Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹Following is a question by Hon Jimmy Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, in the Legislative Council today (October 31):
 
Question:
 
     The Chief Executive stated in her Policy Address delivered in October 2017 that she had “called upon all policy bureaux to uphold the principle of meritocracy and cast their net wide in scouting for talents. Anyone with ability and the commitment to serve the community will stand a chance to join various statutory and advisory bodies and tender advice to the Government”. Regarding the statutory and advisory bodies (SABs) in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government compiled statistics in the past three years on the political affiliations of members of various SABs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; 

(2) as there are comments that as the society of Hong Kong has become increasingly diversified, the Government needs to listen to the views of various stakeholders in the process of policy formulation, whether the Government reviewed in the past three years the roles of SABs in policy formulation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and 

(3) given that the Government has launched, one after another since last year, the Pilot Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth and the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth, but only 15 advisory committees are covered by such schemes, representing 3 per cent of the approximately 490 SABs in Hong Kong, whether the Government will review the effectiveness of such schemes and introduce improvements, e.g. relaxing the age restriction as well as gradually opening up all SABs for self-recommendation by young people; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? 
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to Hon Jimmy Ng’s question is as follows.

(1) The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) maintains the personal particulars of most members serving on advisory and statutory bodies (ASBs). Some of them have declared their political affiliation. But as such information is provided by individual members on a voluntary basis, we do not have comprehensive statistics on the political affiliation of all ASB members.

(2) As a key component in public administration, ASBs play an important role of assisting the Government in the consultation with stakeholders, formulation of policy objectives and performance of statutory functions. At present, there are about 490 ASBs in Hong Kong. The system of ASBs is multi-faceted, including various advisory boards and committees, public bodies, appeal boards and regulatory bodies. Through these bodies, various sectors of the community and relevant organisations may express their views at various stages in the making of policies and planning of public services by the Government.

     The appointments of individuals by the Government as non-official members to ASBs are based on merits. When appointing a member to serve on an ASB, the relevant bureau or department (B/D) takes into account the candidate’s ability, expertise, experience, integrity and commitment to public service, with due regard to the functions and nature of business of the ASB as well as the statutory requirements for the membership of the statutory body concerned.

     To gauge a wide range of public views, when appointing members to serve on these bodies, the Government will, apart from taking into account the needs of the ASB concerned, consider people of various background and experience, such as professionals, academics, businessmen as well as representatives from districts and related sectors. Apart from those appointed directly by the Government, some ASB members are identified through nomination, recommendation, appointment or election by the relevant institutions and professional organisations.

     The Government has been keeping a close watch over the arrangements on appointment of ASB members to make sure that such arrangements meet the needs of the community today. To enable ASBs to fully cater for the increasingly diversified society, the HAB, while upholding the principle of appointment by merits, has established guidelines for B/Ds on the appointment of members to ASBs to make sure that individuals from various sectors have the opportunity to serve the community through working in ASBs. According to the guidelines, B/Ds, as a general rule, shall not recommend appointment of a non-official member to serve on more than six ASBs at the same time or to serve on the same body for more than six years in the same capacity. This is to ensure a reasonable distribution of workload and a healthy turnover of members. Moreover, the Government has set a gender benchmark target of 35 per cent to enhance the participation of women in ASBs. To provide more opportunities for young people to participate in policy discussion and debate, the Government has set a target of increasing, within the current-term Government, the overall ratio of appointed youth members aged between 18 and 35 to 15 per cent.

(3) The Government creates, through various initiatives, a favourable environment for young people to join different ASBs for participating in public affairs. Such initiatives include the regularisation of the Pilot Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (Pilot Scheme) launched last year to recruit regularly young people, who are aged between 18 and 35 and passionate about serving the community, to join more ASBs. Under the regularised Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY), the Government will roll out two rounds of recruitment every year. The number of participating committees covering various policy areas will increase and exceed 15. The Pilot Scheme and the first phase of the regularised MSSY have received about 1 100 and 1 500 applications respectively. In addition to the seats open for recruitment under the Pilot Scheme and MSSY, the Government has invited those applicants attending the interviews to authorise the HAB to include their personal particulars in the Central Personality Index (CPI) database so that relevant B/Ds may retrieve the information for reference during their selection of candidates for appointment as members of ASBs. The number of young people in the CPI database was only about 940 before the launch of the Pilot Scheme (i.e. October last year), and the number has increased significantly to about 2 770 at present. The proportion of appointed youth members has also increased from 7.8 per cent as at the end of last year to the current level of 9 per cent and the progress is satisfactory. read more

     Following is a question by Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (October 31):

Question:

     It is learnt that there are currently more than 150 000 deaf/hard-of-hearing persons in Hong Kong, many of whom are residing in public housing estates. As all public housing estates in Hong Kong are currently not installed with visual fire alarm systems, there is a lack of protection for the safety of such persons. It has been reported that the Housing Department (HD) launched a trial scheme in August last year to install fire alarm flashing lights in units of public housing estates, but HD has so far not given an account of the progress. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the details and progress of the trial scheme as well as the manpower involved; whether HD has consulted the deaf/hard-of-hearing persons and concern groups in respect of the implementation of the trial scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether the deaf/hard-of-hearing public housing tenants may currently apply for fire alarm flashing lights to be installed by HD in their units; if so,

