Category: MIL-OSI

HA to consider Budget for 2026/27 
     Under the latest budgets and financial forecasts, it is envisaged that the HA will have the necessary financial resources to meet its recurrent and capital expenditures up to 2029/30.
 
     The FC Chairman, Dr Billy Mak, said after the meeting, “The HA’s construction expenditure will continue to rise beyond 2026/27 due to the increase in the number of new public housing projects. To ensure its long-term financial sustainability, the HA has made every effort to reduce construction costs in response to rising expenditure as much as possible. A Project Facilitation Office has been established to co-ordinate various departments to facilitate the completion of public housing projects and to enhance cost-effectiveness in public housing construction. In addition, the HA will trim its annual recurrent expenditure by 2 per cent for both 2026/27 and 2027/28.”
 
     Dr Mak added, “The HA will continue to explore various revenue-enhanced/cost-saving measures, for example, advancing the public housing supply in the direction towards a 60:40 ratio between public rental housing/the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme and other subsidised sale flats to increase its income from sale of Home Ownership Scheme flats to cope with the rising construction expenditure.”
 
     Dr Mak said, “These financial forecasts will inevitably be changed over the next few years due to various factors. They will be updated in the next round of the budgeting exercise. The HA will no doubt stay vigilant and monitor closely, and review its income and expenditure situations.”
 
     The HA will hold an open meeting on January 19 to examine the budgets and financial forecasts. The budgets will be submitted to the Chief Executive for approval thereafter.
Issued at HKT 17:35

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Two male drivers convicted and jailed for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes      
     The two private cars were also seized. The total estimated market value of the cigarettes seized in the case was about $1.33 million, and the duty potential was about $880,000.Issued at HKT 19:05

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Tender awarded for site in Jordan Valley(2) Chinawide Development Limited (Henderson Land Development Company Limited);
(3) Keen Point Limited;
(4) Noble Perfect Investments Limited (Kerry Properties Limited);
(5) Pacific Great International Limited (Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited);
(6) Strong Associate Limited (K. Wah International Holdings Limited); and
(7) Zarow Limited (Wheelock Properties Limited).Issued at HKT 19:05

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Three incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing / dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products       
     Customs officers intercepted three incoming male passengers aged 42, 38 and 31 at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (January 6). Customer officers seized about 45 000 and 44 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes from the personal baggage of the 42-year-old and the 38-year-old passengers respectively, with both market values at about $200,000 and both duty potentials at about $150,000. Also, around 5 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes with a market value of about $26,000 and a duty potential of about $20,000, and 27 000 alternative smoking products and 31 alternative smoking product devices with a market value of about $81,000 were seized from the personal baggage of the 31-year-old passenger. All three passengers were subsequently arrested.

     ​The 42 year-old and 38 year-old passengers were each sentenced to four months’ imprisonment by the court today in contravention of the DCO while the 31 year-old passenger was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment in contravention of the DCO and the IEO.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes 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 20:26

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds worth about $570,000 (with photo)      
     During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in the vicinity of Fo Tan this afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a 28-year-old man and found about 14 grams of suspected cannabis buds from him. He was then arrested. Customs officers later escorted the arrested man to his rented flat nearby for a search, and further seized about 2.8kg of suspected cannabis buds and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia.
      
     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at the Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (January 8).
      
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment. Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 20:49