Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is the English translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, on welfare, poverty alleviation and children policy areas tabled at the special meeting of the Legislative Council Finance Committee today (April 17):

Chairman and Honourable Members,

In 2026-27, government recurrent spending on social welfare is estimated to be $135.9 billion, accounting for 22.7 per cent of the total recurrent government expenditure for the year, making it first among all policy area groups. Compared with the revised estimate for 2025-26 of $123.6 billion, there is an increase of about $12.3 billion in recurrent spending on social welfare. The increase is about 9.9 per cent. Now, let me highlight how the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will make use of these resources.

Elderly services

On elderly services, the recurrent government expenditure this year is estimated to reach about $17.5 billion, representing an increase of about 27 per cent over about $13.8 billion five years ago (i.e. 2021-22). 

Starting from 2026-27, we will increase the number of Community Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly by 4 000 to a total of 16 000 and the number of Residential Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly by 1 000 to a total of 7 000. The two voucher schemes involve an annual expenditure of about $1.2 billion and $1.97 billion respectively.

Cash assistance 

This year’s Budget proposes to provide a one-off extra one-month allowance to eligible recipients of social security payments, which will incur an expenditure of about $6,290 million. Similar arrangements will apply to Working Family Allowance households, incurring an expenditure of about $196 million.

To further facilitate cross-border retirement for elderly persons, the 2025 Policy Address announced improvements to disbursement arrangements for portable cash assistance so that Hong Kong elderly beneficiaries retiring in Guangdong and Fujian Provinces may opt to receive government cash assistance directly through their accounts with designated Mainland banks. The new service is expected to be launched in the middle of this year.

Support for persons with disabilities

On support for persons with disabilities, this year’s Budget announced two major measures to enhance rehabilitation services, namely to provide about 450 additional spaces for day, residential and pre-school services in financial year 2026-27; and for children with special needs receiving On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services, to provide bridging and support services during their first term in primary school starting from the 2026/27 school year. These two measures will in total involve an additional annual expenditure of about $367 million.

Assist working families in childbearing

To assist working families, 15 new aided standalone child care centres will be set up over the next three years starting from 2026-27, almost doubling the existing number of service places.

Child protection 

The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance came into effect on January 20 this year. The Government will continue to ensure the smooth operation of the Ordinance, including continuously monitoring the operation of the mandatory reporting mechanism, ensuring the adequacy of relevant supportive measures such as emergency placement and professional support, and continuing to provide training for specified professionals.

To strengthen the prevention of child abuse at source, the Government will allocate an additional provision of $96.9 million from 2025-26 to 2029-30 for setting up four Community Parents and Children Centres on a pilot basis, promoting parent-child interaction through play-based services and instilling positive parenting skills in parents. Three of the Centres commenced operation earlier this month, while the fourth is set to begin service shortly.

Implementation of Productivity Enhancement Programme 

The Financial Secretary announced in this year’s Budget that the Government will take forward the Productivity Enhancement Programme (PEP) as planned. To support non-governmental organisations operating subvented welfare services (NGOs) in implementing the PEP, the LWB and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have reallocated internal resources and adjusted priorities to help alleviate some of the financial burden on NGOs. In addition, since March 2025, the SWD has relaxed the utilisation of various reserves, streamlined cost apportionment procedures, refined the Funding and Service Agreements signed with NGOs, and more, Since April this year, we have also rolled out a series of new support measures, including extending the coverage of streamlined cost apportionment procedures to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Community Chest and three additional government-funded projects, refining and streamlining the Service Quality Standards, and enabling a more flexible use of the Block Grant provided under the Lotteries Fund, with a view to enhancing NGOs’ financial flexibility and streamlining administrative work, assisting them to implement the PEP while focusing their resources and efforts on delivering services, thereby maximising the effectiveness of the use of public money.

Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme)

The Government announced in last year’s Budget changes to the $2 Scheme, introducing “$2 flat rate or 80 per cent discount”, which has successfully taken effect on April 3 this year, and the overall operation has been smooth. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all Legislative Council Members, District Council members, Care Team members, the local community, and social welfare organisations, among others, for their assistance in the promotion. It is estimated that the implementation of this enhancement measure will save approximately $550 million in public expenditure for 2026-27, including the savings resulting from the reduction of “taking long-haul routes for short journeys” by beneficiaries. The relevant resources can be utilised to address other needs in society, including the aforementioned elderly services and support services for persons with disabilities.

Chairman, this concludes my opening remarks. Members are welcome to raise questions. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Labour Department will host the “Embarking on a New Journey” Industry-based Job Fair at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on April 21, offering more than 1,600 vacancies.

Over 30 recruiting organisations from the catering, retail, construction and property management industries will conduct on-site recruitment.

A wide range of positions will be available, including shop managers, sales associates, cooks, security guards, site agents, engineers and electricians.

Full-time jobs account for around 80% of the openings. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $12,000 to $22,000. About 96% of the roles require an education level of Secondary Seven or below, while 38% are open to those without relevant work experience.

The fair will run from 11am to 5.30pm at 1/F, MacPherson Stadium, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok. Admission is free, with the last entry at 5pm.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary and Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs today met central authorities in Beijing to discuss Hong Kong’s integration into national development.

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan and Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Janice Tse met CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong this morning.

During the meeting, the officials exchanged views on how the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government can proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to better serve the country’s overall development.

CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Executive Deputy Director Xu Qifang, and Deputy Director Zhang Dongmei also attended the meeting.

The delegation concluded their visit and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Source: Government of the Republic of Korea

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Working Group on Public Transport Service Special Applications (Working Group), under the Inter-departmental Task Force on Monitoring Fuel Supply, convenes the first meeting today (April 16).

Led by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, the Working Group has listened to the three franchised bus operators (i.e. The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited / Long Win Bus Company Limited, Citybus Limited and New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited) on their current business environment and operation situation as well as the measures they have taken to address the rising fuel costs. The Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, the Commissioner for Transport and the Government Economist also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the Working Group conducted dialogues in a frank and exchanged manner with the operators, and expressed appreciation for their continued dedication to providing stable public transport services despite the challenging operating environment.

The Government will continue to monitor changes in fuel costs and the latest developments, and maintain communication with public transport service operators. Taking into account the overall operating environment, operators’ costs, and public affordability, while maintaining the stability and normal operations of public transport services, the Working Group will consider targeted temporary measures to help operators save energy and enhance operational efficiency in response to oil price fluctuations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa, visited Beijing today (April 16). The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, met with the delegation this morning to discuss and exchange on the work of Hong Kong to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and to better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
 
The Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Qifang, and Deputy Director Ms Zhang Dongmei also joined the meeting.

The delegation of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government officials concluded their visit to Beijing and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To mark its 35th anniversary, the Hong Kong Science Museum (HKScM) will launch two new exhibitions, namely “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” and “Hong Kong Science Museum 35th Anniversary Exhibition”, from tomorrow (April 17), as well as a series of activities such as the specially enhanced edition of “Energy Machine”, a “Science Fun Day”, and the screening of sci-fi films. Members of the public are invited to immerse themselves in the infinite world of science and experience the boundless fun of science exploration.
 
The “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” exhibition, located at the Special Exhibition Hall on the ground floor, showcases award-winning photographs from the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition organised by the Natural History Museum, London. Through breathtaking visuals from across the globe and compelling stories behind each subject, the exhibition highlights the raw reality of the natural world from unique perspectives and reveals how human activities lead to issues such as habitat fragmentation and global warming. It invites visitors to appreciate the works while reflecting on the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, awakening public awareness of species conservation and environmental protection.
 
The HKScM will launch a series of free programmes including exhibition guided tours, a sharing session on daily work in caring for and conserving animals given by an animal care specialist from Ocean Park Hong Kong, a lecture given by a representative of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, climate change and biodiversity guided tours, ecological tours of Kowloon Park, and workshops. For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit the website at hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/exhibition/wpy2026.html.
 
With the theme “Enjoy Science·Infinite Fun”, the “Hong Kong Science Museum 35th Anniversary Exhibition” traces the museum’s development milestones since its establishment in 1991, showcasing classic exhibitions and activities over the years, displaying the museum’s first robot and unveiling the secrets behind the museum’s iconic “Energy Machine”. The exhibition also features an AI interactive photo booth that creates fun souvenir photos for visitors.
 
