Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the CUHK Business School Greater Bay Area CEO Forum today (April 29):

Professor Dennis Lo (Vice-Chancellor and President, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)),  Professor Lin Zhou (Dean, CUHK Business School), distinguished alumni, ladies and gentleman, 
     The first is building a modernised industrial system and strengthening self-reliance in science and technology. 
     The second area is “AI+”.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Deputy Financial Secretary Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, and the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, met the media after the third reading debate on the Appropriation Bill 2026 by the Legislative Council today (April 29). Following are the remarks by Mr Tse and Ms Chan:

Reporter: Could you briefly talk more about the considerations for introducing the subsidy forminibuses, school buses and taxis using petroleum gas? How would the Government ensure that oil companies and distributors would not mark up their prices under the diesel subsidy arrangement offered by the Government?

Secretary for Environment and Ecology: Our subsidy scheme includes an agreement with the oil companies or the distributors. Under the agreement, they are obliged to submit reports to the Government on a weekly basis about the sources of the oil, the sales volume, the prices, etc, as well as after the scheme, they have to conduct an independent audit to verify all that information. Because the Government knows the price of the oil they buy from the external sources, therefore we can monitor all the changes in oil prices and we know what the changes are. Therefore, with the reporting and auditing system, we are very confident that the oil companies will not be able to rip off the subsidy.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics: Public minibuses and taxis are two important components of our public transport system. On the other hand, we have also minibuses providing student service. In order to ensure that they will continue to maintain a stable and steady service for the general members of the public, we will redeploy internal resources within the Government to provide the $0.5 subsidy per litre for the petroleum supplier companies’ usage.

We will discuss amongst ourselves and identify suitable resources, so as to ensure the measure can be rolled out as soon as possible.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (April 29) announced an adjustment to the auto-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations from May 1 to May 31, 2026, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contracts for dedicated LPG filling stations.
 
     A department spokesman said that the adjustment on May 1, 2026, would reflect the movement of the LPG international price in April 2026. Due to the impact of the situation in the Middle East, the LPG international price surged in April 2026. The adjusted auto-LPG ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in May 2026 would range from $4.49 to $5.43 per litre, amounting to an increase of $1.06 to $1.08 per litre.
 
     The spokesman said that the auto-LPG ceiling prices were adjusted according to a pricing formula specified in the contracts. The formula comprises two elements – the LPG international price and the LPG operating price. The LPG international price refers to the LPG international price of the preceding month. The LPG operating price is adjusted on February 1 and June 1 annually according to the average movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index and the Nominal Wage Index.
 
     The auto-LPG ceiling prices for respective dedicated LPG filling stations in May 2026 are as follows:
 

Location of Dedicated LPG Filling Station	Auto-LPG Ceiling Price in May 2026 (HK$/litre)	Auto-LPG Ceiling Price in April 2026 (HK$/litre)
Kwai On Road, Kwai Chung	4.49	3.42
Sham Mong Road, Mei Foo	4.55	3.49
Wai Lok Street, Kwun Tong	4.61	3.54
Cheung Yip Street, Kowloon Bay	4.66	3.59
Ngo Cheung Road, West Kowloon	4.67	3.60
Yuen Chau Tsai, Tai Po	4.72	3.65
Tak Yip Street, Yuen Long	4.83	3.77
Hang Yiu Street, Ma On Shan	4.86	3.78
Marsh Road, Wan Chai	4.87	3.79
Fung Mat Road, Sheung Wan	4.89	3.82
Yip Wong Road, Tuen Mun	4.99	3.92
Fung Yip Street, Chai Wan	5.43	4.36

 
    The spokesman said that the details of the LPG international price and the auto-LPG ceiling price for each dedicated LPG filling station had been uploaded to the EMSD website (www.emsd.gov.hk) and posted at dedicated LPG filling stations to enable the trades to monitor the price adjustment.
 
     Details of the pricing adjustment mechanism for dedicated LPG filling stations can also be viewed under the “What’s New” section of the department website at www.emsd.gov.hk/en/what_s_new/current/index.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases on April 27 and yesterday (April 28), and seized a total of about 50 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and 3.5kg of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $11.1 million. Two men were arrested.

In the first case, Customs on April 27 inspected an air cargo consignment, declared as automotive seats arriving in Hong Kong from Singapore, at Hong Kong International Airport through risk assessment. Upon inspection, Customs officers detected suspicious X-ray images in the consignment. Upon examination, Customs officers found a total of about 50kg of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $9.7 million inside false compartments in three automotive seats.

After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday in Tuen Mun and arrested a 30-year-old man. The arrestee has been charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 30).

In the second case, Customs, through risk assessment, inspected an express parcel from the Netherlands, declared as a dice set that was sent to Hong Kong via the Chinese Mainland yesterday. Upon inspection, Customs officers found about 3.5kg of suspected ketamine concealed inside gaming dice from the parcel. The market value was about $1.4 million. 

