MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, at Government House today (May 6) to exchange views on further strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan. The Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip, also attended the meeting.
 
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Aripov and his delegation to Hong Kong to attend economic and trade events. He said that Hong Kong is a functional platform for the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, and Uzbekistan is a major country in Central Asia with abundant natural resources and a strong labour force, and has experienced rapid economic growth. Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are both active participants in the B&R Initiative, and there is broad scope for co-operation. Hong Kong will continue to leverage its unique advantage of having the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the “one country, two systems” principle, deepen international exchanges and co-operation, proactively explore B&R markets, and further strengthen collaboration with Uzbekistan in different areas, to jointly seize the opportunities brought by the B&R Initiative.
 
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is an international financial, shipping and trading centre, is the world’s fifth-largest trading entity in merchandise trade economy and ranks No. 1 in the world in economic freedom, with a highly internationalised and market-driven business environment. Hong Kong is making every effort to develop into an international innovation and technology centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent. Uzbekistan’s economy is growing rapidly and is vigorously promoting infrastructure development. There is vast potential for co-operation between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan. He encouraged Uzbek enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong and leverage Hong Kong’s advantage in connecting with both the Mainland and the world to explore the Mainland and overseas markets. Hong Kong will continue to play its roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”, to work with Uzbekistan to explore more business opportunities for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
 
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is pressing ahead to develop into an international post-secondary education hub and is the only city in the world with five universities ranked among the world’s top 100. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has set up a Task Force on Study in Hong Kong, and has launched the B&R Scholarship to attract outstanding students around the world. Mr Lee welcomed more young people from Uzbekistan to come to Hong Kong for further studies and career development, to further promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two places.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, highlighted that Hong Kong is acting positively towards the reconfiguration of global value chains amid a world with complex global challenges when he attended the Governors’ Plenary at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on May 5 (Samarkand time).
 
The Governors’ Plenary has its theme set as “Shifting Global Value Chains, Technology and Inclusive Growth”. Addressing the Plenary, Mr Hui said that Hong Kong has been diversifying its markets and promoting enhanced co-operation between Hong Kong and other global partners. The city’s stellar performance in capital formation attracted various companies to opt for Hong Kong for secondary listings. Currently, Hong Kong is proactively developing new industries to serve as new engines for economic growth while enhancing the competitiveness of traditional industries with better use of technology, with a view to boosting long-term and healthy economic development.
 
On the sidelines of the Annual Meeting, Mr Hui had a meeting with the Alternate Executive Director representing Hong Kong, China’s constituency in the ADB Board of Directors, Ms Lisa Wright. They had a fruitful discussion on areas where the ADB and member countries can take advantage of Hong Kong’s financial markets and professional services, including issuing catastrophe bonds as Hong Kong is consolidating its position as a global risk management centre. Mr Hui mentioned that two catastrophe bonds issued by the World Bank had already been listed in Hong Kong. While Hong Kong remains one of the world’s largest equity fundraising centres and a leading hub for arranging Asian international bond issuance, the Government is also keen to promote the wider adoption of tokenisation in the bond market, especially in green bonds which the ADB can leverage to raise funds. Separately, Hong Kong is definitely an ideal place for the ADB to pursue quality procurement.
 
Mr Hui also held a series of meetings with representatives of several member countries. Among them were the Deputy Director-General and Head of Department for Multilateral Development Banks, Sustainability and Climate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden, Mr Tobias Axerup, and the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Sri Lanka, Mr Anura Hapugala. Mr Hui expressed to them Hong Kong’s determination in fostering closer international economic and trade ties. He also elaborated to them the benefits that would be brought to the business communities of both economies by commencing negotiations on a Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (CDTA) with Hong Kong. The parties also touched on Hong Kong’s strong legal and financial professions and the utilisation of the city as a neutral platform for facilitating financial mediation and issuing green bonds.
 
During his meeting with the Director of the Center for Regional and Bilateral Policy in the Fiscal Policy Agency of the Ministry of Finance, Indonesia, Ms Yogi Rahmayanti, Mr Hui said that Asia accounts for 60 per cent of the world’s annual gold demand, with its investment demand increasing in recent years. Global central banks are also making net gold purchases as a tool for long-term value preservation and investment risk diversification. Amid the increasingly complicated geopolitics, Hong Kong’s security and stability give the city a clear edge as an attractive place for physical gold storage, driving more gold trading, settlement and delivery activities. Riding on an array of initiatives by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to build the city into an international gold trading centre, Indonesia can make use of the opportunity to work together with Hong Kong in establishing a gold ecosystem in Asia.
 