In addition to the exhibitions, the “Energy Machine” will present a time-limited “Energy x Light” journey from April 17 to 29. The HKScM partnered with the School of Innovation of The University of Hong Kong to create luminous orbs in orange, blue, green, and purple. These orbs will roll and race along a 1.6-kilometre-long track, spanning four floors of the exhibition halls of the museum and standing 22 metres in height. The four luminous orbs are inspired by the four fundamental particles in physics, namely quarks, leptons, gauge bosons and Higgs bosons, symbolising the interplay of matter and energy.
 
Other exciting activities include the “Science Fun Day” to be held on April 18, which will allow participants to try different science experiments and enjoy science through guided tours, game booths and science demonstrations. “Future Vision”, jointly organised by the HKScM and the Film Programmes Office, will screen four inspiring sci-fi films, namely “WALL·E” (2008), “Tomorrowland” (2015), “Bicentennial Man” (1999), and “Gattaca” (1997), on April 18 and 26. Science educators will also lead engaging post-screening talks to explore the science behind the films with the audience.
 
For details of the 35th anniversary exhibition and activities, please visit the website at hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/exhibition/ScM35A.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Regarding the direct investigation operation report on the Government’s work in combating cruelty to animals released by the Office of The Ombudsman today (April 16), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) responds as follows:

The Government has always attached great importance to animal welfare and deters acts of cruelty to animals through stringent enforcement and preventive education initiatives. The AFCD appreciates the Office’s attention to the work on combating animal cruelty and accepts its recommendations and will actively follow up on them.

The Ombudsman recommended that the Government consider amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) (the Ordinance) in stages. The Government has been conducting research on the amendment of the Ordinance and will strive to provide a concrete update within this year.

To improve the handling of suspected animal cruelty cases, the AFCD updated its departmental guidelines in the fourth quarter of 2025, covering all procedures for handling reported cases involving suspected animal cruelty, and has conducted staff training. The AFCD will take reference from the report’s recommendations to further include more specific criteria and indicators in the guidelines, so as to strengthen the monitoring of case follow-up and enhance file management. In addition, the AFCD will continue to enhance staff training and promote experience exchange to strengthen the experience and skills of staff, as well as their communication, investigation and enforcement capabilities.

Since 2011, the Hong Kong Police Force (the Police), the AFCD and the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) have jointly implemented the Animal Watch Scheme. Through a multi-agency collaboration, the scheme proactively prevents and detects suspected cases of animal cruelty, and has achieved notable results. The AFCD has liaised with the Police and the SPCA on strengthening information exchange and the sharing of investigation outcomes, with a view to formulating appropriate measures to more effectively combat acts of cruelty to animals.

The AFCD has been committed to combating illegal hunting activities through regular patrols and strengthened patrols at illegal hunting black spots, the removal of illegal hunting appliances, and appropriate enforcement actions against offences such as unlawful possession. In response to the Office’s recommendations, the AFCD will review its patrol strategies, strengthen intelligence gathering, and make good use of technology to enhance enforcement effectiveness. The AFCD will also review the relevant legislation and penalties in a timely manner. In terms of prevention at source, the AFCD will maintain close collaboration with departments such as Hong Kong Customs and the Police, to strengthen intelligence exchange and conduct joint operations. The AFCD has already provided relevant guidelines to Hong Kong Customs to assist in identifying hunting appliances in order to curb their illegal importation. In addition, the AFCD will continue to promote public education and publicity to raise public awareness of the dangers posed by illegal hunting appliances, encourage members of the public to report suspicious cases, and remind the public to use managed and maintained hiking trails in the countryside for their own safety.

The AFCD agrees with the Office’s recommendation on strengthening public publicity and education. In addition to rigorous enforcement, enhancing public awareness of animal welfare is equally important in combating animal cruelty. The AFCD has set up a dedicated team to strengthen relevant public education work in collaboration with animal welfare organisations.

The AFCD will continue to uphold a professional spirit and work closely with various relevant government departments and organisations. Through rigorous enforcement and strengthened public education, the AFCD will strive to continuously enhance the effectiveness of its work in safeguarding animal welfare.