The Highways Department (HyD) today (September 28) invited tenders for the Central Kowloon Route – Kai Tak East (Contract No. HY/2018/02).

     The works are scheduled to commence in March 2019 and will take about 70 months to complete. The works mainly include:

* construction of an approximately 700-metre dual 2-lane Central Kowloon Route mainline in Kai Tak, including at-grade roads and bridges;
* construction of Kai Tak Interchange, including bridges, an underpass, and associated at-grade slip roads, connecting the Central Kowloon Route with the existing road network;
* construction of a footbridge, and demolition or backfilling of an existing subway across Kai Fuk Road;
* realignment of existing Kai Fuk Road, Kai Cheung Road and Kai Cheung Road/Kai Fuk Road loop road;
* reconstruction of an approximately 30m existing multi-cell box culvert;
* construction of an approximately 130m underground ventilation and electrical and mechanical adit;
* construction of a ring road underpass, connecting the Central Kowloon Route mainline and the Central Kowloon Route Administration Building;
* junction improvement works at existing Wang Kwong Road/Kai Cheung Road and Wang Kwong Road/Lam Hing Street junctions;
* arrangement and implementation of cross boundary disposal of construction and demolition materials; and
* associated roadworks, drainage, waterworks, landscaping works, geotechnical works, and electrical and mechanical works.

     The HyD has appointed Arup-Mott MacDonald Joint Venture as the consultant to design and supervise the construction works. Interested contractors can obtain the tender forms and other particulars from Arup-Mott MacDonald Joint Venture at Level 5 Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong.

     The invitation to tender was gazetted today. Submission of tenders will close at noon on December 14, 2018 (Friday). Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box located at the lobby of the Public Entrance on G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar.

     For enquiries, please call the consultant at 2268 3560.

     Following is a reminder of the press releases on statistical data to be issued between October and December 2018. The schedule for issuing press releases on statistical data in 2018 was provided to the media in September 2017. No change has been made to the original schedule.
 
October 2018
==========

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
2                      Retail sales statistics for August 2018
 
18                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for August 2018
 
19                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for July – September 2018
 
19                    Business expectations for fourth quarter 2018
 
23                    Consumer Price Index for September 2018
 
25                    External merchandise trade statistics for September 2018
 
26                    Salary indices for managerial and professional employees for June 2018
 
November 2018
============

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
1                      Retail sales statistics for September 2018
 
5                      Restaurant receipts and purchases statistics for third quarter 2018
 
15                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for September 2018
 
16                    Gross Domestic Product for third quarter 2018 : data
                        contained in the press release entitled "Economic
                        Situation in the Third Quarter of 2018 and Latest GDP
                        and Price Forecasts for 2018" issued by the Office of the
                        Government Economist under the Financial Secretary's
                        Office (Note)
 
16                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for August – October 2018
 
20                    Consumer Price Index for October 2018
 
26                    External merchandise trade statistics for October 2018
 
30                    Retail sales statistics for October 2018
 
December 2018
============

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
6                      Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for third quarter 2018
 
10                    Quarterly business receipts indices for service industries for third quarter 2018
 
11                    Construction output statistics for third quarter 2018
 
11                    Statistics on trade involving outward processing in the mainland of China for third quarter
                        2018
 
14                    Index of industrial production and producer price index for the industrial sector for third
                        quarter 2018
 
17                    Gross National Income and external primary income flows for third quarter 2018
 
18                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for September – November 2018
 
18                    Employment and vacancies statistics for September 2018
 
20                    Consumer Price Index for November 2018
 
20                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for October 2018
 
20                    Chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product by economic activity for third quarter
                        2018
 
21                    Balance of Payments and International Investment Position statistics for third quarter
                        2018
 
27                    External merchandise trade statistics for November 2018
 
28                    Wage and payroll statistics for September 2018
 
Note: The Office of the Government Economist under the Financial Secretary's Office will issue a press release on the "Third Quarter Economic Report 2018" and final update of the GDP and price forecasts for 2018 as a whole. The GDP for the third quarter of 2018 will also be released there. No separate press release on the GDP for the third quarter of 2018 will be issued by the Census and Statistics Department on that day.
 
     The schedule for regular press releases in 2019 can be downloaded at the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/press_release/index.jsp).
 

     Young Hong Kong tenor Jasper Sung will give a vocal recital in October as part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s "Our Music Talents" Series. Accompanying Sung will be pianist Karen Sung, and together they will perform the song cycle of Schubert's "Die schöne Müllerin".

     The programme will include "Das Wandern" (Wandering), "Wohin?" (Where to?), "Halt!" (Halt!), "Danksagung an den Bach" (Giving Thanks to the Brook), "Am Feierabend" (On the Restful Evening), "Der Neugierige" (Curiosity), "Ungeduld" (Impatience), "Morgengruß" (Morning Greetings), "Des Müllers Blumen" (The Miller's Flowers), "Tränenregen" (Rain of Tears), "Mein!" (Mine!), "Pause" (Pause), "Mit dem grünen Lautenbande" (With the Green Lute-ribbon), "Der Jäger" (The Hunter), "Eifersucht und Stolz" (Jealousy and Pride), "Die liebe Farbe" (The Favourite Colour), "Die böse Farbe" (The Hateful Colour), "Trockne Blumen" (Dry Flowers), "Der Müller und der Bach" (The Miller and the Brook) and "Des Baches Wiegenlied" (The Brook's Lullaby).

