Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ9: Household electrical products supplied through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms Question:
The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (Cap. 406G), made under the Electricity Ordinance (Cap. 406), currently only regulates the safety of household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong. They do not apply to household electrical products supplied to Hong Kong via cross-boundary e-commerce platforms (electrical products). Since 2019, a Cross-border E-commerce Working Group was established between the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and the General Administration of Customs of the Mainland, with the focus on controlling the risks arisen from cross-border e-commerce platforms, including the reporting of unsafe electrical products supplied through these platforms. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the quantity of electrical products supplied to Hong Kong through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms over the past five years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) of the types, selling prices and non-compliance of the unsafe electrical products supplied through cross-border e-commerce platforms that the EMSD notified the Mainland over the past five years, with the relevant information set out in a table; the ways in which the EMSD conducted spot checks on the relevant products and the standards on which these checks were based;
(3) as the Government has previously stated that, upon receiving notifications from the EMSD regarding unsafe electrical products supplied through cross-border e-commerce platforms, the Mainland Authority will conduct follow-up actions according to the case merits (including proactive measures such as order interception and product delisting) to prevent unsafe electrical products from entering Hong Kong, whether the Government has put in place a similar mechanism or measures to address unsafe electrical products that have already entered the market (such as recall of affected products in Hong Kong); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as electrical products purchased through cross-border e-commerce platforms have not been issued with certificates of safety compliance of Hong Kong, if a fire or electric shock accident occurs due to non-compliance with Hong Kong safety standards, whether the Government has support measures in place to assist consumers in seeking compensation from the platform or the seller;
(5) as the Government has previously stated that it currently has no plans to amend the relevant regulations governing electrical products supplied to Hong Kong through cross-border e-commerce platforms, whether the authorities will consider drawing on the experience of other jurisdictions and requiring cross-border e-commerce platforms to assume the gatekeeping responsibility for ensuring the compliance of the goods they sell; and
(6) as it has been reported that some cross-boundary e-commerce platforms intend to open physical shops in Hong Kong, adopting an offline mode to display products sold on their platforms (including electrical products), whether the authorities will provide relevant guidelines to ensure that the specifications of non-local electrical products displayed in these physical shops of the e-commerce platforms comply with local legal requirements?
Reply:
President,
In response to the question raised by Dr the Hon Thomas So, the reply is as follows:
(1) to (4) The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) is responsible for administering the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (Cap. 406G) made under the Electricity Ordinance (Cap. 406), which imposes statutory control on the safety of all household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong to safeguard the public when using these electrical products. At present, if anyone purchases household electrical products through a cross-boundary e-commerce platform, or imports them in person for personal use, such conducts are not regarded as a supply in Hong Kong and thus fall outside the scope of control of the Regulation.
Generally speaking, household electrical products supplied by e-commerce platforms on the Chinese Mainland must comply with the safety requirements of the national China Compulsory Certification (3C Certification). Currently, the safety testing conducted under 3C Certification is based on Guobiao (GB) standards, which are generally equivalent to IEC international standards, meaning that the requirements for the main body of the product are largely consistent with those under the Regulation in Hong Kong.
Since 2019, the Cross-boundary E-commerce Working Group has been established under the Cooperation Arrangement on Electrical and Mechanical Products Safety and Energy Efficiency between the EMSD and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China. The Working Group focuses on controlling the risks arising from cross-boundary e-commerce platforms. The EMSD reports to the relevant Chinese Mainland authority, through the Working Group, on household electrical products supplied through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms to Hong Kong that fail to comply with the requirements of the abovementioned safety standards. Upon receipt of the report, the relevant Chinese Mainland authorities will take actions based on the actual circumstances, including requesting the e-commerce platforms to intercept orders, so that users with Hong Kong IP addresses will not be able to place orders for the relevant products. After conducting a risk assessment and confirming that the product is unsafe, the relevant authorities will request the e-commerce platforms to remove the product from shelves. The EMSD has extended the testing coverage of household electrical products, proactively conducted sample checks on cross-boundary e-commerce platforms, and engaged third party testing and certification bodies to conduct safety standard testing. If the relevant products are found to have failed to comply with the safety standards, such as posing potential risks of fire or electric shock, the relevant Chinese Mainland authorities will be informed to intercept the import of the unsafe electrical products into Hong Kong. In the first three months of 2026, after preliminary investigations, there were a total of 15 electrical incidents involving household electrical products. None of which involved products supplied through cross-boundary e-commerce services.