While meeting with the Head of Division (Regional Development Banks) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, Dr Wolfram Morgenroth-Klein, Mr Hui mentioned that Hong Kong is one of the top three international financial centres and has put forward new moves to expand the financial value chains so as to consolidate the position. Germany is welcome to build closer ties with Hong Kong through financial co-operation, including considering the early commencement of negotiations on a CDTA and exploration of co-operation in the gold industry.
 
In the evening, Mr Hui returned to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, for meetings with Uzbek financial institutions, as well as the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan on the next day (May 6).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chong Ho-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
 
Question:
 
     With the ongoing geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, international crude oil prices have fluctuated sharply and stood at high levels for an extended period, which has also led to persistently high fuel prices in Hong Kong. There are views that the Hong Kong fuel market has long been plagued by opaque pricing, coupled with the complex pricing strategies generally adopted by oil companies, which are based on high pump prices and supplemented by various promotional offers and loyalty rewards, making it extremely difficult for consumers to swiftly compare the selling prices of fuels at different petrol filling stations, thereby undermining the market competition mechanism. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the authorities will, by making reference to the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance which mandates the use of saleable area as the pricing basis, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s requirement for banks to disclose the annualised percentage rate when promoting and providing loan products, conduct a study on introducing legislation to require oil companies to simultaneously display a standard final selling price for auto-fuels (e.g. the fuel price per litre after deducting the company’s most common discount) in all their display channels (including roadside signs and promotional materials), so as to enhance price transparency; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) whether the Government will consider requiring oil companies to submit detailed data on their discount structures, so that the Consumer Council can publish a net price comparison table of greater reference value in a timely manner, rather than relying solely on pump prices, with a view to establishing a monitoring mechanism for livelihood-related fuel prices; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) in the current period of energy price fluctuations, whether the Government will explore other measures to enhance price transparency and prevent oil companies from reducing the strength of promotional offers through complex terms and conditions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Stable energy supply is crucial to Hong Kong’s economic and social operations. Public transportation, air passenger and cargo services, and electricity supply, etc, are directly related to energy supply. The situation in the Middle East is affecting global oil supply, with the impact on Asia being particularly pronounced. The top priority of the Government is to ensure the stability of Hong Kong’s energy supply.
 
     Currently, around 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s oil products come from the Chinese Mainland. With the advantage of having strong support from the motherland, Hong Kong has been able to maintain a stable energy supply amid the emergence of energy shortages in many regions and cities around the world. The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) is in close contact with local auto-fuel suppliers to ensure that the supply of auto-fuel remains stable.
 
     In addition, the Government has established the Inter-departmental Task Force on Monitoring Fuel Supply (the Task Force) to monitor and assess geopolitical changes and fuel supply and prices, to ensure the stability of Hong Kong’s energy supply, and to examine the impact of oil price fluctuations on various industries. The Task Force will continue to conduct dynamic assessments, co-ordinate bureaux and departments to prepare contingency plans, and formulate forward-looking strategies. The Task Force will also study different measures to alleviate the impact of rising oil prices.
 
     The reply to the question raised by Hon Chong Ho-fung is as follows:
 
(1) In 2019, the Government issued guidelines for the erection of price information boards (PIBs) within petrol filling stations (PFSs), specifying standards regarding the price information to be displayed, as well as the dimensions, design, and placement of the PIB. The guidelines require oil companies that have newly acquired PFS sites to comply with these requirements and submit proposals for the PIBs to the EEB for approval. The EEB requires oil companies to display on the PIBs the Chinese and English names of the fuel products sold at the PFS, the pump prices, and the net price after any walk-in discounts, in order to enhance transparency. As for discounts offered by oil companies to specific customers (such as members), these are considered common commercial practices intended to attract customers.
 
     To further enhance price transparency, the Government commissioned the Consumer Council in November 2020 to launch the Oil Price Watch website and mobile application, which provide information on pump prices and discounted prices, PFS search function, and push notifications on price changes, enabling consumers to access comprehensive pricing and promotional information more conveniently. As of March this year, the Oil Price Watch mobile application had a total of 123 000 downloads and an average of 157 000 monthly visits, while the website recorded an average of 262 000 monthly visits.
 
(2) and (3) For many years, retail prices of auto-fuels in Hong Kong have been determined by the market and depend on a host of factors, such as the costs of purchasing imported refined oil products and operating PFSs. The Government has been endeavouring to ensure a stable and reliable fuel supply, maintain an open market and encourage competition, and at the same time enhancing transparency of the prices of auto-fuel products so that consumers can make suitable choices.
 
     Although retail prices of auto-fuel in Hong Kong are determined by oil companies having regard to market principles and operating costs, the Government is mindful of the concerns across various sectors regarding auto-fuel prices in Hong Kong and has been monitoring whether changes in local retail prices of auto-fuel are in line with the trend movements of international refined oil product price, and in close contact with oil companies and urged them to promptly adjust prices in tandem with international refined oil product price movements.
 
     To facilitate the public monitoring of retail price adjustments for auto-fuel, with effect from April 1, 2026, the EEB releases, on a weekly basis, the seven-day moving average retail prices, after walk-in discounts, of unleaded petrol and diesel from oil companies, along with the trends in international benchmark prices of refined oil products during the same period, to enhance transparency of market and price. The Competition Commission has also met with oil companies, emphasising the importance of fair competition and information transparency. The Competition Commission will continue to closely monitor the market for any instances of price collusion or unfair competition to ensure fair market operations.
 
     In addition, the Government will continue to work with the Consumer Council to optimise the Oil Price Watch website and mobile application, to facilitate consumers to make informed choices that are suitable to their needs.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​​Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
 
Question:
 
The Government regularly publishes government notices in newspapers, which mainly include statutory notices and tender notices, for dissemination of information. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the government expenditure on publishing notices in newspapers in each of the past five years; and
 
(2) whether the Government has assessed the cost-effectiveness of publishing notices in newspapers (such as whether it has compiled statistics on the number of readers of government notices and the trend concerned); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,

Upon consulting bureaux and their departments, the expenditure on posting statutory notices and tender notices in newspapers in the past five years are tabulated below:
 

In general, statutory notices are published by bureaux and departments in accordance with legal requirements and shall be published on newspapers as stipulated by relevant ordinances. As for tender notices, bureaux and departments may, depending on the circumstances such as the intended readership or the fee level, choose the newspapers in which to place the notice, so as to achieve cost-effectiveness.
 
Apart from publishing notices in newspapers, bureaux and departments also release information through the relevant websites with a view to broadening coverage and conveying messages more effectively to the public.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Following is a question by the Hon Ray Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):

Question:

High oil prices in Hong Kong, caused by international geopolitical instability, have added to the economic burden on private car owners. Meanwhile, the Government’s “One-for-One Replacement” Scheme for electric vehicles (EV) (the Scheme) expired on 31 March 2026. There are views that amid the prevailing high oil prices and the climate crisis, the Government needs to review its green transport policies to alleviate the burden on the public and maintain the momentum of carbon reduction. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether, from the perspectives of “energy security” and “relieving public hardship”, the Government will consider extending the Scheme to ensure that the target of ceasing new registration of fuel-propelled private cars (including hybrid vehicles) in 2035 or earlier can be achieved as scheduled; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether, with a view to reducing the difficulties in installing EV chargers in aged buildings and private housing estates, the Government will consider: (i) relaunching the EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme or setting up a dedicated fund to subsidize owners of aged buildings to upgrade their electrical equipment; and (ii) reviewing and relaxing the restrictions on the provision of charging facilities in indoor/covered car parks and outdoor/open-air car parks, so as to enhance the willingness of property management companies and owners’ corporations to install EV chargers; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as the industry has relayed that the progress of installing quick chargers in old districts is often constrained by factors such as insufficient grid capacity or limited space in transformer rooms, whether the Government will review the approval criteria for electricity investment under the Scheme of Control Agreements, so as to require power companies to upgrade cables and substations in advance in areas with high growth in electricity demand; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) in view of the longer time required for power grid upgrades, whether the Government will draw on Mainland and overseas experience and proactively introduce “mobile EV charger” technology as a flexible means to bridge infrastructure gaps and alleviate the “range anxiety” of vehicle owners; if so, of the specific implementation plan; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

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

(1) The Budget announced that the first registration tax (FRT) for electric commercial vehicles, electric motor cycles and electric motor tricycles would continue to be waived in full until end-March 2028. The FRT concession arrangement for electric private cars (e-PCs), including the “One-for-One Replacement” Scheme (the Scheme), ceased to operate upon its expiry at the end of March this year. In his concluding remarks during the resumption of the Second Reading debate on the Appropriation Bill 2026 at the Legislative Council meeting on April 29, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, stated that the Government fully exempted the FRT for all electric vehicles (EVs) for a total of 23 years, from 1994 to March 31, 2017. During the period from April 1, 2017 to the end of March 2018, the FRT concession cap for EVs was set at $97,500. The arrangement was further adjusted in 2021. The Government extended the arrangement which was due to expire last year to the end of March this year after considering Members’ views. After taking various factors into account, the Government is of the view that sufficient time has already been given for the market to adapt to the shifts. At the same time, as presented in the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles, the penetration rate of new e-PCs in Hong Kong has continued to climb in recent years, with significant improvements in vehicle prices, model selection, vehicle performance and charging infrastructure. At present, e-PCs have clear advantages over fuel-propelled private cars (PCs) in terms of both vehicle price and operating costs. Additionally, e-PC technology has matured, making the trend towards popularisation of e-PCs irreversible. Private market forces have already dominated the green transition of PCs. Against this backdrop, the Government discontinues the Scheme according to the original timetable. Moving forward, the Government will focus on improving the supporting infrastructure for the charging network to bring convenience to e-PC owners. 

