Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) will open to the public at 8am tomorrow, following a commissioning ceremony today at which Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn officiated.

The ceremony marked the completion of the first large-scale transport infrastructure project in the Northern Metropolis (NM). The bypass provides a more direct and efficient route for road transport in the city’s North District.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Linn said the commissioning of the bypass is an important milestone in the NM’s development and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to infrastructure-led urban-rural integration in moving it forward.

She added that the project team utilised innovative construction technologies. This included adopting the advanced horizontal bridge rotation method to construct a bridge structure spanning the East Rail Line railway. Moreover, in the construction of a footbridge at Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange, China-made ultra-high strength S960 steel was used in a footbridge project for the first time globally.

Through the NM’s development, the country’s advanced construction technologies and materials will be promoted to the international stage. Ms Linn said NM construction projects can provide a stage for advanced technologies and materials from around the world, including Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

With a total length of about 4km, the bypass is a dual two-lane carriageway comprising at-grade roads, underpasses, and viaducts. Starting at Fanling Highway near Kau Lung Hang in Tai Po, it passes through the On Lok Tsuen Industrial Area and the Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange, extends along the Ng Tung River, and connects to Shek Wu San Tsuen and the Fanling North New Development Area.

Motorists will be able to travel between Fanling Lung Yeuk Tau, Luen Wo Hui and Fanling Highway via the new route without passing through the town centres of Sheung Shui and Fanling. This will save about 10 minutes of travel time during peak hours.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO) has once again celebrated Hong Kong Cinema on the occasion of the 28th Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy held from April 24 to May 2, 2026 (Udine time).

Organised by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, and co-hosted by Brussels ETO, the Hong Kong Night reception held on April 29 (Udine time) gathered over 200 international film and cultural professionals participating in FEFF.

Addressing guests at the reception, the Deputy Representative of Brussels ETO, Miss Fiona Li extended her warm welcome to the delegates from Hong Kong and congratulated the world famous Hong Kong action choreographer and director Mr Yuen Woo-ping on receiving this year’s Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Miss Li highlighted the global appeal of Hong Kong cinema, and reaffirmed the Brussels ETO’s commitment to promoting Hong Kong’s arts, culture, and creative industries across Europe.

Miss Li concluded by inviting guests to visit Hong Kong to relive iconic cinematic moments, especially through its latest movie-themed exhibitions.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Today (May 1) is the twelfth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five middle-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 11 high-zone floors of Wang Kin House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 130 households (489 people) registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 130 households (511 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 26 minutes, with the shortest time being 17 minutes and the longest three hours and 56 minutes. About 70 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 6 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 83 households (160 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 52 households (113 people) made one additional trip, 24 households (37 people) made two additional trips, 6 households (8 people) made three additional trips, and 1 household (2 people) made five additional trips.

​The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received seven cases requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as 1 case seeking psychological counselling services.

The seven cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and in three cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining four cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.
 
The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

​Under the “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, while those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day (including today) are from the Post Office and the ArchSD.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Hong Kong Customs today (May 1) detected a drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport. About 2.3 kilograms of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $1.4 million, and 157 duty-not-paid cigarettes were seized.

A 35-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. During customs clearance, the batch of suspected heroin was seized from him, and the duty-not-paid cigarettes were found inside his baggage. The male was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession of dutiable goods and one count of failing to declare to a member of the Customs and Excise Service the possession of dutiable goods. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (May 2).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach, and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

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.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), cigarettes 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 drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its twelfth day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Tai House and 11 high-zone floors at Wang Kin House. 

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today inspected the arrangements for residents returning to their units. 

Mr Cheuk met Home Affairs Department staff operating the registration centre and exchanged views with District Services & Community Care Teams volunteers. He encouraged them to maintain their efforts in supporting residents returning to their units. 

Mr Cheuk also visited the joint command centre to learn about the latest situation.

A total of 511 residents from 130 households returned to their units today. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly and smooth.  

Residents spent an average of two hours and 26 minutes on-site, from a minimum of 17 minutes to a maximum of three hours and 56 minutes. Approximately 70% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours and 6% left within an hour. 

Regarding movement, 160 individuals from 83 households made multiple trips to their units. Most made one to two additional entries, while seven households made three to five extra trips.

The integrated enquiry counter handled seven requests for Police assistance today, involving suspected property loss such as jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in three cases. 

No signs of ransacking were found in the remaining four units, and residents were unable to provide specific details regarding the property involved. 

Additionally, two reports were received from residents seeking medical assistance for physical discomfort, while one resident requested psychological counselling services.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government announced today (May 1) that the first batch of Phase 3 services of the Trade Single Window (TSW) has been launched, smoothly replacing the Road Cargo System (ROCARS) for the submission of advance cargo information (road) by the trade.

     The TSW provides a one-stop electronic platform for trade members to lodge business-to-government trade documents for trade declarations and cargo clearances. The TSW streamlines trade document submissions, helping traders save time and costs. The TSW Phase 3 services are rolling out in three batches starting today. The first batch of services covers the advance cargo information (road) service previously provided by ROCARS.

     User data of the former ROCARS have been automatically migrated to the TSW system. Users are not required to re-register and may log in with their original accounts for a seamless transition to the TSW service.