The numbers of unsafe electrical products supplied through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms reported by the EMSD to the Chinese Mainland authority through the Working Group in the past five years (2021 to 2025) are tabulated as follows:
Product types The Government does not maintain the number of household electrical products supplied to members of the public in Hong Kong through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms, nor the sales prices of the reported products.
(5) The issues arising from the purchase of household electrical products through cross-boundary e-commerce platforms are complex and span across different jurisdictions. The Government will continue to monitor whether other regions have feasible solutions that suit Hong Kong’s situation, while exploring room for optimising existing legislation to strike a balance between enforcement feasibility, public convenience, and the protection of consumer interests. Meanwhile, the Government will continue the enforcement work under the existing legal framework, and follow up on the issue through a multipronged approach involving interception at source, strengthened inspections, as well as publicity and education.
Regarding publicity and education, the EMSD has been promoting knowledge on electrical products safety and the potential risks of cross-boundary online shopping through various channels. Relevant measures include the display of promotional materials on electronic screens at boundary control points and inside MTR stations, collaboration with departments such as the Home Affairs Department and the Fire Services Department to organise community activities, as well as placement of media advertisements and publish posts on social media platforms. This year, the EMSD has increased its resource allocation to strengthen the dissemination of household electrical products safety information to the public through mass media channels such as television drama placements, radio broadcasts and newspaper columns, in order to enhance public awareness in a comprehensive manner.
(6) The Regulation applies to all household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong. The EMSD has proactively established a regular communication mechanism with Chinese Mainland e-commerce platforms, highlighting that household electrical products supplied in physical shops must comply with local regulations. Currently, only one major Chinese Mainland e-commerce platform has opened a physical shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, and no household electrical products are displayed in the shop. The EMSD will continue to conduct inspections and monitor developments to ensure that the e-commerce platform concerned continues to comply with the relevant requirements. Issued at HKT 12:29
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ19: Regulating claw machine venues and pinball machine shops It has been reported that in recent years, claw machine venues and pinball machine shops have mushroomed in Hong Kong. Some pinball machine shops feature functions such as “odds” and “points” and offer expensive prizes to solicit business, attracting members of the public or even minors to spend entire days there, thus arousing public concern about issues such as “disguised gambling practices and addiction”. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information on reports received by the authorities from members of the public regarding claw machines in each of the past five years: (i) the number of reports (including the number of cases suspected of involving (a) illegal gambling, (b) suspected counterfeit or pirated products, and (c) alleged unfair trade practices), (ii) the number of prosecutions, and (iii) the number of successful convictions (including (a) the number of arrests, (b) the number of venues and machines involved, and (c) the amount of fines);
(2) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 12 last year, the Government indicated that the High Court has ruled that typical claw machine venues where people clamp items in the machines upon payment are no longer required to obtain a Places of Public Entertainment Licence under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172), whether the authorities have plans to strengthen the regulation and inspection of claw machine venues, including formulating a new licensing system and setting the frequency of regular inspections; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the first of this month, the Government indicated that if the operation of a pinball machine shop involves the offering of prizes, an Amusements with Prizes Licence (AWPL) should be obtained, and one of the licensing conditions for AWPL is “no prize offered shall be a money prize”, but it is learnt that some pinball machine shops cash out prizes through methods such as “gift redemption” and “private buybacks” to evade regulation, whether the authorities have proactively conducted regular inspections of all pinball machine shops in Hong Kong, and of the measures taken to curb the above situation; if so, the details;
(4) whether the Hong Kong Police Force and the Home Affairs Department will strengthen co-operation to regularly make public the number of reports, frequency of inspections, and outcome of prosecutions with respect to illegal gambling and unlicensed operations, etc, in pinball machine shops, with a view to enhancing the transparency of relevant information;
(5) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the first of this month, the Government indicated that it is reviewing matters relating to the regulation of AWPL, whether the scope of the review will cover items such as the business models, value and redemption of prizes, entry age, business locations, and information disclosure requirements with respect to pinball machine shops, and of the respective expected timetables for completing the review and announcing the results; and
(6) as there are views that the prizes and their values currently offered by some claw machine venues and pinball machine shops, as well as the operation modes of the machines, may involve gambling elements and are likely to lead to obsession or even addiction among minors, apart from regulation through enacting legislation, whether the authorities have plans to strengthen co-operation with schools, parents and district organisations to educate minors about the associated risks of addiction and obsession; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? President,
Having consulted the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Home Affairs Department (HAD), I provide the following consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Pui-leung:
Case category The prosecution cases were associated with the offence of possession for sale or for any purpose of trade or manufacture of goods to which a forged trade mark was applied as stipulated under section 9(2) of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. In the four prosecution cases, C&ED arrested a total of five persons and seized 49 claw machines from 11 shops. In the three convicted cases, the sentences imposed were community service orders or suspended sentence.
(2) to (5) According to the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) (the Ordinance), operating a game of amusement with prizes requires an Amusements with Prizes Licence (AWPL). Furthermore, a Places of Public Entertainment Licence under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172) is a prerequisite for any AWPL application. The PWF provides tailored counselling, treatment and other support services to individuals affected by gambling as well as their family members. It also launches targeted public education and publicity campaigns to raise public awareness, particularly among young people, of the harms associated with gambling addiction, including emerging gambling modes, to mitigate their negative impact. These public education measures include funding non-governmental organisations and schools to organise public education programmes focused on the prevention and mitigation of gambling-related problems. Issued at HKT 12:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ2: Subsidy Scheme for Abolition of MPF Offsetting Arrangement The Government launched the Subsidy Scheme for Abolition of MPF Offsetting Arrangement (SSA) on May 1 last year. Employers, after settling severance payment (SP) and long service payment (LSP) to their employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57), may apply for subsidies under the SSA. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of applications received by the authorities and the average processing time for each case since the launch of the SSA; among such cases, the respective numbers and percentages of applications (i) approved, (ii) refused and (iii) withdrawn (set out in Table 1); whether it has complied statistics on the main reasons for refusal and withdrawal of the applications;
Table 1
Application results(2) of (i) the number of applications received by the authorities, and (ii) the number of applications approved and their percentages since the launch of the SSA, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by the type of trade of employers involved;
Table 2
Type of trade of employers involved(3) of the total amount of subsidies for all approved cases and the average amount of subsidies for each case since the launch of the SSA;
(4) among the cases in which approval has been completed, of the respective numbers of applications in which an applicant has lodged a review as he/she is not satisfied with the amount of subsidies approved or has lodged an appeal as he/she is not satisfied with the refusal of his/her application since the launch of the SSA, and the percentages of successful appeals or reviews among them; whether it has compiled statistics on the main reasons for refusal of the review or appeal applications;
(5) as according to the paper submitted by the Government to the Finance Committee of this Council on November 22, 2024, the Labour Department (LD) will engage a processing agent to assist in the administration of the SSA, of the following information on the processing agent’s implementation of the SSA since February 1 last year: (i) the preparatory fee collected, (ii) the staffing establishment and strength involved, (iii) the average fee for processing each subsidy application, (iv) the number of spot checks performed on cases processed, (v) the number of enquiries received and processed, and (vi) the number of public engagement activities organised and the number of participants;
(6) as some employees may receive less aggregate benefits due to the change in calculation of the SP/LSP entitlement after the abolition of the offsetting arrangement, and these “worse-off” employees can apply to the LD for a subsidy to make up for the shortfall in their aggregate benefits, of the number of applications for the subsidy received by the authorities and the amount of subsidy involved since May 1 last year; and
(7) whether the LD has received any complaints about suspected premature dismissal of employees by employers before the abolition of the offsetting arrangement took effect in order to save SP or LSP expenses since 2025; if so, of the number of complaints received by the LD, the industries in which the complainants are engaged, and the follow-up on the complaints?
