Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Government published in the Gazette today (March 15) the Non-Hong Kong Companies (Disclosure of Company Name, Place of Incorporation and Members’ Limited Liability) Regulation, the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 7) Notice 2019 (the Schedule 7 Notice), and the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018 (Commencement) Notice (the Commencement Notice), for the purpose of aligning the obligations of non-Hong Kong companies with those of Hong Kong companies in the display of company names and disclosure of liability status.

     Following the implementation of the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018 (the Amendment Ordinance), the Financial Secretary has made the Regulation pursuant to sections 805A and 805B of the Companies Ordinance (Cap 622) (CO), which seeks to provide for, in relation to non-Hong Kong companies, the requirements on the display of company name and place of incorporation, and the disclosure of members’ limited liability.

     The Schedule 7 Notice seeks to include certain offences under the Regulation in Schedule 7 of the CO which specifies offences in respect of which no proceedings will be instituted under certain conditions. 

     The Commencement Notice seeks to appoint August 1, 2019, as the commencement date for the provisions of the Amendment Ordinance which have yet to commence. The Regulation and the Schedule 7 Notice will be commenced in tandem on the same date.

     The three pieces of subsidiary legislation will be tabled before the Legislative Council on March 20, 2019, for negative vetting and will come into operation on August 1, 2019. read more

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is inviting proposals from local performing artists and arts groups for the 2020 Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme (CCAS) with a view to working with selected performing artists and arts groups to organise outreach arts activities for the general public or particular community groups to bring arts into the community.

     Applicants should be registered local non-profit-making performing arts groups or ensembles of artists that have been active in the past three years and possess actual experience in public performance of a high standard. Applicants may submit one proposal for one of the following types of activities:

(1) Special topics of the 2020 CCAS:
(a) Promoting participation of persons with different abilities in performing arts; or
(b) Social inclusion; or
(2) Audience-building/arts education activities that are designed for the general public.

     The proposal should cover one or more performing art forms, such as Chinese opera/operatic singing, dance, music, theatrical arts (including drama, mime, magic and puppetry) and multi-arts. Proposed projects may include performance, workshops, lectures, demonstration, episodic performance or exhibitions or a combination of these activities.

     The application guide and the form for the scheme can be downloaded from the webpage of the Audience Building Office (ABO) www.lcsd.gov.hk/ab and are available at the enquiry counters of the department’s performance venues, or can be obtained by mail and fax from the ABO. The deadline for applications is noon on April 25 (Thursday).

     A briefing session on applications for the scheme will be held at 3pm on April 2 (Tuesday) at Room AC2, 4/F, Administration Building of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Registration for the briefing session can be made by email to amab2@lcsd.gov.hk or by phone on 2591 1618.

     For enquiries on the scheme, please call 2591 1628 or email to amab3@lcsd.gov.hk, or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/ab/en/ccas2020guide.php. read more

     More than 900 young musicians from 14 Chinese orchestras, string orchestras and bands will perform a widely selected repertoire of Chinese and Western pieces at four concerts to be presented by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in April and May.
 
     The concert series will begin with its first concert featuring Chinese orchestras to be held at 3pm on April 5 (Friday) at the Auditorium of Tuen Mun Town Hall. The Music Office Children’s Chinese Orchestra, Kowloon Youth Chinese Orchestra, Island Youth Chinese Orchestra and New Territories Youth Chinese Orchestra will perform “Terra Cotta Warriors Fantasia (Elementary Version)” by Peng Xiuwen, the Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower”, “Marching to the Promising Future” by Liu Tianhua and “The Grand China” by Gao Feng.
 
     The second concert featuring junior groups Hong Kong Children’s Symphonic Band, Hong Kong Junior Chamber Ensemble and the Music Office Junior Chinese Orchestra will be held at 8pm on April 19 (Friday) at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall. The young musicians will present their selection of famous Chinese and Western pieces including “Chrysanthemum Terrace” by Jay Chou adapted from a movie theme song, the lively “Divertimento in F, KV138” by Mozart and the vigorous “Drums in Celebration of a Bumper Harvest” by Peng Xiuwen and Cai Huiquan.
 
     The Music Office Youth Brass Band, New Territories Youth Symphonic Band and Kowloon Youth Symphonic Band will take the stage of the Auditorium at Yuen Long Theatre at 3pm on April 28 (Sunday). The audience can explore the world of wind music by enjoying the performances of “The Second Waltz” by Shostakovich, “The Great Locomotive Chase” by Smith and Joe Hisaishi’s animation blockbuster music “Symphonic Suite Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”.
 
     The series’ finale will be the string orchestra concert held at 3pm on May 5 (Sunday) at the Auditorium of Tsuen Wan Town Hall. The performing groups will be New Territories Youth Strings, Kowloon Youth Strings, Island Youth Strings and Hong Kong Youth Strings. By presenting Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 1st movement”, Fletcher’s “Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance”, Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” and Schubert’s “Symphony No.5”, the groups will conclude the concert series with exquisite string melodies.

     Tickets for the first concert are available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) and tickets for the other concerts will be available one month before the each respective concert date. Tickets are priced at $45, $55 and $65, with half-price concessions for full-time students, people with disabilities and their minders, senior citizens aged 60 and above and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2796 1003 or 2796 7523 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice. read more

     The Government announced today (March 15) the appointment of Mr Yu Pang-chun as the new Chairman of the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) and the appointment of the new Vice-Chairman and four new members, as well as the re-appointment of seven incumbent members, for a term of two years with effect from April 1, 2019.

     The new Vice-Chairman is Professor Simon Wong Kit-lung, while the four new members are Dr Johnny Ng Kit-chong, Mr Chu Yin-cheong, Mr Lam Chun-sing and Mr Li Wing-foo.

     Mr Yu Pang-chun has been serving the ERB since 2009 and was appointed as Vice-Chairman in 2013. He is an outstanding business leader and has extensive experience on manpower and retraining, and was the Chairman of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee. Professor Simon Wong Kit-lung is currently a member of the ERB and also a member of the Commission on Poverty and the Non-executive Director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority.

     The seven members re-appointed are Ms Cally Chan Shan-shan, Mrs Susan So Chan Wai-hang, Ms Tse Siu-ling, Mr Cheng Ching-fat, Mrs Nancy Chan Lam See, Ms Christina Chan Shuk-han, and the Executive Director of the Vocational Training Council.

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, welcomed the appointments. “I am fully confident that under Mr Yu Pang-chun’s capable leadership and with the dedicated support of the Vice-Chairman and all members, the ERB will continue to provide comprehensive and quality training as well as retraining services for our local workers with a view to enhancing their competitiveness and employability,” Dr Law said.

     Dr Law also thanked the outgoing Chairman, Dr William Leung Wing-cheung, and members, Mr Allen Cheng Siu-kai, Ms Ng Wai-yee and Ms Lam Suk-fun, for their sterling contributions to the ERB during their tenure of service. He paid special tribute to Dr Leung. “Dr Leung has been serving the ERB since 2008. As the Chairman since 2013, he has demonstrated outstanding leadership to guide the efficient and effective operations of the ERB as well as the introduction of various new initiatives helping local workers embrace the ever-changing challenges. I would like to extend my gratitude for his dedicated service to the ERB for over a decade,” he said.

     The ERB is a statutory body established in 1992 under the Employees Retraining Ordinance (Cap 423). The composition of its membership, comprising representatives of employers and employees, and persons connected with vocational training and retraining or manpower planning, is specified in the law. It is responsible for providing retraining courses and related placement services under the Manpower Development Scheme.

     The membership list of the ERB, with effect from April 1, 2019, is as follows:

Chairman
———-
Mr Yu Pang-chun

Vice-Chairman
—————-
Professor Simon Wong Kit-lung

Representatives of Employers
——————————–
Ms Cally Chan Shan-shan
Mrs Susan So Chan Wai-hang
Ms Tse Siu-ling
Dr Johnny Ng Kit-chong

Representatives of Employees
——————————–
Mr Cheng Ching-fat
Mr Chu Yin-cheong
Mr Lam Chun-sing
Mr Li Wing-foo

Persons Connected with Vocational Training and Retraining or Manpower Planning
—————————————————————————————-
Professor Lui Yu-hon
Mrs Nancy Chan Lam See
Ms Christina Chan Shuk-han
Executive Director of Vocational Training Council

Public Officers
—————-
Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Commissioner for Labour read more

     The Government gazetted today (March 15) the proposed further amendments to the works for the Central Kowloon Route to make way for the proposed installation of noise enclosures at Gascoigne Road Flyover and to revise the alignment of road sections at the Kai Tak Development.

     Details of the proposed further amendments are set out in the Annex. The second amendment plans and second amendment scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre, 
G/F, Harbour Building,
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Yau Tsim Mong Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Mong Kok Government Offices,
30 Luen Wan Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

Kowloon City Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
LG/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom, Kowloon

Kwun Tong Home Affairs Enquiry Centre, 
G/F, The Grande Building,
398 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon

Wong Tai Sin Home Affairs Enquiry Centre, 
Unit 201, 2/F, Lung Cheung Office Block, 
138 Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon

District Lands Office,  Kowloon East and Kowloon West
10/F, Yau Ma Tei Carpark Building,
250 Shanghai Street, Kowloon

     The gazette notice, second amendment scheme, second amendment plans and location plan will be available at www.thb.gov.hk/eng/psp/publications/transport/gazette/gazette.htm.

     Any person who wishes to object to the proposed further amendments is required to address to the Secretary for Transport and Housing an objection in writing, which can be submitted via the following means:
 

• By post or by hand to the Transport and Housing Bureau’s drop-in box No. 6 located at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. The box is available for use between 8am and 7pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays);
• By fax to 2868 4643; or
• By email to gazettethb@thb.gov.hk.

     A notice of objection should describe the objector’s interest and the manner in which he or she alleges that he or she will be affected by the proposed further amendments. Objectors are requested to provide contact details to facilitate communication. A notice of objection should be delivered to the Secretary for Transport and Housing not later than May 14, 2019. read more