Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Demands for rates and/or Government rent for the quarter from January to March 2026 have been issued, and payment should be made by January 30, 2026.
      
     Payment can be made:
 
(1) by using autopay, the Faster Payment System (FPS), PPS, Internet banking or bank automated teller machines (ATMs);
 
(2) by uploading an e-Cheque/e-Cashier Order via the Pay e-Cheque portal (www.payecheque.gov.hk);
 
(3) by sending a crossed cheque to the Treasury, PO Box No. 28000, Sham Shui Po Post Office, Hong Kong (mail with insufficient postage will be rejected); or
 
(4) in person at any post office or designated convenience store in Hong Kong (i.e. 7-Eleven, Circle K or U select). For the addresses and opening hours of post offices, please call the Hongkong Post enquiry hotline on 2921 2222 or visit its website (www.hongkongpost.hk).
 
     If payers have not received the demands, they may obtain replacement demands or enquire as to the amount payable by (i) visiting the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD)’s website (www.rvd.gov.hk); (ii) calling 2152 0111; (iii) faxing 2152 0113; or (iv) visiting the RVD, 15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.
      
     There will be no rates concession for this quarter. The total amount due is shown on the demand. Non-receipt or late receipt of the demand does not alter the requirement that the total amount due must be paid by January 30, 2026. A surcharge of 5 per cent will be imposed for late payment. A further surcharge of 10 per cent will be levied on the amount (including the 5 per cent surcharge) which remains unpaid six months after the last day for payment.
      
     For payment by autopay, the rates and/or Government rent will be debited from payers’ bank accounts on January 30, 2026. Payers should ensure that there are sufficient funds in their bank accounts to meet the payments on that date until settlement.
      
     To support environmental protection, payers are encouraged to utilise the RVD’s free eRVD Bill service to receive e-bills and make payments, and to settle bills by autopay or other means of e-payment (e.g. FPS, PPS, Internet banking, e-Cheque/e-Cashier Order or ATMs) to save queuing time. Application forms for autopay can be obtained by downloading from the RVD’s website, visiting the RVD, District Offices and banks or by calling 2152 0111.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson announced today (January 9) that in addition to the 600 000 people who have been benefiting from medical fee waivers both before and after the reform (including Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and holders of Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme Level 0 vouchers), as of January 7, the HA has approved 49 310 medical fee waiver applications. This figure is 3.5 times of approximately 14 000 patients who received medical fee waivers in previous year, demonstrating that the enhanced medical fee reduction mechanism has significantly strengthened support for low-income families and underprivileged groups. Over the past week, many patients have benefited from the enhanced medical fee waivers mechanism, receiving immediate fee reduction when using Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E), outpatient and inpatient services.
 
Medical fee waivers take effect covering more than 10 000 poor patients
      
     As an essential component of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the HA expanded its medical fee waivers mechanism at the same time, which significantly increased the number of eligible individuals from approximately 300 000 to about 1.4 million – around 4.6 times the previous number of beneficiaries. This ensures that limited medical resources can be more precisely directed to help those most in need: the poor, acute, serious, and critical patients. As of January 7, among the 49 310 medical fee waiver applications approved by the HA, 32 249 cases have completed assessment and received formal waiver certificates valid for up to 18 months but claimed . For patients who claim to meet the medical fee waivers eligibility criteria but are unable to submit supporting documents for financial assessment, the HA has exercised flexible arrangements to approve 17 061 “conditional waivers”, allowing patients to obtain immediate medical fee reductions when using public healthcare services. These patients must submit relevant documentation within three months.
      
     After the fees and charges reform, many patients are benefited for the first time from the expanded medical fee waivers mechanism, changing from paying full fees to receiving free services. From January 1 to 7, excluding the number of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and holders of Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme Level 0 vouchers who can continue to use their medical fee waivers, there are over 11 200 patients benefitted from the enhanced medical fee waivers mechanism, including:
      

• About 500 poor patients at A&Es, who were triaged as urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent, received medical fee waivers, triple of last year’s figure;
• About 2 100 poor patients received medical fee waivers for inpatient services, 3.5 times of last year’s figure; and
• About 8 600 poor patients received medical fee waivers for specialist outpatient services, six times of last year’s figure.

     The HA spokesperson stated, “The data concerned shows obviously that the enhanced medical fee waivers mechanism, which is newly introduced in line with the public healthcare fees and charges reform, can allocate resources more precisely to strengthen protection for poor, acute, serious and critical patients, ensuring that no patient is denied from medical care due to lack of means.” 
      
     The current situation regarding patients’ applications and usage of medical fee waivers aligns with the HA’s projection. The HA will continue to strengthen its manpower to provide assistance to patients in need. To ensure the integrity of the medical fee assistance system and prevent abuse, the HA will conduct regular reviews of approved cases.
      
Number of non-urgent A&E patients reduced significantly while treatment efficiency for emergency patients improved
      
     Regarding A&E services, from January 1 to 7, 32 147 patients attended the 18 A&Es under the HA, significantly decreased by about 11.9 per cent of the same period last year. Among the cases, 1 807 patients were classified as critical and emergency cases, and 14 077 patients were classified as urgent cases, showing a slight increase compared to the same period last year. The remaining 16 263 patients were classified as semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, showing a significant decrease of 17.8 per cent compared to the same period last year. Since the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the operations of public hospital A&E services has initially met expected results, including:
 

• Significant decrease in average daily A&E attendances by about 11.9 per cent;
• In the past seven days, about 1 800 critical and emergency patients exempted from A&E fees under the new fees and charges reform. These patients were required to pay the fees before the reform;
• For patients classified as urgent cases, the percentage of those being treated within 30 minutes – meeting the service pledge target – increased from 82.7 per cent last year to 88.8 per cent, with average waiting time reduced from 22 to 19 minutes; and
• Among the five triage categories, semi-urgent and non-urgent patients decreased from 54.2 per cent in the same period last year to 50.6 per cent.

      
     The HA spokesperson said, “The service data of the past week shows that the fees and charges reform allowed A&Es to perform their emergency care function more effectively. A&Es can better concentrate resources, treat patients with urgent medical needs more effectively, and improve treatment efficiency for urgent cases.”
      
     The HA will continue to closely monitor the fees and charges reform as well as the overall operations of services of public hospitals, in order to ensure achieving the aim of protecting poor, acute, serious or critical patients.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region