Reply:
President,
The Government implemented the abolition of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) offsetting arrangement on May 1, 2025 (the transition date). Since then, employers can no longer use the accrued benefits derived from their mandatory MPF contributions to offset an employee’s severance payment (SP)/long service payment (LSP) payable under the Employment Ordinance in respect of the employment period starting from the transition date (the post-transition portion of SP/LSP). The reply to the Member’s question is set out below:
(1) As at March 2026, the SSA received a total of 20 790 applications from employers, of which 16 793 applications had been processed. The application results are tabulated below:
Results of application In general, employers will be notified of the application results within 30 working days upon submission of an application and all necessary information and documents.
Refusal of applications is primarily due to factors such as that the employers were not affected by the abolition of MPF offsetting arrangement (for example, the employees involved were exempted persons under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance, or had reached the age of 65 before the transition date and thus the employers were not required to make MPF contributions for the employees in respect of the employment periods from the transition date onwards); or the employees involved did not meet the eligibility criteria for SP/LSP as specified by the Employment Ordinance at the time of termination of employment contracts. The SSA does not inquire about the reasons for withdrawal of applications from the employers concerned.
(2) As at March 2026, a breakdown of applications received and approved under the SSA by industry of the employers involved is at Annex.
(3) As at March 2026, the SSA disbursed a total amount of $42.24 million of subsidy to employers, with an average of $2,700 for each approved application.
(4) Applicants may request reviews of their applications with justifications if they disagree with the results, and may lodge appeals if they disagree with the review results.
As at March 2026, the SSA received 294 review applications from employers, of which 130 were approved (44.2 per cent) after review. Besides, 16 appeal applications submitted by employers under the SSA were refused. The reason for refusing the review or appeal applications was that the applicants could not provide sufficient justifications for altering the original vetting decisions.
(5) The Labour Department (LD) appointed a processing agent (PA) to set up the Service Centre for the SSA and process subsidy applications. Breakdowns of figures for PA’s assistance in the implementation of the SSA are as follows:
(i) The preparatory fee received by PA was $8,800,000.
(ii) The Tender Documents require PA to provide no less than 76 staff members. To ensure quality of service, the actual number of staff members provided by PA as at April 15, 2026, was 93. Details are as follows:
Post(as at April 15, 2026)Examination team leader Customer services team leaderApproving officer Examiner Customer services officer In addition to the above, PA provided five operations management supporting staff.
(iii) As at April 15, 2026, the service fees received by PA for the implementation period of the SSA were $56,888,280. The service fees included the costs for operating the Service Centre and back office, provision of manpower, processing applications in accordance with the operation guidelines and instructions provided by the LD, handling enquiries and complaints, conducting quality assurance checks and internal audit checks on applications, assisting in organising publicity and public engagement activities, executing technical proposals as committed in the Tender Proposal, and carrying out all the tasks as required in the Service Contract. As the service fees reflected the aforementioned services as a whole, the average cost of processing each application cannot be determined.
(iv) As at March 2026, the Service Centre selected a total of 123 applications with processing completed for conducting audit checks.
(v) As at March 2026, the Service Centre received 27 798 enquiries and completed processing of 27 619.
(vi) To assist employers in understanding the SSA, the Government has conducted extensive publicity, including launching the TransitionEase website to disseminate details about applying for subsidies, and organising briefing sessions for employers, employees and human resources practitioners. From January 2025 to March 2026, the LD held a total of 63 briefing sessions, with over 18 800 participants. Besides, the Service Centre organised two briefing sessions in April 2026 to introduce SSA to employers, attracting around 140 participants.
(6) As at March 2026, the SSA received a total of 14 applications from employees applying for subsidy to make up for the shortfall in aggregate benefits. After vetting, two applications were approved with a total subsidy of about $12,000 disbursed and no shortfall in employees’ aggregate benefits after the abolition of the offsetting arrangement was found in respect of four applications. The remaining eight applications are being processed.
(7) The LD has been conducting publicity through various channels to remind employers that dismissing serving employees before the transition date and subsequently rehiring them will not save expenses on SP/LSP. The LD has not received any complaint involving employers allegedly dismissing employees before the abolition of the offsetting arrangement took effect for the purpose of reducing SP/LSP expenses. Issued at HKT 12:45
Currently, banks generally adopt 75 years minus the age of the property or the borrower (i.e. “75-n”), taking the shorter period as the basis, to calculate a property mortgage term of not more than 30 years. There are views that various measures introduced by the Government in recent years, including the Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Scheme and the Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme, have helped to improve the maintenance of many aged buildings. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has maintained the number of transactions of properties aged over 50 years in the past three years;
(2) whether it has maintained the total number of units in private buildings currently aged over 50 years; and
(3) whether the authorities will study promoting to the banking industry to enhance the calculation method of property mortgage terms by uniformly changing the formula from “75-n” to “80-n”?
