MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit to Doha, Qatar, yesterday (September 28, Doha time), attending activities related to the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). He also met with representatives from various countries and organisations to explore issues including infrastructure financing, digital public infrastructure, investment and economic co-operation.

     Mr Chan attended the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting yesterday and participated in the official session of the AIIB Board of Governors and the Governors’ Business Roundtable. At the roundtable, he spoke on how the AIIB could deepen and broaden its support for member economies. He said that strengthening climate resilience and developing digital infrastructure were becoming increasingly urgent priorities for economies. Translating these development needs into concrete projects requires not only financial support but also the capacity to plan and implement projects throughout their life cycle. Alongside providing financing, the AIIB could further promote knowledge and experience sharing among members, strengthen support for project planning and preparation, and help members enhance their project management and implementation capabilities to bring infrastructure projects to fruition.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui led a delegation of local financial sector representatives to the Northern Metropolis today to review its construction progress. The delegation comprised senior management from the asset management, private equity, insurance, accounting and fintech sectors, alongside representatives from financial regulatory bodies.

The group visited the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation & Technology Park, the Kwu Tung North New Development Area (NDA), and the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA. This itinerary allowed them to examine local industrial layouts and assess future investment and financing opportunities. 

Through these on-site inspections, delegates gained a comprehensive understanding of the development advantages of “one river, two banks” and “one zone, two parks” in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and its synergy with the San Tin Technopole. They also observed the emerging infrastructure in the Kwu Tung North NDA and reviewed Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen’s proximity to Qianhai as a professional services and logistics hub.
 

Discussions also focused on how financial services can support technological innovation and meet the substantial project financing needs driven by Kwu Tung Station, the Northern Link, and local housing plans. The delegation also explored potential the commercial potential of the Hung Shui Kiu Industrial Park, large-scale district developments, and the upcoming University Town.

Mr Hui noted that the Chief Executive explicitly highlighted finance as Hong Kong’s fundamental strength in the recently announced First Five-Year Plan. He described the Northern Metropolis as the ideal setting to realise the “dual integration” of a “Finance+” strategy with the real economy, positioning the financial sector as an active engine driving strategic transformation.

“We organised this visit precisely to enable the financial industry to have the first-hand insights into the land, with a view to comprehensively promoting the integrated development of the financial sector and the real economy,” Mr Hui stated. He added that leveraging market forces and social capital to secure sustainable financial support for local infrastructure, commercial projects, and industry parks remains a key strategy for the Government.

“This is also the most vivid embodiment of our full-fledged efforts to drive Hong Kong’s evolution from a ‘financial city’ into a ‘finance-empowered city’, using finance as a catalyst to boost development in technology, green transition and livelihoods,” he noted.  

To support this vision, the Financial Services & the Treasury Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority are exploring options within the regulatory capital framework for banks to facilitate financing for government-related entities, such as park companies and funded universities. This measure aims to unlock greater financing flexibility to accelerate projects in the area.

Furthermore, following updates to the risk-based capital regime for the insurance industry, preferential capital treatment will be introduced for infrastructure investments from December 31 this year. The Government anticipates that this new measure will drive substantial insurance capital into infrastructure projects across the Northern Metropolis development.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The flat selection process in the Special Sales Exercise (SSE) for Wang Fuk Court owners commenced today, with a batch of about 35 households participating in the first session.

The Housing Bureau recently began issuing invitation letters in batches, in accordance with the priority sequence determined by a computer-generated random ballot.

Applicants will successively attend flat selection sessions to select and purchase units. The entire selection process is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Held at the Housing Authority (HA) Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Sales Unit in Kwun Tong, the sessions are designed to give applicants time and assistance in making their selections.

To help them understand different projects, a sales exhibition has been set up at the venue, featuring exhibition panels and other information on each development project. Models for the development projects at Chung Nga Road West in Tai Po, namely Yan Nga Court and Hiu Nga Court, are also being displayed for the first time.

By the time of the deadline for owners to accept the Government’s acquisition offer, on August 31, a total of 1,971 owners from the eight buildings at Wang Fuk Court had signed and returned Letters of Acceptance confirming their intention to sell their titles to the Government, accounting for 99.3% of all units. About 1,700 owners have chosen to participate in the SSE. 

All applicants who have signed the Agreement for Sale & Purchase, confirming the sale of their flat titles to the Government, will be invited to flat selection sessions. If their titles have not yet been assigned to the Government, a new flat under the SSE will be reserved during the selection stage.

Either the HA or the Housing Society (HS) will enter into an Agreement for Sale & Purchase or a Provisional Agreement for Sale & Purchase with owners in relation to newly purchased flats only after the completion and execution of assignment.

For owners who have sold their flat titles to the Government, over 4,400 flats in a total of ten HA or HS development projects have been reserved for the “Flat-for-Flat” arrangement.

The projects are located in Kowloon Bay, Kai Tak, Kam Tin, Tseung Kwan O, Ping Shan, Tung Chung, Tai Po, Fanling and Kwun Tong. Saleable areas range from about 280 to 560 square feet, with a total of about 2,800 larger flats, with saleable area of ​​400 sq ft or above, accounting for over 60% of the total.

The bureau said that as the number of reserved flats far exceeds the number of owners participating in the SSE, owners with different flat selection priorities will enjoy abundant and diversified choices.

Source: Government of Singapore

29 September 2026 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) recognises that some smaller retailers may require more time to clear their remaining stock of non-Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS)-labelled beverages, despite efforts made during the six-month transition period. 

2.        Following industry feedback, NEA earlier announced on 18 September 2026 that we will be granting a grace period until 31 October 2026 to smaller retailers and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) to clear their remaining non-BCRS-labelled beverage stock. This is in recognition that these smaller retailers and NPOs have made genuine efforts and plans to deplete their stock of non-BCRS-labelled beverages, but need more time for the transition.  

3.        As of 29 September 2026, 9.00am, NEA has received over 2,000 applications. The applications are mainly from smaller retailers such as provision shops, neighbourhood convenience stores, and standalone food shops. We have approved around 85 per cent of the over 1,600 applications processed so far. NEA is expediting the processing of the remaining applications, which are mainly those which were recently submitted.

4.        In assessing the applications, we have taken into consideration various factors such as the nature of business, the number of outlets owned by the company, the applicants’ existing stocks of non-BCRS labelled products, their ability to clear the existing stocks by 30 September 2026 and their efforts and plans to deplete the existing stocks. 

5.        Smaller retailers who have been granted the grace period have been reminded not to bring in any more new stock that is not BCRS-labelled, and to clearly indicate to customers the non-BCRS-labelled stock, which is not subject to the 10-cent deposit.  

6.        Applicants that are not granted the grace period are to clear all remaining non-BCRS-labelled stock by 30 September 2026. 

7.        The rest of smaller retailers who have not applied and continue to face challenges clearing their remaining stock of non-BCRS-labelled beverages are strongly encouraged to register with NEA by 30 September 2026 at go.gov.sg/retailer-non-bcrs-stock-extension-request. NEA will assess each submission based on the retailer’s circumstances and notify applicants of the outcome. 

8.        Similarly, NPOs who need a grace period are strongly encouraged to register with NEA by 30 September 2026 at go.gov.sg/bcrs-registration-for-non-profit-organisations. NPOs granted the grace period may continue to receive and distribute donated non-BCRS-labelled beverage stock to their beneficiaries until 31 October 2026. NPOs who have been granted the grace period are not to sell the non-BCRS-labelled beverages. 

9.        A list of NPOs given the grace period to receive and distribute non-BCRS labelled beverages is at go.gov.sg/bcrs-info-for-industry. This list will be progressively updated as we receive and approve more NPO applications.  

10.       As the BCRS will enter full implementation on 1 October 2026, all retailers should stop taking in new supplies of non-BCRS-labelled beverages. From 1 October 2026 onwards, other than the retailers and NPOs given the grace period, only BCRS-labelled beverage products are to be supplied, sold, or distributed in Singapore.   

11.        The BCRS is a key initiative to reduce beverage container waste and support Singapore’s transition towards a more circular economy. NEA will continue to work closely with businesses and community partners to support a smooth transition.  

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government stated today that public healthcare institutions have consistently prioritised the employment of locally trained personnel when recruiting healthcare professionals. The statement was issued in response to public discussions regarding nursing manpower planning in Hong Kong, adding that such discussions should be grounded objective facts and data to foster consensus.

Although the nurse attrition rate within the Hospital Authority has dropped from a peak of 10.9% to 5.4%, approximately 3,200 vacancies remain unfilled with recruitment ongoing. In 2025, around 3,500 of the 4,000 prospective nursing graduates qualified as Registered Nurses (RNs) or Enrolled Nurses (ENs), with about 60% applying for positions within the authority.

