Author Archives: hksar gov

     An opening ceremony for the Chinese Film Panorama – A Showcase of Co-production Films 2018 was held tonight (October 18) at Hong Kong City Hall, followed by the screening of the opening film “Where Has Time Gone?” (2017), a collaboration between Chinese director Jia Zhangke and filmmakers from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
 
     Showcasing 12 outstanding films co-produced by the Mainland and Hong Kong or foreign countries, the programme is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the South China Film Industry Workers Union in association with Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Southern Film Co Ltd and the China Film Foundation. The films will be screened from today until November 30 at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall and the lecture halls of the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Science Museum.
 
     Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, noted that the co-production films have witnessed the continuing exchanges between China and the rest of the world and also signify the progress made by Chinese films to “go global”. Through these films audiences can gain a better understanding of the cultural interactions between various places, he added.
 
     Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Deputy Director-General of the Publicity, Culture and Sports Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Zhu Ting; leader of the Chinese film delegation Mr Li Qiankuan; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Mr Ma Fung-kwok; the Chairman of the South China Film Industry Workers Union, Mr Yu Luen; and the Chairman of Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Mr Chen Yiqi.
 
     The opening film, “Where Has Time Gone?”, is the first co-production involving the BRICS countries. It consists of five short films made by the five directors using different angles to present the passage of time. The film won the “Golden Silkroad” Media Honor Special Jury Award at the 4th Silk Road International Film Festival.
 
     Other selected films include “Pali Road” (2016) directed by Jonathan Lim, “Miss Granny” (2015) directed by Leste Chen, “Wolf Totem” (2015) directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, “The Nightingale” (2014) directed by Philippe Muyl, “A Wedding Invitation” (2013) directed by Oh Kihwan, “Aftershock” (2010) directed by Feng Xiaogang,”Hanoi, Hanoi” (2006) directed by Zhang Jing, Li Wei and Yan Junyong, “Zhou Yu’s Train” (2003) directed by Sun Zhou,”Red Rose White Rose” (1994) directed by Stanley Kwan, “The Last Emperor” (1987) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and “The Go Masters” (1982) directed by Duan Jishun and Junya Sato.
 
     “Where Has Time Gone?” is in Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, English and Putonghua; “Pali Road” and “The Last Emperor” are in English and Putonghua; “Hanoi, Hanoi” is in Vietnamese and Putonghua; “The Go Masters” is in Japanese and Putonghua while the other films are in Putonghua. All films have Chinese and English subtitles. “Red Rose White Rose” is classified as Category III, only persons aged 18 and above will be admitted.
      
     Tickets priced at $55 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2018cfp/index.html.

    

     The Department of Health (DH) today (October 18) endorsed a licensed Chinese herbal medicine (Chm) wholesaler, Wong Chak Kee Limited, to voluntarily recall from the market a batch of Chm, Herba Pteridis Multifidae (batch number: 180408), as the Chm exceeded the limits for arsenic set out by the Chinese Medicines Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMCHK). As a precautionary measure, Wong Chak Kee Limited is also voluntarily recalling other batches of Herba Pteridis Multifidae distributed by the company from the market.

     During the DH’s market surveillance, a sample of the above Chm was collected for analysis. The test result from the Government Laboratory revealed that the decoction prepared from the above Chm contained, in terms of the maximum daily intake of the above Chm, about 2.6 times the maximum limit of arsenic set out by CMCHK.

     “Arsenic is a heavy metal. Long-term consumption of high levels of arsenic may cause adverse health effects. Major organs affected include the skin, the bladder and the lungs. So far, no adverse report related to the use of the above Chm has been received. Investigations are ongoing,” a spokesman for the DH said.

     According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap 549), Herba Pteridis Multifidae is any or the whole part of Pteris multifida Poir. It is a Schedule 2 Chm of the Ordinance used to clear heat and dampness, disperse swelling and detoxify, as well as cool the blood, and is haemostatic.

     Wong Chak Kee Limited has set up a hotline (2857 3332) for related enquiries. The DH will closely monitor the recall.
 
     According to section 52 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), selling any drug not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser is liable to a maximum penalty of $10,000 and three months’ imprisonment. Upon completion of investigation, the DH will work with the Department of Justice on prosecution matters and will also refer the case to the CMCHK for possible disciplinary action. 

     The DH urged members of the public who have purchased the above Chm to stop using it immediately and submit it to the Chinese Medicine Division of the DH on 16/F, AIA Kowloon Tower, Landmark East, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal. Members of the public who have taken the above Chm and feel unwell should seek advice from healthcare professionals.

  

     In response to recent media enquiries about a rehabilitated person concerning a work assignment, communication, complaints mechanism and the handling of illicit activities inside a penal institution, the Correcti… read more

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chaired the second meeting of the third-term Commission on Poverty (CoP) this afternoon (October 18).  

     At the meeting, Mr Cheung and relevant government officials briefed members on the various initiatives on improving people’s livelihood announced in the 2018 Policy Address. These initiatives include further relaxing the age limit of the target beneficiaries of the Community Care Fund (CCF) Elderly Dental Assistance Programme; enhancing the means test of the Samaritan Fund and CCF assistance programmes; increasing education resources to secondary and primary schools as well as kindergartens; enhancing further labour protection for non-skilled workers engaged by government service contractors; strengthening support for the disadvantaged including ethnic minorities, children with special educational needs and persons with disability; and continuing to promote the Working Family Allowance Scheme. Members noted the Government’s determination and commitment to improving people’s livelihood and provided views on the new initiatives. 

     Mr Cheung stressed that the current-term Government attaches great importance to tackling social poverty and will continue to step up its efforts in alleviating poverty and helping the disadvantaged with a view to building a caring, harmonious and inclusive society.

     The CoP also noted the implementation progress of various assistance programmes and the financial position of the CCF. In addition, the CoP agreed to extend the Special Care Subsidy for the Severely Disabled Programme for a maximum of 24 months to provide eligible persons with severe disabilities a subsidy to purchase care goods and services or for other purposes related to nursing care. The revised total provision for the Programme is $452.79 million and more than 2 700 persons are expected to benefit from the Programme.  

     During the meeting, the Social Welfare Department briefed members on the progress of implementing after-school learning and support programmes for grass-roots children under the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (the Fund) as well as the review on the service impacts of dedicated portions under the Fund. Members recognised that the Fund could effectively promote tripartite partnership among the welfare sector, the business community and the Government to help the disadvantaged. Members also expressed views on the assistance programmes and way forward of the Fund.  

     In addition, as a follow-up to the discussion of the last meeting, the Office of the Government Economist and the Census and Statistics Department briefed members on the enhancement proposals of the poverty line analytical framework. Members gave views on the proposals.   read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) will start to issue new smart Hong Kong identity cards (HKICs) next month.
 
     “Starting from Monday, November 26, 2018, if a person applies for an HKIC at any one of the Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices, he or she will receive a new form of smart HKIC,” an ImmD spokesman said today (October 18).
 
     This covers HKIC applications from persons who need to apply for a juvenile identity card upon reaching the age of 11; persons who have to apply for an adult identity card upon reaching the age of 18; new arrivals; persons whose identity cards have been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced; and persons who wish to amend the particulars printed on their HKICs.
 
     The spokesman further announced that the upcoming territory-wide identity card replacement exercise will start on Thursday, December 27, 2018. Holders of existing smart HKICs will be invited to attend one of the nine newly established Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs) in phases, in accordance with their year of birth, to have their HKICs replaced within specified periods. No fee will be charged for new smart HKICs issued under the replacement exercise.
 
     “The nine SIDCCs are all situated in convenient locations (Annex) and are easily accessible by public transport. They will be open from Mondays to Saturdays (except Sundays and public holidays), from 8am to 10pm,” the spokesman added.
 
     It is estimated that the replacement exercise will last about four years. The Secretary for Security will issue an Order to announce the details of the first cycle. Subject to the normal negative vetting procedure of the Legislative Council, the arrangement will be as follows:
 
Eligible Persons                                          Period
 
Members of the Immigration                 December 27, 2018
Service, police officers and                    – March 30, 2019
labour inspectors
 
Holders of existing HKICs                     January 21, 2019
who were born in 1985 or 1986             – March 30, 2019
 
Holders of existing HKICs                      April 1, 2019
who were born in 1968 or 1969             – June 1, 2019
 
     The spokesman explained that, as with the last replacement exercise, the first cycle would begin by first replacing the smart HKICs of members of the Immigration Service, police officers and labour inspectors, allowing them to get familiar with the features of new smart HKICs for fighting against illegal immigration and illegal employment. Also, the Order has provided the Chief Executive, members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, and Principal Officials with an option to apply for the new smart HKICs at the same stage to further promote the new smart HKICs.   
 
     In view of the demographic changes of Hong Kong, and to make the arrangement more convenient to the public, in particular groups in need, the following new facilitation measures will be introduced in the replacement exercise:
 
(a) The HKIC holders who are invited under their age groups may bring along two family members or friends aged 65 or above (born in 1954 or before) to replace their smart HKICs together during the same visit, so that these elderly persons need not proceed to the SIDCCs separately by themselves when their respective age groups are called up for HKIC replacement at a later stage; and
 
(b) For the first time an on-site identity card replacement service will be introduced at specified residential care homes for elderly persons and persons with disabilities (RCHs). In addition to replacing their HKICs at the SIDCCs in the period specified for their age groups, residents of the relevant RCHs may choose to have their HKICs replaced on-site at the RCHs. Starting from the second quarter of 2019, ImmD will roll out the on-site identity card replacement service by visiting the RCHs concerned throughout the territory in phases.
 
     ImmD will also make better use of technology to enhance convenience and efficiency. With effect from October 29, members of the public may make appointments and prefill forms on the Internet before visiting the ROP Offices or the SIDCCs, so that they may save queuing time and enjoy a faster registration process. In addition, ImmD’s Mobile Application will provide relevant services from November 26. Furthermore, self-service registration kiosks and self-service collection kiosks will be introduced to provide more convenient services to the public. 
 
     Publicity will be conducted through various channels to explain to members of the public the details of the new smart HKICs and the replacement exercise prior to its launch and throughout the exercise.
 
     Hong Kong residents who are presently overseas need not rush back to Hong Kong solely for replacement of their HKICs. They can do so within 30 days after their return to Hong Kong if they have missed their turn. Meanwhile, the existing arrangement for issuing the Certificate of Exemption to the aged, the blind or the infirm who are in Hong Kong but are unable to replace their identity cards in person remains unchanged.
 
     For enquiries, please contact ImmD by calling the enquiry hotline at 2824 6111, by fax to 2877 7711 or by email to enquiry@immd.gov.hk. read more