Author Archives: hksar gov

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     At the 22nd Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman’s Awards today (November 2), The Ombudsman, Ms Connie Lau, encouraged everybody to adopt a positive attitude towards complaints so that all parties can jointly promote a positive complaint culture and build better systems.

     â€‹Ms Lau said, “The process of lodging and handling complaints can be an effective way of communication and provides an opportunity for us to build mutual trust. In the process, complainants can give their views on public services, while departments and organisations can understand better the public’s expectations so that they can make adjustments and improve their services. There is one thing in common among the winning organisations and public officers: they all understand the public’s predicament and are empathetic with their feelings. They know what people need and try their best to offer assistance.”

     â€‹The Grand Award this year went to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). In response to the Office’s inquiries and investigations, the AFCD attached great importance to maintaining direct communication with the Office’s investigators. The department was willing to share all the relevant legislation/procedures and related professional knowledge, and fully co-operated with the Office’s investigations.

     â€‹The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) were the other two winning organisations. The C&ED responded to public enquiries and the Office’s investigations in an earnest and timely manner, providing detailed elaboration of case details, its follow-up actions regarding public complaints, and the relevant considerations or legal justifications behind its decisions. The FSD discharged its duties in a timely and proper manner in strict compliance with the law, and adopted a positive and impartial approach in handling complaints. It also treated the Office’s inquiries seriously and provided comprehensive explanations.

     â€‹The Housing Department (HD) was presented the newly introduced Award on Mediation for a public organisation this year. Of the 237 cases the Office handled by mediation during the past year, more than 30 per cent, or 80 cases, were HD cases, among which over 40 per cent were settled within 10 days. The HD’s endeavours to find a win-win solution with the complainants have significantly increased its efficiency in handling complaint cases.

     â€‹At the presentation ceremony, Ms Lau also commended the contributions made by the public officers who won the Individual Awards. She said, “Successful organisations are invariably backed by dedicated staff in delivering quality services. This year, 55 public officers have been presented the Individual Awards to recognise their professionalism in handling complaints with great diligence and a responsible work attitude.” A full list of the awardees this year is in the Appendix.

     â€‹The Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme was introduced in 1997. In 1999, the Scheme was extended to honour individual public officers. This year, an additional Award on Mediation for a public organisation was introduced.

      

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will depart Hong Kong for Geneva, Switzerland in the early hours of November 4 to attend the meeting under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to be held from November 6 to 9 (Geneva time). He will be joined by representatives from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Department of Justice and the Labour Department.   
 
     A Government spokesperson today (November 2) said, “The officials from the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) Government will attend the meeting as members of China’s delegation. During the meeting, the UNHRC will examine China’s third report under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, which incorporates a part concerning the HKSAR. The Chief Secretary for Administration and other representatives of the HKSAR will answer questions in relation to the various human right issues in the HKSAR.”
 
     The part concerning the HKSAR in China’s third report under the UNHRC Universal Periodic Review mechanism has been uploaded to the website of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/press/reports_human.htm).
 
     Mr Cheung will leave Geneva on November 9 (Geneva time) and arrive in Hong Kong the following day. During his absence, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. read more

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (November 2) that a site, New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6575 at Kai Tak Area 4B Site 2, Kai Tak, Kowloon, in the 2018-19 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender. … read more

     With the northeast monsoon successively affecting south China coastal areas, October 2018 was slightly cooler than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean temperature of 25.3 degrees was 0.2 degrees below the normal figure of 25.5… read more

     Composer Du Yun, the first Asian woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music, will team up with librettist Royce Vavrek and international and local musicians and vocalists, to present the Asia premiere of “Angel’s Bone” in Hong Kong on November 10 and 11.
 
     “Angel’s Bone” melds opera, chamber music, electronic music and cabaret into a searing multi-art performance, exploring the dark effects behind modern-day slavery and human trafficking and probing the twisted psyche of traffickers.
 
     The story tells the plight of two angels who have fallen down to Earth. They are found battered and bruised from their long journey by a middle-class couple who are in the midst of a financial crisis. They set out to nurse the wounded angels back to health, but then lock them in a room, leaving them a claw foot bathtub for a shared bed, and decide to exploit the bodies of the celestial beings for wealth.
 
     Born in Shanghai and now living in New York, Du Yun won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for the production “Angel’s Bone” in 2017 and was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2018. Hailed by the New York Times as a groundbreaking artist, she was also listed by the Washington Post as one of the top 35 female composers. Du Yun works at the intersection of orchestral, opera and chamber music, theatre, cabaret, sound installation, electronics and more.
 
     “Angel’s Bone”, performed in English with Chinese and English surtitles, is one of the programmes of the New Vision Arts Festival (NVAF). It will be staged at 8pm on November 10 and at 3pm on November 11 at the Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium. Tickets priced at $200, $320, $440 and $560 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
 
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the NVAF is celebrating its ninth edition this year and is being held from October 19 to November 18. For programme enquiries and discount schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk.