Category: MIL-OSI

Three incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products       
     Customs officers intercepted a 33-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on March 7. About 34 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $153,000 and a duty potential of about $112,300, as well as 10 000 heat sticks with an estimated market value of about $30,000 were seized from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined $900 in contravention of the DCO, and was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment in contravention of the IEO today. The sentences run concurrently.

     As well, Customs officers intercepted two male passengers, aged 60 and aged 44 respectively, at HKIA yesterday (March 8). About 49 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $201,000 and a duty potential of about $162,100 were seized from the former’s personal baggage, while about 28 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $128,000 and a duty potential of about $94,000 were seized from the latter’s personal baggage. The two passengers were subsequently arrested. They were sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 and four months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 respectively in contravention of the DCO today.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.      
     Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven 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.hkIssued at HKT 19:15

TD reminds public of termination of Autotoll ETC and VGoPAY services from March 16 
　　The TD again urged current Autotoll ETC or VGoPAY users paying tunnel tolls to immediately switch to other auto-payment means via the HKeToll website (www.hketoll.gov.hk 
　　A spokesman for the TD said that it has instructed the HKeToll toll service provider to proactively remind Autotoll ETC and VGoPAY users to switch to other auto-payment means promptly to avoid disruption. The TD will maintain close liaison with the regulatory authority concerned and has requested Autotoll Limited to properly follow up with its users.
 
　　Members of the public may call the HKeToll 24-hour customer service hotline at 3853 7333 for enquiries about setting up auto-payment means for HKeToll; or call Autotoll’s customer service hotline at 2627 8888 regarding the HZMB toll payments using Unitoll, as well as arrangements for cancelling Autotoll ETC or VGoPAY accounts or applying for refunds of account balances without delay.
Issued at HKT 10:00

Road Safety Council 52nd Anniversary I Love Mr Safegg Carnival held 
     The Road Safety Council 52nd Anniversary I Love Mr Safegg Carnival, organised by the Road Safety Council, was held today (March 8) at Kai Tak Station Square, Kowloon City.
 
     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairperson of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) of the Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Yip Wan-lung; the Chairperson of the Road Safety Research Committee and Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Patrick Ho; the Chairperson of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Ms Karin Wong; and Road Safety Ambassadors, Ms Anne Heung and Ms Denise Yeung.
 
     Mr Yip remarked that over the past year, the Council and various stakeholders had spared no effort in securing a sustained reduction in traffic casualties in recent years. In 2025, the number of fatal and serious traffic accidents in Hong Kong reached the lowest recorded since 1954, positioning Hong Kong among the world’s leading cities for road safety performance.
 
     Mr Yip also stated that the Council had organised The Revamp of Sau Mau Ping Road Safety Town Design Competition in 2025 to encourage professionals and students in architecture and related design disciplines to propose innovative and creative design ideas to revitalise Sau Mau Ping Road Safety Town into a sustainable and vibrant hub for road safety advocacy.
 
     He expressed heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Council, government departments and other stakeholders for their continuous efforts and contributions. Looking ahead, the Council will continue to collaborate with all road safety stakeholders to organise a variety of promotional activities, deepening the community’s understanding of road safety across different age groups, with a vision of “Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong’s Goal”.
 
     During the ceremony, awards were presented for The Revamp of Sau Mau Ping Road Safety Town Design Competition and the My Ideal Road Safety Town Drawing Competition. The award ceremony for the Safety Professional Driver Awards 2025 also took place, recognising seven outstanding bus captains from four franchised bus companies.
 