Reply:
President,
Proper maintenance of private buildings is owners’ primary responsibility. In addition to identifying high-risk private buildings through the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) for issuing MBIS notices requiring owners to inspect and repair the buildings, the Government also partners with the Urban Renewal Authority to launch a number of building rehabilitation subsidy schemes to support owners in need with proper building maintenance. These schemes include the Operation Building Bright 2.0 and Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme (LIMSS), etc. In the 2026-27 Budget, the Government announced that $3 billion would be earmarked for drawing up a new subsidy scheme to assist owners in need with building inspections and repairs, and $1 billion would be allocated to extend the LIMSS.
After consulting the Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(1) & (2) According to the Buildings Department (BD)’s record, as at the end of 2025, there were approximately 11 000 private buildings aged 50 years or above. However, the BD does not maintain records of the number of units involved.
As regards the number of property transactions, the Land Registry (LR)’s function is to register and maintain records of the instruments submitted to the LR, including property sale and purchase agreements, assignments, and mortgages/legal charges. Therefore, the LR does not maintain statistics on transactions of properties by building age.
(3) The approval of loans is a commercial decision made by banks. When processing mortgage applications, banks take into account a host of factors, including the borrower’s repayment capacity and the condition of the building. The age of the property and the borrower are just among various factors of consideration. When considering whether to approve mortgage applications for a residential property, the information regarding the completion of inspection and repair of the building may assist banks in evaluating the condition of the building. The HKMA does not set a specific mortgage term limit based on the age of a property or a borrower. Issued at HKT 14:35
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Commissioner of Police leads delegation to visit Singapore The delegation attended the MTX 2026 on April 28 and engaged with the international public safety community to better understand innovative and emerging technologies to enhance public safety. The summit, held biennially, is the largest public safety conference in Southeast Asia serving as a global platform to foster collaboration and advance public safety capabilities through science and technology. The delegation attended keynote sessions and panel discussions on various topics, such as artificial intelligence and network security, and visited key exhibitions showcasing the latest innovations in public safety, demonstrating the HKPF’s ongoing efforts in advancing technology applications and international co-operation.
On the sidelines of the summit, the delegation met with the Commissioner of the Singapore Police Force, Mr How Kwang Hwee, and the Inspector-General of the Royal Malaysia Police, Mr Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khalid Ismail, to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. The delegation also engaged with international experts and technology professionals across the public safety ecosystem.
On the same day, Mr Chow also met the Chief Executive of HTX, Mr Chan Tsan. Following the meeting, both sides signed an MOU to strengthen co-operation in leveraging innovative technologies to advance public safety. The MOU provides a broad framework for co-operation in areas of mutual interest, including capability development, knowledge exchange, anti-scam measures, training systems, and exploration of emerging technologies to support policing operations.
Separately, on April 27, the delegation visited the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, and toured its Digital Forensics Laboratory to gain insights into the application of artificial intelligence in combating transnational cybercrime.
Mr Chow concluded his visit today (April 29) and returned to Hong Kong. Issued at HKT 15:00
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 – 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
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)
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 – 4
The Hong Kong Energy Statistics 2025 Annual Report is published by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (April 29).
The report describes the situation of energy supply and demand in Hong Kong. It contains comprehensive statistical information relating to different forms of energy, including oil products, coal products, electricity, and gas. The report also includes an overall energy balance, which summarises the origins and uses of different forms of energy and depicts their relationship in the energy transformation processes.
Major statistics presented in the report include:
(i) imports and unit values of imports as well as other relevant statistics (storage capacity, tank stock, and quantity of sales by type of users) for oil products;
(ii) imports and unit values of imports for coal products; and
(iii) generating capacity, production, and local consumption by type of users for electricity and gas.
Users who have enquiries about the contents of the report may contact Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7246; email: energy@censtatd.gov.hk).