Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (July 29) that a sample of loose-packed Shanghai noodles was found to contain a preservative, benzoic acid, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “Subsequent to announcing earlier that a sample of Shanghai noodles taken from a shop in Tin Shui Wai was found to contain excessive benzoic acid, the CFS took a sample of Shanghai noodles from another shop in Kwai Chung for testing and the test result showed that the sample contained benzoic acid at a level of 1 800 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 1 000 ppm. A follow-up investigation found that the two batches of Shanghai noodles were from the same local manufacturer.”

     The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed the vendor to stop the sale of the affected product. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.

     Benzoic acid is a preservative of low toxicity. Based on the level detected in the sample, adverse health effects will not be caused under usual consumption.

     The spokesman reminded the food trade that the use of preservatives in food must comply with the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD). Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. read more

     Hong Kong Customs conducted an operation against the sale of counterfeit items at a mobile hawker stall on July 27. About 6 900 items of suspected counterfeit goods, including clothing, caps and shoes, with an estimated market value of about $420,000 were seized.

     Customs earlier received information alleging the sale of suspected counterfeit items at a mobile hawker stall in Stanley. After an in-depth investigation with the assistance of trademark owners, Customs officers raided the hawker stall and 13 mobile storage facilities in nearby alleys and seized the batch of suspected counterfeit items. This is the first-ever case detected of a single mobile hawker selling counterfeit items using multiple mobile storage facilities.

     During the operation, a 44-year-old female stall owner was arrested. 

     An investigation is ongoing.

     During the summer holiday, Customs will continue to step up inspections and enforcements to combat the sale of counterfeit goods.

     Customs reminds consumers to procure goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.

     Customs also reminds traders to be cautious and prudent in merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells, or possesses for sale, any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 29) that due to big wa… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will join the Hong Kong Housing Society’s (HS) “Letting Scheme for Subsidised Sale Developments with Premium Unpaid” (Letting Scheme) on a trial basis, allowing eligible owners of HA’s subsidised sale flats (SSFs) to let their flats with premium unpaid to families in need.
 
     The Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) of the HA agreed at its meeting today (July 29) that the HA would join the HS’ Letting Scheme, which had been enhanced taking into account the feedback on its original pilot launched in 2018. Under the enhanced scheme, SSF owners who have owned their flats for 10 years or more with premium unpaid are eligible to apply. Three categories of applicants are eligible as tenants: (i) public rental housing (PRH) general applicants who have waited for three years or more; (ii) PRH non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System who have waited for six years or more; and (iii) specified non-government organisations, which are only allowed to sublet the flats to eligible tenants. Apart from letting bedroom(s) as in the original pilot, the enhanced scheme allows owners to let the whole flat. In order to prevent owners from over-subdividing the flats, they will be allowed to enter into no more than two tenancies.
 
     HS first launched the Letting Scheme on a pilot basis in September 2018 as one of the measures proposed in the 2017 Policy Address to help alleviate the hardship faced by families waiting for PRH and the inadequately housed. The 2018 Policy Address further suggested that the HA consider, in light of the operational experience of HS’ pilot scheme, joining the scheme so as to allow HA’s SSF owners to let their flats with premium unpaid as well.
 
     “The Letting Scheme provides an option for relevant SSF owners wishing to make better use of their flats, and an option for families wishing to rent and live in such flats. It optimises the use of public housing resources and helps improve the living environment of PRH applicants before they are housed to PRH units,” a spokesman for the HA said.
 
     At present, about 14 500 owners of HS’ SSFs fulfill the 10-year ownership requirement. As for HA’s Home Ownership Scheme and Tenants Purchase Scheme, owners of around 340 000 flats have owned the flats for 10 years or more with premium unpaid.
 
