The Highways Department (HyD) today (May 17) invited tenders for a four-year contract for the management, operation, installation and maintenance of the public lighting system in New Territories West (contract no. 03/HY/2019) from October 2019 to September 2023.
 
     The contract, which will be supervised by the Lighting Division of the HyD, covers the design, installation, management, operation and maintenance of the public lighting system in New Territories West.  The public lighting system generally consists of conventional road lighting, village lighting, gantry sign lighting, roadside directional sign lighting, traffic bollard lighting and the associated network of cables, ducts and peripheral items.  Within the designated contract area, there are about 71 700 road lighting points, 3 900 traffic bollards, and 2 100 lighting installations on illuminated gantry signs and roadside directional signs.
 
     Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box at the lobby of the Public Entrance on G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. Submission of tenders will close at noon on June 28, 2019 (Friday).
 
     For enquiries, please call 3903 6550.

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 (May 17) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Lo So Shing Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     â€‹The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, will depart for Japan at noon on May 21 (Tuesday). He will first visit Kagoshima Prefecture to meet with the Governor and visit community sports facilities.
 
     The following day (May 22), Mr Lau will call at Takamatsu in the afternoon and meet with the Governor of Kagawa Prefecture. He will also visit the Setouchi Triennale 2019 and cultural facilities. On May 23, Mr Lau will proceed to Toyko in the evening. During his stay in Tokyo, he will call at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and meet with officials of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He will also visit cultural and sports facilities and watch a performance presented by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.
 
     Mr Lau will leave Tokyo and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on May 25. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Jack Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Home Affairs.

     The following list of general holidays for 2020 is gazetted today (May 17) for public information:
 

     A Government spokesman said, "As the second day of Lunar New Year in 2020 falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of Lunar New Year is designated as a general holiday in substitution. In addition, since Chung Yeung Festival in 2020 falls on a Sunday, the day following it is designated as a general holiday in substitution."

     The Government published in the Gazette today (May 17) the Financial Reporting Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (Commencement) Notice (the Commencement Notice). 
 
     The Financial Reporting Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2019, which was enacted by the Legislative Council on January 30, 2019, enables the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to become a full-fledged and independent oversight body regulating auditors of listed entities, and ensures that Hong Kong's regulatory regime for auditors of listed entities is benchmarked against the international standard and practice.
 
     The Commencement Notice seeks to appoint October 1, 2019, as the commencement date for the Amendment Ordinance, except for the provisions relating to the payment of levies under the new regime which will be commenced separately on January 1, 2022. The Financial Secretary has announced in the 2019-20 Budget that the levies would be exempted for the first two years under the new regime.
 
     The Commencement Notice will be tabled in the Legislative Council for negative vetting on May 22, 2019.