Keel laying ceremony for Yard 3040, the fourth (ex-GRSE) Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), was held at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata, on 24 Apr 25.
The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, as the Chief Guest. Cmde PR Hari (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE, along with other senior officials from the Indian Navy and the shipyard, were also present.
This milestone marks a significant step forward in the construction of the NGOPV, further showcasing India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.
The contracts for indigenous design and construction of eleven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV) were concluded on 30 Mar 23 with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Goa and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with seven ships to be constructed by Lead Shipyard GSL and four ships by Follow Shipyard GRSE.
The NGOPVs, with an approximate tonnage of 3000T, are designed for Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search & Rescue operations, Protection of Offshore Assets and Anti-Piracy missions. Keel Laying of the vessel marks a significant milestone in the overall project timeline. The eleven NGOPVs are being built in consonance with the nation’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat ‘ and ‘ Make in India‘ and are poised to augment the Indian Naval maritime prowess.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
More Hong Kong Reading Week highlight activities to be held this weekend The public libraries in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao earlier organised the 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition under the same theme “Reading – My Travel Buddy”. The HKPL will hold a prize presentation ceremony at the HKCL tomorrow to commend participants from Hong Kong who excelled in the competition.
In addition, a series of fun day activities suitable for people of all ages will be available at the HKCL on Saturday and Sunday. The activities include the “Next Station: Conservation” interactive talks tomorrow, where educators from Ocean Park Hong Kong will explore interesting facts about animals with participants, share the experiences of animal caretakers for giant pandas, and talk about a book titled “Whiskers and Friends: Polar Sports Challenge” to provide tips on energy saving and alleviating global warming.
The “Understanding Pandas” workshop will be held on Sunday, where educator Tang Man-hon (STEM Sir) will explore with audiences the lives of giant pandas and the threats to their habitats. Renowned landscape photographer Kelvin Yuen will conduct an “On the Road” photography sharing session on the same day, discussing the creative process behind his works and the challenges encountered. Works by Yuen and winners of the Matching Quotes with Snapshots Competition will also be on display at the HKCL. Other activities include workshops on Chinese tea culture appreciation, mosquito-repelling fragrant sachet making, plant rubbing and dyeing, Zentangle art, tag making, and more.
In collaboration with Bring Me A Book Hong Kong, the HKPL will hold REadCONNECT family activities at the HKCL on Sunday, including creative book-making workshops and “Author Meets and Greets” sessions hosted by picture book authors Rachel Ip, Shana Cheung, Benny Lau and Bonnie Pang. The authors will share how their observations of daily life inspire their works.
The Pop-up Library@Hong Kong Reading Week will be held at D·PARK in Tsuen Wan on Sunday. Author Rap Chan, Korean culture and travel writer Joyce Cheuk, content creator SaiDorSi, and writer Christine Cappio will share their life stories and selected books on “soul empowerment”, accompanied by live music and sand painting performances. There will also be activity booths, including scented bookmark making and a virtual reality tour of the natural landscape and cultural attractions of China. The Library-on-Wheels outreach truck will be stationed outside D·PARK to provide a book-lending service, and members of the public can experience the convenience of the easy-to-use self-checkout service.
Selected public libraries across Hong Kong will continue to have special decorations on Saturday and Sunday to create a fun-filled reading space. Workshops such as storytelling, landscape sketching, and making aroma stones will be held. Photo taking booths will be available at some selected public libraries for patrons to create travel-themed postcards.
The HKRW is being held from April 19 to 27. Under the theme “Zoom/LIBRARY”, the HKRW holds about 450 online and on-site events to foster a reading habit among the public. All activities of the HKRW are free of charge, while seat reservations are required for some events. For details, please visit the website: www.hkpl.gov.hk/hkrwIssued at HKT 11:30
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Housing Bureau (HB) today (April 25) invites tenders for two operation and management contracts of the Light Public Housing (LPH), and encourages capable and experienced organisations to participate.
