Category: MIL-OSI

Development Bureau imposes regulating action on contractor involved in fatal industrial incident at private development project construction site in Kai Tak 
     The DEVB, being the party to procure services for public works, attaches great importance to the site safety performance of all construction sites under the purview of contractors on the List, regardless of whether the sites are public works construction sites or not. The DEVB issued a notification to the contractor concerned today to suspend it from tendering for public works contracts in the land piling category with immediate effect pursuant to the regulating regime. The contractor concerned has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before the lifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to tender exercises within the period of suspension from tendering, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.
      
     The Labour Department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB may impose further regulating actions on the contractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the List.
Issued at HKT 17:26

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LegCo Subcommittees under Finance Committee elect Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen 
     The nomination period for the offices of Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Subcommittees under the Legislative Council Finance Committee, the Establishment Subcommittee (ESC) and the Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC), for the 2026 session closed at 5pm today (January 13).
 
     There is only one valid nomination each for the offices of Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the two Subcommittees. Therefore:Issued at HKT 17:40

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SITI to visit Guangxi 
     The National Development and Reform Commission launched the construction of the China-ASEAN Countries Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center in Guangxi. Guangxi is striving to become a highland and co-operation hub for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry facing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The objective of Professor Sun’s visit is to deepen co-operation between Guangxi and Hong Kong and to explore collaborative opportunities with ASEAN in emerging industries such as AI and the digital economy by leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages in connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world.
 
     During his visit to Guangxi, Professor Sun will meet with local government leaders and conduct studies on the parks and enterprises related to innovation and technology, AI, and the digital economy.
 
     Professor Sun will return to Hong Kong on January 15 in the afternoon. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, will be the Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry.
Issued at HKT 15:00

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New District Officer for Tai Po assumes office (with photo) 
     Since joining the Administrative Service in 2010, Ms Chung has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Development Bureau, the then Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office and the then Food and Health Bureau.
 
     She was the Assistant Director (Market Development) at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department before taking up the new post of District Officer (Tai Po).
Issued at HKT 15:16

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Finale and masterclass of second edition of Go! Illustrators – Hong Kong Picture Book Illustrators International Book Fairs Promotion Scheme sponsored by Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency held      ​
     For further details of Go! Illustrators, please visit www.goillustrators.hkIssued at HKT 18:37

FSD conducts fire safety inspection and enforcement operation in Yau Tsim Mong District      
     During the operations, the FSD deployed dedicated inspection teams to target on the fire safety conditions of the common areas and licensed premises within the buildings. The fire personnel identified multiple violations of the Fire Services (Fire Hazard Abatement) Regulation (Cap. 95F) in the common areas of various floors and in seven licensed food premises, including obstruction of means of escape, fire service installation or equipment (FSIs) not being kept in efficient working order due to defects, as well as defects in smoke stop doors. The FSD instituted one prosecution for obstruction of means of escape and issued 32 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices regarding the irregularities.
      
     Since the fire safety violations by the licensed food premises were suspected of breaching the licensing conditions, the FSD has referred the cases to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) for follow-up action. The FSD will continue to liaise closely with the FEHD to determine whether further enforcement actions should be taken against the licensed food premises concerned.
      
     Furthermore, as the building management companies of the buildings failed to comply with the Code of Conduct on Handling Fire Safety Work issued under the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) and relevant best practice guidelines, including proper maintenance of smoke stop doors to keep them in good condition, the FSD has reminded the management companies concerned and referred the cases to the Property Management Services Authority for follow-up action.
      
     During the operation, the fire personnel also carried out fire prevention publicity and education to property owners, tenants and building management staff on common fire hazards and preventive measures to raise their fire safety awareness and mitigate fire risk from the source.
      
     The FSD emphasises that commercial buildings have a high density of people and thus a relatively high fire risk. Property owners, tenants and property management agents must jointly bear the responsibility for fire safety, ensuring the means of escape are unobstructed, smoke stop doors remain closed at all times, FSIs are properly maintained, and annual inspections of the FSIs are carried out as required by law.
      
     The department will continue to work with all parties to promote a fire safety culture and jointly build a safer and more resilient community through a multipronged approach, including enforcement, publicity and interdepartmental collaboration.
Issued at HKT 18:40

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Hospital Authority signs Memorandum of Understanding to support community healthcare development on Mainland (with photo) 
     The MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of the NHC, Mr Lei Haichao, and the HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan. The five-year MOU was jointly signed by the Acting Director-General of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the NHC, Mr Feng Yong; the Chairman of the Chow Tai Fook Medical Foundation, Mr Cheng Kar-Shing; and the HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee.
 
     Phase II of the Training Project will last for five years, with the goal of further training more primary healthcare staff on the Mainland, enhancing their clinical practice and primary healthcare management capabilities. The project will continue to adopt the management framework established in Phase I. The NHC will oversee the recruitment of trainees and provide overall co-ordination and guidance. The Foundation will provide approximately $10 million in funding support. The HA will be responsible for organising diverse trainings, including online and offline courses, site visits and mentorships in both places, and joint academic exchange conferences.
 
     Mr Fan said, “The fruitful results of Phase I are very encouraging, and it is gratifying that we can continue with Phase II this year. The HA is honoured to continue participating in the Training  Project, sharing Hong Kong’s experience in family medicine training and faciliating professional exchanges between the two places to complement each other’s strengths. The release of the Implementation Plan for Strengthening Primary Healthcare Services last year aims to further improve the primary healthcare system on the Mainland. The Training Project enables Hong Kong to contribute to the development of national public health.” 
     To dovetail with the national development of community and primary healthcare, the former Ministry of Health (now NHC), the HA and the Dr Cheng Yu Tung Foundation first signed an MOU in 2007 to collaborate on training healthcare professionals on the Mainland. Phase I of the Training Project was completed last year, successfully training over 1 500 primary healthcare professionals across 31 provinces, municipalities and regions on the Mainland. To continue the success of the project and after friendly consultation, the NHC, the Foundation and the HA will jointly launch Phase II of the project.
Issued at HKT 19:29

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AFCD takes stringent actions on FarmFest stalls suspected of selling non-self-produced agricultural productsIssued at HKT 21:18

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HKSAR Government welcomes court’s decision to dismiss Chow Hang Tung’s application for judicial review on clothing policy for persons in custody      
     The court judgment pointed out that the current clothing policy for PICs, including the requirement for female PICs to wear trousers in summer daytime, was formulated by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) as authorised by the Prison Rules. The Court was satisfied that the CSD had the expertise and experience in the relevant context, and that it had carefully considered various factors, taken into account of professional opinion when making the decision, as well as reviewed the policy continuously. The Court ruled that Chow Hang Tung had failed to demonstrate that the current policy constituted less favourable treatment of a particular gender. The Court pointed out that there was currently no factual evidence to support any assertion that there was widespread concern about the health effects of wearing trousers in summer. In addition, the rule was not absolute, but instead allowed individual PICs to apply for exceptional arrangements in special circumstances. At the same time, the Court also rejected Chow Hang Tung’s assertion that she had requested to the CSD in July and August 2024 to wear shorts and had been refused.

     A spokesman for the Security Bureau said, “The ruling of the Court of First Instance confirmed that the CSD’s approach is reasonable, justified and lawful. According to Rule 26 of the Prison Rules, the CSD must provide every PIC with a uniform that meets a scale imposed by the Commissioner of Correctional Services. Over the years, the CSD had appointed task groups from time to time to review the clothing arrangements of PICs. These reviews gave ample consideration to numerous factors, including the type of correctional institutions, PICs’ varying daily routines and activities involved, the need for thermal, physical and psychological comfort for PICs of different genders, privacy and decency of PICs and the security, good order and discipline of the prison, so as to continuously refine clothing arrangements according to the prevailing circumstances.”
      
     The spokesman stated, “Chow Hang Tung’s assertion that she requested to wear shorts in summer and was rejected by the CSD is entirely inconsistent with the facts and was rejected by the Court. Besides, the current clothing policy for PICs already provides a degree of flexibility. For example, a PIC may make an application to wear other clothing on medical or non-medical grounds to the CSD, and the CSD would make appropriate arrangements having considered the actual circumstances and relevant factors.”
      
     The CSD will continue to impartially implement the relevant rules of the Prison Rules in accordance with the law and commit to providing a secure, safe, humane, decent and healthy custodial environment.
Issued at HKT 21:44

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