Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Department of Health (DH) today (December 30) reminded the trade that, starting from June 14, 2026, medical gases will be regulated as pharmaceutical products. Medical gases, classified as pharmaceutical products, must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in Hong Kong. In addition, traders involved in the manufacture, wholesale or retail of medical gases must obtain relevant drug dealer’s licence(s) in accordance with the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). To avoid contravening the Ordinance, suppliers who have not yet applied for a relevant licence and/or registration of pharmaceutical products should take immediate action before the regulation officially takes effect.

     The Board decided on June 14, 2024, that medical gases should be regulated as pharmaceutical products under the regulatory framework of the Ordinance. In addition, pharmaceutical products containing nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and nitric oxide should be regulated as prescription drugs. A two-year preparation period has been provided for the trade to apply for relevant licences and registration of their products.

     The DH today issued a reminder to the trade and notified other stakeholders about the aforesaid regulation. For details on applying for the relevant licences and product registration, please visit the Board’s website or the website of the Drug Office of the DH. Information on the regulation of medical gases can be found on the DH’s Drug Office website.
     ​
     According to the Ordinance, illegal possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products or prescription drugs, and manufacture or wholesale of pharmaceutical products without relevant licences, are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment upon conviction.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today alerted members of the public to fraudulent WSD website addresses that encourage recipients to pay water bills via a hyperlink provided.

The fraudulent websites are: “wsd.govi[.]qpon/hk”, “wsd[.]giov[.]lat/hk” and “wsd[.]pijhhsj[.]sbs”.

The WSD stresses that these websites have no connection to the department, which has reported the cases to the Police.

The department said that people who have registered for the WSD’s electronic services account and e-billing service must complete verification on the department website before they can view their e-bills and obtain the Faster Payment System QR code on the bill to make payments.

People who have provided personal information to these or other suspicious websites should contact the Police. Call 2824 5000 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (December 29) that the HA is fully prepared to implement the public healthcare fees and charges reform starting January 1, 2026. The HA is confident that the full implementation of these measures will enhance patient protection, rationalise public healthcare services, and promote sustainable development of the public healthcare system.
 
     The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, said, “We believe that once the measures of fees and charges reform are fully implemented, the current service imbalances in public hospitals can be gradually straightened out and the protection for patients, especially those who are poor, acute, serious or critical, can be enhanced. This will enable sustainable development of public healthcare services to cope with the various challenges posed by Hong Kong’s ageing population.”
 
     The HA will remain committed to the original intention of the reform when implementing the new measures, which are:
 
(i) Commitment will not be lessened: the Government’s commitment to public health will remain unchanged. All gains from the reform will be wholly utilised for public healthcare services;
(ii) Co-payment for those who can afford it and for those with mild conditions: the Government will reasonably expand and enhance the co-payment mechanism;
(iii) Enhancement and reduction: protection for poor, acute, serious or critical patients will be enhanced, and wastage will be reduced;
(iv) High subsidisation: the high level of subsidy will be maintained after the reform, with the target of maintaining the 90 per cent overall public subsidisation rate; and
(v) Gradual and orderly progress: the objective will be achieved in a progressive and orderly manner in five years.
 
     The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, said: “All HA systems, including patient registration, payment, clinical services, the mobile application “HA Go”, and other internal systems have been thoroughly tested. All systems will officially switch to the new fees and charges mode at midnight on January 1. The HA will closely monitor operations across all public hospitals to ensure smooth implementation of the reform.”
 
     The HA Head Office and clusters have previously conducted training sessions and drills for healthcare professionals, simulating various contingency scenarios to ensure staff members are familiar with the arrangements and can respond effectively to different situations. The HA Major Incident Control Centre will also be activated to closely monitor operations at all public hospitals during the initial implementation phase of the reform, enabling immediate co-ordination and responses when necessary.
 
     Public hospitals have deployed additional manpower, including service ambassadors, dedicated teams, and volunteers to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient inquiries, assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers. The HA has set up hotlines in each cluster (see Annex I) for patients to inquire about the fees and charges reform arrangements. The HA has been notifying patients of the new arrangements through the mobile application “HA Go” and SMS messages. Patients can also visit the HA website to learn about the new arrangements (see Attachement).
 
     Over the past several months, the HA has continuously engaged community stakeholders through different platforms to explain the reform details and gather their feedback. HA representatives have met with current Legislative Council Members and Members-elect of Legislative Council to explain and address various perspectives on the new fees and charges arrangements. District briefing sessions have also been held, utilising the extensive community network of District Council Members to help citizens understand the information and supportive measures of the reform.
 