     The carnival featured an exhibition of winning entries from The Revamp of Sau Mau Ping Road Safety Town Design Competition, showcased the winning works from both the professional and student categories, along with physical models of the two champion designs to allow the public to explore the potential designs for the future road safety town. Additional attractions included a series of interactive booths under the theme of Mr Safegg, an inflatable bouncy castle, a new augmented reality game, creative workshops, and photo zones, all designed to convey road safety messages to the public in a fun and engaging way, encouraging the public to adopt correct attitudes and always remember to “Stay Alert, Stay Alive”.
Issued at HKT 17:00

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Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and Ministry of Justice co-organise second edition of National Training Course for Talents Handling Foreign-related Arbitration (Hong Kong) 
     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, and representatives of the Bureau of Public Legal Services Administration of the Ministry of Justice, the China Legal Service (H.K.) Limited and the China University of Political Science and Law attended the opening ceremony of the course. Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Lam expressed again his gratitude to the Ministry of Justice for its support and trust in the Academy, and thanked the China Legal Service (H.K.) Limited and the China University of Political Science and Law for their strong support for the course. He said that Hong Kong, as the only common law jurisdiction in the country, possesses a robust arbitration legal framework and a pro-arbitration judiciary. Hong Kong’s Arbitration Ordinance is based on the internationally recognised United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and keeps abreast with developments in practice. Moreover, Hong Kong, as home to world-class arbitration institutions and a large pool of experienced arbitration practitioners, is highly praised by the international arbitration community. The Department of Justice is reviewing and considering amendments to the Arbitration Ordinance to maintain the long-term competitiveness of Hong Kong’s arbitration law.
 
     Building on the inaugural training course held in February 2025, this edition will run for two weeks in English, with two groups of participants each attending the training for one week. Through lectures, panel discussions, exchanges and visits, the course aims to introduce practical operations in areas including international commercial arbitration and international investment arbitration to around 80 participants, including Mainland in-house counsel, experienced arbitrators, lawyers and arbitration practitioners. Speakers include experienced legal professionals and international arbitration experts from Hong Kong, members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee and a representative from the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The course will help promote understanding and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in international dispute resolution, enhancing the ability of Mainland enterprises in handling dispute resolutions when going overseas.
 
     The Academy will capitalise on Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status, and provide a platform for capacity building, knowledge, and experience sharing for legal professionals in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and other jurisdictions, in particular those along the Belt and Road. Also, it will promote exchanges of international legal talent and reinforce Hong Kong’s status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia‑Pacific region, and develop Hong Kong as a capacity-building hub, further contributing to the construction of foreign-related rule of law in the country.
Issued at HKT 12:02

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EPD to implement new qualifying standards for environment-friendly commercial vehicles from April 2026          i. The QS for heavy duty commercial vehicles will be revised to “Emit at least 30 per cent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) than the China VI-b or Euro VI emission limit”, i.e. the corresponding national standard will be added to the current QS. As the NOx emission limits of both standards are currently the same, the QS emission limit will remain unchanged.          i. The QS for light duty commercial vehicles (excluding taxis) will be tightened to “Emit not more NOx than the China 6b emission limit” (the emission limit of China 6b is approximately 40 per cent to 60 per cent of that for Euro 6);
          ii. The QS for taxis will remain unchanged, i.e. emit at least 80 per cent less NOx than the Euro 6 emission limit.
 
     The first registration tax concession rates and their concession caps for all EFCVs will remain unchanged.www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/environment_friendly_commercial_vehicles.htmlIssued at HKT 15:00

DH announces latest situation regarding Legionnaires’ disease cases     
     From March 1 to 7, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases. The details of the cases are as follows:
 
1. a 39-year-old female patient with good past health living in Yau Tsim Mong District; and
2. an 89-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Kwun Tong District.

     ​​The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify the potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. An initial investigation revealed that these are sporadic cases. No epidemiological linkages have been established between these cases and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.      ​The public should observe the health advice below:
          ​The public may visit the CHP’s LD pageIssued at HKT 16:30

HKMC enhances Reverse Mortgage Programme and launches Green Promotion 
1. Enhancement to the Reverse Mortgage Programme (RMP) (Note 1) 
Example: A single borrower selecting life payment term