     “In order to provide one-stop service both to eligible owners and tenants, all the administrative procedures including processing of applications and handling of enquiries will be handled by HS, except that the HA will be involved in the verification of the eligibility of owners and tenants. We aim to invite applications from owners in the fourth quarter of this year. The HA and HS will conduct a mid-term review of the effectiveness of the scheme in the light of operational experience after one year of operation,” the spokesman said. read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the opening ceremony of Women Power Forum this afternoon (July 29):
 
Deputy Director Qiu Hong (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Director Mou Hong (Director of the Liaison Department of the All-China Women’s Federation), Annie (Supervising Advisor of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, Dr Annie Wu), Pansy (Chairperson of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, Ms Pansy Ho), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. I am really pleased to join the inaugural Women Power Forum and to greet so many of you.
 
     Power is a word of many meanings and permutations. For the vast majority of women – here in Hong Kong, in Asia and around the world – power is about gender equality, about changing cultures and stereotypes at every level of every society. Last month, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed this issue, saying “let us use our power to build a world where women and men have equal rights, as well as equal opportunities to realise their aspirations.”

     I believe that’s why we’re here, why some 400 female leaders from all over the world have gathered here in Hong Kong today. For that, my thanks to the organiser, the Hong Kong Federation of Women, and the joint-organiser, the Golden Bauhinia Women Entrepreneur Association. Each is led by Hong Kong women making a difference for women in our community and in our economy.
 
     Women in Hong Kong have come a long way since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 22 years ago. In 1997, Elsie Leung became our first Secretary for Justice and Rita Fan Hong Kong’s first female Legislative Council President. In 2006, Dr Margaret Chan, our first female Director of Health, was named Director-General of the World Health Organization. These and many other “game changers,” in business, sports, arts and culture, technology and innovation, have blazed a trail for Hong Kong women.

     Today, nearly half of our public accountants and solicitors are female. Women represent 54 per cent of all students enrolled in Hong Kong universities, a long way from 1921, when the University of Hong Kong admitted its first female student. The percentage of female students studying in engineering and other traditionally male-dominated disciplines has increased markedly. In the last academic year, for example, more than 50 per cent of our medical students were women – up from 37 per cent some 20 years ago.

     Managerial positions in Hong Kong have gone from about 20 per cent filled by women to 35 per cent over the past two decades. And more than one-third of Hong Kong civil servants at the directorate level are women, a welcome increase from just over 15 per cent two decades ago.
 
     But still, the participation rate of our female labour force last year was just under 51 per cent, well under the 68.5 per cent participation rate for men. It is also well below the 61 per cent in Mainland China, and 60 per cent in Singapore. So, we have some ways to go still. As the first female Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I am keenly aware of that. And I look to a man, Dr C K Law, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, to help me to achieve that objective. 
 
     I can tell you that my Government accords high priority to creating a more enabling environment for women wanting to join, or remain, in the workforce. In terms of policy, we are strengthening our support for families in areas ranging from child-care and elderly support services, to ensuring a breastfeeding-friendly workplace and implementing family-friendly employment practices.
 
     In my Policy Address last October, I announced a number of measures. They include extending maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. The additional four weeks’ leave pay will be borne by the Government in full. We plan to move that on to the Legislative Council later this year.
 
     We are also working to expand the number of female members in statutory boards and advisory committees. We want more women’s voices to be heard in policy-making. And to promote women’s participation in the boards of listed companies, we called on all listed companies to appoint more female board members. Laura Cha, let me add, became the first female chairperson of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited last year.

     There’s a lot more in the works, but rest assured that my Government is committed to expediting opportunities for women in the private and public sectors, and in our community as a whole. In this respect, we have a great partner, the Women’s Commission chaired by Madam Chan Yuen-han, to help me. We are dedicated to advancing the development of women, to creating a thriving future for all. By the way, the preparatory work for the next Policy Address has already started. I welcome your views and suggestions, particularly on what we can do more in promoting gender equality.
 
     My thanks again to the organisers for inviting me to this forum. I know that the discussion sessions this afternoon feature many distinguished speakers from many different countries, so I am sure you will all have a rewarding forum. I wish you all a wonderful day, and for our guests from the Mainland and overseas, a very pleasant stay in Hong Kong.

     Thank you very much.