     The HA also places great emphasis on patient group feedback. The HA has organised various activities in recent months, including patient forums, focus groups, and hospital workshops to enhance patients’ understanding of the reform details and arrangements, aiming for a smoother implementation. The patient engagement activities have involved in-depth and targeted discussions on different aspects of the reform. Valuable opinions and feedback collected through focus groups will serve as reference for the HA’s continuous service improvement and optimisation of fees and charges reform. Patient representatives have also participated in hospital workshops to gain firsthand experience of consultation procedures, appointment and payment arrangements for non-urgent radiology and pathology services, further deepening patients’ understanding.
 
     The HA expresses gratitude to all sectors of society for their active discussions and valuable input since the announcement of the public healthcare fees and charges reform in March, contributing to the continuous refinement of the reform details. The HA would also like to remind the public that some information circulating in the public discourse may not be accurate and could lead to misunderstandings about the reform. We encourage the public to refer to the official information released by the HA to avoid any misconceptions.

     Following the implementation of the reform, the HA will comprehensively strengthen protection for patients in need through various initiatives: enhancing the medical fee waiving mechanism, relaxing eligibility criteria of means tests for Samaritan Fund safety net applications, and introducing a cap on annual spending of $10,000 for public medical fees and charges (excluding self-financed items). These measures will extend assistance to more patients in need, ensuring no one will be denied adequate medical care due to a lack of means. The enhanced protection is not only taking care of the underprivileged groups, but also preventing middle income people from impoverishment due to illness. The number of beneficiaries is expected to increase significantly from the current 300 000 to approximately 1.4 million people. Additionally, about 600,000 individuals eligible for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and Residential Care Service Voucher holders at co-payment Level 0 will continue to receive full medical fee waivers. In total, an estimated 2 million people will benefit from these enhanced patient protection measures.
 
     The HA reminds patients that the fees and charges reform will officially commence on January 1, 2026. Patients are advised to familiarise themselves with the new fees and charges arrangements (see Annex II) before visiting public hospitals or outpatient clinics. Some medical service procedures may also be modified. Patients are welcome to inquire about the service arrangements, and all staff members are ready to provide assistance.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 29) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Lewis County of the State of Washington and Jessamine County of the State of Kentucky in the United States (US), and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Ibaraki Prefecture and Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 40 060 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 2.62 million poultry eggs from the US, and about 1 540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first nine months of this year.

     “The CFS has contacted the American and Japanese authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Overall Wage and Payroll Statistics
 
     According to the figures released today (December 29) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed, as measured by the wage index, increased by 3.3% in nominal terms in September 2025 over a year earlier.
 
     About 61% of the companies reported increase in average wage rates in September 2025 compared with a year ago. A total of 34% of the companies recorded decrease in average wage rates over the same period. The remaining 5% reported virtually no change in average wage rates.
 
     After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed increased by 1.8% in real terms in September 2025 over a year earlier. 
 
     As for payroll, the index of payroll per person engaged for all the industry sections surveyed increased by 2.8% in nominal terms in the third quarter of 2025 over a year earlier. 
 
     After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged increased by 1.7% in real terms in the third quarter of 2025 compared with a year earlier.
 
     The wage rate includes basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses. Payroll includes elements covered by wage rate as well as other irregular payments to workers such as discretionary bonuses and overtime allowances.  The payroll statistics therefore tend to show relatively larger quarter-to-quarter changes, affected by the number of hours actually worked and the timing of payment of bonuses and back-pay.
 
Sectoral Changes
 
     For the nominal wage indices, year-on-year increases were recorded in all selected industry sections in September 2025, ranging from 2.1% to 3.9%.
 
     For the real wage indices, year-on-year increases were also recorded in all selected industry sections in September 2025, ranging from 0.6% to 2.4%.
 
     The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real wage indices for the selected industry sections from September 2024 to September 2025 are shown in Table 1.
 
     As for the nominal indices of payroll per person engaged, year-on-year increases ranging from 1.8% to 3.8% were recorded in all selected industry sections surveyed in the third quarter of 2025, except the transportation, storage, postal and courier services section where a year-on-year decrease of 0.5% was recorded.
 
