Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):
Question:(2) “Co-payment by those who can afford and co-payment by those with mild conditions”: We need to expand and enhance the co-payment mechanism; (3) Enhancement and reduction: To enhance the protection for “poor, acute, serious, critical” patients and to reduce in wastage; (4) High subsidisation: To maintain 90 per cent overall public subsidisation rate; and (5) Gradual and orderly manner: Aim to achieve the objective in five years. In consultation with the HA, the reply to the question raised by the Hon David Lam is as follows:
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ10: Primary healthcare services Question:
Regarding primary healthcare services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information on the District Health Centres (DHCs) in Hong Kong (set out by the 18 districts across the territory):
(i) the contract expiry date of the existing service contractors (contractors); and
(ii) the planned timetable and arrangements for the new round of tendering of contractors;
(2) of the following information on the relevant assessment of DHCs’ service performance:
(i) the assessment methods, specific indicators and assessment standards;
(ii) the assessment cycle (i.e. the average interval of years between assessments);
(iii) whether there were cases in the past in which the service performance of the contractors was not up to standard; if so, of the details (including the measures taken at that time and their effects); and
(iv) whether channels are available for the public to access the performance ratings of various DHCs;
(3) of the respective assessment details of DHCs/DHC Expresses in the Kwun Tong district and Wong Tai Sin district in the past (including the service performance of these DHCs/DHC Expresses);
(4) given that the Secretary for Health indicated at the meeting of the Panel on Health Services of this Council on May 10 last year that priority would be accorded to the reorganisation of services in Elderly Health Centres and Woman Health Centres, of the following information on the relevant service reorganisation:
(i) the current numbers of members of these centres, with a breakdown by age group and gender;
(ii) the timetable for service reorganisation, and set out the specific timelines and targets for each phase; and
(iii) the service transitional arrangements for the current users of these centres and details of the support measures during the period; and
(5) whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of community pharmacies (including those operated by profit-making and non-profit-making organisations) in Hong Kong, and the districts in which such pharmacies are mainly located?
Reply:
President,
The Government released the Primary Healthcare Blueprint (Blueprint) in December 2022, setting out a series of reform initiatives to strengthen primary healthcare services in Hong Kong. One of the recommendations in the Blueprint is to develop a district-based family-centric community healthcare system based on the District Health Centre (DHC) model. To this end, the Government set up DHCs and interim DHC Expresses (DHCEs) of a smaller scale (hereafter collectively referred to as DHCs) in all districts across the city by the end of 2022, thereby attaining the interim goal of covering all 18 districts. As a primary healthcare services and resource hub, DHCs provide services including chronic disease screening and management, family doctor pairing, health promotion, health risk factors assessment and community rehabilitation.
In consultation with the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) and the Department of Health (DH), the replies to the respective parts of the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu are as follows:
(1) to (3) The PHC Commission was established in July 2024 to oversee primary healthcare service delivery, standard setting, quality assurance, etc, under one roof. Regarding the services of DHCs, the PHC Commission appoints non-governmental organisations as operators through open tender. The relevant operation service contracts have specified the facilities and service requirements, including the qualifications and relevant experience of key staff, the districts and number of ancillary centres/service points to be set up, and the staffing establishment of the centres. Regarding the operation period, the initial operation period of the DHC operation service contracts is three years from the date of operation with an option for extension of up to further three years, whereas the initial operation period of the DHCE operation service contracts is three years with option for multiple contract extensions. The PHC Commission will, in accordance with the terms of the contract and subject to the performance of the operator, arrange for contract renewal or conduct an open tender exercise to identify an operator before the expiry of the initial operation period. The DHCs’ service commencement dates are set out in Annex I.
The PHC Commission continuously reviews the services of DHCs, with a view to strengthening their role as the co-ordinators of community primary healthcare services and case managers. As such, the PHC Commission has adjusted the operating service contracts of DHCs, including adjusting the categorisation of service targets to tie in with the enhancement of DHC services, such as the pairing of family doctors with citizens and the provision of nurse clinic services. Also, operators are required to achieve or exceed the predetermined service targets within the contract period to be eligible for contract gratuities and incentive payment to encourage the operators to actively enhance their service standards. The contract also states that the Government shall have the right to terminate the contract if an operator fails to comply with the contract requirements.