After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday and arrested a 29-year-old man in Tai Wo Hau suspected to be connected with the case. The arrestee has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 30).

Customs will continue to enhance enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to 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.

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.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), together with the banking sector, introduced today (April 29) a new round of support measures to assist local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in navigating the current fast-changing market environment. The measures were announced following a meeting held by the Taskforce on SME Lending. 
1. Increase dedicated funds set aside for SMEs: The 18 participating banks in the Taskforce have further expanded the size of dedicated funds set aside in their loan portfolio for SMEs. The total amount has increased from $370 billion in October 2024 to over $450 billion at present, demonstrating the banking sector’s commitment to supporting SMEs. 
Note 4: Bank of China (Hong Kong), Bank of Communications (Hong Kong), Bank of East Asia, China CITIC International, China Construction Bank (Asia), Citibank, Dah Sing Bank, DBS Bank (Hong Kong), Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), Fusion Bank, Hang Seng Bank, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia), OCBC Bank (Hong Kong), Nanyang Commercial Bank, Ping An Digital Bank, Shanghai Commercial Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (April 29):
 
Question:
 
     The public healthcare fees and charges reform (Reform) took effect on January 1 this year, with the Hospital Authority simultaneously enhancing the medical fee waiver mechanism, resulting in an increase in the number of eligible beneficiaries from 300 000 to 1.4 million. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows the number of persons in each of the following categories who were exempted from medical fees in the past three years and the amounts involved: (i) recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance; (ii) recipients of Old Age Living Allowance aged 75 or above; and (iii) holders of Level 0 Vouchers under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly;
 
(2) whether it knows the respective numbers of persons who were granted full and partial medical fee waivers for meeting the established financial assessment criteria in the past three years and the amounts involved;
 
(3) as the Government previously indicated that as at February 28, 2026, there were 752 approved cases under the annual cap mechanism of $10,000 on public medical fees and charges without requiring financial assessment, whether the Government has made any projections on the number of beneficiaries and the public expenditure involved for the whole year; and
 
(4) given that one of the objectives of the Reform is to reduce the demand for non-urgent consultations at Accident and Emergency departments (A&E), and that members of the public often attend A&E because they are unable to determine their own clinical conditions (especially at night or on holidays), whether the Government, apart from contemplating strengthening evening consultation services, has plans to set up a 24-hour medical consultation hotline service modelled on overseas practices such as the NHS111 hotline in the United Kingdom and healthdirect in Australia, so that members of the public can receive remote preliminary assessment and advice from healthcare professionals via telephone or electronic platforms, thereby helping them to assess their own clinical conditions more accurately and avoid seeking treatment at A&E for minor ailments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Hon Yiu Ming is as follows:
 
     The fees and charges reform for public healthcare aims to, through reforming the subsidisation structure, guide the public to make optimal use of healthcare resources and reduce wastage and abuse. At the same time, the reform adopts the principle of “co-payment by those who can afford and co-payment by those with mild conditions” and enhances healthcare protection for the four categories of “poor, acute, serious, critical” patients on all fronts, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the healthcare system to cope with challenges posed by an ageing population, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, etc, and strengthening its role as a safety net for all. The various measures under the reform have been smoothly implemented since January 1, 2026. After the implementation of the reform, the Government maintains a high level of subsidisation of up to 95 per cent for public healthcare services, with citizens co-paying a very low proportion of the cost.
 
     As an essential part of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare, the HA has expanded the medical fee waiver mechanism. In addition to the some 600 000 people who have been benefiting from full medical fee waivers both before and after the reform, namely Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients, Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) recipients aged 75 or above and Level 0 Voucher Holders of the Residential Care Service Voucher (RCSV) Scheme for the Elderly, the number of other eligible low-income individuals is estimated to significantly increase from about 300 000 in the past to about 1.4 million. The total number of eligible low income individuals who could potentially benefit is estimated to increase from about 900 000 to about 2 million. This enables limited healthcare resources to be more precisely directed to help the “poor” patients among the “poor, acute, serious, critical” patients who are most in need, while ensuring that no patient is denied medical care due to lack of means.
 