     For the real payroll indices, year-on-year increases ranging from 0.7% to 2.7% were recorded in all selected industry sections surveyed in the third quarter of 2025, except the transportation, storage, postal and courier services section where a year-on-year decrease of 1.5% was recorded.
 
     The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged for selected industry sections from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025 are shown in Table 2. The quarterly changes in the seasonally adjusted nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged in the same period are shown in Table 3.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that wages and labour earnings continued to grow in both nominal and real terms in the third quarter of 2025 over a year earlier. Average wage rate and payroll per person engaged of most selected industries recorded increases of varying degrees.
 
     Looking ahead, the solid expansion of the Hong Kong economy and the improving consumer confidence should render support to labour demand, which will be conducive to growth in wages and labour earnings.
 
Other Information
 
     Both wage indices and payroll indices are compiled quarterly based on the results of the Labour Earnings Survey (LES) conducted by C&SD. Wage index only covers employees up to the supervisory level (i.e. not including managerial and professional employees), whereas payroll index covers employees at all levels and proprietors actively engaged in the work of the establishment.
 
     Apart from the differences in employee coverage, wage statistics are conceptually different from the payroll statistics.  Firstly, wage rate for an employee refers to the sum earned for his normal hours of work. It covers basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses, but excludes earnings from overtime work and discretionary bonuses, which are however included in payroll per person engaged. Secondly, the payroll index of an industry is an indicator of the simple average payroll received per person engaged in the industry. Its movement is therefore affected by changes in wage rates, number of hours of work and occupational composition in the industry. In contrast, the wage index of an industry is devised to reflect the pure changes in wage rate, with the occupational composition between two successive statistical periods being kept unchanged. In other words, the wage index reflects the change in the price of labour. Because of these conceptual and enumeration differences between payroll and wage statistics, the movements in payroll indices and in wage indices do not necessarily match closely with each other.
 
     It should also be noted that different consumer price indices are used for compiling the real indices of wage and payroll to take into account the differences in their respective occupation coverage. Specifically, the Composite Consumer Price Index, being an indicator of overall consumer prices, is taken as the price deflator for payroll of workers at all levels of the occupational hierarchy. The Consumer Price Index (A), being an indicator of consumer prices for the relatively low expenditure group, is taken as the price deflator for wages in respect of employees engaged in occupations up to the supervisory level.
 
     Detailed breakdowns of the payroll and wage statistics are published in the “Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics, September 2025”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050009&scode=210).
 
     For enquiries on wage and payroll statistics, please contact the Wages and Labour Costs Statistics Section (1) of C&SD (Tel:  2887 5550 or email: wage@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (December 29) the external merchandise trade statistics for November 2025. In November 2025, the values of Hong Kong’s total exports and imports of goods both recorded year-on-year increases, at 18.8% and 18.1% respectively.
 
     In November 2025, the value of total exports of goods increased by 18.8% over a year earlier to $468.9 billion, after a year-on-year increase by 17.5% in October 2025. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 18.1% over a year earlier to $517.4 billion in November 2025, after a year-on-year increase by 18.3% in October 2025. A visible trade deficit of $48.5 billion, equivalent to 9.4% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in November 2025.
 
     For the first 11 months of 2025 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods increased by 14.3% over the same period in 2024. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 14.1%. A visible trade deficit of $382.8 billion, equivalent to 7.5% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the first 11 months of 2025.
 
     Comparing the three-month period ending November 2025 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total exports of goods increased by 1.4%. Meanwhile, the value of imports of goods increased by 2.8%.
 
Analysis by country/territory
 
     Comparing November 2025 with November 2024, total exports to Asia as a whole grew by 17.1%. In this region, increases were registered in the values of total exports to some major destinations, in particular Malaysia (+72.0%), Vietnam (+54.9%), Taiwan (+45.3%), Thailand (+39.6%) and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (+16.4%).
 
     Apart from destinations in Asia, increases were registered in the values of total exports to most major destinations in other regions, in particular the USA (+44.4%) and the Netherlands (+36.4%).
 
     Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports from most major suppliers, in particular Vietnam (+102.3%), the Mainland (+25.0%), Malaysia (+21.1%), the United Kingdom (+19.7%) and the USA (+17.8%).
 
     Comparing the first 11 months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, increases were registered in the values of total exports to most major destinations, in particular Malaysia (+55.1%), Vietnam (+52.9%), Taiwan (+40.5%), the Mainland (+15.8%) and Japan (+13.7%).
 
     Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports from most major suppliers, in particular Vietnam (+90.6%), the United Kingdom (+43.9%), Malaysia (+19.8%), Taiwan (+19.0%) and the Mainland (+14.4%). On the other hand, a decrease was recorded in the value of imports from Korea (-15.0%).
 
Analysis by major commodity
 
     Comparing November 2025 with November 2024, increases were registered in the values of total exports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $31.5 billion or +15.9%) and “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $16.4 billion or +36.8%). 
 
     Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $34.1 billion or +16.9%) and “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $16.8 billion or +34.3%).
 
     Comparing the first 11 months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, increases were registered in the values of total exports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $315.5 billion or +15.9%) and “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $129.0 billion or +26.6%).
 
     Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $334.7 billion or +16.8%) and “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $112.9 billion or +27.7%).
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that the value of merchandise exports continued to show a strong performance, growing by 18.8% in November over a year earlier. Exports to most major markets showed further robust growth. Analysed by commodity, exports of most major commodities rose visibly, particularly for exports of electrical equipment, machinery and mechanical appliances.
 
     Looking ahead, sustained moderate global economic growth and persistent demand for electronic-related products will underpin Hong Kong’s merchandise trade growth in the near term. The Government will continue its ongoing effort to enhance economic and trade ties with different markets, and stay vigilant to the developments of various uncertainties in the external environment.
 
Further information
 
     Table 1 presents the analysis of external merchandise trade statistics for November 2025. Table 2 presents the original monthly trade statistics from January 2022 to November 2025, and Table 3 gives the seasonally adjusted series for the same period.
 
     The values of total exports of goods to 10 main destinations for November 2025 are shown in Table 4, whereas the values of imports of goods from 10 main suppliers are given in Table 5.
 
     Tables 6 and 7 show the values of total exports and imports of 10 principal commodity divisions for November 2025.
 
     All the merchandise trade statistics described here are measured at current prices and no account has been taken of changes in prices between the periods of comparison. A separate analysis of the volume and price movements of external merchandise trade for November 2025 will be released in mid-January 2026.
 
     The November 2025 issue of “Hong Kong External Merchandise Trade” contains detailed analysis on the performance of Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade in November 2025 and will be available in early January 2026. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020005&scode=230).
 
     Enquiries on merchandise trade statistics may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4691).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (December 29) the establishment of the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (the Park Company), which will be responsible for the development and operation of the around 23-hectare industry park located in Hung Shui Kiu in the Northern Metropolis (the Industry Park). The DEVB is moving full steam ahead to complete the company registration, land grant, capital injection and appointment matters as soon as possible, with a view to enabling the Park Company to commence operation by mid-2026.

     The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said, “The development of the Northern Metropolis is industry driven. Apart from using traditional land sales, in-situ land exchanges and large-scale land disposal approaches to bring in industries, establishing an industry park company wholly owned by the Government is another tool which allows the Government to participate in the development and operation of industries through the Park Company, and take the lead in leveraging market forces and adopting public-private partnership approaches to accelerate the development of industries in the Northern Metropolis.”
 
     The DEVB has completed a policy study on setting up the Park Company in accordance with this year’s Policy Address, and the Working Group on Devising Development and Operation Models led by the Financial Secretary has endorsed the recommendation. The DEVB has obtained the approval of the Financial Secretary to incorporate a non-statutory, limited company wholly owned by the Financial Secretary Incorporated, named as the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited.
 
     The Park Company will achieve four major objectives:

(i) capitalise on the locational advantage of Hung Shui Kiu to drive the development of industries with a competitive edge and supported by the Government;

(ii) masterplan the overall development of the Industry Park, build the park infrastructure and provide value-added services to support the growth of enterprises and develop a vibrant industry ecosystem;

(iii) adopt diversified public-private partnership models and make use of the Government’s preferential policy packages as necessary to attract investments and enterprises to establish footholds in the Industry Park; and

(iv) provide support to brownfield operators affected by government development to move up the value chain.

     In terms of corporate structure, the Board of Directors (BoD) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Park Company shall be appointed on the approval of the Chief Executive. The BoD comprises five official directors and around 10 non-official directors, including a chairperson to be appointed from the non-official directors. The five official directors include the directors of policy bureaux relevant to the development of the Park Company, including the Secretary for Development; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; and the Secretary for Transport and Logistics. The Government will participate directly in the major decisions of the Park Company through the official directors. The non-official directors will come from diverse backgrounds and sectors, allowing the Park Company to draw on the expertise from outside the Government.
 
