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Missing woman in Lok Ma Chau located

     A woman who went missing in Lok Ma Chau has been located.     
     The woman was located on Tai Tong Road, Yuen Long, last night (January 9). She was sent to hospital for examination. No suspicious circumstances were detected.
Issued at HKT 19:56

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Hospital Authority proactively assists patients and majority of medical fee waiver applications approved on same day      
     The HA reported that 54 658 medical fee waiver applications have been approved to date, including 33 759 cases have completed assessment and received formal waiver certificates. Under normal circumstances, waivers will be issued within approximately one hour of submitting all required documents. For patients who require urgent medical services but are unable to provide the necessary documentation for financial assessment, the HA has exercised flexible arrangements. By signing a declaration stating their financial situation meets the medical fee waiver eligibility criteria, patients can receive approval for “conditional waivers” within as fast as 15 minutes. The HA has exercised flexible arrangements to approve 20 899 “conditional waivers”. These patients must submit the relevant documents for financial assessment within three months. If patients fail to submit the required documents within the deadline or do not meet the eligibility criteria, they will be required to settle all applicable fees (if any).
      
     “Patients should allow sufficient time for medical fee waiver applications. For patients without immediate medical needs, it is advisable to begin the application process approximately one to two months before their scheduled appointments. Members of the public can also access information about medical fee waivers, including application procedures and required documents, in advance through the HA website or mobile application HA Go. They can also use the means test calculator to preliminarily evaluate their eligibility, ensuring a smoother application process,” the HA spokesperson reminded.
      
     The spokesperson emphasised that the enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism is a crucial measure of the public healthcare fees and charges reform to strengthen protection for patients facing financial hardship, and therefore requires financial assessment and not everyone will be eligible. Each application must be handled with due diligence for the use of public money. Patients have the responsibility to provide complete, accurate, truthful, and appropriate information for assessment and verification, ensuring that assistance reaches those truly in need.
      
     While ensuring that no patient is denied from medical care due to lack of means, it is also essential to uphold the principle of prudent use of resources to prevent the limited and precious public resources being abused. Moreover, the supporting documents required for medical fee waiver applications are similar to those required for other social welfare or government subsidy schemes.
      
     Patients need to submit income and asset proof documents for financial assessment while applying for medical fee waivers. In addition to common documentary proof such as land or non-owner-occupied property, cash in hand, bank savings, investments in stocks and shares, some applicants may keep cash in other accounts such as e-wallets, Hong Kong Jockey Club betting accounts, or have accessible insurance savings. Patients are also required to provide relevant supporting documents for these assets to accurately assess their eligibility for medical fee waivers. To ensure appropriate use of medical resources and prevent abuse, the HA will conduct regular reviews of approved cases randomly.
            
     The HA has relaxed eligibility criteria and simplified the application procedures with the implementation of enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism. Patients or their family members who are currently receiving Old Age Living Allowance may be exempted from submitting certain documentary proof for financial assessment, with details as follows:
      Furthermore, if a patient has household members included in the financial assessment who already possess approved medical fee waiver, the patient will not need to undergo a complete financial assessment. The HA will refer to the financial information submitted during their household member’s medical fee waiver application and, depending on the actual circumstances, will only request necessary or missing information from the patient rather than conducting a full review from scratch. The patient will receive a waiver with the same validity period as their household member.
      
     The HA is gradually enhancing its electronic system “Medical Fee Assistance Domain” (the domain) to support medical fee waiver applications. Patients can now upload required documents for financial assessment through the domain, receive push notifications about key application status, and check application details. Starting from the second quarter of 2026, patients will also be able to submit applications through the domain.
Issued at HKT 19:40

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Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing of duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photo)      
     Customs officers intercepted the incoming female passenger, aged 43, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (January 9), and seized 48 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of $217,800 and a duty potential of about $160,000 from her personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
      
     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, cigarettes 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 $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.hkIssued at HKT 16:00

DoJ establishes Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global      
     Chaired by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, the 13 members of the Expert Committee comprise experts from the legal, financial, and accounting sectors from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as outstanding business and corporate representatives, for a term of two years. The Expert Committee will provide advice and assistance on enhancing the understanding of the needs of Chinese Mainland enterprises expanding overseas, and co-ordinating with Hong Kong’s professional services sectors, including the legal, accounting, and financial sectors, to support Chinese Mainland enterprises going global.
      
     Dr Cheung said that the Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform, initiated by the DoJ with the support of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, was officially launched on December 13, marking a new stage of collaborative support by Hong Kong’s professional services for Mainland enterprises going global. To support and promote the work of the Platform, the DoJ has established the Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global, gathering strategic advice from members of different professional services sectors to provide better assistance to Mainland enterprises in relevant work in going global.

     The terms of reference and membership of the Expert Committee are set out in Annex 1 and Annex 2 respectively.
Issued at HKT 15:30

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Appointments to Women’s Commission announced      
     Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har has been reappointed as the Chairperson of the WoC. Dr Chan took up the chairmanship of the WoC from January 2024. Under her leadership, the WoC has continued its dedicated efforts in advancing the development of women in Hong Kong and maintained close ties with women’s groups and relevant stakeholders in promoting the well-being and interests of women in Hong Kong.
      
     The five other reappointed members are Ms Ching Ngon-lai, Miss Juanita Mok Uen-ying, Dr So Wing-yee, Mr Adrian Tam Kin and Ms Vivian Tsui Sau-yin. The three new members are Ms Kou Kuen, Dr Anthony Lu Xiaofeng and Professor Helen Meng Mei-ling.
      
     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, welcomed the appointments and reappointments. She said, “The newly appointed and reappointed members come from diverse backgrounds and have rich experience in their professions and community services. I trust that they will give valuable advice to the Government on women’s development in Hong Kong.”
      
     Miss Mak also thanked the three outgoing members, Professor Lui Yu-hon, Ms Winnie Ng Wing-mui and Dr Kitty Wu Kit-ying, for their contributions to the WoC over the years.
      
     Since its establishment in 2001, the WoC has been committed to promoting the well-being and interests of women in Hong Kong and advising the Government on policies and initiatives on women’s affairs.
      
     The membership of the WoC for the new term is as follows:

Non-official members
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Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har (Chairperson)
Ms Diana Cesar
Mrs Jennifer Cheng Yu Ngar-wing
Ms Ching Ngon-laiMs Rita Gurung
Miss Hotchandani Mamta Chandiram
Ms Jin Ling
Ms Kou Kuen
Ms Maisy Kung Mei-chi
Ms Lam Wai-ling
Ms Helen Lu Hai
Dr Anthony Lu Xiaofeng
Professor Helen Meng Mei-ling
Miss Juanita Mok Uen-ying
Mrs Katherine Ngan Ng Yu-ying
Ms Cindy Pun Siu-fung
Professor Sham Mai-har
Miss Siu Hoi-yan
Dr So Wing-yee
Mr Adrian Tam Kin
Ms Vivian Tsui Sau-yin
Ms Wong Hau-yan
Ms Vivian Wong Man-lei
Miss Waverly Yeung Yuk-mui—————————
Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs or representative (Vice-Chairperson)
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs or representative
Director of Social Welfare or representative
Issued at HKT 15:00

Reappointments to Deposit Protection Appeals Tribunal announced 
Panel Members
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Ms Alice Yip Ka-ming
Mr Brian Chau
 
     A Government spokesman said, “We have full confidence that, with their expertise and experience in the accounting and legal sectors, the appointees will continue to contribute to the effective operation of the Tribunal.”
 
     The Tribunal is established under the Deposit Protection Scheme Ordinance to hear appeals from depositors or member banks of the Deposit Protection Scheme who are aggrieved by certain decisions made by the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board or the Monetary Authority in relation to the Scheme.
 
     The above appointments were gazetted today (January 9).
Issued at HKT 11:00

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