Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong’s excellence in delivering public works projects received international recognition. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and works departments shone at the 2025 Martin Barnes Awards Ceremony in London, the United Kingdom, on June 16 (London time), winning nine awards from the 27 awards in eight categories (see Annex), including two prestigious winner awards, among 80 entries worldwide.
 
A prestigious honour in the industry, the Martin Barnes Awards are presented by the New Engineering Contract (NEC) Users’ Group under the Institution of Civil Engineers of the United Kingdom. The awards recognise construction projects, organisations and individuals worldwide that have demonstrated excellence in project delivery through collaborative partnership.
 
The two winner awards are as follows:
 
1. The winner award for the Climate Change Initiative category was received by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) for the implementation of Shek Wu Hui Water Reclamation Plant. In the construction and operation of Hong Kong’s first large-scale regional water reclamation plant, the WSD worked with the contractor through the NEC mechanism to develop an innovative and cost-effective fully automated reclaimed water production solution that saves energy and helps reduce carbon emissions. The facility supplies water for non-potable uses in Northern District and nearby new development areas. With the production process remaining unaffected by extreme weather, it not only conserves precious water resources but also enhances the resilience of Hong Kong’s water resources portfolio, thus further improving the stability of the city’s water resources.
 
2. The winner award for Distinguished Contribution category was received by Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Mr Tony Ho, in recognition of his outstanding performance in promoting and deepening the application of the NEC in construction projects over the years, which has nurtured a collaborative culture in the industry. His proactive promotion of the adoption of advanced technologies has also enhanced the overall performance of construction projects.
 
In addition to the above two winner awards, the DEVB, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Highways Department also received various awards for several notable NEC entries.
 
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, extended her congratulations to the project teams on their impressive achievements. She said, “The DEVB and works departments have been committed to promoting collaborative partnerships in the delivery of public works projects through the adoption of the NEC form, enhancing mutual trust and co-operation among different industry stakeholders. Such collaborative partnerships help accomplish the primary goals of project management and enhance management efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects. The awards fully demonstrate that their efforts and accomplishments have been recognised internationally.”
 
The NEC Users’ Group also held its 2025 Annual Conference on the same day. The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, was invited to attend the plenary session to exchange ideas with a group of international experts on how to lead the industry in applying innovative technologies and integrating the use of the NEC form to enhance the effectiveness of implementing infrastructure projects.
 
Since the DEVB introduced the NEC form for public works projects in Hong Kong in 2009, it has become a key driver in transforming the construction industry. The NEC embraces a collaborative partnership between clients and contractors, thereby enhancing project performance. While the conventional form of contracts focused more on specifying contractual obligations and responsibilities of both parties, the NEC introduces a comprehensive project management system into its contractual provisions, including an early warning mechanism, a compensation mechanism between contractual parties and action plans. It advocates for contractual parties to work together to resolve contractual problems in a proactive and collaborative manner under this management system, thereby achieving win-win situations. As of today, more than 760 public works contracts, with a total value of over HK$510 billion, have adopted the NEC form.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today toured the Yangshan Port in Shanghai to gain insights into the operations of its automated terminal.

 

She pointed out that the Port of Shanghai and ports in Hong Kong are advancing in unison towards greening, digitalisation and the adoption of smart technologies. The visit has deepened exchanges between the two sides on high-quality port development and allowed Hong Kong to draw on Yangshan Port’s experience to facilitate discussions with port operators on a roadmap for Hong Kong ports’ smart transformation.

 

In addition to highlighting that Shanghai and Hong Kong are both vital shipping centres to the country, Ms Chan expressed hope that the visit and exchanges would enable both cities to work together towards the country’s strategic goal of becoming a maritime powerhouse, and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

 

On Monday, Ms Chan arrived at Shanghai to begin her two-day visit where she first met Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission Director Yu Fulin and other officials to discuss traffic management, shipping and aviation, and other issues of mutual interest.