(1) The table below sets out the numbers of CSSA recipients, OALA recipients aged 75 or above and Level 0 Voucher Holders of the RCSV Scheme for the Elderly who benefitted from medical fee waivers and the waiver amounts involved in the past three years and up to March 31 for the year 2026:
 

Year	CSSA recipients		OALA recipients aged 75 or above		Level 0 Voucher Holders of the RCSV Scheme for the Elderly
	Number of persons	Waiver amount involved ($ million)	Number of persons	Waiver amount involved ($ million)	Number of persons	Waiver amount involved ($ million)
2023	241 900	459	277 000	473	900	2
2024	236 600	467	300 400	514	1 200	2
2025	231 100	461	324 400	545	1 500	3
2026 (up to March 31)	177 000	301	266 400	403	900	2

 
(2) Since the implementation of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare, the number of medical fee waiver applications approved by the HA has significantly increased by multiple times compared with the past, demonstrating that the reform has effectively strengthened support for low-income families and underprivileged groups. As at March 31, 2026, the HA has approved 224 039 medical fee waiver applications submitted by Eligible Persons (Note 1). Among the approved applications, 214 978 are full waivers and 9 061 are partial waivers.

     The table below sets out the number of medical fee waiver applications approved by medical social workers/social workers for Eligible Persons (Note 1), as well as the number of persons who benefitted from medical fee waiver and the waiver amounts involved in the past three years and up to March 31 for the year 2026:
 

Year	Full waiver (Note 2)			Partial waiver (Note 2)
	Number of approved cases	Number of persons benefitted from waiver	Waiver amount involved ($ million)	Number of approved cases	Number of persons benefitted from waiver	Waiver amount involved ($ million)
2023	15 918	13 800	47	382	500	0.8
2024	16 522	14 100	50	397	500	0.9
2025	18 832	16 400	54	515	700	0.8
2026 (up to  March 31)	214 978	183 400	235	9 061	6 800	3.9

 
(3) In addition to expanding the medical fee waiver mechanism, the HA has also introduced an annual cap on fees and charges of $10,000, which is not subject to financial assessment. All Hong Kong residents in need could apply for and benefit from this protection. The annual cap on fees and charges helps provide more comprehensive protection for patients with serious or chronic illnesses or heavy users of public healthcare services, thereby alleviating the financial pressure arising from their ongoing treatment.
 
     As at March 31, the HA has approved 2 953 applications. Citizens approved are not required to pay any fees for eligible healthcare services within the relevant year, thereby further alleviating the financial burden on their families arising from long‑term medical expenses.
 
     Given that the fees and charges reform is still at its initial stage of implementation, and that patients’ utilisation pattern of healthcare services over the course of a year may vary, we are not able to make an accurate estimation of the annual number of beneficiaries and the relevant expenditure. The HA will continue to monitor the actual utilisation situation.
 
(4) To ensure that patients can be diagnosed and assessed as early as possible, the HA has established triage guidelines, under which an experienced and specially trained nurse will first assess patients’ conditions, including reviewing their medical history, symptoms and vital signs at the time of attendance, and set priorities for treatment according to the severity. Patients are classified into five categories based on their clinical conditions, namely Triage I (critical), Triage II (emergency), Triage III (urgent), Triage IV (semi-urgent) and Triage V (non-urgent). The HA has set performance pledge to ensure that patients who need urgent medical attention are treated within a reasonable time. Patients triaged as critical will be treated immediately by healthcare staff without having to wait, while those with non-urgent conditions may have to wait longer.
 
     The HA has been encouraging patients with relatively mild conditions to make good use of primary healthcare services. With the implementation of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare in 2026, the refund arrangement at the Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) has been regularised, providing patients with greater flexibility in seeking care. Patients who have been triaged but have not yet received consultation may apply for a refund within 24 hours after registration via HA Go mobile application or at the A&E registration counter, thereby enabling them to choose other healthcare services. This measure aims to focus A&E resources to serve critical and emergency patients, enabling A&Es to perform their emergency care function.
 
     As regards public primary healthcare services, the Primary Healthcare Commission and the HA have been working to strengthen family medicine outpatient services and enhance service capacity, including the provision of evening and public holiday out-patient services. At present, the HA manages 75 Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs), 23 of which provide evening out-patient services across all districts in Hong Kong. The number of clinics offering Family Medicine Out‑patient Services on Sunday and public holidays has also increased to 15 in 2025. Given the demand for evening out-patient services, and having taken into account factors such as district population size, A&E waiting times and the availability of private doctors, the HA will progressively increase evening consultation slots by 25 000 from the second quarter of this year in districts including Tuen Mun, North District, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing and Kwun Tong. In addition, the North Kwai Chung FMC plans to regularise its current evening clinic arrangements on Wednesdays and Thursdays to Mondays through Fridays in 2026–27. The HA and the Primary Healthcare Commission will continuously review the service needs of different districts and consider adjusting evening out-patient service capacity through deploying manpower and resources.
 