The PHC Commission is preparing to upgrade the DHCEs in Central and Western District, Eastern District and Yau Tsim Mong District into DHCs within this year. The construction works of the DHCs in Wan Chai, Kwun Tong, Sai Kung and North District are in progress, and they will be upgraded to DHCs upon completion in the next few years. Tenders will be invited to identify operators in due course. Depending on the progress of the construction works of the DHCs or the expiry date of the operation service contracts, the PHC Commission will enter into new or renewed operation service contracts with the operators and include new assessment indicators, including those relating to the participation of new members in the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme. At present, the operators of the Central and Western DHC and Sham Shui Po DHC have signed new service contracts. Tenders are being conducted for the service contracts of the Eastern, Yau Tsim Mong and Kwai Tsing DHCs, and the contracts of the DHCEs in other districts are being renewed. The PHC Commission will incorporate the assessment indicators as appropriate.
The PHC Commission uploaded the DHC performance indicators, including “DHC new members received information and knowledge on life course preventive care (LCPC) together with individualised LCPC health advice” and “Seasonal flu vaccination rate”, onto the DHC website for public access in December 2024. In addition, the PHC Commission is progressively enhancing the performance monitoring mechanism of the DHCs by regularly reviewing a number of quantitative and qualitatively related aspects, including service volume, operational effectiveness and health-related outcomes, to assess the performance of the DHCs, and to make timely recommendations to the operators for improvement. The PHC Commission will take into account the relevant assessment results when renewing the operating service contracts.
(4) Integration of woman and elderly health services under the DH into the district health network of the PHC Commission aims to utilise resources more effectively and expand the multidisciplinary primary healthcare service network. The overview of persons who have registered for services at Woman Health Centres (WHCs) and designated Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs), as well as those who are members of Elderly Health Centres (EHCs) under the DH, is at Annex II.
The PHC Commission will begin the integration of women’s health services within this year in an orderly manner, whereby a non-governmental organisation appointed through open tender will provide women’s primary healthcare services through three service points named Women Wellness Satellites (WWS). The three WWSs located in Chai Wan, Lam Tin, and Tuen Mun are expected to commence operation gradually within this year to replace the WHCs of DH. The Chai Wan WWS will commence operation in the second quarter, while the other two in Lam Tin and Tuen Mun will commence operation in the third quarter.
The three WHCs (namely the Chai Wan WHC, Lam Tin WHC, and Tuen Mun WHC) and four designated MCHCs (namely the Ap Lei Chau MCHC, Yaumatei MCHC, Fanling MCHC, and Ma On Shan MCHC) under the DH have ceased accepting new appointments for women’s health services since January 24, 2025. During the transition period of service integration, those who have already made appointments or have paid their annual fee and are still within the service period will continue to receive relevant services from the DH.
Regarding EHCs, the PHC Commission plans to start preparing for the integration of the relevant services into the district health network in phases from 2025-26, with a view to enhancing service synergy and minimising service duplication. The details, including the transitional arrangements, will be announced in due course.
(5) According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), only “Authorised Sellers of Poisons” (ASP) (commonly known as “pharmacies”) are allowed to conduct the relevant retail business of selling poisons including poisons listed in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Poisons List at Schedule 10 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A). As at December 31, 2024, there are a total of 643 ASP, with 131, 226 and 286 of them located on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories respectively.
The Government intends to launch the community pharmacy programme (CPP) by phases starting from the fourth quarter of 2026 to help the public to obtain affordable primary healthcare drugs more conveniently through central purchasing and the community network, thereby reducing their over-reliance on the public healthcare system. The services of the CPP will cover all 18 districts across Hong Kong, with at least four to five community pharmacies expected to operate in each district. The Government will, through a competitive process, select service providers that meet the set requirements and cost-effectiveness standard to join the CPP. Issued at HKT 16:56
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit today (March 26):
Chris (Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
I am delighted to welcome you to the third Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit.