(2) The EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme (EHSS) was launched in October 2020, with a total funding of $3.5 billion allocated in 2 phases. The EHSS ceased accepting applications on December 31, 2023. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) completed processing all applications in early 2024. The EHSS is expected to cover about 140 000 parking spaces in about 700 car parks of existing private residential buildings and housing estates, accounting for about half of the eligible parking spaces in Hong Kong. As at end-March 2026, 488 car parks (covering about 87 010 parking spaces) have completed the installation works. The number of parking spaces installed with EV charging-enabling infrastructure (EVCEI) is expected to be further increased to 117 000 by end-2026, and to achieve the anticipated target as scheduled by 2027. The EPD will continue to provide technical support to EHSS applicants (including property management companies and incorporated owners) to expedite the installation of EVCEI.

In order to be eligible for the EHSS, the number of parking spaces in open area in the car park must be less than 60 per cent of the total number of eligible parking spaces. This is to avoid spending most of the subsidy on road excavation works and additional cable support facilities needed for supplying electricity to those parking spaces, thereby maximising the use of limited resources to benefit more estate car parks. In fact, the vast majority of applications under the EHSS are for indoor or covered car parks. Only five applications (0.6 per cent of all applications) were disqualified because parking spaces in open area accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total. The Government has no intention to relax this eligibility criterion.

In terms of upgrading the electrical equipment, we note that the EHSS has successfully encouraged the installation of EVCEI at parking spaces of many private residential buildings and housing estates, driving the market demand for charging facilities for e-PCs. At present, there are multiple charging service operators in the market offering various charging facility installation solutions for housing estates and vehicle owners to choose from. The two power companies have been supporting the Government in promoting the installation of EV charging facilities in private residential buildings and housing estates, including the provision of free assessments and technical support on matters such as the power supply capacity of buildings and the installation of charging facilities. At present, the Government has no plan to relaunch or introduce any new scheme to subsidise private housing estates in upgrading their electrical installations for the installation of chargers.

(3) According to the Scheme of Control Agreements signed between the Government and the two power companies, the two power companies shall pledge to provide adequate power generation and transmission facilities to meet the demand for electricity, which include assisting the development and installation of EV chargers, and provide, operate and maintain adequate electricity facilities for new development areas.

The two power companies have earlier published Power Availability Maps for all districts in Hong Kong to facilitate charge point operators (CPOs) in planning and installing charging facilities in different districts. The Government will maintain communication with CPOs to understand potential issues they may encounter in expanding charging facilities, and relay them to the two power companies for coordination and follow-up. Additionally, through the working group established with the two power companies earlier this year, the Government will also review the electricity demand arising from charging facilities and the grid capacity of the relevant areas, so as to help identify potential constraints early and, where necessary, study appropriate grid and related facility arrangements to meet the growing demand for EV charging. 

(4) The Government adopts a technology-neutral principle towards all forms of charging technologies, and welcomes the trade to introduce various types of charging technologies to Hong Kong to accelerate the development of EVs. The Government has noticed the development of Mobile Charger technology or energy storage systems and their benefits in saving costs and time required for constructing power infrastructure as well as enhancing the operational flexibility of charging services. Therefore, fast chargers utilizing new technologies such as battery energy storage systems and Mobile Chargers will be eligible for applying for the $300 million Fast Charger Incentive Scheme launched in July 2025. We have approached some enterprises who are interested in promoting Mobile Charger technology and energy storage systems in Hong Kong, explaining the Government’s measures and support available to promote the popularisation of EVs. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Ken Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
           
Question:

     There are views that our country’s development in aerospace industry has advanced at an unprecedented pace in recent years, with the achievements of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft, the Tiangong Space Station and the Chang’e lunar exploration programme garnering global attention. For the first time, the country has also selected payload experts in Hong Kong, illustrating the importance it has attached to the innovation and technology (I&T) development in Hong Kong, as well as recognising of the capability of our I&T talent. Moreover, the authorities’ further promotion of aerospace science and technology education will also help cultivate students’ scientific literacy and patriotism. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: