Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements releases latest information on cross-boundary passenger traffic estimation and arrangements for Labour Day Golden Week of Mainland
During the upcoming Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland (from May 1 to 5), the Immigration Department (ImmD) estimates that around 5.71 million passengers (including Hong Kong residents and visitors) will pass through Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points. The ImmD, in consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection and other Mainland authorities, estimates that around 4.90 million passengers will pass through land boundary control points. The number of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points will be relatively higher on May 3 (Saturday) and May 5 (Monday), with around 590 000 passengers and 580 000 passengers respectively.
The ImmD estimates that the passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Control Point will be heavy, with a daily average forecast of about 230 000, 210 000 and 150 000 passengers respectively.
To cope with the anticipated heavy traffic during the festive period, the ImmD has minimised leave for frontline officers for flexible deployment and the operation of extra clearance counters and kiosks.
Furthermore, the ImmD, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the MTR Corporation Limited will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point to make necessary arrangements. The ImmD will also establish close communication with Mainland authorities, including the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. To ensure a smooth passenger traffic flow, passenger conditions will be closely monitored and appropriate traffic diversion plans will be adopted when necessary.
To avoid congestion and longer-than-usual waiting times for immigration clearance, the ImmD advises all land boundary passengers to plan in advance, avoid making their journeys during busy periods and keep track of radio and TV broadcasts on traffic conditions at various control points. The busy times at boundary control points are available on the website of the ImmD at www.immd.gov.hk
For travellers making journeys to the Mainland, the ImmD reminds them to carry their proof of identity and valid travel documents for crossing the boundary. Hong Kong residents should also check the validity of their Home Visit Permits. Non-permanent residents must carry their valid smart identity card as well as their Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or valid travel document.
Holders of the acknowledgement receipt issued due to the reported loss or replacement of their Hong Kong identity cards, or children under 11 years old who hold Hong Kong identity cards, should carry a valid travel document or Re-entry Permit.
About 700 e-Channels have been installed at various control points. To further enhance the clearance efficiency of control points and allow more Hong Kong residents to use the fast and convenient e-Channel service, starting from March 31, the ImmD has adjusted the applicable age for e-Channel service for holders of smart identity cards. Eligible Hong Kong permanent residents aged 7 to 10 years old, who are at least 1.1 metres tall and hold a smart identity card and a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport, can use the e-Channels without prior enrolment for self-service immigration clearance via face recognition technology at all control points. Moreover, the Contactless e-Channel service is available at all control points now. All eligible Hong Kong residents, after enrolment, can generate an encrypted QR code through the Contactless e-Channel mobile application to enter the e-Channel and then verify their identity with the facial verification technology for automated immigration clearance.
In addition, all control points have introduced self-service departures for visitors to Hong Kong (Smart Departure), which provides greater travel convenience for visitors. The service employs facial recognition technology for identity verification, which allows eligible visitors holding electronic travel documents to perform self-service departure clearance through Smart Departure e-Channels without prior enrolment.
Hong Kong residents who require assistance while travelling outside Hong Kong may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the ImmD Mobile App, send a message to 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline or 1868 WeChat assistance hotline or submit the Online Assistance Request Form.
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
Issued at HKT 17:15
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Applications invited for Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) Funding Scheme
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Applications invited for Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) Funding Scheme
“The Government is committed to fostering the culture and values of inclusiveness, mutual respect and non-discrimination, and promoting equal opportunities for people of different sexual orientations and transgenders. The funding scheme provides funding support to worthwhile community projects which aim at promoting equal opportunities on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, or seek to provide support services for the sexual minorities,” a spokesman for the CMAB said.
Information on making applications is available on the CMAB website (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/equalsdofs_sex.htm
An online briefing session will be held on May 9, 2025, to brief interested parties on the scope and operation of the Funding Scheme.
For enquiries, please contact the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit of the CMAB at 2810 3205.
Issued at HKT 15:00
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Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled goods worth about $4 million (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled goods worth about $4 million
Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with two suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Iraq and Malaysia via ocean-going vessels being selected for inspection.
Customs inspected the two abovementioned containers that were declared as carrying shoes, clothes and bags, and metal copper plate and integrated circuit parts on April 11 and 17. Upon examinations, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including household products, small electrical appliances, kitchenware and printed circuit boards in the containers.
An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.
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 upon conviction.
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.hkIssued at HKT 17:16
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Hong Kong Excellent Family Awards opens for enrolment
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Excellent Family Awards opens for enrolment
The first Hong Kong Excellent Family Awards focuses on fostering stable family relationships for building good family values and virtues and promotes good family values to the public. The awards recognise families that cultivate a positive and supportive family relationship built on love and respect as well as care and support, and pass on good family traditions and virtues to younger generations. There are 15 awards in this event, including 10 Excellent Families Awards and five Passage of Good Family Values and Virtues Awards. The winning families will receive trophies, admission tickets and a hotel stay at a theme park, family photography services and gift coupons.