     The DEVB will seek the approval of the Chief Executive in Council later for granting the around 23 hectares of industry sites in Hung Shui Kiu at nil premium to the Park Company. As the sites within the Industry Park are currently zoned as “Port Back-up, Storage and Workshop”, the DEVB will shortly seek the approval of the Town Planning Board for rezoning these sites to designate a park-specific zoning tailored for the Industry Park, as well as increase the land-use flexibility by widening the permitted uses to cover various suitable industries (such as advanced construction, high-value added or smart production) and supporting facilities (including convention or exhibition facilities, research, testing and certification, talent accommodation, food and beverage facilities, etc). Upon approval by the Legislative Council, the Government will inject initial capital into the Park Company in order to support its initial operational and development needs. The specific amount of capital injection will be announced in the 2026-27 Budget. The Park Company has to operate and manage the Industry Park in a financially sustainable manner and expand its business revenue, with a view to achieving financial self-sustainability in the long term.
 
     The Park Company will develop the around 23 hectares of industry land by phases through different development models, and may further be granted more industry land in Hung Shui Kiu (such as some of the logistics sites in the area) for development in the future. Apart from self-developing part of the land for building and leasing industry facilities, the Park Company may dispose of some of the industry land of the Industry Park by way of tender for enterprises to undertake the construction of topside industry facilities on their own; and other approaches such as forming joint ventures with enterprises through provision of land as a form of capital participation to co-develop and co-invest in individual projects. Among the around 23 hectares of industry land of the Industry Park, around eight hectares are “spade-ready sites”. For the remaining around 15 hectares, site formation is expected to be completed by the Government for the majority of the sites by end-2027.
 
     The DEVB will strive to commence an open recruitment exercise for the CEO in January 2026, as well as complete a series of preparatory work in the first half of next year, including rezoning and granting of the land, seeking funding approval for the capital injection to the Park Company, appointing the BoD and the CEO, and recruiting other key staff for the Park Company, etc. The target is for the Park Company to commence operation by mid-2026.
 
     Details of the proposal of the Park Company have been uploaded to the DEVB’s website (www.devb.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_2464/HSK%20Industry%20Park%20Company%20-%20PPT%20for%20announcement.pdf).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 28) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 4.6 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $2.3 million.
 
A male passenger, aged 26, arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected ketamine concealed in packets of coffee powder in his check-in suitcase. He was subsequently arrested.
 
The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 30). 
 
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not 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.

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

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, at a media session today (December 29) on the land sale programme for January to March 2026, the tender arrangements for Hung Shui Kiu pilot area under large-scale land disposal and the establishment of the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company:
 
Reporter: Some questions on the land parcel tender tomorrow. What are the latest requirements that are different from the original proposal of the land parcel scheme? How would the Government attract developers to bid the land parcels, and is the Government confident in securing a tender, and will similar arrangements be made in the future regarding other large-scale land disposal projects as well? Thank you.
 
Secretary for Development: Your question is about the first large-scale development pilot area in Hung Shui Kiu. Because for this past year, we have been engaging potential bidders in various discussion forums. We have also conducted a formal expression of interest exercise with written submissions received. So, it is with regard to comments received that we have adjusted some of the parameters for this tender exercise, including, for example, the addition of one additional residential site to improve the viability of the whole land parcel. In all, previously, we have offered two residential sites, but right now, we are offering three residential sites in the entire parcel. And also, we have introduced premium by phases arrangement, and also what I would describe as surrender and offset arrangement to minimise the cash flow burden on the potential bidders. We have also allowed a longer tender period, which is also in response to a particular comment raised by the potential bidders. So, we believe that having made all these adjustments, which are in response to comments made, we are optimistic that we will have good tender bids. And we will assess our tender based on a two-envelope approach, with as high as 70 per cent of the marks going to technical proposals, which is the non-premium part of the tender. And this demonstrates that the importance we attach to the quality of the business enterprises to go into the enterprise land parcels within this large-scale development area.
 
Reporter: In terms of land sales, how many units are the Government providing in the whole fiscal year? And with the Government providing more than it intended, what does it say about the market outlook? Secondly, regarding the industrial park at Hung Shui Kiu, is there a rough ballpark figure on how much money will the Park Company be granted to operate at the initial phase? And are there any requirements or qualities that the Government is seeking for when appointing board members and the Chief Executive Officer?
 