Whether you are joining us for the first time or returning, I know you will enjoy your time here in Asia’s world city. And before long, it will feel like your city too.
Family offices play a vital role in preserving family wealth and building a lasting legacy for future generations. The focus extends beyond making investments that provide sustainable, long-term financial returns. You are also visionaries, philanthropists and next-generation leaders committed to creating positive social and environmental impacts that benefit humanity.
We share these values deeply. That’s why we launched this Summit two years ago, bringing together principals, key decision makers and senior executives of family offices worldwide, to discuss how we could harness wealth for good together.
This year, we are excited to feature another impressive line-up of distinguished speakers from influential families and institutions, who will share insights on subjects ranging from tech and AI to philanthropy and culture.
Hong Kong, premier location for family offices
Allow me to take a couple of minutes to tell you why Hong Kong is an ideal place for family offices to realise their objectives and ambitions.
To begin with, Hong Kong is Asia’s premier financial centre, offering a wide range of investment opportunities that are particularly compelling right now.
Notably, the recent boom in the Hong Kong stock market underscores this potential. The Hang Seng index rose by some 20 per cent since the beginning of this year, building on an 18 per cent increase throughout 2024. This surge reflects investor optimism about the future of technology in China and highlights Hong Kong’s essential role in connecting regional opportunities with global investors, showcasing the significant returns our market can deliver.
Beyond securities, Hong Kong boasts a dynamic ecosystem of angel investments, venture capital and private equity. Capital under management by private equity firms exceeded US$230 billion last year, making us the second largest in Asia, only after the Mainland.
Our asset and wealth management industry is thriving, fuelled by the affluent population of the Greater Bay Area and the influx of ultra-high-net-worth individuals into our city. We currently manage about US$4 trillion in assets, with two-thirds originating from outside Hong Kong. By 2028, we are on track to become the world’s largest cross-border wealth management centre.
In the latest Global Financial Centres Index published last week, Hong Kong continues to rank third globally. Notably, we secured the top spot worldwide for “investment management”, “insurance” and “finance”, and came third in “banking” and “business environment”.
Above all, global capital feels at ease in Hong Kong. For compelling reasons. President Xi and the Central Authorities have affirmed on multiple occasions that the “one country, two systems” arrangement will remain in place over the long term.
This means Hong Kong will continue to uphold the common law system with a judiciary exercising powers independently; safeguard the free flow of capital, goods, information and people; maintain a freely convertible currency, and keep a simple and low tax system.
And here’s the real gem – we have no capital gains tax, no estate tax, and no tax on dividends. In other words, you can freely invest without the usual financial hang-ups.
Then, protection of capital and private property are enshrined in our Basic Law, along with our steadfast commitment to international obligations under the United Nations, in opposition to accepting decisions unilaterally imposed by other countries.
With all these, not surprisingly, more than 2,700 family offices have already chosen Hong Kong as their home, with half of them managing assets of more than US$50 million.
Here, family offices can leverage a robust network of world-class service professionals, including private bankers, legal experts, accountants and investment advisers to support your endeavours. Our professionals offer a distinctive combination of global perspective and local expertise in everything they do.
This year, in addition to our existing tax concessions for single family offices, we will expand exemptions for funds, enhance concessions for family offices, and boost incentives for private equity.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is an invitation for all of you to join us in shaping a future where wealth creates value for everyone.
Making a real impact
Family offices aspire to achieve more than just financial returns. Through my encounters with many family principals and executives, I’ve witnessed your profound desire to create a lasting impact and a brighter future for generations to come.
In this city, international foundations, charitable organisations and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) come together to form a vibrant philanthropy network that not only connects funding and meaningful projects, but also amplifies your efforts and fosters collaboration.
More than that, Hong Kong’s value proposition has an additional dimension: innovation and technology.