The first contract covers the four school conversion projects located at Shun On Road, Choi Yuen Road, Shun Lee Tsuen Road and Chuk Yuen Road respectively (i.e. the Mission Covenant Church Holm Glad No. 2 Primary School in Shun On Estate, Kwun Tong; Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Ma Kam Chan Memorial Primary School (Choi Yuen Annex) in Choi Yuen Estate, Sheung Shui; Carmel Leung Sing Tak School in Shun On Estate, Kwun Tong; and Baptist Rainbow Primary School in Chuk Yuen South Estate, Wong Tai Sin), the conversion works of which will be completed in two phases. The first phase covers the two projects at Shun On Road and Choi Yuen Road, which will provide about 130 and 110 units respectively, and are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. The second phase covers the two projects at Shun Lee Tsuen Road and Chuk Yuen Road, which will provide about 110 and 105 units respectively, and are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. The second contract covers the project at Sheung On Street, Chai Wan, which will provide about 1 720 units and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
A spokesperson for the HB said, “The four school conversion projects are packaged into one single contract, taking into account that these four projects are relatively smaller in scale. By engaging a single operating organisation for the overall operation and management, resources can be shared among the projects to enhance cost-effectiveness.”
Same as the contracts already awarded, the operation and management services for the LPH not only cover occupant management, property management and daily maintenance, but also the provision of social services, as well as the management and operation of ancillary facilities, etc. To encourage participation of different stakeholders in the community, the HB welcomes tenders from all capable and experienced service providers, including non-government organisations and those with a valid property management company licence, or collaborations between them.
To ensure service quality, the HB will carry out technical assessments based on a series of factors, including the management capability, relevant experience and past service performance of the organisations, as well as the proposed modes of operation and management, social services to be provided, feasibility of exit plan and use of innovation and information technology as stated in their proposals, so that the facilities and services of the LPH can meet the needs of the residents and the local community. The tender price will then be evaluated to form a consolidated assessment to decide on the most suitable organisation for operating the LPH.
Tenant intake for the first LPH project at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, which provides about 2 100 units, already commenced on March 28 this year by phases. It is managed and operated by the Pioneer Management Limited – Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Joint Venture. The second operation and management contract, which covers the two LPH projects at Choi Hing Road and Choi Shek Lane, Ngau Tau Kok (i.e. the former St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School), providing about 2 290 and 148 units respectively, has been awarded to the Easy Living Consultant Limited and Yan Chai Hospital Joint Venture. The two LPH projects are to be completed by late June this year and the first quarter of next year respectively. The HB is now evaluating tenders for the third and fourth operation and management contracts covering the LPH projects at Tsing Fuk Lane, Tuen Mun (i.e. Tuen Mun Area 3A) and Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak (Phase 1), which will provide about 1 900 and 3 000 units respectively, with tenant intake anticipated in the fourth quarter of this year.
The spokesperson said, “Under the leadership of the HB, the brand new operation and management model of the LPH has entered into a new stage, with intake for the first LPH project commenced in late March on a gradual basis. Through the provision of an improved living environment, better living facilities, lower rent, larger units and a series of social services, those with the most pressing needs in society can receive practical assistance and enhance their sense of happiness and sense of gain. At the same time, the LPH can suitably serve as an adequate housing option for the tenants of subdivided units (SDUs) in need. Along with transitional housing and the various traditional public rental housing projects to be completed in the coming few years, the Government will have the fundamental strength to effectively and accurately address the problem of SDUs in Hong Kong. To this end, we hope that experienced and aspirational organisations can participate in the tender exercises and join hands with us in this large-scale social project.”
Interested organisations may download the tender documents via the relevant tender notices on the HB’s website (www.hb.gov.hk) or from the e-Tendering System; or contact the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing under the HB for obtaining the tender documents. The Tender Reference for the Shun On Road; Choi Yuen Road; Shun Lee Tsuen Road and Chuk Yuen Road LPH projects is HB2025/OPR-LPH-VSP, while the Tender Reference for the Sheung On Street, Chai Wan LPH project is HB2025/OPR-LPH-CW.
Tenderers must submit the tenders by noon on June 13, 2025 (Friday), either electronically via the e-Tendering System or by deposit in the Government Secretariat Tender Box situated at Lobby of the Public Entrance on Ground Floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar. Late tenders will not be accepted.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS by the Prime Minister Hon. Fiame Naomi Mataafa [Saturday, 5th April 2025]
Talofa lava, and a warm welcome to our distinguished Guests, Captains, Crews and Supporters gathered here for the 26th Annual Samoa International Game Fishing Tournament.