     To facilitate public selection of suitable primary healthcare service providers, the Government has also established the Primary Care Directory (PCD), which contains the practice information and professional qualifications of primary healthcare service providers in the community, facilitating public access to such information and selection of suitable family doctor. At present, around 1 000 clinic service points of doctors and around 1 000 clinic service points of Chinese medicine practitioners in the PCD provide evening out-patient services. Meanwhile, to meet the demand for medical services during long holidays, the Government also collates information on private healthcare facilities, covering private clinics enlisted in the PCD, non-profit organisations and private Chinese medicine clinics, which will be in operation during public holidays across 18 districts in the territory. The list of doctors enlisted in the PCD and information (including addresses, phone numbers and operation hours) on healthcare facilities providing relevant services can be accessed via the “Doctor Search” function of the eHealth mobile app and the eHealth website. These measures aim to help the public easily find suitable private medical services in the community outside office hours or during holidays, thereby diverting non-urgent consultation needs from A&Es. The HA currently has no plans to adopt remote assessment via telephone or digital platforms considering the potential medical risks, quality and safety, as well as cost-effectiveness.
 
Note 1: According to the Gazette (G.N. 5708 issued on September 27, 2013), patients falling into the following categories are eligible for the rates of charges applicable to Eligible Persons:
(i) holders of Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Chapter 177), except those who obtained their Hong Kong Identity Card by virtue of a previous permission to land or remain in Hong Kong granted to them and such permission has expired or ceased to be valid;
(ii) children who are Hong Kong residents and under 11 years of age; or
(iii) other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the HA.
Note 2: Some patients may be approved for both full and partial medical fee waivers handled by medical social workers/social workers within the same year.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​In anticipation of a large number of visitors to Sai Kung East Country Park, Sharp Island and Shui Hau on Lantau Island during the Mainland’s Labour Day Golden Week (May 1 to 5), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (April 29) announced the following preparation and deployment of management work at ecotourism hotspots during the holiday period:

High Island Reservoir East Dam

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) reminded the public that the provision under the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 prohibiting the possession of specified alternative smoking products (ASPs), such as e-cigarette capsules and heat sticks, in public places will take effect tomorrow (April 30).
 
Any person who possesses specified ASPs, including e-cigarette capsules, liquids, heat sticks and herbal cigarettes, in public places is liable to a fixed penalty of HK$3,000. If the quantity possessed exceeds the specified limit or involves commercial purposes, the maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Details are as follows:
 

Offence	Penalty
Possession of a quantity of specified ASPs not exceeding the specified limit (i.e. not more than 5 units of capsules/5mL of substance or 100 units of heat sticks or 100 rolls of herbal cigarettes)	Fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (Note)
Possession of more than 5 units of capsules/5mL of substance or 100 units of heat sticks or 100 rolls of herbal cigarettes	To be prosecuted in all cases Upon conviction, subject to a maximum fine at level 5 (i.e. HK$50,000) and imprisonment for six months.

​The Government enacted comprehensive legislation four years ago (effective April 30, 2022), prohibiting the import, manufacture, promotion, sale and possession for commercial purposes of ASPs, in order to reduce the chance for tobacco companies to use ASPs to lure the public, especially the younger generation, into smoking addiction. In other words, for the past four years, there have been no legal channels to obtain such products, nor could they be brought into Hong Kong from overseas. ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. The new measures taking effect tomorrow further strengthen the overall regulation of ASPs, preventing harmful tobacco products from continuing to circulate locally and tackling the use of ASPs and harmful substances at its root.
 
To publicise the new tobacco control legislation, TACO has produced various publicity materials (including leaflets and posters) and is raising public awareness of the new regulations through TV and radio Announcements in the Public Interest, hanging banners and posters in various premises, placing advertisements on public transport, at bus stops and MTR stations, as well as enhanced promotion on social media. TACO has uploaded relevant information and frequently asked questions on its website for public inspection, and produced promotional leaflets specially for tourists. TACO also launched a four-week publicity campaign prior to the commencement of the provision, carrying out promotional activities in high-traffic areas, boundary control points and tourist attractions. In collaboration with District Councils, TACO has conducted community outreach to promote the new legislation, and has also co-ordinated with airline companies to make in-flight announcements about the new measures, reminding members of the public and visitors to comply with tobacco control legislation.
 
TACO stressed that currently there is no evidence to show that heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes are less harmful or beneficial for smoking cessation. On the contrary, ASPs have been proven to emit numerous toxic substances that can lead to addiction, illness, or even death. In the case of heated tobacco products, the World Health Organization (WHO) has clearly stated that there is insufficient evidence to show that they are less harmful than conventional cigarettes. As for e-cigarettes, the WHO has pointed out that e-cigarettes contain and release a number of potentially toxic substances that can cause cancer and damage the nervous system or respiratory system. Prolonged use of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of various heart and lung diseases as well as cancer.
 
The Government urges smokers to quit smoking as soon as possible. Members of the public may call the DH Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline at 1833 183. The hotline is answered by registered nurses who provide professional counselling and referral to a wide range of free smoking cessation services.
 
Note: Or upon summary conviction, a maximum fine at level 3 (i.e. HK$10,000)