Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (April 23) that because of an oil spill, the red flag has been hoisted at Anglers’ Beach in Tsuen Wan District. The beach has been closed until further notice. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (April 23) that the short-term tenancy of the Central Harbourfront Event Space (Event Space), covering an area of about 3.7 hectares, has been awarded to Central Grand Limited (CGL), a joint-venture company formed by Henderson Land Development Company Limited and YW Company Limited, for a fixed term of five years commencing on July 1. CGL shall manage and maintain the Event Space for the hosting of events pursuant to the strengthened terms and requirements on venue management.
A two-envelope approach was adopted in the tender exercise, with the technical proposal weighted at 70 per cent and the price proposal at 30 per cent. A total of six tenders were received. Upon assessment of the tenders on the proposed large-scale signature events, the number of days for commercial events and the number of free public events, as well as their commitments on various parameters including the arrangement on opening up the Event Space for free public enjoyment on days when no events are held, the tender is awarded to CGL which achieved the highest combined score for its technical and price components. During the tenancy term, the successful tenderer will pay the Government a monthly rental of $1,518,000 in accordance with its tender proposal.
After evaluating the six tenders, the Government considered that large-scale signature commercial events featured in the successful tenderer’s proposal would best utilise the harbourfront resources and the site space, with a strong appeal to the public and visitors, and would also help promote a mega-event economy and enhance the vibrancy of the harbourfront. CGL’s proposal also outlines practical implementation plans, such as offering flexible package options during large-scale signature events as proposed in the tender proposal, which provide promotional information and discounts of other tourist attractions and gourmet hotspots in Hong Kong, with the aim of enhancing the overall appeal of the Event Space and extending visitors’ stays in Hong Kong.
As regards space sharing, CGL will not only open up the Event Space to the public for free on days when no events are held in accordance with the tender conditions, but will also provide free facilities such as jogging trails or leisure facilities. In addition, even with ongoing commercial events or rehearsals, if more than one-third of the site area has no events taking place, CGL will implement flexible venue layouts and adaptive boundary arrangements to open up the non-event area for public use. Such flexible arrangements will enhance pedestrian accessibility and visual permeability of the harbourfront.
CGL is required to implement events and manage the venue in accordance with the undertakings in the technical proposal. A clause will be added in the new tenancy to the effect that if the actual number of event days held at the Event Space as rented out each year falls short of the commitment, the tenant is required to pay a compensation amount to the Government (equivalent to 10 per cent of the monthly rent of the Event Space for each day of shortfall). The arrangement aims to ensure the tenant would fully utilise the Event Space, and deliver on its commitments as stated in the tender proposal.
The Central Harbourfront Event Space is a significant landmark at Victoria Harbour and has hosted a multitude of large-scale outdoor events and performances over the years, gaining widespread popularity. The DEVB has refined the tenancy terms to encourage the successful tenderer to bring in a rich diversity of events and enable the public to better enjoy the unique appeal of the Central Harbourfront. Relevant terms include:
(1) While a two-envelope approach was adopted in this tender exercise, the weighting given to the technical proposal was increased from 40 per cent in the previous exercise to 70 per cent. The assessment of the technical proposals considered not only the diversity of events and their ability to enhance the vibrancy of the harbourfront, but also their appeal to visitors, so as to provide ongoing support for the mega-event economy;
(2) The fixed term of the new tenancy is extended from three years to five years, with a view to incentivising the successful tenderer to make long-term investments and planning as well as to deliver events with due emphasis on both quality and quantity;
(3) The successful tenderer is required to provide, within one year from the commencement of the new tenancy and on a regular basis, food and beverage facilities with a floor area of not less than 100 square metres in the northern part of the Event Space adjacent to the promenade area. Apart from synergising with the events to be held at the Event Space, the facilities would also provide service to harbourfront visitors outside the period of any particular events; and
(4) The requirement will continue for the tenant to run events for the public for at least about 30 per cent of days in its annual schedule. In addition, to avoid under-utilisation of the Event Space when no events or events relatively small in scale are taking place, if no less than about one-third of the Event Space remains unused for events or is left unrented for a period of three consecutive days or longer, the tenant is required to open that portion of the Event Space for public enjoyment and leisure activities free of charge.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Relocation of some EPD offices completed
An EPD spokesman said, “Divisions including the Administration Division, Water Quality Management Division and Air Quality Management Division of the EPD are being relocated to the new premises in batches from December 2025 to the end of April 2026, allowing personnel originally scattered across different locations to be centralised into a single location for more efficient operations.”
To facilitate the relocation, the public service counter currently located at 33/F, Revenue Tower, Wan Chai, will be closed after office hours on April 29, 2026 (Wednesday) and will resume services at 12/F, North Tower, Tseung Kwan O Government Offices, on May 4, 2026 (Monday). The address of the abovementioned new offices is as follows:
North Tower, Tseung Kwan O Government Offices
30 Tong Yin Street, Tseung Kwan O
New Territories
For the new addresses and office hours of the EPD offices, please visit the EPD website at www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/top.htmlIssued at HKT 12:00
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Asia Food Licence Engineering Company Limited and its responsible officer, a manager, were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violating the requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its responsible officer pleaded guilty at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today (April 23) and were fined a total sum of $95,000. The company and its responsible officer were also ordered to pay the employees concerned an outstanding sum of about $159,000.
The company wilfully and without reasonable excuse contravened the requirements of the EO, failing to pay five employees’ wages within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods and termination of the employment contract, totalling about $157,000. The company also failed to pay the awarded sum of about $159,000 in total to the five employees within 14 days after the date set by the Labour Tribunal (LT). The responsible officer concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
“The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO, as well as the sums awarded by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board,” a spokesman for the LD said.
“The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced that a tender of 3-year RMB institutional Government Bonds through the re-opening of existing Government Bond (issue number 05GB2912002) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme was held today (April 23).
A total of RMB1.0 billion 3-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of RMB11.374 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 11.37. The average price accepted is 102.85, implying an annualised yield of 1.563 per cent.
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Results
Tender results of 3-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
| Tender Date | : | April 23, 2026 | ||
| Issue Number | : | 05GB2912002 (Re-open) | ||
| Stock Code | : |
|
||
| Issue and Settlement Date | : | April 27, 2026 | ||
| Tenor | : | 3 years | ||
| Maturity Date | : | December 10, 2029 | ||
| Coupon Rate | : | 2.37% | ||
| Amount Applied | : | RMB11.374 billion | ||
| Amount Allotted | : | RMB1.0 billion | ||
| Bid-to-Cover Ratio* | : | 11.37 | ||
| Average Price Accepted (Yield) | : | 102.85 (1.563% (Note)) | ||
| Lowest Price Accepted (Yield) | : | 102.77 (1.586% (Note)) | ||
| Pro-rata Ratio | : | About 100% | ||
| Average Tender Price (Yield) | : | 102.54 (1.651% (Note)) |
* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
Note: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.557 per cent, 1.580 per cent and 1.644 per cent respectively.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced that a tender of 10-year RMB institutional Government Bonds through the re-opening of existing Government Bond (issue number 10GB3505001) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme was held today (April 23).
A total of RMB1.5 billion 10-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of RMB10.235 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 6.82. The average price accepted is 103.24, implying an annualised yield of 1.908 per cent.
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Results
Tender results of 10-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
| Tender Date | : | April 23, 2026 | ||
| Issue Number | : | 10GB3505001 (Re-open) | ||
| Stock Code | : |
|
||
| Issue and Settlement Date | : | April 27, 2026 | ||
| Tenor | : | 10 years | ||
| Maturity Date | : | May 15, 2035 | ||
| Coupon Rate | : | 2.29 per cent | ||
| Amount Applied | : | RMB10.235 billion | ||
| Amount Allotted | : | RMB1.5 billion | ||
| Bid-to-Cover Ratio* | : | 6.82 | ||
| Average Price Accepted (Yield) | : | 103.24 (1.908 per cent(Note) ) | ||
| Lowest Price Accepted (Yield) | : | 103.23 (1.909 per cent(Note) ) | ||
| Pro-rata Ratio | : | About 40 per cent | ||
| Average Tender Price (Yield) | : | 102.67 (1.977 per cent(Note) ) |
* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
Note: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.899 per cent, 1.900 per cent and 1.967 per cent respectively.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
First batch of fund managers selected, in principle, of Innovation and Technology Venture Fund enhanced scheme “The ITVF enhanced scheme aims to, through a top-level design, leverage more market capital to invest in local innovation and technology (I&T) start-ups. It is a significant attempt by the current Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to reform our investment approach for I&T industries. The enhanced scheme provides practical experience and reference for the Government to introduce more market-oriented investment tools in the future,” said Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong.
“The ITC is very pleased to partner with these nine fund management companies with a view to driving investments into start-ups of strategic industries. By leveraging the expertise of professional fund managers, the enhanced scheme shall attract more market capital in order to provide more financing and other support for start-ups and further enrich the local I&T ecosystem. We look forward to the selected fund managers completing their fundraising as soon as possible to match with government capital, so that the funds can commence operations early and start investing in technology start-ups,” said a spokesman for the Commission.
The ITC received 65 applications following an open invitation for the ITVF enhanced scheme. Selection of the abovementioned nine companies as the first batch of fund managers was made in principle based on assessment criteria including the applicants’ background, team experience, investment strategy and processes, investment performance, fee structures and its industry network and support both in and outside Hong Kong, and after consulting the ITVF Advisory Committee’s advice.
Each selected fund manager will serve as a general partner (GP) of a fund and has to raise at least $450 million in non-government capital, and establish a limited partnership fund in Hong Kong with a minimum fund size of $600 million (including the Government’s contribution). The fund managers will, as the GPs, be responsible for managing the daily operations of the fund, investing in target start-ups in accordance with the investment mandate, providing support to investee start-ups and preparing regular reports. The Government, as one of the limited partners, will commit one dollar for every three dollars raised from the market on a matching basis, with a contribution ranging from $150 million to $250 million for each fund. Upon the successful raising of capital and fulfillment of relevant regulations and requirements, the Government, in its capacity as a limited partner, will enter into the limited partnership agreement of the funds with the fund managers.
The $2 billion ITVF was set up to encourage private investment in local I&T start-ups. Under the ITVF enhanced scheme, the Government will redeploy at most $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, on a matching basis, to invest in start-ups of three strategic industries, namely (a) AI and data science, (b) life and health technology, and (c) advanced manufacturing and new energy. Details are available on the ITVF website (www.itf.gov.hk/l-eng/ITVF.aspIssued at HKT 14:00
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in March showed a rise of 325 cases, representing an increase of 0.2 per cent compared with that of February, according to the latest CSSA caseload statistics released by the Social Welfare Department today (April 23).
The total CSSA caseload at the end of March stood at 194 549 (see attached table), with a total of 256 221 recipients.
Analysed by case nature, permanent disability cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 0.3 per cent to 16 272 cases.
Low-earnings cases registered an increase of 0.6 per cent to 1 271 cases. Unemployment cases increased by 0.5 per cent to 15 240 cases. Both old age cases and ill-health cases increased by 0.2 per cent to 111 678 cases and 28 234 cases respectively. Single parent cases increased by 0.1 per cent to 17 913 cases.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Besides being vaccinated against measles, members of the public should take the following measures to prevent infection:
For more information on measles, the public may visit the CHP’s measles thematic pageIssued at HKT 17:36
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Two more new drugs approved for registration under “1+” mechanism
Two new drugs approved
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The “1+” mechanism has been implemented since November 1, 2023, to facilitate the registration of new drugs used in the treatment of serious or rare diseases in Hong Kong. With effect from November 1, 2024, the mechanism was extended to cover all new drugs, including new chemical or biological entities, new indications, vaccines, and advanced therapy products. New drugs supported by local clinical data and recognised by local experts may apply for registration in Hong Kong by submitting evidence of approval from one reference drug regulatory authority (instead of two previously required).
The two new drugs mentioned above have been approved by the drug regulatory authority in the United States and submitted for registration under the “1+” mechanism. After evaluating the clinical data and relevant information provided by the applicant, and consulting local experts, the Registration Committee under the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong concluded that the drugs met the required standards of safety, efficacy, and quality, and approved their registration in Hong Kong. The Department of Health (DH) has notified the applicant of the approval result.
Paving the way towards primary evaluation
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The DH has actively promoted the “1+” mechanism through various channels and has so far received more than 804 enquiries from over 207 pharmaceutical companies, including those from overseas and the Mainland. Many companies have expressed interest in submitting applications for registration of their products, including advanced therapy products, under the expanded “1+” mechanism. Since the launch of the pre-application consultation service in March last year, the DH has organised multiple briefing seminars and workshops, and introduced pre-application meetings in December last year to improve efficiency in processing applications.
The “1+” mechanism strengthens Hong Kong’s drug approval capability and supports the development of related software, hardware and talent, paving the way for the implementation of “primary evaluation”. The DH began the phased implementation of “primary evaluation” for new drug registration on March 31, 2026. The initial phase covers applications for the registration of drugs containing chemical entities already registered in Hong Kong, with extended applications such as new indications, new strengths, new posology, new dosages forms. The goal is to achieve full coverage of all pharmaceutical products by 2030, enabling Hong Kong to independently assess and approve the safety and efficacy of new drugs based on clinical data, thereby expediting the introduction of innovative medical products and realising the vision of “good drugs and medical devices for use in Hong Kong”, benefitting patients.
The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address announced that the Government will accelerate reforms to the regulatory system for drugs and medical devices, consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international hub for medical innovation. The DH will expedite the “1+” mechanism for new drugs, piloting priority evaluation and approval of innovative drugs recommended by the Hospital Authority for the treatment of severe or rare diseases, thereby accelerating patient access to advanced therapies. By the end of 2026, the DH will establish the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation to progressively build a robust approval system, providing strong momentum for the development and market expansion of the healthcare industry in Hong Kong, the Mainland, and beyond, transforming Hong Kong into an international hub for medical innovation.
Issued at HKT 17:40
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