This year we are honoured to host an impressive overseas representation of boats including 5 from New Zealand, 6 from American Samoa, 1 from Tonga not to mention a very impressive local representation of 17 boats flying the Samoan Flag.
Unlike last year, this year‘s tournament is doubling as the Inaugural Neptune Pacific Direct Line (NPDL) Pacific Islands Game Fishing Tournament. This is the first of its kind in the Pacific. After Samoa, the boats are off to American Samoa then to Tonga for the final leg.
Over the next week of competition friendships will be forged and stories will be told over a few cleansing ales. Stories of how you landed the big one and stories of how you dropped the big one. The latter being where tall tales associated with fishing come from. Only you and your crew know so this can be embellished to no end. The fish can be as big as you say it was and no one can argue.
For our overseas guests I hope that you will take some time to explore our Beautiful Samoa. Experience our culture, our people and our diverse landscapes.
In closing I wish to congratulate the President, Vaughan Simpson, and SIGFA for putting together yet another great event, and in particular for initiating the first ever Pacific Islands Fishing Tournament!
For all the participants may your lines be tight and the fish aplenty. Be safe and I wish you all the best of luck.
Fa’afetai tele lava, and let the 26th Samoa International Game Fishing Tournament begin!
SOIFUA.
Photo by the Government of Samoa (Peseta Tusiga Taofiga)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs conducts interdepartmental anti-illicit cigarette publicity activities in Kowloon City District If public rental housing units are found to be involved in illicit cigarette crimes, Customs will notify the HD for follow-up action after the conclusion of court proceedings. Customs reminds members of the public, especially young people, not to buy or sell illicit cigarettes or distribute illicit cigarette leaflets to avoid creating a criminal record that affects their future.Issued at HKT 18:00
EPFO Simplifies Transfer Claim Process Through Revamped Form 13 Functionality; More Than 1.25 Crore Members to Benefit Launches Facility for Bulk Generation of UAN by Employers without Aadhaar Seeding
Posted On: 25 APR 2025 2:00PM by PIB Delhi
Simplification of Transfer Claim Process through Revamped Form 13 functionality
To ensure ease of living for its members, EPFO during January this year, has greatly simplified the process for transfer of PF account on change of jobs by removing the requirement of approval from employer in majority of the cases.
Till now, the transfer of PF accumulations used to happen with the involvement of two EPF Offices. One, from which the PF accumulation is transferred (Source Office) and two, the EPF Office in which the transfer is actually credited (Destination Office).
Now, with an aim to further simplify the process, EPFO has removed the requirement of approval of all transfer claims at the Destination Office by launching a Revamped Form 13 software functionality.
Henceforth, once the transfer claim gets approved at the Transferor (Source) Office the previous account will automatically get transferred to the present account of the member at the Transferee (Destination) Office instantly furthering the aim of “Ease of Living” for Members of EPFO.
This revamped functionality also provides the bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable components of PF accumulations to facilitate accurate calculation of TDS on Taxable PF interest.
It is expected to benefit more than 1.25 Crore Members facilitating the transfer of around Rs. 90,000 Crores every year henceforth as the entire transfer process shall be speeded up.
Bulk generation of UAN by Employers without seeding Aadhaar
With a view to further Ease of Doing Business and to address the grievances being raised w.r.t proper accounting of the Past Accumulations that had been remitted to EPFO by the Exempted PF Trusts consequent to the surrender/cancellation of exemption and also in other cases involving remittance of past period contributions consequent to quasi-judicial/recovery proceedings, it has been decided by EPFO to relax the requirement of Aadhaar for generation of UAN/credit of Past Accumulations for such members. Also, a facility for bulk generation of UANs based on the Member Id & other member information available on record so as to enable prompt crediting of funds in the accounts of such members has been provided.
To that effect a software functionality has already been deployed and made available to the Field Offices in the FO Interface for bulk generation of UANs in the above said cases and also account the Past Accumulations without the requirement of Aadhaar in EPFO Application.
However, as a measure of risk mitigation to protect the PF accumulations, all such UANs would be kept in a frozen state and subsequently made operational only after the seeding of Aadhaar.
All these measures are expected to significantly improve services to members and reduce long standing grievances including further streamlining of validations for auto settlement of eligible claims.
Viksit Vibrant Villages Program to Take Place From 15th to 30th May 2025; Registrations on MY Bharat Platform Started from 23rd April 500 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers from Across Country to Work Directly with Communities in 100 Selected Villages of Leh-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand
Program to Empower Youth to Take Lead in Giving New Identity to Border Villages and Transform India’s Frontier Communities
Posted On: 25 APR 2025 2:16PM by PIB Delhi
The Viksit Vibrant Villages Program is a joint initiative aimed at revitalizing India’s remote border regions. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the program will be implemented with support from local governance bodies and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). It will focus on Leh-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, taking place from 15th to 30th May 2025.
This initiative will empower youth by involving 500 MY Bharat volunteers from across the country, who will work directly with communities in 100 selected villages. These volunteers will drive grassroots engagement and community development through a variety of initiatives, ranging from educational support and infrastructure enhancement to healthcare and cultural preservation. By engaging local residents and leveraging the strength of youth leadership, the program aims to bring long-lasting, positive transformation to these border areas.
Registration for the Viksit Vibrant Villages Program officially commenced on 23rd April 2025 via the MY Bharat Portal. Volunteers from across India are encouraged to apply for this transformative opportunity. 10 MY Bharat volunteers will be selected from the Union Territories and 15 from each participating state. In total, 500 volunteers will be chosen to serve as the backbone of the program, leading and coordinating activities within the villages.
As part of this program, immersive learning journeys, cultural exchange programs, and grassroots development projects are being rolled out, allowing the youth to directly interact with the unique socio-cultural and strategic fabric of India’s border regions.
The program will unfold over 7 days, with each day dedicated to a distinct domain of community development. The activities will include, but are not limited to:
1. Community Engagement
2. Youth Leadership Development
3. Cultural Promotion
4. Healthcare Awareness and Support
5. Skill-building and Education
6. Environment Protection Best Practices
7. Career Counselling Sessions
8. Fitness Activities like Sports, Yoga, Meditation, etc
9. Open Mic, Essay, Fireside Chat, etc on My Dream India
Knowledge Transfer and National Consciousness
Through this program, young citizens will have the opportunity to explore and document the heritage, resilience, and potential of border communities. These experiences, when shared through digital platforms, community discussions, and institutional presentations, will ensure that the voices of India’s frontier residents reach wider national and global audiences.
The initiative encourages youth to not only witness but actively contribute to the development of these areas – be it through innovative projects in education, entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, or local governance. This interaction cultivates mutual respect, deeper national unity, and the emergence of border villages as ‘cultural beacons’ rather than isolated outposts.
From Forgotten to Celebrated: Giving Border Villages a New Identity
The program seeks to dismantle the long-held stereotype of border villages being “the last on the map.” Instead, it celebrates them as ‘first villages’ in the journey toward Viksit Bharat by 2047. Through sustained youth involvement, these villages will be given a platform to showcase their language, art, music, architecture, and stories – redefining their identity from that of a geopolitical buffer to centers of heritage, innovation, and national pride. The Viksit Vibrant Villages program is not just a government effort – it is a generational mission to ensure that development, identity, and dignity ow to every corner of the country, with the youth leading the way.
To kick-start this initiative, the Ministry will conduct an orientation program in Delhi, where all selected volunteers will undergo an intensive briefing and training session. This orientation will ensure that the volunteers are well-prepared to carry out the program’s objectives and equipped with the necessary knowledge to engage with local communities effectively. The orientation program will provide a unique opportunity for the volunteers to develop crucial leadership skills, gain deeper insights into rural community needs, and learn how to coordinate their efforts with the local governance systems.
This structure aims to provide a well-rounded learning experience for volunteers, ensuring that they not only contribute to village transformation but also grow personally and professionally throughout the program. This initiative will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the border regions of India, empowering the youth to become active participants in nation-building. By providing youth with the platform to engage directly with local communities, the program seeks to foster a spirit of National integration, cultural pride, and strategic development.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
A man and two women were each sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and fined between $500 and $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (April 25) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
Customs officers intercepted a 40-year-old incoming female passenger, a 36-year-old incoming male passenger, and a 30-year-old incoming female passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on February 18, February 26 and March 6. About 118 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 7 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $518,000 and a duty potential of about $390,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette 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
Cases of making ex gratia payments from Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund gazetted For details of the notices, please refer to Government Notice Numbers from 2478 to 2511 on the website of the eGazette of the Government Logistics DepartmentIssued at HKT 14:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (April 25) the results of the Quarterly Business Tendency Survey for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025.
Business Situation
For all surveyed sectors taken together, the proportion of respondents expecting their business situation to be better (9%) in Q2 2025 over the preceding quarter is lower than that expecting it to be worse (18%).
When compared with the results of the Q1 2025 survey round, the proportion of respondents expecting a better business situation in Q2 2025 is 9%, broadly the same as the corresponding proportion in Q1 2025. On the other hand, the proportion of respondents expecting a worse business situation had slightly decreased from 19% in Q1 2025 to 18% in Q2 2025.
Analysed by sector, respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their business situation to decrease on balance in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, significantly more respondents in the accommodation and food services and transportation, storage and courier services sectors expect their business situation to be worse in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025.
The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. In this type of survey on expectations, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents’ perception of the future accords with the underlying trends. The enumeration period for this survey round was from March 4, 2025 to April 10, 2025.
Volume of Business / Output
Respondents in all of the surveyed sectors expect their volume of business/ output to decrease on balance or remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, significantly more respondents in the accommodation and food services sector expect their volume of business to decrease in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025.
Employment
Respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their employment to decrease on balance or remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, more respondents in the accommodation and food services and construction sectors expect their employment to decrease in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025. In the real estate sector, however, more respondents expect their employment to increase, as compared to those expecting it to decrease.
Selling Price/ Service Charge
Respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their selling prices/ service charges to remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. However, significantly more respondents in the construction and accommodation and food services sectors expect their tender prices/ charges for services rendered/ prices of food provided to go down in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025.
Commentary
A Government spokesman said that according to the survey conducted earlier, the near-term business outlook and hiring appetite among large enterprises for the second quarter of 2025 were largely stable compared with expectations for the previous quarter.
The spokesman pointed out that the survey captured largely the views of enterprises before the abrupt escalation of trade tensions due to the significant increases in import tariffs by the US in early April. Looking forward, as the downside risk and uncertainties of the global economy have increased notably, business sentiment should be subject to pressure. The Government has been providing support to enterprises through various measures, and will monitor the situation closely.
Further Information
The survey gathers views on short-term business performance from the senior management of about 570 prominent establishments in various sectors in Hong Kong with a view to providing a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for predicting the short-term future economic performance of the local economy.
The survey covers 10 major sectors in Hong Kong, namely manufacturing; construction; import / export trade and wholesale; retail; accommodation and food services (mainly covering services rendered by hotels and restaurants); transportation, storage and courier services; information and communications; financing and insurance; real estate; and professional and business services sectors.
Views collected in the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own establishments rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in, and are limited to the expected direction of quarter-to-quarter change (e.g. “up”, “same” or “down”) but not the magnitude of change. In collecting views on the quarter-to-quarter changes, if the variable in question is subject to seasonal variations, respondents are asked to provide the expected changes after excluding the normal seasonal variations.
Survey results are generally presented as “net balance”, i.e. the difference between the percentage of respondents choosing “up” and that choosing “down”. The percentage distribution of respondents among various response categories (e.g. “up”, “same” and “down”) reflects how varied their business expectations are. The “net balance”, with its appropriate sign, indicates the direction of expected change in the variable concerned. A positive sign indicates a likely upward trend while a negative sign indicates a likely downward trend. However, the magnitude of the “net balance” reflects only the prevalence of optimism or pessimism, but not the magnitude of expected change, since information relating to such magnitude is not collected in the survey.
Furthermore, owing to sample size constraint, care should be taken in interpreting survey results involving a small percentage (e.g. less than 10%) of respondents in individual sectors.
Chart 1 shows the views on expected changes in business situation for the period Q2 2024 to Q2 2025.
Table 1 shows the net balances of views on expectations in respect of different variables for Q2 2025.
Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Business Expectation Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7263; E-mail: business-prospects@censtatd.gov.hk).