 

Her engagements on Monday also involved a visit to an all-electric ferry, which started operating in April, to learn about Shanghai’s progress in promoting green transport, and a meeting with representatives of the China Shipowners’ Association.

 

At the meeting with the association, Ms Chan gave an overview of the latest developments of Hong Kong’s maritime services, and encouraged Mainland shipowners and shipping enterprises to register their ships in Hong Kong.

 

Ms Chan returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A sharing session for the social welfare sector on the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, jointly organised by the Government and Connecting Hearts, concluded today.

 

The event was attended by about 300 management staff of social welfare organisations, with several thousand representatives from the social welfare sector joining it online.

 

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun said at its ceremony that with the implementation of the National Security Law, the Labour & Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department have enhanced the mechanisms such as including the requirement into relevant documents for the department’s subsidised and subvented services.

 

This is to ensure non-governmental organisations’ compliance with the security law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in the delivery of services, he added.

 

Mr Sun also mentioned the amendments of the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, which allow prompt and appropriate actions taken on registered social workers convicted of offences endangering national security.

 

The labour chief said that upon the implementation of these enhancements, the social welfare sector not only showed a rising awareness of safeguarding national security but also integrated such awareness into the operation of their organisations, fully demonstrating that safeguarding national security is everyone’s responsibility.

 

Mr Sun emphasised that the bureau and the department will continue to organise activities to promote national security education and patriotism in partnership with Connecting Hearts and encourage organisations providing subvented welfare services to make use of the dedicated fund to enhance their staff’s understanding of national affairs by arranging Mainland exchange tours and studies programmes.

 

He highlighted the overwhelming response from social workers on the Thousands of Hong Kong Social Workers Exploring the Motherland & Hong Kong Social Work Teaching Staff Exploring the Motherland tours as clear indication of the sector’s wish to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the nation’s overall development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Innovation & Technology Commission today announced the second batch of 25 projects to be given funding via the Research, Academic & Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme.

These projects were recommended by the scheme’s steering committee. The total funding awarded amounts to over $1 billion.

The projects cover health and medical sciences, new materials and new energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, electrical and electronic engineering, advanced manufacturing, Chinese medicine, and computer science/information technology.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong welcomed the second batch of projects to be supported by the scheme.

He said: “The successful approval of the second batch of projects marks the Government’s continued commitment to promote commercialisation of local research and development outcomes through the RAISe+ Scheme.

“The scheme fosters effective collaboration among the Government, industry, academia and research sectors, injecting new momentum into local innovation and technology development, which in turn expedites the development of Hong Kong into an international I&T centre.”

The commission, aiming to nurture more I&T projects and startups with potential, will continue to work closely with universities and industry for the projects’ smooth implementation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     In the latest World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2025 published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Hong Kong’s global competitiveness rises by two places further to third globally, after improving by two places to fifth last year. This marks Hong Kong’s return to the global top three for the first time since 2019. 
 
     WCY 2025 shows that Hong Kong’s competitiveness improves significantly, with a total score of 99.2 out of 100 and an increase of 7.7 points, representing the largest increase among the global top 10 economies.
 
     Among the four competitiveness factors in WCY 2025, Hong Kong rises to second globally in “Government efficiency” and “Business efficiency”. Its respective rankings in “Economic performance” and “Infrastructure” also improve to sixth and seventh globally. As regards the competitiveness sub-factors, Hong Kong tops the rankings in “Tax policy” and “Business legislation”, and ranks second globally in “International investment”, “Education” and “Finance”, and third globally in “International trade” and “Management practices”. 
 
     A Government spokesperson said today (June 17), “Having taken into account a host of factors including objective data and business opinions, the IMD’s WCY 2025 has reaffirmed Hong Kong as one of the most competitive economies in the world with a continuous rise in ranking. Hong Kong’s scores in overall terms and in many areas have improved in WCY 2025, showing that the HKSAR Government’s policy directions are on the right course and that various policies have yielded results. In particular, ‘Government efficiency’ is ranked second globally, which reflects the inherent excellence and competence of civil servants, and also validates that the change in government culture led by the Chief Executive to drive result-oriented policies has borne fruit. With the efforts of civil servants and the leadership of the governing team, the Government can efficiently deliver results that benefit our people and bring them better livelihoods. In addition, our ranking in ‘Business efficiency’ also comes second globally, reflecting business leaders’ positive views on Hong Kong’s competitiveness, as well as Hong Kong’s strengths including the rule of law, independent exercise of judicial power, a simple tax system with low tax rates, an efficient and transparent market, a robust financial system, a facilitating business environment aligned with international best practices, and free flow of capital, information, goods and talent, which are affirmed by the business community.”
 
     The spokesperson stated, “Hong Kong’s economic growth this year is forecast to be 2 per cent to 3 per cent. Against this backdrop, the number of companies registered in Hong Kong reached a new high. Hong Kong is in a period of economic restructuring. Some industries are performing very well, while others, such as the retail and catering industries, are facing challenges. The Government has announced a series of measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises, assisting them in upgrading and transforming, enhancing their brands, and exploring new markets.
 
     “In the face of a complicated global economic and political landscape, Hong Kong will understand changes accurately, respond to changes scientifically, and embrace changes proactively. We will continue to actively integrate into the overall national development and align with national development strategies to consolidate our functional role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’, while continuously strengthening our governance systems and governance efficacy. We will strengthen international exchanges and co-operation, expand and deepen regional trade, and explore new markets, with a view to building a vibrant economy, striving for development, and improving people’s livelihoods on all fronts. With the staunch support of the country, Hong Kong is poised to achieve higher-quality and more sustainable development.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Department of Health (DH) today (June 17) appealed to the public not to buy or use four types of topical products as they were found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients. These products include:
 

Product name	Part 1 poisons found
1. Zangyao xuanduwang	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
2. King poison to itch Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
3. HE SHENG MEI LANG DU WANG	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
4. ZHONG HUA ZHEN JUN WANG Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate and miconazole

 
Acting upon intelligence, the DH has collected samples of the above-mentioned products from a retail stall in Tuen Mun for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the above products contained undeclared controlled drug ingredients, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). These products are also suspected to be unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH, in collaboration with the Police, took enforcement action at the premises today. During the operation, a 51-year-old woman was arrested for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH’s investigation is still ongoing.
 
Clobetasol propionate is a steroid substance for treating inflammation. Inappropriate application of steroids could cause skin problems and systemic side effects such as moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. Products containing clobetasol propionate are prescription medicines that should be used under a doctor’s directions and be supplied in the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (i.e. a pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription. Ketoconazole and miconazole are used for the treatment of fungal infections with side effects including local irritation and sensitivity reactions. Topical products containing ketoconazole and miconazole should be supplied in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
 
According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
 
The DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
 
People who have purchased the products concerned should stop using them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if in doubt or if they feel unwell after use. They may submit the products to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1804-06, 18/F, Wing On Kowloon Centre, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Transport Department (TD) today (June 17) announced that the auction of vehicle registration marks will be held on July 6 (Sunday) at Meeting Room S221, L2, Old Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

“A total of 200 traditional vehicle registration marks (TVRMs) will be put up for public auction in the morning session, and 144 personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be put up for auction in the afternoon session. The list of marks has been uploaded to the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html
For the auction of TVRMs, only registration marks starting with “HK” or “XX” and special vehicle registration marks are put up for physical auction. Applicants should attend the auction and take note of the opening price as announced by the auctioneer before participating in the bidding of the mark.(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Any bidder who wishes to bid for both TVRMs and PVRMs on the same day, should bring along at least two crossed cheques for payment of auction prices (for an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed). Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount in the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.