(i) of the respective numbers of applications received, approved and rejected by HD since last year;

(ii) if there were rejected applications, of the reasons for the
rejection; whether the tenants concerned may lodge an appeal; if so, of the mechanism involved;

(iii) of the number of cases to-date in which the works for installation of fire alarm flashing lights have been completed;

(iv) whether HD has provided training and guidelines for the frontline staff on handling such applications, and distributed application forms to the tenants concerned; if so, of the details; if not, whether HD will do so as soon as possible; and

(3) whether it will consider making amendments to the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) and the Fire Services Ordinance (Cap. 95) to require that (i) all newly constructed public and private residential buildings must be installed with a visual fire alarm system, and that (ii) existing residential buildings must be retrofitted with such a system within a specified period of time; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,

     Having consulted the Development Bureau and the Security Bureau, I set out the consolidated reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung as follows:

     The Building (Planning) Regulations (B(P)R) prescribes design requirements on barrier-free access and facilities to ensure that suitable barrier-free access and facilities are provided in private buildings to meet the needs of persons with disabilities.  At the same time, although the related provisions do not apply to buildings built before the commencement date of the B(P)R (viz. August 1985), any alterations or additions to such buildings are required to comply with the relevant regulations.

     In order to facilitate registered building professionals to comply with the aforesaid requirements, the Buildings Department (BD) has issued the Design Manual: Barrier Free Access (the Design Manual) which has set out the mandatory statutory design requirements as well as recommendations for best practice design. Upon receipt of general building plans submitted by registered building professionals, BD shall vet the provision of barrier free facilities and access in the buildings for persons with disabilities in accordance with the details set out in the Design Manual. The Fire Services Department (FSD) will also ensure that all fire service installations and equipment comply with the requirements set out in the “Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installation and Equipment” issued by FSD, having regard to the intended use of the buildings prescribed under the Buildings Ordinance.

     The Design Manual has also specified the scope of application of visual fire alarm system (VFA). Comprising of various sectors, including rehabilitation, building and academia, the Technical Committee on the Design Manual had discussion on the scope of application of VFA. There were no views expressed then to mandate each private residential unit to be installed with such alarm system. However, in the light of the recommendations made by the Technical Committee, BD revised the Design Manual in April 2017 to recommend that apart from mandating the installation of VFA at some of the areas at the various uses of buildings listed in the Design Manual, registered building professionals should adopt new best practice design during the general building plans submission by providing VFA in situations where person with hearing impairment has to work alone (except for areas designed for domestic use).

     Though the Design Manual does not mandate the installation of VFA in a residential unit, the Government welcomes the installation of such alarm system according to the actual needs of the owner.

     At the same time, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has all along been providing appropriate assistance to tenants with hearing impairment according to actual circumstances. For instance, relevant households may opt for special notification service provided by HA and authorise estate office staff to notify the designated contact person(s) in case of suspension of fresh water supply/electricity supply/lift service or in emergency (e.g. fire incident); and to transfer their relevant information to other government departments, such as the Police, FSD, etc. for communication purposes. In case of emergency, such as fire incident, estate office staff may, under safe situation, notify persons with hearing impairment to leave their public rental housing (PRH) units, before the Police or FSD personnel arrives at the scene. Relevant households may also apply to HA for free installations of flashing-light doorbells to facilitate their answering of door calls.

     HA has also been strictly complying with the regulations and requirements of the relevant legislations in installing fire protection systems in its PRH estates. Under the prevailing legislation, individual units in residential buildings (including PRH units) are not required to be equipped with VFA. Installing VFA in residential units would require proper handling of certain statutory and technical issues. For example, the system must be connected to the communal fire service installations so as to enable the simultaneous actuation of fire alarm bells in the event of a fire. In fact, as we understand, it is not common for VFA to be installed in individual units in residential buildings.

     At present, HA does not have a policy on installing VFA in PRH units. Nevertheless, with a view to further assisting households with hearing impaired persons, HA commenced a feasibility study for the installation of VFA in August 2017. FSD’s consent to the relevant proposal was obtained in November 2017. Thereafter, HA submitted the preliminary design drawings and detailed fire service installation drawings to FSD in December 2017 and April 2018 respectively, in the pursuit of carrying out trial installation of VFA in a PRH unit with  hearing impaired tenant. FSD’s consent to the installation works was obtained in July 2018. HA installed the VFA on August 20, 2018 and, on the same date, held a meeting with the deaf/hearing-impaired concern group assisting the household; as well as several other households with hearing impaired members residing in other PRH estates, to gauge their opinions. In addition, HA held a meeting with another deaf/hearing-impaired concern group on September 3, 2018 to gather their views and explain to them about the VFA and the progress of the trial.

