MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Proceeding to Brussels, Belgium as he continued a visit to Europe, Financial Secretary Paul Chan yesterday met European Union officials and European business leaders and took the opportunity to promote Hong Kong’s advantages.

Mr Chan met the European Commission’s Deputy Director-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services & Capital Markets Union Alexandra Jour-Schroeder; Hors Classe Adviser in its Directorate-General for Budget Siegfried Ruhl; and Managing Director for Asia & the Pacific at the European External Action Service Erik Kurzweil.

They exchanged views on the situation both in Hong Kong and Europe with regard to aspects such as economic growth, finance, trade and fiscal policy, and discuss ways to achieve greater co-operation and build closer “win-win” relations.

Mr Chan briefed the officials on Hong Kong’s economic and financial development. He highlighted that, amid today’s challenging international environment, Hong Kong ¬– under “one country, two systems” – maintains its status as a free port, offering free flows of capital, information and talent. He added that it adheres to international best practices in business, accounting and professional services, has stable and predictable economic and trade policies, and continues to innovate and develop its financial markets. He invited the European business and investment community to make full use of Hong Kong as a platform to raise funds and develop opportunities in the Chinese Mainland and Asia.

Stressing that there is room for Hong Kong and Europe to strengthen co-operation in various fields, Mr Chan said the two sides should engage in more exchanges of experience, mutual learning and joint development.

He said that in the financial sector the two sides might explore arrangements for dual listing by European enterprises, develop fixed-income and currency markets, promote green finance and financial innovation, and better channel private savings to support industries and economic development.

The Financial Secretary also met Valérie Urbain, who is Chief Executive Officer of Euroclear, a European financial intermediary institution, to exchange views on the global economic situation and financial market developments.

In addition, he met a representative of a renowned local family to learn about the development of its business interests in Hong Kong and Asia, and outlined Hong Kong’s advantages. He suggested that the group increase its investments in Hong Kong and use the city as its regional headquarters.

Mr Chan also called on Head of Mission & Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union Cai Run, and Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Belgium Fei Shengchao. They held in-depth exchanges on China-Europe relations and the latest developments in Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (London ETO) supported the “BizInsight Forum and Alumni Get-together” organised by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School at the London Stock Exchange in the United Kingdom (UK) on May 19 (London time).

     In her welcome remarks, the Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, highlighted Hong Kong’s unique role as an open and international hub connecting people, ideas and capital, underpinned by its common law system and business-friendly environment. She underscored Hong Kong’s continued efforts to attract global talent and strengthen its education and innovation ecosystem, including the “Study in Hong Kong” initiative and the development of new research and collaboration clusters. She also congratulated HKUST on its advances in medical education and encouraged continued strengthening academic and professional exchanges between Hong Kong and the UK.

     Marking the 35th anniversary of HKUST, the event opened with a forum on geo-economics and the evolving global economic landscape, followed by a reception that provided a valuable platform for alumni and distinguished guests to exchange ideas and explore future opportunities.

     The forum also featured remarks by the Dean of the HKUST Business School, Professor Frederik Anseel, who shared insights on the transformative impact of AI on business models, talent development and consumer experience.

     The event was attended by over 100 participants, including representatives from the business and academic sectors from Hong Kong and the UK.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     ​The 27th World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia/Pacific (A/P) Regional Heads of Customs Administrations (RHCA) Conference, held by Hong Kong Customs in its capacity as the WCO Vice-Chair for the A/P Region (APVC), concluded today (May 20).
      
     In his concluding remarks, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, highlighted the fruitful outcomes achieved during the three-day Conference. Participants endorsed several significant regional decisions, including the confirmation of the next-term regional representative positions to different WCO Committees and the adoption of the new Regional Strategic Plan. He noted that Hong Kong Customs had received unanimous support from A/P members to extend its tenure as APVC for another two years (2026-28), showcasing members’ trust and recognition of its work. Mr Chan expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the support and pledged to continue serving as a bridge between the WCO and A/P members, working together to deliver meaningful and positive progress for the region.
      
     One of the key milestones achieved in the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Hong Kong Customs and Pakistan Customs, formalising Pakistan Customs’ participation in the project “ValidAP”. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in regional digital co-operation and will accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies among Customs administrations.
      
     The Conference also concludes a landmark first tenure for Hong Kong Customs as APVC. Over the past two years, Hong Kong Customs has proactively organised 18 impactful events, fostering knowledge sharing, co-operation, and cohesion among A/P members and underscoring its commitment to regional development.
      
     Looking ahead, Hong Kong Customs will continue to foster collaboration and drive forward the strategic priorities endorsed during this Conference, ensuring the Customs administrations of A/P region remain connected, progressive, and resilient.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government announced today that the Public Service Commission (Investigation) Regulation will be published in the Gazette this Friday.

The regulation follows the establishment of the Heads of Department Accountability System and the introduction of a two-tier investigation mechanism proposed in the 2025 Policy Address. The new regulation empowers the Public Service Commission (PSC) to conduct Tier II investigations under the Administrative Responsibility Two-tier Investigation Mechanism.

A Tier II investigation will be triggered by serious, widespread, repetitive or systemic government problems, or if a head of department or permanent secretary is implicated. The investigation will target the problem identified and cover all involved personnel, regardless of rank.

The regulation defines the conditions for government referral to the PSC and mandates that the commission investigate these cases. It also regulates the formation, powers and proceedings of the investigation team, which must submit a final report to the Government.

The regulation will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on May 27. Subject to legislative approval, it will take effect on July 17.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, in the Legislative Council today (May 20):

Question:

The Government is committed to promoting the popularisation of electric commercial vehicles (ECVs) and promulgated the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis in 2024 to provide subsidies to franchised bus operators and taxi owners for purchasing 600 electric buses (e-buses) and 3 000 electric taxis (e-taxis) respectively, while also actively expanding supporting facilities for ECVs. Recently, the Government pointed out in the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles that the technological and market development of ECVs generally remained slower than that of electric private cars. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will increase the subsidies for the purchase of e-buses and e-taxis by the trades; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider expanding the scope of subsidies to cover the purchase of e-buses by the non-franchised bus trade; if so, of the details;

(2) as the authorities intend to launch a subsidy scheme for wheelchair-accessible e-taxis this year, whether the preliminary subsidy amount proposed under the scheme for each wheelchair-accessible e-taxi will be higher than the subsidy amount of $45,000 for each e-taxi under the e-Taxi Subsidy Scheme;

(3) of the latest progress of converting conventional petrol filling stations into fast charging stations, opening up charging facilities in bus depots for public use and implementing trial projects on e-taxi charging modes respectively at present; whether the authorities have assessed if the progress of the aforesaid projects accords with their expectations for the plan; and

(4) as the authorities will launch a new scheme under the New Energy Transport Fund this year to encourage the industry to install fast chargers for use by ECVs, of the projected number of fast chargers that can be installed with the subsidies under the scheme and the maximum subsidy amount for each fast charger?

Reply:

President,

In February this year, the Government published the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (Updated Roadmap), summarised the progress that had been made to promote the popularisation of electric vehicles (EVs) in Hong Kong since the Government formulated the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in 2021, and updated the strategies and measures adopted by the Government to promote EV popularisation. As analysed in the Updated Roadmap, the development of electric commercial vehicles (e-CVs) is relatively slow now mainly because the technology is not yet mature. Due to various factors including significantly higher purchase costs compared to diesel vehicles, limited range, lower load-carrying capacity, and longer charging time, etc, many e-CV types available in the local market still fail to meet operators’ requirements, preventing large-scale adoption at this stage. These include goods vehicles, non-franchised buses, and public and private light buses, etc.

To address the issue that these e-CVs are not yet ready for large-scale electrification, we have established a working group in collaboration with the trade to assist in introducing more competitively priced EV models. Public light buses will be the initial trial target, with the trial expanding to other vehicle types depending on the results. We will also examine the relaxation of the maximum gross vehicle weight restrictions, referencing standards from other regions, to facilitate the introduction of more e-CV models. This will foster market competition, drive down prices, and provide commercial vehicle owners with more choices.

Besides, we will adopt a multi-pronged strategy that leverages market forces and provides policy guidance to develop a public charging network with fast chargers (FCs) as the backbone. The target is to increase the number of FCs to 4 000 by 2030, supporting around 200 000 EVs. The number of FCs is expected to reach around 10 000 by 2035, supporting around 500 000 EVs, providing greater convenience for private car owners while underpinning the overall popularisation of e-CVs.

My response to the question raised by the Hon Ng is as follows:

(1) and (2) The Government has earmarked over $600 million under the New Energy Transport Fund (NET Fund) to subsidise franchised bus operators in the purchase of approximately 600 electric buses (e-buses), as well as to subsidise taxi owners in the purchase of 3 000 electric taxis (e-taxis). The franchised bus operators are currently preparing for the tenders for the e-buses, with a view to placing purchase orders by the end of 2027 and completing vehicle delivery and registration by the end of 2029. It is expected that the first batch of e-buses will be registered in 2027 and gradually put into service. As of the end of April 2026, in the first four rounds of the e-taxi subsidy scheme, 1 992 taxis had accepted the subsidy quotas and submitted order documents within the specified deadline, of which 786 e-taxis have been licensed. The Government will continue to invite eligible vehicle owners to participate in the scheme based on vehicle age, with a view to achieving the target of introducing 3 000 e-taxis by the end of 2027. Regarding electric wheelchair taxis, the Updated Roadmap proposed that the Government plans to launch a further $50 million subsidy scheme in 2026. The Government has met with the taxi trade (including taxi associations/unions, taxi fleets and electric wheelchair taxi suppliers) to gather preliminary views on the framework of the subsidy scheme. The Government will further consult relevant stakeholders and take into account factors such as the number of electric wheelchair taxi models available on the market and the views of the trade when determining the subsidy quantity and amount. Details will be announced in due course.

As for other commercial vehicle types, including non-franchised buses, as mentioned earlier, the overall process of electrification is still at its early stages, and the technology and vehicle models are not yet sufficient for large-scale application. We will therefore adopt a pragmatic approach to gradually promote the use of these vehicle types in Hong Kong.

(3) and (4) The Government is progressively transforming petrol filling stations (PFSs) into fast charging stations (FCSs). Over the past two years or so, we have put six FCS sites to tender, which together can provide over 110 FCs. Of these, the first two FCSs, located in Kowloon Bay and Fo Tan, are expected to commence operation as early as in the first half of 2026, providing a total of 28 FCs. Depending on market response, the Government will put to tender the remaining sites in due course. Furthermore, the Government is encouraging PFS operators to install FCs in their PFSs by refining PFS land lease conditions. Around 60 PFSs across Hong Kong are currently suitable for the installation of chargers. As of the end of April 2026, 29 PFSs have been approved to install 85 FCs. The first two FCs installed were at the petrol-cum-charging station in Diamond Hill, which commenced operations in February 2026, whilst a further 15 are expected to commence operation in the coming months. The Government expects that, from 2026 onwards, the charger retrofitting programme in PFSs will gradually provide up to approximately 180 FCs. It is estimated that the approximately 300 FCs at the aforementioned FCSs and petrol-cum-charging stations combined will be able to support nearly 18 000 EVs.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau has been facilitating franchised bus operators in opening up the charging facilities at their depots to the public. Currently, franchised bus operators have made approximately 12 FCs at their bus depot in Lai Chi Kok available for use by the public during daytime. It is anticipated that by 2026, about 72 FCs across 10 additional bus depots will be made available for use by the public, capable of supporting approximately 4 000 EVs.

In addition, the Government will install 50 FCs dedicated to e-taxis (capable of supporting approximately 300 e-taxis) by the end of 2027. Of these, 12 are already fully operational, whilst contracts for the installation of the remaining 38 were awarded at the end of 2025. Apart from the aforementioned dedicated FCs, e-taxis may also utilise the growing number of public charging facilities currently available in the private market. As of March 2026, there were approximately 16 880 public chargers, of which around 2 940 were quick or fast chargers.

Progress on the above schemes is broadly in line with expectations. As for the originally planned trial project for e-taxi charging facilities, in light of the launch of the $300 million Fast Charger Incentive Scheme and the experience gained therefrom, this will be transformed into a $20 million fast charger scheme dedicated for commercial vehicles. The aim is to encourage the trade to install FCs with an output power of at least 240 kilowatts, thereby better supporting all e-CVs including e-taxis. We are currently drafting the framework for the new scheme and, following consultation with relevant stakeholders, will finalise the details and arrangements, including the subsidy amount and the number of chargers. We aim to announce the details of the new scheme in due course by the end of 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, in the Legislative Council today (May 20):

Question:

Regarding the outsourced service contracts for public cleansing services, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) according to the information provided by the Government in reply to a Member’s question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2026-2027, among the 77 public cleansing service contracts awarded by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) in the past three years, more than two-thirds were secured by two cleansing service contractors (contractors), whether the authorities have analysed the reasons why such service contracts were predominantly secured by certain contractors;

(2) given that the authorities have indicated that, based on the information provided by contractors in their tenders, staff costs account for about 80 per cent of the total value of the FEHD’s street cleansing service contracts in recent years, whether the authorities are aware of the detailed breakdown of the relevant staff costs (e.g. wages, end-of-contract gratuities, etc.), and whether the authorities have examined and verified the accuracy of the information provided by the contractors in their tenders;

