Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 28) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches* that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay**).
        
     Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 as Fair (Grade 2) and six as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:        

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach***	St Stephen’s Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach***	Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Trio Beach***
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach	Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Shek O Beach***
Deep Water Bay Beach***	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Discovery Bay	Silverstrand Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach	Casam Beach
Approach Beach	Lido Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Ting Kau Beach

 
* The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced on September 17 that, due to urgent clearance work and maintenance of shark prevention nets after the Typhoon Mangkhut, all beaches in Southern, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan, Islands and Sai Kung Districts are temporarily closed until further notice.

** Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

*** After the typhoon, damage was found at Sai Kung Sewage Treatment Works and some sewage pipes near Deep Water Bay and Tai Tau Chau at Shek O, leading to the discharge of sewage. The public are advised to avoid recreational activities at beaches including Kiu Tsui Beach, Trio Beach, Hap Mun Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Shek O Beach where water quality may be affected in the near future.
  
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department’s websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. read more

     The Government announced today (September 28) that the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong will be increased by 2.5 per cent, from $4,410 to $4,520 per month.

     Under the Standard Employment Contract for hiring FDHs, employers are required to provide FDHs with food free of charge. At present, the vast majority of employers provide free food to FDHs. Employers may, however, choose to pay a food allowance in lieu. The food allowance will be increased by $22 (or 2.1 per cent) from not less than $1,053 to not less than $1,075 per month.

     The new levels of the MAW and the food allowance will apply to all FDH contracts signed on or after tomorrow (September 29).

     A Government spokesman said, “The Government reviews the MAW for FDHs regularly. In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong’s general economic and labour market conditions over the past year, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including the relevant income movement and price change in this year’s review. The Government has also taken into account Hong Kong’s near-term economic outlook, as well as affordability for employers on the one hand and the interests of FDHs on the other, in reaching the decision on the above-mentioned adjustment.”

     The spokesman added, “The Government has also reviewed the food allowance in lieu of free food, and decided to increase the allowance level.”

     FDH contracts signed today or earlier at the existing MAW of $4,410 per month and with food allowance of not less than $1,053 per month will still be processed by the Immigration Department (ImmD) provided that the applications reach ImmD on or before October 26 (Friday). This arrangement will give employers sufficient time to send the signed contracts to ImmD for completion of the necessary application procedures. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (September 28) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$3,993.7 billion as at August 31, 2018, HK$150.6 billion lower than that at the end of July 2018.  Foreign currency assets decreased by HK$102.6 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$48.0 billion.
      
     The decline in foreign currency assets was mainly due to a decrease in unsettled purchases of securities and the sale of US dollars under the Currency Board arrangements.  The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to a decrease in Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued but not yet settled.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of August 2018 was HK$1,611.2 billion, decreased by HK$33.9 billion, or 2.1 per cent, from the end of July 2018.  The decline was mainly due to a decrease in the balance of the banking system.
      
     The amount of Backing Assets decreased by HK$30.3 billion, or 1.7 per cent, to HK$1,765.7 billion.  The decrease was mainly due to the sale of US dollars under the Currency Board arrangements, which was partly offset by income from investments.  The backing ratio increased from 109.18 per cent at the end of July 2018 to 109.59 per cent at the end of August 2018.
 
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        At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund’s data are issued by the HKMA each month.  Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS).  The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund’s Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA’s policy of maintaining a high level of transparency.  For the month of September 2018, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

7 September (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
14 September (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
28 September	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
28 September	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

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     Police will implement special traffic arrangements to facilitate a public event to be held on Hong Kong Island this Sunday (September 30).      The following traffic arrangements will be impleme… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:      The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the results of the residential mortgage survey for August 2018.        The number of m… read more