The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, November 15, 2018 is 105.7 (down 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     The Transport Department today (November 15) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on December 1 (Saturday) and 2 (Sunday), in Meeting Room S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
 
     "A total of 300 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been posted at the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.
 
     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
 
     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
 
(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
 
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
 
(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.
 
(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.
 
(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk.

     The Hong Kong Public Libraries will hold "Fun Reading at Your Neighbourhood – Pop-up Library" in various districts from mid-November to January next year. With book displays, e-book borrowing services and other activities such as story-telling and crafts workshops, members of the public can enjoy the fun of reading in the community.
 
     The Pop-up Library will display more than 250 books, including picture books and books themed on sports, science and technology for visitors to enjoy reading on the spot. Other activities will include an e-Reading experience, Ventriloquist Storytelling and Crafts Workshop, happy selfies and game booths. Upbeat, the first "young old" a cappella group under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, has been invited to perform at the last event to convey positive energy with their voices.
 
     The Pop-up Library will appear at the following venues and times:
 
Tuen Mun Cultural Square
Date: November 18 (Sunday)
Time: 11am to 6pm
 
Fung Tak Park, Wong Tai Sin
Date: December 1 (Saturday)
Time: 11am to 6pm
 
On Tat Estate Plaza, Kwun Tong
Date: December 15 (Saturday)
Time: 11am to 6pm
 
Exhibition Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Date: January 20 (Sunday)
Time: 11am to 6pm
*A cappella performance from 3pm to 4pm
 
     Each Pop-up Library will feature Ventriloquist Storytelling and Crafts Workshop in which ventriloquists will also conduct interactive games with children. The storytelling and crafts workshops will be held from noon to 1.15pm and from 4pm to 5.15pm (only the noon session is available on January 20). Each session can enrol 15 pairs of parent and child (one child aged 4 to 12 accompanied by one carer). Interested people can register on-site 30 minutes before the session starts on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
     Admission for all activities is free and members of the public are welcome to attend. For enquiries, please visit www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/extension-activities/event-category/144063/fun-reading-at-your-neighbourhood-pop-up-library or call 2921 3599.

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements this Saturday (November 17) to facilitate a public event to be held on Hong Kong Island.

Road closure
————

     The following roads will be intermittently closed from 2pm until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:

1. Gloucester Road U-turn slip road between southbound and northbound Gloucester Road;
2. Southbound Gloucester Road between Victoria Park Road flyover and Causeway Road;
3. Sugar Street;
4. Jardine’s Bazaar;
5. Tang Lung Street;
6. Canal Road East between Hennessy Road and Russell Street;
7. Westbound Yee Wo Street between Pennington Street and Hennessy Road;
8. The leftmost lane of westbound Hennessy Road between Yee Wo Street and Queensway;
9. Yun Ping Road between Kai Chiu Road and Pak Sha Road;
10.Kai Chiu Road;
11. Lee Garden Road between Kai Chiu Road and Hennessy Road;
12. Canal Road West between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road;
13. Wan Chai Road between Canal Road West and Morrison Hill Road;
14. Bowrington Road between Sharp Street West and Hennessy Road;
15. The leftmost lane of eastbound Queensway between Rodney street and Hennessy Road;
16. Southbound Rodney Street;
17. Eastern section of Edinburgh Place;
18. Eastbound Connaught Road Central near Hong Kong City Hall;
19. Westbound Harcourt Road service road between Rodney Street and Cotton Tree Drive;
20. U-turn slip road of westbound Harcourt Road service road; and
21. If necessary, eastbound Harcourt Road between Tim Wa Avenue and Edinburgh Place.

Traffic diversions
——————

     The following traffic diversions will be implemented from 2pm, until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:

1. Traffic along southbound Gloucester Road cannot turn right to northbound Gloucester Road;
2. Traffic along eastbound Great George Street will be diverted to turn left to northbound Gloucester Road, except for vehicles heading for southbound Tai Hang Road flyover;
3. Traffic along eastbound Yee Wo Street cannot turn left to Sugar Street;
4. Traffic along Irving Street will be diverted to turn right to northbound Pennington Street;
5. Traffic along westbound Russell Street must turn left to southbound Canal Road East;
6. Traffic along westbound Hennessy Road cannot turn left to southbound Canal Road East;
7. Traffic along northbound Pennington Street will be diverted to turn right to eastbound Yee Wo Street;
8. Traffic along Yun Ping Road will be diverted to turn left to Lan Fong Road;
9. Traffic along northbound Canal Road West near the junction with Sharp Street West will be diverted to up-ramp leading to northbound Canal Road flyover;
10. Traffic along eastbound Sharp Street West will be diverted to up-ramp leading to northbound Canal Road flyover;
11. Traffic along eastbound Sharp Street West cannot turn left to northbound Bowrington Road;
12. Traffic along northbound Bowrington Road must turn right to eastbound Sharp Street West;
13. Traffic along eastbound Wan Chai Road must turn right to southbound Morrison Hill Road;
14. Traffic along westbound Hennessy Road cannot turn left to southbound Canal Road East;
15. Traffic along eastbound Queensway cannot turn left to northbound Rodney Street;
16. Traffic from United Centre Bus Terminus must turn left to westbound Drake Street;
17. Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road Central cannot enter ground level of eastbound Harcourt Road intermittently, and must go straight to eastbound Harcourt Road flyover;
18. Traffic along northbound Garden Road cannot enter eastbound Harcourt Road and northbound Tim Wa Avenue intermittently, and must turn left to westbound Lambeth Walk or make a U-turn to southbound Cotton Tree Drive;
19. Traffic along westbound Harcourt Road heading for eastbound Queensway will be diverted via westbound Harcourt Road flyover and southbound Murray Road;
20. Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road Central heading for eastbound Queensway and southbound Cotton Tree Drive will be diverted via eastbound Harcourt Road flyover, eastbound Gloucester Road, northbound Fenwick Street, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, westbound Fenwick Pier Street flyover, westbound Harcourt Road flyover and southbound Murray Road;
21. If necessary, traffic along southbound Victoria Park Road flyover will be diverted to turn right to westbound Gloucester Road;
22. If necessary, traffic along southbound Gloucester Road heading for Causeway Road will be diverted to southbound Tai Hang Road flyover; and
23. If necessary, traffic along westbound Harcourt Road cannot enter ground level of westbound Harcourt Road service road intermittently, and must go straight to westbound Harcourt Road flyover.

Suspension of parking spaces
—————————-

     The disabled parking spaces on northbound Gloucester Road near Sugar Street will be suspended between 1pm and 5pm.

     Vehicles may not be permitted to access or leave car parks along the route during the road closure period.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the area. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation:
 
     The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) published its State of the Region (SOTR) Report 2018-2019 on November 14.
 
     The SOTR Report is an annual statement of the PECC's views on the major developments affecting Asia-Pacific regional co-operation. The Report contains a macroeconomic overview of the current state of the region and related issues. It also includes views from opinion leaders from government, business and academic sectors on key developments in the region and priorities for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
 
     The Report stated that the Asia-Pacific economy is expected to grow by 3.9 per cent in 2018 and 3.7 per cent in 2019. The PECC's index of economic integration in the region showed a rebound after two consecutive years of falling. The Report identified the top five policy priorities for the region, namely rising trade tensions and the future of the World Trade Organization and the multilateral trading system; the emergence of anti-globalisation and anti-trade sentiments; progress on the APEC growth strategy to promote balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth; progress towards the Bogor Goals and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific; and investing in human capital development in the digital age.
 
     The Report also examined the future of work in the Asia-Pacific region. There is expectation that the sizes of workforces will decline due to the introduction of new technologies, that the levels of skills required will rise and that the occupational and skill structures of the workforces will change. The impact of technological change is likely to be at the forefront of concerns over the coming years.
 
     The SOTR Report 2018-2019 is now available for download at the link below:
www.pecc.org/research/state-of-the-region.
 
     The Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (HKCPEC) was established in March 1990 to co-ordinate Hong Kong's participation in the PECC. In line with the nature of the PECC, the composition of the HKCPEC is tripartite, comprising members from the Government, the business sector and academia.
 
     The PECC is a non-governmental organisation set up in 1980 to develop closer co-operation in trade and economic issues among economies in the region. For more information, please visit www.pecc.org.