We are investing heavily in our city’s economic future to propel Hong Kong’s development in innovation and technology. Two years ago, we outlined our vision for Hong Kong to become an international green tech and green finance centre.
That endeavour is progressing well. Alongside our leadership position in green finance, Hong Kong’s green tech community is thriving. In our Science Park and Cyberport, there are some 300 green start-ups specialising in energy-efficient materials, carbon capture, EV infrastructure, and much more – all keen on addressing the world’s most pressing challenges with their groundbreaking technologies. Many of these start-ups have made successful strides into global markets, creating a significant and positive impact worldwide.
In a world where AI is transforming production, business and consumption models and redefining the economic competitiveness, we have a clear vision to establish AI as a core industry. By applying and integrating AI across the community, we can unlock substantial benefits for humanity.
We possess strong foundational research capabilities and attract some of the brightest talent from around the world. Uniquely positioned as a convergence point for data from both the Mainland and international sources, we leverage our close collaboration with sister cities in the Greater Bay Area to amplify our strengths.
And we have developed a comprehensive strategy to drive the growth of the innovation and technology sector. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation, or HKIC, established with a capital of US$8 billion, plays a vital role in this strategy. This “patient capital” supports tech firms in their nascent stages, covering hard tech, biotech, and new energy. So far, it has invested and co-invested in over 90 of such projects, attracting $4 of long-term capital for every $1 invested. The HKIC looks forward to collaborate with family offices, creating dynamic partnerships that fuel our innovation ecosystem.
Art, sports and lifestyle
Ladies and gentlemen, beyond business and finance, Hong Kong is blessed with a thriving art and culture scene. Consider Art Basel, which has become a hallmark event of this city. Opening this Friday, it will present more than 240 galleries from over 40 countries and regions, showcasing a dazzling array of contemporary art.
Indeed, in 2023, we traded more than US$13 billion in art and antiques, all tax-free. Our airport will soon feature a bespoke art storage facility to support this vibrant market.
Let’s not forget the world-class M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museum, both located in our West Kowloon Cultural District.
If sport is your passion, you’ll want to be here right through the weekend. The Hong Kong Sevens kicks off this Friday at the spectacular Kai Tak Sports Park, which boasts seating for 50,000 rugby-mad fans. Bigger house. Bigger party. So why not grab your friends and prepare for a weekend of wild tries and even wilder times!
Looking ahead together
Ladies and gentlemen, whatever your passion, Hong Kong is where you want to be.
Hong Kong is of the world: a meeting point for East and West, tradition and innovation. And it is for the world: a city where your ambitions can take flight and flourish, touching lives far beyond our shores.
My thanks to our Summit organisers, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Invest Hong Kong, for making this event possible.
And I wish you all good health and the best of family business in the year ahead.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ20: Health screening work conducted by Department of Health at various boundary control points
BCP(3) as it is learnt that the Government has installed body temperature screening facilities (including infra-red thermo-imaging machines) at all BCPs, of the relevant expenditure incurred in the past five years, including expenditure on the procurement of equipment, repair and maintenance, and operation;
(4) whether it has assessed the current operational status of the body temperature screening facilities at various BCPs (including whether their technical advantages have been maximised), and whether complementary measures have been adopted to reduce reliance on manual body temperature screening; whether the authorities have formulated plans to further enhance the effectiveness of the body temperature screening facilities at various BCPs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (2) From 2020 to 2024, the average daily number of health screening shifts of the DH at various BCPs (some health screening posts involve more than one shift according to the operation of BCPs) are as follows:
The DH redeploys health screening posts according to actual circumstances. For posts in some BCPs suspended operation would be redeployed to other BCPs.
Health screening service of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and Ocean Terminal were not included as they were only provided during stopover of cruises.
(3) The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department is responsible for the procurement and maintenance of the Infrared Thermal Imaging System installed by the DH at various BCPs. The recurrent expenditure incurred in the past five financial years is as follows:
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announced today (March 26) the relevant per annum interest rate for the third interest payment of the series of retail green bonds due 2026 (Issue Number: 03GR2610R; Stock Code: 4273) (the Retail Green Bonds) issued under the Government Sustainable Bond Programme (previously known as the Government Green Bond Programme).
