The Constitution and Basic Law Roving Exhibition organised by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will be held this Saturday and Sunday (June 1 and 2) in the ground floor atrium of Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay.

     The exhibition will introduce the content of the Constitution and the Basic Law. Members of the public may also participate in computer and stall games to deepen their knowledge of the two documents.

     The roving exhibition will be open from 11am to 7pm. Admission is free.
 

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that the lifesaving services at Cafeteria Old Beach and Butterfly Beach in Tuen Mun District resumed today (May 30). The lifesaving services at the beaches were suspended earlier due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty.

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the 17th Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress 2019 Hong Kong today (May 30):
 
Ms Lee (President of the Life Underwriters Association of Hong Kong, Ms Maggie Lee) , Mr Witayaweerasak (Chairman of the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association, Mr Banyong Witayaweerasak) , Mr Cheng (Chairman of the Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress, Mr Henry Cheng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
       
     Good morning.
 
     I'm pleased to join you today for the opening of the Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress. This is the 17th edition of the Congress, and the second time it is held here in Hong Kong, Asia's insurance capital.
 
     I understand that some 10 000 of you are here for this much anticipated biennial event – the region's largest gathering of life insurance professionals, financial advisors, and other industry practitioners and stakeholders.
 
     You are in the right place as Hong Kong is surely the place to be when it comes to financial services. Earlier this year, the Global Financial Centres Index placed Hong Kong as the world's third most competitive financial services centre, just behind New York and London.
 
     And, earlier this month, Hong Kong was named the world's most open economy in the Legatum Institute's inaugural "Global Index of Economic Openness". The London-based Institute examined the economic systems of nearly 160 economies, measuring how well each enables trade, competition and productivity. No one does it better than Hong Kong.
 
     Our financial services sector accounts for about 18 per cent of Hong Kong's GDP. And, let me add, our life insurance business is a critical component of that.
 
     Much more than a business, life insurance helps enable the financial, and emotional, well-being of individuals.
 
     To that end, the Hong Kong SAR Government is also working to better the retirement lives of our citizens.
 
     Last month, we introduced a policy allowing tax deductions for qualifying deferred annuity payments as well as voluntary contributions to mandatory provident fund schemes.
 
     Through this policy, we hope to encourage our working population to make early retirement savings, to cope with the financial risks that longevity can bring. Longevity is part of Hong Kong's future. Indeed, our 65-and-over population is projected to more than double in the next 20 years.
 
     We expect the new policy to raise retirement planning awareness, which can in turn expanding retirement planning. And that can also benefit the insurance industry as a whole.
 
     The Government is committed to making life better for the people of Hong Kong at every stage of their lives. And I look forward to working with the life insurance sector to achieve that goal.
 
     My thanks to the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association and the Life Underwriters Association of Hong Kong for jointly organising the Congress here in Hong Kong, where the world gathers to connect and excel.
 
     I wish you all the best of business at the Congress and an enjoyable stay in Hong Kong, Asia's world city. Thank you.
 

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (May 30) invited eligible elderly persons to apply for the fifth batch of vouchers under the Pilot Scheme on Residential Care Service Voucher (RCSV) for the Elderly. 
           
     A spokesman for the SWD said that elderly persons who have been assessed as moderately impaired under the SWD's Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services and wait-listed for care-and-attention (C&A) places under the Central Waiting List (CWL) for Subsidised Long Term Care Services for the Elderly with application dates on or before the end of December 2018 (not including those who are holding or have utilised RCSVs, those whose status on the CWL is "inactive" or those who are offered subsidised placement) are eligible to apply for the fifth batch of RCSVs. Letters will be sent to the elderly persons concerned to invite them to join the Pilot Scheme. The closing date for applications is June 27. Successful applicants will be issued with RCSVs from the end of July onwards.
           
     The spokesman said, "Adopting the 'money-following-the-user' principle, the Scheme provides an additional choice for elderly persons in need of residential care service by allowing them to choose the residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), from among the eligible RCHEs under the Pilot Scheme, that suit their needs. The Pilot Scheme has been implemented in three phases which were launched in March 2017, September 2017 and September 2018."
           
     Currently, there are a total of 106 RCHEs participating as Recognised Service Providers (RSPs) in different phases offering beds which accept RCSV holders. The RSPs include subvented homes, contract homes and self-financing homes providing non-subsidised residential care places for the elderly as well as private RCHEs which meet the requirements. Such requirements include meeting the space standard and staffing requirements of EA1 homes under the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme (EBPS). The SWD is now continuing to invite eligible RCHEs to apply for participating in the third phase of the Pilot Scheme as RSPs. It is expected that the numbers of RSPs and residential care places available for RCSV holders would increase gradually.
            
     Under the principle of "users pay in accordance with affordability", the Pilot Scheme adopts a sliding scale of co-payment at eight levels (Level 0 to Level 7). Elderly persons will be assessed on an individual basis in the means test in which both income and assets are taken into account in determining the co-payment level. The percentages of payment by elderly users range from 0 per cent at the lowest to 75 per cent at the highest. The current voucher value under the Pilot Scheme is $13,287 per month. The voucher value for 2019-20 and the service fee under the co-payment levels will be increased later. The new voucher value and service fee will be announced in due course. The RSP has to provide a "standard service package" under the voucher value for RCSV holders. The scope of the package is comparable to that of subsidised C&A places under the EBPS. Apart from choosing places at voucher value in RSPs, the Pilot Scheme also allows RCSV holders to make top-up payments to purchase enhanced or value-added services. 
           
     The spokesman added that the Residential Care Service Voucher Office of the SWD will provide support for RCSV holders, such as regular visits and assistance in switching RSPs when necessary.
           
     For elderly persons who have received invitation letters or for eligible elderly persons as mentioned above, if they or their carers/family members have enquiries about the application for RCSVs, they may contact the aforementioned office on 3107 3280 or 3107 3290. The telephone lines will be operating from 9.30am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays, except public holidays.
           
     For details of the Pilot Scheme and the list of RSPs, citizens may visit the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk). Citizens may also browse the SWD Elderly Information Website (elderlyinfo.swd.gov.hk) to get more details on the manpower and facilities of each of the RSPs.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (May 30) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Cafeteria Old Beach and Butterfly Beach in Tuen Mun District have been suspended until further notice.

     First aid services will be maintained at these beaches.