â€‹The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Hermes Tang, attended the 133rd/134th Council Sessions of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium, which concluded today (June 29, Brussels time). He signed Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) on Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) with the Director General of Israel Tax Authority, Mr Eran Yaacov, and the President of Canada Border Services Agency, Mr John Ossowski, in the margins of the sessions on June 26 and 27 (Brussels time) respectively.

     Under the MRAs, companies accredited as AEOs in Hong Kong will enjoy customs clearance facilitation in Israel and Canada and, reciprocally, companies accredited under the corresponding programmes in Israel and Canada will also enjoy customs clearance facilitation in Hong Kong. Pursuant to the framework promulgated by the WCO, such facilitation in customs clearance includes reduced examination and prioritised clearance. The inspection rate for AEO cargoes is generally 80 per cent lower compared with that for non-AEO cargoes.

     The signing of the two MRAs with Israel and Canada brings the number of MRAs signed by Hong Kong to 11 in total. The other nine economies with which Hong Kong has signed MRAs are the Mainland of China, India, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. 

     "Hong Kong has all along been a staunch supporter of the AEO concept promulgated by the WCO and has been keen on extending its MRA network to other economies. The signing of MRAs with Israel and Canada fully demonstrates the three Customs administrations' efforts in upholding international cargo security while facilitating cross-boundary cargo movement. Under the newly signed MRAs, accredited Hong Kong traders will be standing in a stronger position to explore the relevant markets by leveraging on the edge of their AEO status," a spokesman for the C&ED said.

     The C&ED will continue to keep track of AEO global developments and take active steps to reach MRAs with other customs administrations, particularly those of Belt and Road related countries and regions. In this regard, the C&ED will launch MRA discussion with its Indonesian counterparts, pursuant to an Action Plan signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Jimmy Tam, and the Director of International Customs and Public Affairs of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr R Syarif Hidayat, during the same Council Sessions today.

     The C&ED will continue to promote the Hong Kong AEO Programme to the trade. Local companies, including small and medium enterprises, are encouraged to apply for accreditation as AEOs in Hong Kong and enjoy advantages in customs clearance facilitation. 

     As part of its promotion efforts, the C&ED launched the "AEO Blogger" webpage earlier this year. An online self-learning kit is also available to assist interested local companies in assessing their readiness for accreditation and preparing for application.

    

     The Transport Department (TD) today (June 29) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases on Hong Kong Island to facilitate the holding of the flag raising ceremony and a procession on Monday (July 1).
 
     The special traffic and transport arrangements will mainly include:
 
(I) Flag raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai
 
Road closures
—————-
 
1. The following roads will be temporarily closed from about midnight to 11am:
 
– Expo Drive;
– Expo Drive Central;
– Expo Drive East;
– Central – Wan Chai Bypass eastbound leading to Wan Chai North exit; and
– The section of Fleming Road between Expo Drive Central and Convention Avenue.

 
2. The following roads will be temporarily closed from about 5.30am to 11am:
 
– The section of Lung Wo Road between Lung Hop Street and Expo Drive East; and
 

• Central – Wan Chai Bypass westbound leading to the slip road of Lung Wo Road
   
  Public transport services
  —————————
   
  1. The bus terminus at Expo Drive East will be suspended from about midnight to noon. During the period of suspension of the above bus terminus, cross-harbour route No. 961 will omit Expo Drive East and terminate at and depart from Wan Chai North Temporary Public Transport Interchange. The bus stop on Expo Drive East near Convention Avenue will also be suspended.
   
  2. The taxi stand at Expo Drive will be suspended from about midnight to 11am; and
   
  3. Parts of the taxi stand at Harbour Road westbound opposite Harbour Centre will be suspended from about 7.30am to 9am;
    
  (II) Public procession from Victoria Park to Central Government Offices
   
  Road closures
  —————-
   
       At around 3pm, a public procession will be held at Victoria Park and depart from Victoria Park, travelling via Causeway Road westbound, Irving Street westbound, Pennington Street northbound, Yee Wo Street westbound, Hennessy Road westbound, Queensway westbound, across Queensway, Rodney Street, Harcourt Road westbound, Harcourt Road eastbound and Tim Mei Avenue northbound to terminate at the Central Government Offices.
   
       To facilitate the holding of the above public procession, the following road closure arrangements will be implemented on Hong Kong Island:
   
  1. From about 1.30pm, the roads in the vicinity of Victoria Park and the Causeway Bay shopping area (such as Sugar Street and Jardine's Bazaar) will be closed in phases;
   
  2. From about 2 pm, westbound carriageways of Causeway Road, Yee Wo Street and Hennessy Road will be closed; and
   
  3. From about 3.30pm, both directions of Queensway and Harcourt Road, Rodney Street, Drake Street, Tamar Street, the section of Des Voeux Road Central eastbound between Pedder Street and Queensway and the roads in the vicinity of the Central Government Offices will be closed.
   
  Public transport services
  —————————
   
       A total of 92 bus routes and 14 green minibus routes operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted, one bus and one green minibus route will be temporarily suspended. In addition, the tram services between Tong Shui Road and Ice House Street will be suspended.
   
       Due to extensive road closure in the affected areas, the TD anticipates that the traffic along Hong Kong Island North (including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central and the vicinity of the Island Eastern Corridor) as well as the Aberdeen Tunnel and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel will become significantly congested. Motorists are advised to be patient in case of traffic congestion when driving in the vicinity, follow the Police's instructions and be alert to the latest traffic news through the media.
   
       Members of the public are advised to use public transport services, in particular railway services, and avoid driving to the affected or congested areas, especially in the vicinity of Tin Hau, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty and Central, unless necessary. Early planning of journeys and use of alternative travelling routes are advised to avoid unexpected delay. The public transport operators will display notices to inform passengers of the temporary arrangements. Public transport commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions and suspension and relocation of stops. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures whenever necessary. 
   
       For enquiries on the special traffic and transport arrangements, members of the public can call 1823 or browse the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) for more details.

     The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (June 29) for people in need of the service.
 
     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.
 
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
 
     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate
Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     The Award Ceremony of Water Speaks – Video Competition and Contest on Water Conservation In-School Promotional Activities under the Cherish Water Ambassador Scheme was held today (June 29).

     At the award ceremony, the Deputy Director of Water Supplies, Mr Chau Sai-wai, said that the Cherish Water Ambassadors have developed deep understanding in the protection of the valuable water resources after receiving a series of training activities. In future, the Ambassadors will shoulder the responsibility to promote water-saving messages on campus and in the community, thereby fostering a water conservation culture.

     Participants of Water Speaks – Video Competition produced short videos with the theme "water speaks" to promote water conservation. Around 50 entries competed for awards including Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Sound Effects. The videos were assessed against various criteria, such as content, creativity, impact and retention, by a judging panel comprising the Assistant Director/Development of the Water Supplies Department (WSD), Mr Roger Wong; the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Water Supplies, Dr Chan Hon-fai; the Manager of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Jockey Club Media 21 (M21), Mr Waiting Chan; and noted film directors Lam Chiu-wing and Jevons Au.
      
     Being another signature activity of the Scheme, the Contest on Water Conservation In-School Promotional Activities encourages youngsters to raise public awareness on the precious water resources by introducing a water-saving lifestyle to campuses and the community. Over 200 Cherish Water Ambassadors organised more than 20 promotion activities in their campuses and local communities. The entries were assessed based on the sense of inspiration, the reflectiveness and effectiveness, and more. The outstanding entries and the Ambassadors organising the activities were commended at the award ceremony.

     The award lists of the competitions are in the attachment (Chinese only). Members of the public may visit the Scheme website for winning entries of the video competition and details of the Scheme.

     The WSD and M21 launched the Scheme in 2018-19. Over 200 students from secondary schools and tertiary institutions were recruited as Cherish Water Ambassadors. The Scheme enables the Ambassadors to have in-depth understanding of the importance of protecting water resources, thereby encouraging them to actively promote water-saving habits for establishing a water conservation culture in Hong Kong.

      

     â€‹To enhance non-Chinese speaking students' interest and confidence in learning the Chinese language and to showcase their learning achievements, the Education Bureau (EDB) jointly organised the Chinese Writing and Talent Competition for Non-Chinese Speaking Students with the Yau Tsim Mong District School Liaison Committee, Sai Kung District School Heads Association, Yaumati Kaifong Association School and Hong Kong Taoist Association The Yuen Yuen Institute No. 3 Secondary School this school year. Over 300 primary and secondary students participated in the competition and demonstrated outstanding performances.
      
     The competition covered storytelling, verse speaking and writing. In the process, students had to incorporate their knowledge of the Chinese language and their life experience and feelings into different activities of the competition. The adjudicators fully appreciated the active participation and dedication of the students, as well as the talent and good language competence they demonstrated.   
      
     Speaking at the award ceremony today (June 29), the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that language learning takes place not only in classrooms but also in daily life. The competition aimed to provide non-Chinese speaking students with more opportunities to learn Chinese through activities outside classrooms, with a view to enhancing their interest and confidence. 
      
     She commended the outstanding performances of the students in the competition, which demonstrated not only their language proficiency, but also their creativity, articulation of feelings expressed in the pieces, and their perseverance and determination to overcome difficulties. She encouraged students to continue their dedication and diligence in learning Chinese, because there is are no short cuts and success can only be achieved with effort. She also advised schools and parents to strengthen their communication, co-operation and support to assist non-Chinese speaking students in mastering the Chinese language.  
      
     Apart from prize presentations the ceremony also included performances by winners, an exhibition of the winning pieces and a sharing session by guests. Two non-Chinese speaking guests also spoke about their experience and effective ways of learning Chinese. They encouraged students to devote sustained efforts to learning Chinese so that they could put their learning to good use, unleash their potential and contribute to society.
      
     For details of the competition, the winning pieces and students' performances, please visit the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/chi-edu/second-lang/activities.html).