According to the Issue Circular dated September 18, 2023, for the Retail Green Bonds, the third interest payment of the Retail Green Bonds is scheduled to be made on April 10, 2025, and the relevant interest rate is scheduled to be determined and announced on March 26, 2025, as the higher of the prevailing Floating Rate and Fixed Rate.
On March 26, 2025, the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate are as follows:
Floating Rate: +1.63 per cent (Annex)
Fixed Rate: +4.75 per cent
Based on the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate set out above, the relevant interest rate for the third interest payment is determined and announced as 4.75 per cent per annum.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, continued his visit to Hainan today (March 26) to meet with leaders of Hainan Province and witness the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the People’s Government of Hainan Province. He also exchanged views with young people from Hong Kong who are starting businesses and working in Hainan.
In the morning, Mr Lee met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, Mr Feng Fei, to exchange views on enhancing Hong Kong’s co-operation with Hainan. Noting the close economic and trade ties between Hong Kong and Hainan, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong has long been the major source of external investment in Hainan, with many Hong Kong enterprises conducting business in the province. In 2024, more than 700 Hong Kong enterprises were established in Hainan, and the realised direct investment from Hong Kong was RMB15 billion. With the customs closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the implementation of preferential policies, Hong Kong enterprises and professionals will have more development opportunities in Hainan.
After the meeting, Mr Lee and Mr Feng attended the Signing Ceremony of the Hainan-Hong Kong Memorandum of Cooperation. They witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the HKSAR Government and the People’s Government of Hainan Province on deepening co-operation in five areas, namely trade and investment, finance, safe flow of data, tourism, and talent exchanges.
Mr Lee noted that the HKSAR Government is fully leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle of having strong support of the country while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world. Hong Kong is committed to contributing to the introduction of international projects to Hainan and facilitating Hainan’s capital investments in overseas markets, with a view to jointly venturing into the global market with Hainan. The HKSAR Government will promote collaborative development and mutual benefits between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Hainan Free Trade Port, making greater contributions to the country’s high-quality development and high-level opening up.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee met with young people from Hong Kong who are working and starting businesses in Hainan to learn about their daily lives and latest developments. He encouraged them to better understand the scope and policies covered in the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the governments of the two places to seize the opportunities within and realise their aspirations. He also called on the young people to contribute to fostering mutual engagement and integrated development between citizens of the two places.
In the evening, Mr Lee attended a dinner hosted by the organiser of the Boao Forum for Asia.
Mr Lee will continue his visit tomorrow (March 27) to attend the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 26) investigating a suspected case of food poisoning related to the consumption of wild mushrooms, and urged the public not to pick and eat wild mushrooms.
The case involves a 60-year-old female who developed sweating, increased salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea about 15 minutes after consuming self-picked wild mushrooms yesterday (March 25). She sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of North Lantau Hospital and was admitted for further observation the same day. She is in stable condition.
The CHP’s investigation is ongoing.
Members of the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones. Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms such as profuse sweating, hallucinations, a coma or other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. Death may result in severe cases.
If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs conducted an enforcement operation yesterday (March 25) to combat infringement activities involving illegal communication of TV channels and infringing anime videos to the public by streaming technology. During the operation, Customs seized two TV decoders of pay TV channels, a TV signal receiver set, three sets of computer servers suspected to be used for illegal streaming, a computer used for remote server operation, a mobile phone and an assortment of electronic equipment and audio-visual devices with a total estimated market value of about $40,000.
Customs earlier received information from a copyright owner alleging that someone had set up a web page to distribute copyright-protected pay-TV channels through streaming technology without the authorisation of the copyright owner. Customs officers then initiated an investigation and identified an individual, registered as a user of local pay TV channels, who utilised advanced digital technologies to bypass the digital rights protection measures enforced by copyright owners and communicate the pay-TV channels to the public. Furthermore, the user employed a specialised TV signal receiver and illegal streaming software hosted on the computer servers for the illegal communication of local free TV channels via webpages. The subject promoted this service as a “digital TV retransmission station” to attract Internet users. Additionally, it was discovered that the subject separately set up another website to offer a substantial collection of suspected infringing animated videos for on-demand streaming.
After a comprehensive investigation and with the assistance of the copyright owner, Customs yesterday raided a residential unit in Tsuen Wan. During a live broadcast of overseas basketball matches, Customs utilised computer forensic programmes to conduct real-time monitoring over related suspected illegal streaming activities and seized the batch of suspected illegal streaming servers and electronic equipment. Officers from the department’s Computer Forensic Laboratory were also summoned to the scene to render support. Through on-site computer evidence collection, over 50 000 digital video files were seized from one of the computer servers, including suspected infringing animated series, movies and variety shows, which were believed to be used for illegal communication.
During the operation, a 26-year-old man was arrested for operating the websites for suspected infringement activities. He was released on bail pending further investigation. The investigation is ongoing.
Customs reminds the public not to engage in unauthorised activities involving the dissemination of copyrighted works. Members of public should also respect intellectual property rights and refrain from watching infringing movie/TV works or pay-TV channels through any form of illegal streaming. Webpages, applications or streaming links related to illegal streaming may contain computer viruses or malicious programmes which can pose potential risks to users.
According to the Copyright Ordinance, it is illegal for anyone, without the authorisation of the copyright owner, to engage in any trade or business that involves communicating works to the public for profit or reward, or in the course of such trade or business, to communicate copyrighted works to the public; or to communicate copyrighted works to the public to an extent that damages the rights of the copyright owner. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for four years and a fine of $50,000 for each copyrighted work.
Members of the public may report any suspected infringement 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
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yuet-ming and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):
Question:
Some residents in the North District have reflected that some unidentified persons have recently patrolled on the hills in the vicinity of the North District and put up flags labelled “Hong Kong Northern Metropolis New District Earthworks Project” on the hills, causing doubts and anxiety among local residents. In addition, it is reported that a large number of advertisements relating to the recruitment of Mainland construction workers for the Northern Metropolis project have appeared on Mainland’s social media platforms, which involve illegal practices by “unlawful intermediaries” obtaining intermediary fees by deception from workers applying for the recruitment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has put up flags on the hills in the New Territories for the Northern Metropolis project; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct an investigation into the incident, and of the details of the investigation;
(2) whether it has recruited workers from the Mainland for the Northern Metropolis development project; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct an investigation into the recruitment situation on Mainland’s social media platforms and the problem of unlawful intermediaries; if it will, of the details of the investigation; and
(3) of the projects commenced by government departments in the Northern Metropolis and their addresses; whether it has disseminated information on the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis to the Mainland through official channels; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Northern Metropolis (NM) is a major land development project of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and is the new engine for Hong Kong’s future economic growth. As we are taking forward the works in a number of new development areas (NDAs) in full steam and are expediting the construction of the NM, we would not tolerate any act of individuals to use the name of the NM to mislead the public or even commit illegal activities. Should these situations occur, we will act decisively, disseminate the correct information publicly and take appropriate follow-up actions, including law enforcement with other departments including the Police.
My reply to different parts of the question raised by Hon Chan Yuet-ming is as follows:
(1) Earlier, flags with words meaning “Site works project of new area in the Hong Kong Northern Metropolis” were erected on a hillside in the area around Muk Wu Nga Yiu Village in Ta Kwu Ling, North District. After inspection by relevant departments, the Development Bureau (DEVB) has clarified publicly that the flags and bamboo poles concerned were not placed by the works departments of the Government or their contractors. These flags and bamboo poles illegally erected on government land have already been removed so as to prevent the outlaws from using such signage to continue to disseminate false information. In fact, when carrying out works projects, government departments would display project signboards at prominent locations providing project details, such as the responsible department, project title, contact phone numbers, commencement and completion dates of the project. We appeal to the public to report any suspicious situation by calling 1823 at once or by notifying the Police and the DEVB. The government departments will carry out investigation immediately and take appropriate actions. At the same time, the offices concerned under the Lands Department, the Planning Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) will watch out for any such suspicious cases during their routine inspections.