     In 2015, Jasper Sung graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Master of Music degree in singing under Nancy Yuen. In 2016, he studied for the Postgraduate University Course (Voice) at the University Mozarteum Salzburg under Mario Diaz with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund Scholarship. He has also studied with Siegfried Jerusalem and Helen Donath at the International Summer Academy of the Mozarteum in Salzburg with the Foundation for the Arts and Music in Asia Scholarship.

     Sung has played many operatic roles including the title role in "The Tales of Hoffmann", Jupiter in "Semele", Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus", Gherardo in "Gianni Schicchi", and Basilio and Don Curzio in "The Marriage of Figaro". He also sang as the Stone and Eunuch in the "Dream of the Red Chamber", a co-production between the San Francisco Opera and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. In 2015, Sung was selected as one of the "Young Music Makers" by Radio Television Hong Kong. He was supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council's Artistic Internship Scheme to sing the role of William in the contemporary chamber opera "Fish in the Hand" composed by Alain Chiu in 2015. He sang as the tenor solo in several concerts for the Salzburger Bachgesellschaft, as well as Charpentier's "Te Deum" with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He also participated in the Mozart "Requiem" Concert with the Chung Chi Choir of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, "Bach Christmas Oratorio" with SingFest conducted by Helmuth Rilling, and Britten's "The Company of Heaven" and "Mendelssohn and Bruckner: A Musical Praise" with the Hong Kong Oratorio Society.

     "Our Music Talents Series: Vocal Recital by Jasper Sung" will be staged at 8pm on October 27 (Saturday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $120 and $160 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_580.html.

     The LCSD is presenting the "Our Music Talents" Series to nurture and support local emerging artists and groups and provide them with performing opportunities, enabling them to develop and showcase their talent. 

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:

     October will be an exhilarating month for major sports events. The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to the following major sports events that will be held in October: the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2018 (October 6 to 14) and the New World Harbour Race 2018 (October 21).

     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Karl Kwok, said today (September 28) that those events, like all "M" Mark events, will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and help attract more visitors.

     "'M' Mark events showcase Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events and reinforce its position as the events capital of Asia," Mr Kwok said.

     "'M' Mark events also help generate economic benefits for Hong Kong by attracting tourists. They also instil a sustainable sporting culture in the community, and help foster a sense of pride and social cohesion," he added.
     
     The "M" Mark System was launched in 2004 to help local national sports associations (NSAs) organise more major sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be granted "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some of the event organisers.

     The number of recognised "M" Mark events increased from four in the beginning to 12 in 2018. So far, around $124.3 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.

     For details of other "M" Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk. The "M" Mark applications for smartphone users are available for downloading from iTunes as well as Google Play.

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) rolled out two phases of subsidy programme in 2012 and 2015 to provide subsidies for owners' corporations (OCs) of old buildings. As the programme has effectively relieved the burden relating to the daily operating expenses of OCs of old buildings and helped them comply with relevant legislative requirements, the CCF will implement Phase III of the Programme on October 1 (Monday). Two enhancement measures will be implemented under Phase III of the Programme, including raising the upper limit on the annual average rateable value of residential units and raising the maximum amount of total subsidy in the implementation period for each OC, so as to benefit more OCs in need. 
           
     The Home Affairs Department (HAD) will continue to implement Phase III of the Programme. Each eligible OC may apply for the subsidy on an accountable basis in respect of each covered item carried out and expended during the three-year implementation period. The maximum amount of subsidy is 50 per cent of the actual expenses and each eligible OC can apply for a maximum amount of $24,000 for the subsidy. All applications must be submitted to the HAD on or before September 30, 2021. The HAD will process the applications on a first-come, first-served basis and has the right to refuse eligible applications when funding is exhausted.

     The items eligible for subsidy under Phase III of the Programme remain the same, including registration or filing fees at the Land Registry; procurement fees for public liability insurance or third party risks insurance for common areas of buildings; expenses for regular inspection of fire services installations and equipment or electrical installations; expenses for examination of lifts and expenses for clearing fire escapes once a year.

     The target beneficiaries should be OCs of residential or composite (i.e. commercial/residential use) buildings aged 30 years or above. The annual average rateable value of the residential units in the urban areas (including Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan) should not exceed $162,000, while those in the New Territories should not exceed $124,000.

     The HAD will initially identify OCs meeting the eligibility criteria and will invite them by mail to make applications. Those OCs which do not receive written notification from the HAD within October but consider themselves to meet the criteria may request the HAD for a review.

     The guide and application form for the programme are available at Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the District Offices, or can be downloaded from the building management website of the HAD (www.buildingmgt.gov.hk).

     For enquiries, please contact 2835 2500 or email to bm_enq@had.gov.hk.