Secretary for Development: On your first question, which is about the overall land supply for private housing in the current financial year. As I have tried to set out just now, if all things go smoothly, the overall outturn in terms of land supply for private housing for the current financial year will be able to support 15 750 residential units, which is around 20 per cent above the initial target of 13 200 we have set for this financial year. We are encouraged to see this overshooting because it reflects that the private market is gaining momentum and picking up again. And we are glad to facilitate through our land sales as well, and this is why we are rolling out two sites this quarter, even though we know that we will possibly exceed the target. Because actually, for private housing projects, apart from helping to fulfil the target demand a few years down the road when the projects are completed, the very movement of the projects in terms of kick-starting the planning and the construction works are a kind of economic activity, it helps sustain the employment in the entire development sector from the professionals to frontline workers. And as some of you may have known, actually the unemployment rate for the construction sector is relatively high for the past year compared to other sectors, largely because of the slowing down of the new private housing supply projects. And that’s why we are glad to see the market picking up momentum again, and we are willing to facilitate this trend.
 
On your second question about the Park Company for the Hung Shui Kiu industrial land, right now we have yet to decide the capital injection to be given for this company because it will be decided in the context of the coming Budget. As to the qualifications of the directors and the Chief Executive Officer to be appointed to run this Park Company, I think largely they will have to be people coming from different professions with expertise and experience in the running of different industries. Also, we would very much like our directors and the Chief Executive Officer to have vision and foresight so that they can help Hong Kong lead the way in enterprise development.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (December 29) that it is investigating an imported Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) case. The public is reminded to be vigilant and avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting Mpox. High-risk target groups are strongly advised to receive the Mpox vaccinations.

     The case involves a male. He developed rash on December 18 while overseas, followed by skin ulcers and a fever. After returning to Hong Kong on December 25, he attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tin Shui Wai Hospital. Due to persistent symptoms, he attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Pok Oi Hospital on December 27, and was arranged to admit to Tuen Mun Hospital for isolation. His sample tested positive for the Mpox virus upon laboratory testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP. The patient is currently in stable condition.
 
     According to the patient, he has not received the Mpox vaccination. He stayed overseas throughout the entire incubation period and had a history of high-risk exposure during that period. No epidemiological linkages between this case and other confirmed cases recorded in Hong Kong earlier could be identified so far. The CHP is continuing its epidemiological investigation into the case and will report it to the World Health Organization.

Hong Kong has put in place the Preparedness and Response Plan for Mpox since June 2022 and activated the alert response level under the Plan after the first confirmed case of Mpox in September of the same year. The CHP has implemented a series of measures (including enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, public education and vaccination), which have been effective in preventing local outbreaks of Mpox in the past three years.

Since 2022, a total of 84 Mpox cases (67 local and 17 imported) have been recorded in Hong Kong, of which 16 cases were recorded this year. All the patients were male. Epidemiological investigations revealed that most cases had history of high-risk sexual behaviour, including having sex with strangers or without wearing condoms when having sex. Hong Kong has not yet detected any new Mpox strain (Clade Ib) cases. 

The CHP reminded high-risk target groups to receive Mpox vaccinations in order to lower the risk of infection or the possibility of having more severe symptoms after infection. In addition, persons who experience Mpox symptoms (including rashes, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches) or suspect themselves of being infected are advised to seek medical attention and receive treatment at once. They should not engage in activities with others that may expose others to their skin rash or body fluids. Members of the public should maintain good personal and hand hygiene to prevent virus transmission or infection through contact. They should also avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of being infected.

The CHP has set up a telephone hotline (2125 2373), which operates from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, excluding public holidays. Those who suspect or are concerned that they may have had high-risk contact with confirmed cases, particularly men who have sex with men or those who have sexual practices with strangers, can use the hotline to make enquiries and receive relevant health advice.

Furthermore, the DH provides vaccination services to high-risk groups of Mpox. The following high-risk target groups are eligible for Mpox vaccinations on a voluntary basis:
 

1. individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
2. healthcare workers responsible for caring for patients with confirmed Mpox;
3. laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
4. animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in case of Mpox occurrences in animals in Hong Kong.

     High-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at any of the DH’s Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) (namely Chai Wan SocHS, Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Female SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS) and the DH’s Yau Ma Tei Integrated Treatment Centre.

Meanwhile, the DH’s Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and the Hospital Authority’s Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital also provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.

For more details, please visit the CHP’s page on Mpox and Mpox Vaccination Programme.