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.

     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.

  

     The Government today (July 29) announced the appointment of seven new members and the re-appointment of 16 incumbent members to the Aviation Development and Three-runway System Advisory Committee (ADTAC) for two years with effect from August 1, 2019.
 
     Seven new members appointed to the ADTAC in the new term are Ms Christina Chong Dong-ying, Ms Fung Sau-yim, Mr Liu Yang, Dr Pang Yiu-kai, Mr Wong Man-hang, Mr Brian Wu Pak-hei and Dr Frederick Yip Yeung-fai.
        
     A total of 16 incumbent members are re-appointed, namely Mr Chan Chi-chiu, Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, Professor Edwin Cheng Tai-chiu, Ms Chiang Lai-yuen, Professor Michael Fung Ka-yiu, Mr Thomas Ho Kwok-kwan, Mr Edward Ho Man-tat, Mr Rupert Hogg, Dr Hung Wing-tat, Mr Alex Koo Pok-sing, Mr Kwok Kwok-chuen, Mr Samuel Lau Kin-pui, Ms Julia Lau Man-kwan, Professor Joseph Lee Hun-wei, Mr Andrew Leung Chi-kwan and Mr Brian David Li Man-bun.
 
     The Secretary of Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, said, “I look forward to the Advisory Committee’s continued wise counsel on the development of the aviation industry.  I would like to thank the four outgoing members – Professor Ho Kin-chung, Dr Peter Lam Kin-ngok, Mr Anthony Wong See-ho and Mr Tang King-shing – for their support and contributions to the work of the ADTAC during their tenure.”
 
     Members of the ADTAC come from various sectors including aviation, tourism and hotels, logistics and transport, engineering, architecture, quantity surveying, business and finance, environment, legal, academic and research, including two young members appointed through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth.
 
     The membership of the ADTAC with effect from August 1, 2019, is as follows:

Chairman
———–
Secretary for Transport and Housing

Members
———-
Mr Chan Chi-chiu
Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi
Professor Edwin Cheng Tai-chiu
Ms Chiang Lai-yuen
Ms Christina Chong Dong-ying*
Professor Michael Fung Ka-yiu
Ms Fung Sau-yim
Mr Thomas Ho Kwok-kwan
Mr Edward Ho Man-tat
Mr Rupert Hogg
Dr Hung Wing-tat
Mr Alex Koo Pok-sing
Mr Kwok Kwok-chuen
Mr Samuel Lau Kin-pui
Ms Julia Lau Man-kwan
Professor Joseph Lee Hun-wei
Mr Andrew Leung Chi-kwan
Mr Brian David Li Man-bun
Mr Liu Yang
Dr Pang Yiu-kai
Mr Wong Man-hang*
Mr Brian Wu Pak-hei
Dr Frederick Yip Yeung-fai
Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport) (ex-officio)
Chief Executive Officer, Airport Authority Hong Kong (ex-officio)
Executive Director, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (ex-officio)
Director-General of Civil Aviation (ex-officio)
 
*Appointed through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth.
 
     Chaired by the Secretary of Transport and Housing, the ADTAC was established in 2015 and a total of five meetings were held in the past two-year term, providing a platform for members to advise the Government on broad policy matters concerning the development of the aviation industry and the implementation of the Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport.

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announces today (July 29) the relevant per annum interest rate for the sixth interest payment of Silver Bond Series due 2019 (Issue Number 03GB1908R) (the Bonds) issued under the Retail Bond Issuance Programme of the Government Bond Programme.
 
     According to the Issue Circular dated July 15, 2016 for the Bonds, the sixth interest payment of the Bonds is scheduled to be made on August 12, 2019, and the relevant interest rate is scheduled to be determined and announced on July 29, 2019 as the higher of the prevailing Floating Rate and Fixed Rate. 
 
     On July 29, 2019, the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate are as follows:
 
Floating Rate: +2.60 per cent (Annex)
Fixed Rate: +2.00 per cent
 
     Based on the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate set out above, the relevant interest rate for the sixth interest payment is determined and announced as 2.60 per cent per annum.

     The beauty of Cantonese opera and Hong Kong's cultural heritage were showcased to audiences in Australia and New Zealand in July through performances of "Monkey King and Skeleton Devil", a well-known episode from the famous Chinese novel "Journey to the West", by Hong Kong's Azure Seas Cantonese Traditional Theatre.

     Organised by Australasian Art and Stageworks and sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (HKETO Sydney), the tour commenced in Auckland in New Zealand on July 23 before performances in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia on July 26 and 28 respectively. There was also a public lecture promoting the art of Chinese opera in Melbourne on July 27.

     Speaking before the performance by the Azure Seas Cantonese Traditional Theatre in Sydney on July 26, the Deputy Director of the HKETO Sydney, Ms Winnie Chan, said that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has spared no effort in creating an environment conducive to arts and cultural development as well as promoting Hong Kong's strengths in arts and culture. 

     "Opened in January this year, the Xiqu Centre, a striking world-class performing arts venue in the West Kowloon Cultural District, is dedicated to the conservation, promotion and development of Chinese opera. The building houses a Grand Theatre, accommodating 1 073 seats, a Tea House Theatre, with a capacity of up to 200 seats, eight professional studios and a seminar hall, all specially designed for different types of Chinese opera-related functions and activities," she said.

     The Xiqu Centre will foster discovery and appreciation of this unique traditional art form among Hong Kong people and international guests alike, and will advance cultural exchange.

     "Hong Kong is an arts and cultural metropolis where East meets West. We hope that through this performance tour, audiences in Australia and New Zealand will have a better understanding of Hong Kong's cultural heritage as well as its vibrant arts and cultural scenes," Ms Chan added.