Participating families are required to submit a written narrative in either Chinese or English, sharing their family’s real-life experiences and stories together with not more than five family photos, on or before June 27. The narrative should demonstrate strong family bonds, the family’s ability to cope with various challenges in life together, and passing on of good family traditions and virtues to the younger generation. Participants can submit the entries online or download the entry form from the thematic webpage, and submit the completed form along with the narrative and photo(s) in person or by post to the HYAB Family Council Secretariat (13/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong). Shortlisted families will be invited to attend a meeting in early August.
Details of the awards are available on the thematic webpage (www.familycouncil.gov.hk/en/promotion/hkefa.htmlIssued at HKT 15:00
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HKMA establishes Expert Panel on Project CargoX to support digital trade finance ecosystem
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) announced today (April 28) the establishment of an Expert Panel on Project CargoX (the Expert Panel) to enhance the digital ecosystem for trade finance by harnessing the power of cargo data.
Riding on the HKMA’s Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) (Note), Project CargoX is a multi-year, public-private collaboration, focusing on three key areas:
- leveraging cargo data to streamline and enhance trade finance processes;
- developing digital solutions to improve accessibility to trade finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and
- exploring connections with international data partners to facilitate the trade financing use case for banks in Hong Kong.
To achieve these objectives, the HKMA has established an Expert Panel comprising industry experts and key stakeholders from cargo data providers, trade associations, banks, credit reference agencies and government agencies. The Expert Panel will formulate a roadmap for digitising cargo data (encompassing sea, road and air transportation data), and integrating relevant cargo data sources across jurisdictions with CDI, by the end of 2025. A list of the Expert Panel members can be found in the Annex.
With the guidance and recommendation from the Expert Panel, the HKMA will conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) studies and develop new solutions with strategic partners such as the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) as well as pilot banks to improve digital trade finance through the use of cargo data and CDI in 2025 and 2026.
The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “In today’s complex global trade landscape, many businesses, in particular SME traders, need more digitalised and efficient trade finance solutions to transform their business models and supply chains. By uniting a diverse group of experts from public and private sectors, the Expert Panel will play a pivotal role in driving the advancement of our digital trade finance ecosystem, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a premier trade finance hub and fostering the growth of SMEs. Leveraging cargo data and our next-generation CDI data infrastructure, CargoX will help resolve some long-standing pain points in trade finance for banks, ultimately boosting efficiency and driving industry-wide innovation.”
The Commissioner for Maritime and Port Development of the TLB, Miss Amy Chan, said, “The Transport and Logistics Bureau is developing the Port Community System for completion by end of this year to provide cargo track-and-trace across sea, road, and air transport, which is expected to lead the maritime, port, logistics and trading industries to new heights of digitalisation. The Port Community System makes use of blockchain technology to record cargo flows, hence ensuring the integrity and reliability of cargo flow information. We look forward to working with the Expert Panel and strategic partners to unlock the enormous potential of the Port Community System in facilitating trade finance, supporting SMEs, and strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a global maritime hub.”
Executive Director, Commercial of the AAHK, Ms Cissy Chan, said, “The AAHK is committed to driving innovation and digitalisation in the air cargo industry. Since launching the HKIA Cargo Data Platform in 2021, we have been working with a vast range of ecosystem partners in enabling efficient information and cargo flow via Hong Kong International Airport. The successful use case co-created with the HKMA’s CDI further synergises the capital flow and exemplifies the benefits on trade financing leveraging cargo data and cross-industry ecosystem collaboration. We welcome the HKMA’s effort to continue this momentum through CargoX initiative and look forward to working with like-minded organisations to continue contributing to the development of Hong Kong’s digital trade finance ecosystem.”
Note: Launched by the HKMA in October 2022, CDI is a consent-based financial data infrastructure that aims to enhance data sharing by facilitating financial institutions’ retrieval of enterprises’ commercial data, in particular the data of SMEs, from both public and private data providers.
DH proactively promotes arrangement of streamlining approval procedures for HK-registered proprietary Chinese medicines for oral use to be registered on the Mainland to further promote healthcare collaboration in GBA (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DH proactively promotes arrangement of streamlining approval procedures for HK-registered proprietary Chinese medicines for oral use to be registered on the Mainland to further promote healthcare collaboration in GBA Issued at HKT 18:00
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Facilities enhanced for Golden Week
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Government will introduce various measures to enhance facilities around the High Island Reservoir East Dam, adding to convenience for visitors during the Mainland’s Labour Day Golden Week.
The measures are in response to a significant increase in the number of visitors accessing the East Dam during recent weekends and the Ching Ming Festival holiday.
A large number of visitors on these days have taken taxis to the East Dam in the morning, causing severe traffic congestion on Sai Kung Man Yee Road and markedly increasing the travel time for Green Minibus (GMB) Route No. 9A, from Pak Tam Chung to the East Dam.
At present, GMB Route No. 9A on the Pak Tam Chung-East Dam route serves passengers on weekends and public holidays, with a frequency of 15-20 minutes. The service hours for departures from Pak Tam Chung are between 9.30am and 6.40pm, while those for departures from the East Dam are between 10am and 7pm.
As more visitors are expected in the East Dam area during the Golden Week holiday period, from May 1 to 5, various departments will enact enhancement measures.
Co-ordination between the Transport Department (TD) and the operator concerned will allow GMB Route No. 9A services to be boosted subject to passenger demand. Furthermore, the operator will, on a trial basis, extend the service to May 2, a weekday.
The TD and the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) will also take measures to enhance passenger queuing arrangements.
In the event of the road section concerned experiencing heavy traffic, the TD will make an announcement through various channels advising members of the public to plan ahead for their journeys.
It will also set up a messaging sign at a suitable location ahead of the AFCD’s Pak Tam Chung Barrier to inform visitors of traffic conditions on the roads leading to the East Dam area.
For its part, the Water Supplies Department has arranged for contractors to carry out temporary improvement works at some locations on Sai Kung Man Yee Road to facilitate the manoeuvring of traffic. The works have been substantially completed.
The AFCD will strengthen management of the country park area surrounding the East Dam. This includes deploying additional personnel to patrol the region, and the enhancement of cleaning services as necessary.
In collaboration with the Tourism Commission and the Tourism Board, the AFCD will also enhance promotion of other hiking trails within Hong Kong’s country parks and disseminate hiking guidelines to tourists.
Police will deploy uniformed officers to direct traffic in strategic areas at peak visitor arrival and departure times, and to help facilitate pedestrian flows. The force will also take action to combat any illegal acts by taxi drivers.
HK Excellent Family Awards open
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The inaugural Hong Kong Excellent Family Awards, co-organised by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau and the Family Council, are open for entries from today until June 27. Families living in Hong Kong are welcome to join.
The awards aim to recognise families that cultivate a positive and supportive family relationship built on love and respect as well as care and support, and to pass on good family traditions and virtues.
There are 15 awards in this event, including 10 Excellent Families Awards and five Passage of Good Family Values & Virtues Awards. Winning families will receive trophies, theme park tickets, complimentary hotel accommodation, family photography services, and gift coupons.
Participating families are required to submit a written narrative in either Chinese or English, sharing their family’s real-life experience. They also need to include up to five family photos in an entry.
The narrative should demonstrate strong family bonds, the family’s ability to cope with challenges in life together, and the passing on of good family traditions and virtues.
Participants can submit entries online. Alternatively, they can download the entry form from the thematic webpage and pass the completed form along with the narrative and photos to the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau Family Council Secretariat, 13/F West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong, by post or in person.
Shortlisted families will be invited to attend a meeting in early August.
HK, Bahrain tax pact in effect
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Hong Kong’s Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (CDTA) with Bahrain signed in March 2024 has come into force and will be applicable to Hong Kong tax for any year of assessment beginning April 1, 2026.
Under the agreement, companies and residents of both places will not have to pay tax twice on a single source of income.
The agreement will also allow them to have certainty on tax liabilities and save tax when they engage in cross-border business activities, thereby helping to promote bilateral trade and investment.
Hong Kong has signed CDTAs with 51 tax jurisdictions so far.
Bun scrambling final set for May 5
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Bun Scrambling Final, the finale to the 2025 Bun Carnival, will be held on May 5 at the Pak Tai Temple Playground soccer pitch on Cheung Chau.
Following an opening ceremony at 11.30pm, the competition will start at midnight according to tradition.
Trophies will be awarded to the champion, first runner-up and second runner-up in the men’s division and the champion in the women’s division. The Full Pockets of Lucky Buns award will again be presented to the participant who gathers the most buns.
Four spectator zones will bet up at the soccer pitch to accommodate around 1,650 people. Admission is expected to start from 10.30pm.
From 10pm on May 5, free tickets will be available at Pak She First Lane, next to Cheung Chau Fire Station as well as along Ping Chong Road. Each person can obtain one ticket on a first come, first served basis while tickets last.
Special transport arrangements will be made to cater to spectators leaving Cheung Chau after the event.