Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Incoming driver convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes
Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Hong Kong Customs intercepted an inbound private car, declared to be empty, at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port on December 11, 2024. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized 86 000 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes at the boot, rear seats and under the front passenger’s seat of the vehicle. The driver was subsequently arrested, and the private car was also seized. The estimated market value of the duty-not-paid cigarettes seized in the case was about $430,000, and the duty potential was about $280,000.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Customs reminds members of the public that 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.
Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action.Issued at HKT 16:53
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Inland Revenue Department issues tax returns for individuals
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Inland Revenue Department issues tax returns for individuals???
Mr Chan said that the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2025 was passed by the Legislative Council on April 30, 2025, which gives effect to the proposal in the 2025-26 Budget to reduce salaries tax, tax under personal assessment and profits tax for the year of assessment 2024/25 by 100 per cent, subject to a ceiling of $1,500 per case. Taxpayers only need to complete the tax returns for the year of assessment 2024/25 as usual. The tax concessions will be reflected in their final tax payable.
He said, “The IRD is committed to promoting tax digitalisation and has been upgrading the functions of electronic tax filing to facilitate taxpayers and enhance the efficiency, reliability and accuracy of return filing. The IRD will launch three portals under eTAX this July, namely Individual Tax Portal, Business Tax Portal and Tax Representative Portal. Existing individual tax services provided by eTAX will be migrated to the Individual Tax Portal with a new design and enhanced functions. A mobile application for the portal will also be launched. The Business Tax Portal and the Tax Representative Portal enable businesses and service agents respectively to handle tax and business affairs electronically.”
He reminded taxpayers that when filing profits tax returns online, they may submit at the same time supporting documents in a specified electronic format. Details on electronic filing of profits tax returns are available on the IRD’s website
Taxpayers may visit the IRD’s “e-Seminars—————————————————————
| Tax TypeRevenue (Provisional Figures) ($million)Revenue (Actual Figures) ($million)Personal AssessmentProfits TaxPlease see Annex 1 for details of the IRD’s tax revenue collection in the financial year 2024-25. Issued at HKT 16:50 NNNN CHP announces one new melioidosis caseSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 2) said that one new melioidosis case had been recorded in the past week (April 25 to May 1). The case involved a 64-year-old male with underlying illnesses who lives in Sham Shui Po. He developed dysuria on March 10. He attended Kwong Wah Hospital on April 14, and was admitted for treatment on the same day. His clinical sample was confirmed to be positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei upon testing. The CHP is investigating the infection source of the case. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing. Person-to-person transmission and animal-to-human transmission are rare, but the bacteria causing melioidosis can survive in the local environment. Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Hong Kong, and melioidosis cases have been recorded in Hong Kong each year. With this in mind, where practicable, members of the public should stay indoors during typhoons and rainstorms, avoid travelling to areas with potential flooding, and do not wade in or have contact with muddy water and soil. In addition, high-risk individuals should avoid paths near stormwater drains where aerosols may be generated from contaminated water. Members of the public should also take the following preventive measures against infection:
​ Ms. Anuradha Prasad Assumes Charge as Member, Union Public Service CommissionSource: Government of India Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 2:16PM by PIB Delhi Ms. Anuradha Prasad, former Secretary to the Government of India, Inter State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, took the Oath of the Office and Secrecy as Member, Union Public Service Commission today. The Oath was administered by Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla (Retd.), the seniormost Member of the Commission. Ms. Anuradha Prasad did her graduation from the Lady Sriram College for Women and obtained a Masters in History from the University of Delhi. She also has a Masters Degree in Development Administration from the University of Birmingham, U.K. Ms. Anuradha Prasad belongs to the 1986 batch of the Indian Defence Accounts Service. She has extensive experience in public policy, public finance, and cooperative federalism. In a career spanning over 37 years, she has worked in Union Ministries of Defence, Finance, Food Processing Industries, Labour & Employment and Home, gaining in-depth experience in policy & programme formulation and implementation.
