the Composite Consumer Price Index, being an indicator of overall consumer prices, is taken as the price deflator for payroll of workers at all levels of the occupational hierarchy.  The Consumer Price Index (A), being an indicator of consumer prices for the relatively low expenditure group, is taken as the price deflator for wages in respect of employees engaged in occupations up to the supervisory level.
 
     Detailed breakdowns of the payroll and wage statistics are published in the “Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics, December 2024”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050009&scode=210).
 
     For enquiries on wage and payroll statistics, please contact the Wages and Labour Costs Statistics Section (1) of C&SD (Tel:  2887 5550 or email: wage@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs on March 25 detected a suspected air freight gold bullion smuggling case, and seized about 145 kilograms of suspected gold bullion with an estimated market value of about $110 million, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). This is the largest gold bullion smuggling case detected by Customs on record in terms of the seizure volume and market value.

Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an outbound air cargo consignment, declared as carrying plastic luggage departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of luggage in 14 carton boxes, and a total of about 145kg of suspected smuggled gold bullion concealed therein.

An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
​
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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

The Registered Contractors’ Disciplinary Board (the Board) has completed a disciplinary inquiry under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) and decided that a registered minor works contractor (RMWC) appointed as a qualified person (QP) under the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) should be disciplined for failing to discharge the duties or abide by the requirements imposed on a QP under the BO. 

The Board ordered the RMWC to be prohibited from certifying any prescribed inspection, or certifying or supervising any prescribed repair of windows, for six months with effect from the date of the Gazette, and to pay a total of $43,400, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiry. 

The Board’s written decision and order issued on March 14 was published in the Gazette today (March 28). Details are available at the following link: www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20252913/egn202529131789.pdf.

The RMWC submitted a certificate to the BD in April 2021, certifying that a prescribed inspection had been carried out to the windows of a residential unit in Tuen Mun, and that those windows were safe and no prescribed repair was required. Subsequently, the BD conducted an investigation in response to a report and found that the rivets of some windows showed greyish white power or rust. 

The RMWC was later prosecuted, convicted and fined $9,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts in May 2022, pursuant to sections 40(2B)(b) of the BO, for having carried out a prescribed inspection in a manner likely to cause a risk of personal injury or property damage. 

In view of the convictions and investigation results, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RMWC under the provisions of section 13(1) of the BO. 

A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that in order to ensure building safety, the BD attaches great importance to the quality of the prescribed inspection and repair of windows by a QP under the MWIS. Any QP who contravenes the relevant provisions of the BO in carrying out a prescribed inspection and repair of windows under the MWIS is not only liable to criminal prosecution but also disciplinary action under the BO. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

On March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake occurred in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, resulting in serious casualties and infrastructure damage. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government expresses its deep sympathy to the people affected by the disaster and families of the deceased. The HKSAR Government sent a 51-strong search and rescue team to the quake-stricken areas in Myanmar this afternoon (March 29) to assist in the search and rescue work. In addition, the HKSAR Government has immediately reserved $30 million from the Disaster Relief Fund for emergency relief support.

The HKSAR Government is maintaining close contact with various rescue organisations regarding the detailed relief programmes with a view to providing appropriate relief assistance to the people affected and help them overcome difficulties and resume a normal life as soon as possible. The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee will promptly process related funding applications from organisations.

In addition, the HKSAR Government has liaised with the Consul-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong, and will actively coordinate with various government bureaux/departments to collect the necessary relief supplies according to local needs, striving to deliver them to those in need as soon as possible to meet the current urgency.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary cold shelters in various districts today (March 29) for people in need of the service. The temporary shelters will remain open when the Cold Weather Warning is in force.
 
Clean mattresses and blankets/quilts, hot meals and hot water will be provided to shelter users free of charge during the opening of the temporary shelters.
 
To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.
 
Anyone seeking temporary refuge, or those with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters, may call the department’s hotline 2572 8427 for more information.
 
The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
——————–
 
Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon:
——————
 
Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories:
—————-
 
Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall 
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung
 
North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung:
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
    The spokesperson for Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) made the following appeal today (March 29) regarding a patient leaving the ward without notifying hospital staff:
 
A 47-year-old male patient in a Cardiothoracic Surgery ward of QMH was found leaving the ward without prior notification at around 3.50pm. Security guards were immediately deployed to search for the patient within the hospital compound and the vicinity but in vain. The hospital is very concerned about the incident and has immediately informed the patient’s family and reported to the Police for assistance.
 
The patient is about 1.82 metres tall, with a tall and medium body build and short black hair. He was wearing patient clothes, a grey jacket and a pair of rimless glasses when leaving the ward.

The hospital appeals to the public to contact Western Police Station at 3661 1618 if they know the whereabouts of the patient.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The global video game industry is highly competitive, requiring effective marketing for success. The Hong Kong Game Enhancement & Promotion Scheme supports local startups, some achieving over $10 million in revenue, leading to impressive outcomes.

Gaming dreams
From a young age, Chris Choi has had a passion for programming and dedicated himself to developing a mobile music game while studying.

His first game is a mobile rhythm experience where players tap along to the beat. However, unlike most traditional mobile rhythm games, this one is motion-based, requiring players to spin their phones in the air to play. This innovative approach adds a physical element to the gameplay, making it more engaging and dynamic.

By chance, the game’s promotional video was uploaded to a Mainland video platform. Within a week, it had garnered 500,000 views and received positive feedback.

Inspired by this success, he decided to pursue a career in the electronic gaming industry.

With little work and business experience under his belt, Mr Choi ultimately leveraged his strengths in game design to secure a grant of $550,000 from the Hong Kong Game Enhancement & Promotion Scheme for marketing purposes. He used the funding to collaborate with various music labels, resulting in great success.

Global sensation

The game has attracted a significant number of players from the Mainland, Hong Kong, as well as Japan, Europe and the US, with downloads exceeding one million and revenue surpassing $10 million.

Mr Choi pointed out that the scheme helped him to grow his business. At the company’s inception, he had limited startup capital and experience. Through the programme, not only did he secure funding, but also gained valuable knowledge in marketing and promotion, which increased the likelihood of his game’s success.

Lucrative market
As the Chinese gaming industry continues to mature, some local game developers are also seizing the opportunity to tap into this booming market.  

One of them, video game producer Jacky Chou, whose game is also subsidised by the scheme, is creating a comedy-adventure computer game that showcases the unique elements of Hong Kong’s culture.

“It is actually an adventure game that is heavily inspired by pop culture. It is a very funny, nonsense adventure game with a lot of different game plays and mechanics,” he explained.

Mr Chou added that the scheme not only helped with arranging game testers to provide feedback on how they could improve the game but also offered a diverse range of training, including guidance on marketing strategies and attracting investors.

He also utilised the funding to collaborate with key opinion leaders for extensive advertising campaigns, as well as to promote the game offline at various exhibitions.

Supporting startups
The 4th Hong Kong Game Enhancement & Promotion Scheme, sponsored by the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Agency, recently held its awards ceremony.

The organiser, Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association, announced that 12 local startup game companies had been awarded reimbursement grants ranging from $450,000 to $550,000.

The association’s Chairman Gabriel Pang noted that each year the scheme has seen good results, with about one-third of the companies being profitable and one out of 12 companies usually getting over $10 million in revenue, most of the time with 500,000 to one million downloads.  

“The game industry is actually a huge industry. That is why we are doing the Hong Kong Game Enhancement & Promotion Scheme. We need to help them to market their games.

“Usually in Hong Kong, we have a more diverse style. We can cope with different countries and cultures. That is one of our strengths.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today sent a 51-strong team to Myanmar to assist in the search and rescue work in the earthquake-stricken areas.
 
Chief Executive John Lee saw the search and rescue team off at Hong Kong International Airport.
 
Led by Fire Services Department (FSD) Deputy Chief Fire Officer Cheu Yu-kok, the team comprises 40 FSD staff members, and officers from the Security Bureau, the Immigration Department and the Hospital Authority (HA).
 
Apart from two search and rescue dogs, the team is also taking around nine tonnes of equipment, including life detectors and masonry cutting machines, an automatic satellite tracking antenna system for network connection, and team members’ daily necessities.
 
Upon their arrival in Myanmar, the team will join local rescue teams to start search and rescue work.
 
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung, and HA Chief Executive Dr Tony Ko were also present at the airport to show their support for the team.