     A Government spokesman said, “The full implementation of the TSW will help promote the digitalisation of trade processes, enhance customs clearance efficiency, and further strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international trade centre and logistics hub.”

     To facilitate the smooth transition of the trade to the TSW Phase 3 services, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) has stepped up support measures, including deploying additional staff at land boundary control points to provide on-site assistance to cross-boundary truck drivers, and enhancing hotline services. The C&ED will continue to maintain close liaison with the trade to assist them in adapting to the new system. For enquiries, please contact the Office of the Trade Single Window Operation of the C&ED at 2117 3348 or by email to enquiry@tradesinglewindow.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) rate has been raised from $42.1 per hour to $43.1 with effect from today (May 1).

According to the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), employees are protected by the SMW whether they are monthly-rated, daily-rated, hourly-rated, piece-rated, permanent, casual, full-time or part-time, etc, and regardless of whether they are employed under a continuous contract as defined in the Employment Ordinance (EO). The SMW is not applicable to live-in domestic workers (irrespective of their sex, race and nationality), student interns and work experience students as specified in the MWO, and persons to whom the EO does not apply.

The SMW also protects employees with disabilities. A special arrangement is provided under the MWO for employees with disabilities to opt for a productivity assessment to determine whether they should be remunerated at no less than the SMW or at a rate commensurate with their productivity. For those employees with disabilities who have chosen this special arrangement, their employers must pay wages of not less than the amount calculated according to the new SMW rate and the degree of productivity assessed.

In addition, the monthly monetary cap on the requirement for employers to record the total number of hours worked by employees in a wage period under the EO has been raised from $17,200 to $17,600 per month with effect from today in tandem with the implementation of the new SMW rate. When wages payable to an employee in respect of a wage period are less than $17,600 per month, the employer is required to keep a record of the total number of hours worked by the employee in that wage period.

Enquiries about the SMW can be made through the 24-hour enquiry hotline at 2717 1771 (handled by 1823) and during office hours at branch offices of the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department (LD). For details of the SMW, please visit the LD’s homepage (www.labour.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport Department (TD) announced today (May 1) that a total of 1 400 regular quotas for Hong Kong cross-boundary non-commercial private cars using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) to Macao (Hong Kong quotas) will be open for application from May 7. A new open category will be introduced to make better use of the HZMB’s carrying capacity and facilitate efficient cross-boundary travel.
 
     Apart from accepting individuals or companies meeting specific employment or business activities to apply for individual or company quotas respectively under “quotas with eligibility criteria” according to the usual practice, new “open quotas” not subject to the above eligibility criteria will be introduced in this batch for all Hong Kong permanent residents and registered companies.
 
     A spokesman for the TD said, “Hong Kong and Macao governments have adhered to the principle of making better use of the HZMB’s carrying capacity. The governments have committed to enhance the arrangements of cross-boundary driving schemes, streamline the application procedures and improve travel experiences. These new open quotas will provide additional convenience for Hong Kong residents to drive to Macao for work, business, visiting families or sight-seeing, thereby strengthening ties between the two places.”
 
Application details
 
     The 1 400 Hong Kong quotas in this batch include 900 additional quotas agreed between the governments of Hong Kong and Macao and 500 reallocated quotas upon expiry. Details of different categories and their eligibility criteria are tabulated below:
 

Category of Hong Kong quotas	Quotas with eligibility criteria (allocated based on existing eligibility criteria)	Open quotas (open to all individuals/ companies)
Individual quotas	500 (including 250 new quotas and 250 reallocated quotas) open to Hong Kong permanent residents who are employed with remuneration in Macao or who have established a registered company in Macao	200 (new quotas) open to all Hong Kong permanent residents
Company quotas	500 (including 250 new quotas and 250 reallocated quotas) open to companies registered in both Hong Kong and Macao, or companies registered in Hong Kong that are associated with another company registered in Macao	200 (new quotas) open to all companies registered in Hong Kong
Total	1 000	400

The TD reminded applicants that:
 

• Any individual or company can only hold one Hong Kong quota. Holders of existing individual or company quotas launched from September 2023 onwards are not eligible for this batch;
• Each individual or company can only submit one application under quotas with eligibility criteria or open quotas. They will be disqualified if otherwise;
• To further ensure applicants’ eligibility, during ballot registration, all applicants must fill in the reference numbers of their valid required supporting documents; and
• Applicants under quotas with eligibility criteria are also required to upload a copy of the required supporting documents (including a valid Business Registration Certificate of a Macao registered company, a valid Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card issued by the Macao Public Security Police Force or a Macao Permanent Resident Identity Card and a valid employment contract with receipts of income covering the recent three months issued by the employer in Macao).

 
Eligible applicants may submit their applications from 9am on May 7 until 5.15pm on May 20, 2026, through the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/residents/transport/crossboundary/hzmballot.htm), after which a ballot will be conducted. Successful balloting applicants must submit the required documents for the TD’s vetting to prove that they have met the eligibility criteria on or before May 20.

Validity period of quotas
 
Private cars issued with quotas are expected to access the city of Macao multiple times via the HZMB starting from July 13, 2026, at the earliest. The quotas are valid for not more than three years until July 12, 2029. The TD will arrange open applications for and reallocation of the quotas upon their expiry.
 
For details of the application criteria, procedures and licensing requirements of Hong Kong quotas, please visit the TD’s website or call the hotline 2804 2600 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region