     HA will closely monitor the performance of the VFA and observe if changes in environment conditions, such as temperature and humidity, will affect its operation. HA will also maintain communication with the relevant household to understand and assess the effectiveness of the installation. The review over the trial installation is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

     Up to now, HA has received enquiries from six households with hearing impaired members requesting for the installation of VFA. As the system is still under trial, its performance and effectiveness are to be monitored and reviewed. HA will determine the way forward upon the completion of the review. read more

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting today (October 31).      The arrangements will come into effect two hours … read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Abraham Shek and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (October 31): Question:      Will the… read more

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the opening of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2018 this morning (October 31):
 
Norman (Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Norman Chan), distinguished speakers and guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning.
 
     I am delighted to be here today, to have this welcome opportunity to speak to you all here for Hong Kong FinTech Week, an event gathering more than 8 000 business leaders, start-up innovators, regulators, investors and more from over 50 countries and regions. Most of you, I’m sure, are flag-waving fintech fans, passionate believers in the future of financial technology. Some might be holding a wait-and-see attitude, waiting to be convinced and converted.
 
     No matter which group you belong to, I’d say you’ve come to the right place. Over the next four days, this third edition and the biggest ever Hong Kong FinTech Week is going to present more than 200 speakers tackling themes critical to the future of fintech.
 
     On the fifth day of FinTech Week, together we will head for Shenzhen, making this the world’s first ever cross-border fintech event.
 
     No less important, the day in Shenzhen will give you the chance to see for yourself how Hong Kong can serve as your fintech base, while tapping into the vast opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a big part of the world’s largest fintech market.
 
     Some are already calling Shenzhen the Silicon Valley of China. Imagine placing Silicon Valley next door to New York City. I’m sure and confident that’s pretty much what Hong Kong and Shenzhen will, soon enough, offer the world. Let me share with you a few thoughts on this.
 
     It starts, of course, with our financial sector. Hong Kong is consistently rated among the world’s top three international financial centres and first in Asia. Our information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure is equally world-class. Hong Kong’s financial regulatory framework enables innovation, while protecting users and the industry in general. And our talent pool is multilingual and multitalented as I’m sure you’ll discover in the course of this FinTech Week.
 
     More importantly, Hong Kong welcomes you with an inclusive spirit of entrepreneurship, and with the assurance of a level playing field for all.
 
     You may be well aware that Hong Kong is the freest economy in the world. Our government concentrates on promoting and facilitating, so that you can focus yourself on innovating and business building.
 
     Earlier this year, I dedicated HK$500 million to develop the financial services industry, and fintech is definitely on the agenda.
 
     I also allocated nearly HK$200 million to Cyberport as part of our determined effort to support fintech start-ups. The Government’s HK$2 billion Innovation and Technology Venture Fund and Cyberport’s Macro Fund also help finance new fintech projects.
 
     Private funding from angel investors, venture capitalists and private equity funds is also rife. Indeed, investment in Hong Kong-based fintech companies exceeded US$500 million in 2017 – more than doubling the amount in 2016.
 
     Hong Kong is undoubtedly an ideal launch pad for those seeking a future in fintech. There are well over 300 fintech start-ups at Cyberport and Hong Kong Science Park and over 150 other fintech companies are flourishing in the private co-working spaces dotted all over Hong Kong. 
 
     Our Fast Track Programme is here, right outside this hall, to support you to join the league. Specialists from InvestHK, as well as our financial regulators and fintech partners, are there to assist you, to help you launch your fintech future here in Hong Kong.
 
     What Hong Kong can offer is smartly summed up by the tagline of our new Hong Kong fintech logo, “Launch, Leap and Lead”.
 
     I’ve touched on Hong Kong’s resources for launching your fintech company or start-up. We’ll help you make that leap as our city as a whole excitedly rolls into the era of fintech. Just last month, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched the Faster Payment System. 
 
     That means instant fund transfer round the clock in both Hong Kong dollars and Renminbi not only between banks, but also between e-wallets.
 
     A common QR code for retail payment has also been established, allowing Hong Kong merchants to accept payment from multiple channels, including e-wallets and individual banking apps.
 
     By the end of this year, the first batch of virtual bank licenses will be given to those virtual banks to open their portals. An Open API framework is also on the way. It will allow fintech companies to collaborate with banks in providing innovative offerings.
 
     As for leading, that means, among other things, expanding our markets. We’re certainly working on that. Those of you who make the trip to Shenzhen this Friday will get a first-hand appreciation for that and for the possibilities, the promise, of the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong’s role, very unique role, in this national development strategy.
 
     The Greater Bay Area links nine prosperous cities in southern China together with Hong Kong and Macao. Together, they count some 70 million ready consumers of financial services, and of course fintech.
 
     My sincere thanks to my colleagues in InvestHK and all the other organisers and supporters for putting together this year’s Hong Kong FinTech Week. I’m sure it will be a resounding success.
 
     I wish you all a rewarding week, and the best of fintech business in the coming year.
 
     Thank you.