(2) To address the manpower shortage of the construction sector in Hong Kong, the Government has launched the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector (the Scheme). On the premise of safeguarding the employment priority for local workers, it allows qualified employers to apply for importing labour at an appropriate scale. Currently, approved applications include public works projects in the NM, some of which involve labour from the Mainland. The Scheme sets out stringent requirements for the principal contractors, subcontractors and their agents. If the employers are preparing to import labour from the Mainland, they must recruit such labour through Mainland labour service enterprises. Labour service enterprises refer to enterprises approved by the Ministry of Commerce and granted with the permission to operate business on labour service co-operation with the HKSAR. Labour from the Mainland who wish to work in Hong Kong have to pay attention that the recruitment organisation should be among the aforementioned approved labour service enterprises. These labour service enterprises will ensure that the employers conducting the recruitment exercise are the principal contractors or subcontractors who are granted with quotas under the Scheme. The list of such labour service enterprises has been published on the websites of the Ministry of Commerce and the Labour Department of the HKSAR Government. Details of the Scheme are available on the DEVB’s website. Relevant information is also disseminated via different platforms such as the Representative Office of the Construction Industry Council on the Mainland. Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Council will, together with the Labour Department, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and labour unions, arrange monthly briefings for newly imported workers on their employment rights. It is believed that these briefings will also enable the Mainland workers to share the correct information among their circle of friends on the Mainland.
(3) NDAs in the NM are under different construction and planning stages. For example, Kwu Tung North/Fanling North, Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long South and San Tin Technopole have site formation and engineering infrastructure works being carried out. Other NDAs such as the Lau Fau Shan area, Ngau Tam Mei, New Territories North New Town and Ma Tso Lung are in the process of conducting public engagement activities and other preparatory work according to the development proposals.
The tender notices and information on contracts awarded in the past six months for public works in the territory have been uploaded onto the websites of the DEVB and the relevant works departments. Among them, works related to the NM are mainly those site formation and engineering infrastructure works being carried out by the CEDD. As of March 10 this year, ongoing works projects concerned are listed at Annex.
The Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy jointly established by senior officials of the HKSAR and Shenzhen governments has operated since 2023 for exchanging views on the NM development regularly and strengthening collaboration. We have all along been providing up-to-date information of the NM development to the Mainland authorities through the Task Force and other collaboration platforms extended therefrom. Furthermore, for NDAs currently under the planning stage, we would not only arrange roving exhibitions in Hong Kong during public engagement, but also in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Also, we will share information about the NM development via the social media platforms on the Mainland of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government and the official Weibo account of the DEVB. We will continue to enhance promotional efforts in all aspects in the future.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, led a high-level delegation this Monday (March 24) to attend the 2025 Asia-Pacific Judicial Colloquium in Canberra, Australia, and concluded his visit today (March 26).
The Colloquium is a biennial event which brings together the chief justices and senior judges of the final appellate courts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Hong Kong delegation included Mr Justice Roberto Ribeiro and Mr Justice Johnson Lam, Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal.
During the three-day programme in Canberra, Chief Justice Cheung met with delegations from the participating jurisdictions to strengthen professional exchanges and judicial connections with them, as well as to discuss various legal and judicial issues of common interest. At the Colloquium, Mr Justice Ribeiro gave a presentation entitled “Open Justice, Independent Adjudication and Judicial Use of Generative AI”, while Mr Justice Lam spoke on the topic “Relevance or Irrelevance of Party Autonomy in Insolvency Proceedings”.
Taking the opportunity of attending the Colloquium, Chief Justice Cheung visited the Supreme Court of New South Wales in Sydney before the event, and exchanged views on various judicial issues with the Acting Chief Justice. The delegation also met with several current and former Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal, providing them with updates on the latest developments in the rule of law and administration of justice in Hong Kong.