As Finance Manager in the Acquisitions Wing of the Ministryof Defence, she handled acquisition of large platforms.In the Ministry of Finance, she handled finance and accounting for the Defence Services and the Ordnance Factory Board.During her stint in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Ms. Anuradha Prasad was instrumental in the development of the food industry through cold chain infrastructure, food testing laboratories and industry-driven R&D. She also has regulatory experience as Member of the Board of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as also the National Council for Vocational Education & Training (NCVET). As Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, she contributed to drafting of the Labour Codes and development of e-Shram Portal, a national database of workers in the unorganized sector.As Director General, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), she spearheaded various initiatives for health & welfare of workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Secretary, Inter State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, she handled Centre-State and Inter-State relations and built consensus on many complex and sensitive issues resulting in key policy changes and expediting of infrastructure and other projects. Post-retirement, Ms. Anuradha Prasad served as Member, Police Complaints Authority, Government of NCT Delhi. *** NKR/NSK (Release ID: 2126098) Visitor Counter : 53 Interest rate for sixth interest payment of series of retail green bonds due 2025Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Interest rate for sixth interest payment of series of retail green bonds due 2025 NNNN Advance estimates on Gross Domestic Product for first quarter of 2025Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (May 2) the advance estimates on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2025. Provisional statistics of retail sales for March 2025Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (May 2). The value of total retail sales in March 2025, provisionally estimated at $30.1 billion, decreased by 3.5% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of the combined value of total retail sales in January and February 2025 decreased by 7.8% compared with the same period a year earlier. For the first quarter of 2025, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales decreased by 6.5% compared with the same period in 2024. Of the total retail sales value in March 2025, online sales accounted for 8.1%. The value of online retail sales in that month, provisionally estimated at $2.4 billion, decreased by 0.5% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of the combined value of online retail sales in January and February 2025 decreased by 2.4% compared with the same period a year earlier. For the first quarter of 2025, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales decreased by 1.7% compared with the same period in 2024. After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in March 2025 decreased by 4.8% compared with a year earlier. The revised estimate of the combined volume of total retail sales in January and February 2025 decreased by 9.9% compared with the same period a year earlier. For the first quarter of 2025, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales decreased by 8.3% in volume compared with the same period in 2024. Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of the provisional estimate of the value of sales and comparing March 2025 with March 2024, the value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts decreased by 3.9%. This was followed by sales of wearing apparel (-10.8% in value); commodities in department stores (-5.0%); motor vehicles and parts (-46.4%); fuels (-3.9%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-7.7%); Chinese drugs and herbs (-1.0%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-0.9%); furniture and fixtures (-17.3%); and optical shops (-2.7%). On the other hand, the value of sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified increased by 0.6% in March 2025 over a year earlier. This was followed by sales of commodities in supermarkets (+5.2% in value); medicines and cosmetics (+1.2%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+7.8%); and electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (+6.7%). Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales increased by 3.8% in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the preceding quarter, while the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales increased by 2.2%. Commentary A government spokesman said that the value of total retail sales increased further in March 2025 over the preceding month on a seasonally adjusted comparison, and its year-on-year decline continued to narrow. For the first quarter as a whole, the value of total retail sales resumed an increase over the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted comparison. Looking ahead, the spokesman said the sustained steady growth of the Mainland economy, the Government’s proactive efforts to boost the consumption market through promotion of tourism and mega events, as well as the increase in employment earnings will continue to support the retail sector. However, the increased level of uncertainty in the global economic outlook and the ongoing impact of the change in consumption patterns will pose challenges to the sector. Further information Table 1 presents the revised figures on value index and value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for February 2025 as well as the provisional figures for March 2025. The provisional figures on the value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet as well as the corresponding year-on-year changes for the first quarter of 2025 are also shown. Table 2 presents the revised figures on value of online retail sales for February 2025 as well as the provisional figures for March 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first quarter of 2025 are also shown. Table 3 presents the revised figures on volume index of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for February 2025 as well as the provisional figures for March 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first quarter of 2025 are also shown. Table 4 shows the movements of the value and volume of total retail sales in terms of the year-on-year rate of change for a month compared with the same month in the preceding year based on the original series, and in terms of the rate of change for a three-month period compared with the preceding three-month period based on the seasonally adjusted series. The classification of retail establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes. These retail sales statistics measure the sales receipts in respect of goods sold by local retail establishments and are primarily intended for gauging the short-term business performance of the local retail sector. Data on retail sales are collected from local retail establishments through the Monthly Survey of Retail Sales (MRS). Local retail establishments with and without physical shops are covered in MRS and their sales, both through conventional shops and online channels, are included in the retail sales statistics. The retail sales statistics cover consumer spending on goods but not on services (such as those on housing, catering, medical care and health services, transport and communication, financial services, education and entertainment) which account for over 50% of the overall consumer spending. Moreover, they include spending on goods in Hong Kong by visitors but exclude spending outside Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents. Hence they should not be regarded as indicators for measuring overall consumer spending. Users interested in the trend of overall consumer spending should refer to the data series of private consumption expenditure (PCE), which is a major component of the Gross Domestic Product published at quarterly intervals. Compiled from a wide range of data sources, PCE covers consumer spending on both goods (including goods purchased from all channels) and services by Hong Kong residents whether locally or abroad. Please refer to the C&SD publication “Gross Domestic Product by Expenditure Component” for more details. More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey of Retail Sales”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080003&scode=530). Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel: 3903 7400; E-mail: mrs@censtatd.gov.hk). India’s Total Exports Grow by 6.01% to Reach Record $824.9 Billion in 2024–25, Up from $778.1 Billion in 2023–24:RBI ReportSource: Government of India Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 3:12PM by PIB Delhi India’s total exports have touched an all-time high of US$824.9 billion in the financial year 2024–25, as per the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India on services trade for March 2025. This marks a growth of 6.01% over the previous year’s export figure of US$778.1 billion, setting a new milestone in the country’s trade trajectory.
Services exports continued to drive the growth momentum, reaching a historic high of US$387.5 billion in 2024–25, up 13.6% from US$341.1 billion in the previous year. For March 2025, services exports stood at US$35.6 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 18.6% compared to US$30.0 billion in March 2024.
In 2024–25, merchandise exports excluding petroleum products rose to a record US$374.1 billion, registering a 6.0% increase from US$352.9 billion in 2023–24 — the highest ever annual non-petroleum merchandise exports.
*** Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan (Release ID: 2126119) Visitor Counter : 44 Coal Production and Dispatch from Captive and Commercial Mines in April 2025 Shows Robust Growth Compared to Last YearSource: Government of India Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 2:58PM by PIB Delhi Coal production from captive and commercial mines in the country stood at 14.01 million tonnes (MT) in April 2025, while coal dispatch was recorded at 16.81 million tonnes (MT), reflecting a robust start to FY 2025–26. This marks a notable year-on-year growth compared to April figures from FY 2023- 24 and FY 2022-23, underlining the sector’s upward trajectory. The attached graph clearly illustrates the consistent performance improvement across three consecutive years, with both production and dispatch showing strong gains.
The Ministry attributes this success to continuous policy interventions, close monitoring, and handholding of stakeholders to fast-track operational clearances and enhance production capacity. One of the key contributors to this achievement is the commencement of operations in newly developed coal blocks:
Going forward, the Ministry of Coal reaffirms its commitment to unlocking the full potential of captive and commercial coal mining in India. The focus remains on ensuring seamless production, minimizing supply disruptions, and contributing significantly to the country’s growing energy demand. **** Shuhaib T (Release ID: 2126112) Visitor Counter : 56 FS to attend 58th Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank in Milan, ItalySource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Milan, Italy, in the early hours of May 4 (Sunday) to attend the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The theme of this year’s meeting is “Sharing Experience, Building Tomorrow”, focusing on development issues and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, such as climate change, digital transformation, and promoting mutually beneficial co-operation and inclusive economic growth. Mr Chan will deliver remarks at the Governor’s Plenary. He will also meet with the President of the ADB, Mr Masato Kanda, and financial officials from other countries and regions attending the meeting. Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong on May 7 (local time) and arrive on the morning of May 8. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will act as the Financial Secretary. |