(3) according to the information provided by the Government in reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2026-2027, it can be deduced that staff costs may only account for about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the value of public cleansing service contracts; whether the authorities have made comparisons with the outsourced cleansing service contracts in the market to ensure that the profit level and the proportion of staff costs of the contractors under the public cleansing service contracts are comparable to those of outsourced cleansing services in the market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) of the measures the authorities have in place to prevent contractors from securing public cleansing service contracts through means such as price-fixing and bid-rigging; in the past three years, whether the authorities have conducted investigations or sought follow-up action from law enforcement agencies in respect of suspected bid-rigging by contractors; if so, of the details?

Reply:

President,

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has all along been following the Government’s procurement policy to obtain goods and services through fair, open and competitive procurement procedures. The system allows flexibility for departments to determine tender requirements and evaluation methods based on the nature of the goods and services as well as market conditions when conducting procurement. In general, contracts are awarded to tenderers who have met the essential requirements as set out in the tender documents and have attained the highest score according to the evaluation method. The reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) The award of multiple outsourced public cleansing service contracts to certain contractors is mainly due to the fact that they have obtained the highest scores under the tender evaluation mechanism across various tender exercises. To ensure that cleansing services do not become over-reliant on a single contractor, the FEHD has, with effect from March 2025, incorporated tender terms and assessment criteria into new public cleansing service tender invitations to limit the maximum number of contracts that can be awarded to the same contractor in each tender exercise.

(2) & (3) Apart from street cleansing services, the FEHD’s public cleansing service contracts also cover other service areas including household waste collection and management of public cleansing facilities (such as public toilets and refuse collection points). As general outsourced cleansing service contracts in the market differ from those of the FEHD in terms of scale, scope of services and specific requirements, a direct comparison may not be appropriate.

When evaluating tenders for public cleansing service contracts, the FEHD scrutinises the proportion of staff expenditure therein carefully and compares with that of similar service contracts in the past to ascertain whether it falls within a reasonable range. Should any anomalies be identified, the FEHD could reject such tenders, and consider adopting more appropriate terms or assessment criteria in future tender exercises to ensure the proper use of public funds.

For the FEHD’s outsourced street cleansing service contracts, based on the information provided by the contractors in the tenders, it is estimated that staff expenditure accounts for about 80 per cent of the total contract value. Such expenditure covers the wages of non-skilled workers, holiday pay, Mandatory Provident Fund contributions, contract gratuity, annual leave pay, as well as the wages and contract gratuity of skilled workers (e.g. supervisors), etc. As mentioned above, during tender evaluation, the FEHD scrutinises tenderers’ specific service commitments, including the monthly wages of non-skilled workers and manpower deployment, to assess whether the proportion of staff expenditure falls within a reasonable range. Furthermore, after contract commencement, the FEHD also verifies whether the wages of non-skilled workers are consistent with the levels stated in the tender, and conducts site inspections and meetings with non-skilled workers from time to time to ensure that their wages and benefits are protected.

(4) The Standard Terms and Conditions for Tenders and Contracts formulated by the Government Logistics Department contain provisions to prevent collusive practices and bribery. As part of the tender submission, tenderers shall submit a Non-Collusive Tendering Certificate. In the event that a tenderer breaches any representations, warranties and/or undertakings contained in the Non-Collusive Tendering Certificate, the Government shall be entitled to reject the tenderer’s tender or terminate the contract with the contractor. Furthermore, the Government will take into account the tenderer’s past adverse records when evaluating its future tenders. Over the past three years, the FEHD has not detected any suspected anti-competitive bidding in relation to its public cleansing service contracts.

According to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, collusive conducts such as bid-rigging are considered serious anti-competitive conduct under the Competition Ordinance (Cap. 619). The Competition Commission (Commission) is an independent statutory body responsible for enforcing the Competition Ordinance, and its functions include investigating anti-competitive conduct. Upon receiving any complaints or referrals from government departments regarding anti-competitive conduct, the Commission will follow up and take appropriate enforcement actions. The Commission does not maintain breakdown figures for cases involving government outsourced service contracts or tenders.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Chu Lap-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 20):

Question:

     Given that the Southern District is the only district on the entire Hong Kong Island without a heated public swimming pool, the authorities proposed in 2019 the provision of a heated pool at the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool Complex in the district. However, as pointed out in a paper provided by the authorities in October 2024 in reply to the Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports of this Council, the Invigorating Island South initiative proposed in the 2020 Policy Address included the Redevelopment and Enhancement of Recreation and Sports Facilities in Wong Chuk Hang project. The proposed joint recreation and sports complex under this project will feature new indoor heated swimming pools (heated swimming pool project), thereby achieving the original purpose of providing a heated pool at the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool Complex. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the latest progress in preparing for the heated swimming pool project under the Redevelopment and Enhancement of Recreation and Sports Facilities in Wong Chuk Hang project, and whether any obstacles or difficulties have been encountered in the process;

(2) in each of the past five years, of (i) the actual number of opening days and utilisation rate, and (ii) the annual repair and maintenance costs and details of maintenance works, of the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool; given that the swimming pool was designed to the standards of the 1970s, whether the authorities have plans to improve its design and functionality so as to address residents’ needs for swimming facilities before the completion of the heated swimming pool project; if so, of the works and costs involved; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that the roads adjacent to the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool suffer from serious traffic congestion during the periods when people are commuting to and from work as well as before and after school, whether the authorities will consider taking this opportunity to plan afresh the roads concerned?

Reply:

President,

Located on Shum Wan Road in Wong Chuk Hang, the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool (PYKSP) provides sports and recreation facilities which include a main pool with spectator stands, a secondary pool, a training pool, and teaching pools. Based on the “single site, multiple use” principle, the Government has studied the feasibility of redeveloping and consolidating the existing recreation ground, sports ground, sports centre and swimming pool facilities in Wong Chuk Hang. The Government has also reviewed other existing government, institution or community facilities in the district and proposed the provision of new facilities to meet district needs. The project will be implemented in phases.

Having consulted relevant bureaux and departments, a consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chu Lap-wai is as follows:

(1) When reviewing the urgency and priority of various sports and recreation facility projects, the Government will consider an array of factors, including the relevant guidelines under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, demographic changes, number and utilisation of existing similar facilities, policy objectives of sports development, views of the relevant District Councils and stakeholders, conditions of project sites, and technical feasibility, in order to ensure the more effective use of public resources. To support the latest development of the Southern District, the Government is reviewing the Redevelopment and Enhancement of Sports and Recreation Facilities in Wong Chuk Hang project, and the overall urgency and priority of government works projects. The Government understands that there is a strong demand among Southern District residents for an indoor heated swimming pool, and will strive to expedite the implementation of relevant proposals, and will consult the Southern District Council and relevant stakeholders in due course.

(2) the PYKSP is open annually from April to October. The actual annual number of opening days and attendance of the swimming pool from 2021 to 2025 are set out in Annex.

To ensure the regular operation of the swimming pool and uphold the safety of swimmers, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) conducts comprehensive inspection, repair and maintenance annually from November to the following March. The LCSD also closely co-ordinates with relevant works departments (including the Architectural Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department) to carry out timely repair and replacement of facilities in accordance with their usual wear and tear. The annual maintenance works of PYKSP in 2025 included the replacement of the ozone system and the fences of the children’s pool as well as the refurbishment of the female changing room near the main pool and the toilet near the secondary pool.

As the maintenance and repair of various sports and recreation facilities under the LCSD (including the PYKSP) are undertaken by multiple works departments, the costs for works such as repairing, maintaining, improving and refurbishing various sports and recreation facilities as well as the needs for equipment procurement are included in the overall expenditure of these works departments. The LCSD does not have a breakdown of PYKSP’s expenditure on repair and maintenance.

(3) The roads near PYKSP, including Heung Yip Road, Police School Road, and Nam Long Shan Road, underwent a series of improvement works several years ago to support the development of the South Island Line (East). The works included widening some sections of Heung Yip Road, Police School Road, and Nam Long Shan Road; and junction improvements at the intersections of Heung Yip Road/Police School Road, Heung Yip Road/Nam Long Shan Road, Nam Long Shan Road/Police School Road, and Nam Long Shan Road/Shum Wan Road, to increase junction capacity.

Moreover, the Transport Department (TD) has been co-ordinating with relevant government departments and schools in the district, and has requested the schools to implement a series of traffic management measures, including encouraging students to use school buses or public transport to reduce private car pick-up/drop-off, co-ordinating the arrival and dismissal times among neighbouring schools, and adopting staggered arrival and dismissal times for students. These measures aim to minimise the traffic impact created by vehicles of parents in the area of Nam Long Shan Road. The TD will continue to monitor traffic conditions in the district and, taking into account nearby developments, implement appropriate traffic improvement measures as and when necessary.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region