These figures demonstrate that graduates diversify into various sectors, including private healthcare institutions, elderly services and rehabilitation, community nursing, insurance and health management. Notably, approximately 99% of applicants who completed the interview or assessment process for RN posts within the authority received an offer of appointment.

As of the end of 2025, over 30,000 of Hong Kong’s 75,000 RNs and ENs were employed within the public healthcare system, representing roughly 40% of the total workforce. Given that nursing practice spans hospitals, primary care, community and elderly services, rehabilitation and other health service sectors, the Government noted that manpower supply and demand must be assessed holistically across the entire market.

Furthermore, approximately 99.8% of RNs serving in the authority are locally trained, confirming that local professionals remain the backbone of public healthcare. The Government affirmed it will continue to promote regional healthcare collaboration and professional exchanges while strictly safeguarding employment priority for locally trained professionals.

Plans are also underway to strengthen manpower training for primary healthcare and advance professional systems to enhance service quality and maximise the professional functions of nurses. Addressing broader roles, the Government stressed that the Health & Care Practitioner (HCP) rank is a dedicated welfare-sector role that should not be confused with ENs due to distinct scopes of practice.

Acknowledging broader recruitment pressures, the Health Bureau noted that private hospitals face similar shortages, with one facility reporting 40 vacancies but receiving only 25 applications over the past year. In response to an ageing population, the Government reiterated its commitment to driving cross-sectoral collaboration and manpower planning based on service needs and manpower data to ensure that healthcare and nursing services in Hong Kong can continue to meet the needs of society.

The Government hopes that all sectors of the community will exchange views on healthcare manpower development and professional training based on facts and data, and work together to foster the sustainable development of the city’s healthcare system.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Visiting Doha, Qatar, Financial Secretary Paul Chan participated yesterday in events at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Mr Chan attended the Annual Meeting’s opening ceremony, the AIIB Board of Governors session, and the Governors’ Business Roundtable.

Addressing the roundtable, he spoke of how the AIIB can deepen and broaden its support for member economies.

He said Hong Kong will continue to support the AIIB in helping members undertake preparatory work for infrastructure projects, secure financing and achieve development goals.

Speaking at a seminar on digital public infrastructure, the finance chief cited Hong Kong’s “iAM Smart”, Faster Payment System and Commercial Data Interchange as he explained how digital infrastructure can improve the efficiency of public services, facilitate payments and cross-border transactions, and help small and medium-sized enterprises make better use of data to obtain trade financing.

He said the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities, and outlined that Hong Kong is applying AI in public services and across different sectors of the economy, while also strengthening computing power, along with data and digital infrastructure, and enhancing AI literacy across the community.

Mr Chan also met representatives from various countries and organisations to exchange views on financing issues and co-operation.

At his meeting with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry & Trade Laziz Kudratov, the two officials discussed strengthening co-operation in areas including trade, investment, finance and infrastructure development.

Mr Chan also met Qatar Development Bank Chief Executive Officer Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, and HSBC Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Finance & Sustainability Danny Alexander.

In the evening, Mr Chan attended the AIIB Annual Meeting Members’ Dinner hosted by Qatar. He concluded his visit and departed for Hong Kong late last night.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the seminar on “Digital Public Infrastructure as an Enabler for Resilient Economies” of the 2026 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Annual Meeting in Doha, Qatar, today (September 28, Doha time):

Fellow Governors, distinguished panelists, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, 
     “iAM Smart”, our mobile digital identity platform is one example. It allows our residents to use one identity for different services, from tax filing to accessing health records, thus reducing paper work and repeated verifications. It now supports over 1 400 online services provided by the Government as well as public and private organisations. It is free for our residents, with charges waived for private-sector service providers so as to encourage early adoption.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO), in partnership with Invest Hong Kong and Sandyford Business District in Dublin, Ireland, organised a business seminar entitled “Hong Kong: Where Innovative Companies Go to Grow” in Dublin on September 24 (Dublin time). The seminar was also supported by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Enterprise Ireland.

Bringing together over 40 participants, the business seminar explored Hong Kong’s role as an international business hub for Irish companies seeking to expand into the Asia-Pacific region and the Chinese Mainland market, with a focus on fintech and innovation and technology (I&T). The latest opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were also a key topic of discussion.

In his opening remarks at the seminar, Assistant Representative of the Brussels ETO Mr Paul Leung noted the latest report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2026, which has once again ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster first globally.

He highlighted key policy initiatives to promote I&T development in Hong Kong set out in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan) and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address to develop Hong Kong as an international I&T centre. These include pressing full steam ahead with the development of the three major I&T parks and enhancing Hong Kong’s I&T capabilities through five key research and development institutions.

“Over the years, Hong Kong has successfully built a vibrant start-up ecosystem, backed by world-class universities and research institutions, staunch government support, solid technology infrastructure, and a strong network of investors and innovation partners. The latest I&T development policy measures promulgated in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan clearly demonstrate our commitment to investing in and supporting the sector in the years to come,” Mr Leung added.

In closing, he encouraged Irish companies to seize the opportunity to work with Hong Kong and shape the future of I&T together.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA)’s spokesperson announced today (September 28) that Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) is scheduled to commence services in phases starting from October 5. The clinical services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will be gradually transferred to KTH. As the largest public hospital in Hong Kong and the flagship hospital of the Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC), KTH assumes the role of the public healthcare hub in Kowloon. The hospital will leverage its strengths to enhance collaboration with other hospitals within the KCC, while supporting other hospitals in the region to further improve the quality of public healthcare services.
 
     With a total gross floor area of approximately 500 000 square metres and 2 400 beds to be provided, KTH comprises five towers: the Acute Block (Tower 1), the Administration Block (Tower 2), the Education & Training Block (Tower 3), the Specialist Out-patient Block (Tower 4), and the Oncology Block (Tower 5). KTH will serve a population of 1.8 million across Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong districts.
 
     KTH will commence services in two phases as planned. The Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block and the Oncology Block are scheduled to commence services in the first phase. The Family Medicine Integrated Centre located on the first floor of the Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block will commence services on October 5, providing around 250 family medicine clinic quotas per day during the initial stage of the hospital’s opening. Patients with episodic illnesses can make appointments via the “Book Family Medicine Clinic” function on the HA’s mobile application “HA Go”, or the telephone appointment system starting from the morning of October 4.
 
     The first phase of services in KTH will commence progressively. The specialist out-patient services of the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Neurosurgery and Clinical Oncology of QEH will be transferred to the Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block in batches starting from late October. In addition, allied health services, examinations by the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, the Department of Pathology, the Department of Pharmacy, day services for Clinical Oncology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology as well as the Patient Resource Centre will also roll out gradually in October.
 
     The Cluster Chief Executive of KCC and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung, said, “The Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block of KTH features Hong Kong’s largest pharmacy, which is the first pharmacy equipped with an Integrated Automated Dispensing System with daily maximum capacity of 3 200 prescriptions. The Oncology Block is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including the public healthcare system’s first cyclotron and Gamma Knife, aiming at enhancing patient experience. In addition, the Clinical Oncology Centre and the Neuroscience Centre, together with the adjacent Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, will provide comprehensive and high-quality tertiary referral services to the Kowloon area.”
 
     KTH has formulated a comprehensive service relocation arrangement strategy for the second phase. Taking into account the overall works progress and gaining experience from the first phase, the hospital will take forward the service arrangements for the next phase in a progressive manner. Major clinical services, including in-patient, surgical, and Accident and Emergency services, will commence in 2028. Clinical services of the remaining specialties, including Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics, will also be relocated to KTH accordingly upon the commencement of in-patient services in the second phase.
 
     Dr Cheung said, “KTH is a crucial part of the overall healthcare landscape in Kowloon. KTH will collaborate with other hospitals in the region and provide emergency and pathology support to the adjacent Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. In addition, the Accident and Emergency Department of KTH is three times the size of that in QEH. Upon commissioning, it will work closely with the redeveloped Kwong Wah Hospital to further optimise the overall acute hospital network in Kowloon, achieving a more even distribution of public healthcare resources and enhancing service efficiency.
 
     To help patients familiarise themselves with the new hospital environment, service ambassadors will be deployed at the lobbies of Towers 4 and 5 and on various clinical floors during the initial phase of commissioning. They will provide on-site support and handle patient enquiries concerning appointments, transport, and the locations of facilities.
 
     In January this year, KTH established a dedicated team to follow up patient appointments. Staff members will call all patients who have scheduled appointments in KTH to ensure they are informed of the latest consultation arrangements. In addition, the hospital will send reminders to patients via mail, SMS messages and the mobile application “HA Go”. For any enquiries regarding the services of KTH, patients may call the KTH Hotline at 3506 5188 (the hotline operates from 10am to 7pm on Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) or visit the hospital website at www3.ha.org.hk/kth.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region