Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019, steered by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), will be held in April 2019. The Government is inviting proposals from organisations interested in taking part as Leading Organisers.
 
     All professional bodies, trade associations or other non-profit organisations are eligible to be Leading Organisers, which are responsible for recruiting and screening entries, promoting the Hong Kong ICT Awards through their networks and managing the adjudication process. Selection will be conducted through an open and competitive process based on an established assessment mechanism taking into account the quality of applicants’ proposals, capability and track record.
 
     The Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019 will consist of eight award categories. They are:
 
* Digital Entertainment Award
* FinTech Award
* ICT Startup Award
* Smart Business Award
* Smart Living Award
* Smart Mobility Award
* Smart People Award
* Student Innovation Award
 
     Organisations interested in becoming a Leading Organiser should obtain a copy of the Request for Proposal document and a Proposal Form from the Secretariat Office of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019 (email: info@hkictawards.hk). The deadline for submission is October 25, 2018.
 
     The Hong Kong ICT Awards aims at recognising and promoting outstanding information and communications technology (ICT) inventions and applications, thereby encouraging innovation and excellence among Hong Kong’s ICT talents and enterprises. Through concerted efforts of the ICT sector, academia and the Government, the Awards has developed into a renowned event to recognise innovation and achievements in the local ICT industry. Over 1,500 locally developed ICT products and solutions have been recognised by the Hong Kong ICT Awards since its debut in 2006.
 
     Further details on becoming Leading Organisers are available on the website of the Hong Kong ICT Awards (www.hkictawards.hk). Enquiries can be made to the Secretariat Office at 2582 4318 or by email to info@hkictawards.hk. read more

     The Government announced today (September 27) the quarterly land sale programme for the third quarter of 2018-19, i.e. October to December 2018.
      
     “In the third quarter of 2018-19, the Government will sell by tender four residential sites, with one each on Lantau and in Tai Po, and two in Kai Tak. The total estimated flat yield is about 2 630 units. Including supply from private development and redevelopment projects, the private housing land supply in the third quarter of 2018-19 is estimated to have a capacity to produce about 3 360 flats in total,” the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, said.
      
     To provide more elderly facilities, Mr Wong said that the successful bidder of the Tai Po site (i.e. Tai Po Town Lot 244) will be required to develop a 100-place residential care home for the elderly at the site, subject to planning approval by the Town Planning Board.
      
     He said that the Development Bureau will continue to work in close partnership with the Labour and Welfare Bureau to identify suitable land sale sites and require private developers to construct welfare facilities through land sale conditions. 
      
     Mr Wong then reviewed the private housing land supply situation in the first half of 2018-19. On government land sale, six residential sites will have been put up for sale by the end of this month, capable of providing about 2 350 flats in total. 
      
     In the past two quarters, the MTR Corporation Limited tendered three property development projects respectively in Yau Tong, at Wong Chuk Hang Station and at Ho Man Tin Station, capable of producing about 2 700 flats in total. On another front, the Urban Renewal Authority tendered its Tung Chau Street/Kweilin Street project and Castle Peak Road/Un Chau Street project in Sham Shui Po, which have a capacity to produce about 470 flats in total.
      
     Together with the supply from private development and redevelopment projects, which can produce around 960 flats in total, the private housing land supply in the first half of 2018-19 has a total capacity to provide about 6 500 flats. 
      
     “Including supply in the third quarter, the total private housing land supply in the first three quarters of 2018-19 has a capacity to produce about 9 840 flats in total,” Mr Wong said.
                  
     “The Government will continue to identify suitable sites for sale, taking into account other land supply sources and market conditions. We will continue to do our utmost in maintaining a stable and sustained private housing land supply.”  
      
     On land supply for economic uses, in addition to the industrial site in Fanling sold in the first quarter of 2018-19, the Government plans to put up for sale one commercial/hotel site in Kai Tak in the next quarter in response to the keen demand for commercial floor area. 
      
     “This commercial/hotel site is capable of providing about 56 900 square metres of gross floor area. The successful bidder will be required to provide floor area for hotel use, which is estimated to provide about 340 to 570 hotel rooms,” Mr Wong said.
      
     Mr Wong said that the Government is firmly committed to increasing land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the community’s housing and economic development needs.
      
     In line with past practice, subject to market conditions and other supply sources, the Government may make adjustments to the land sale programme during the course of the year.
      
     The list of the sites to be tendered in October to December 2018 is attached. The actual tender timetable will be drawn up taking into account the progress of necessary preparatory work. The Lands Department will separately announce the detailed land sale arrangements before individual sites are tendered.
  read more

     The Tourism Commission, in co-operation with relevant government departments, major tourist attractions, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC), has drawn up relevant measures to cope with the tourist flow between Hong Kong and the Mainland during the National Day Golden Week (October 1 to 7), a Government spokesman said today (September 27).

     Relevant government departments will strengthen manpower at all control points and co-ordinate transport and cross-boundary services during the National Day Golden Week.

     The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Immigration Department, the Police, the Customs and Excise Department (Customs) and other relevant departments will be activated during the period to monitor the situation at each land control point, as well as to maintain close liaison with relevant Mainland counterparts and take contingency actions where necessary.

     In addition, the Tourism Commission will maintain effective communications with the tourism authorities in Guangdong and Shenzhen in accordance with the mechanism for information exchange and emergency handling of Golden Weeks.

     “It is expected that passenger traffic from October 1 to 7 will be heavier than usual. To avoid congestion during the morning and evening peak hours at various boundary control points, we urge Mainland visitors and local residents to cross the boundary at less busy hours,” the spokesman said.

     To assist visitors in planning their trips, the Immigration Department will upload the daily arrival figures at all control points to its website (www.immd.gov.hk) from September 29 to October 8. Such information will also be hyperlinked to the HKTB’s website (www.discoverhongkong.com) for visitors’ reference. In addition, visitors may also check the estimated waiting time at all land boundary control points via the Immigration Mobile Application, which can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store (supports iOS version 5.1.1 or above) and Google Play (supports Android version 2.2 or above).

     With the Tourism Commission’s co-ordination, major tourist attractions will extend their opening hours and formulate crowd control measures and contingency arrangements during the National Day Golden Week. The Tourism Commission, in collaboration with the TIC, will also appeal to travel agents and restaurants targeting Mainland tour groups in ensuring that appropriate measures are taken in the orderly management of tourist and coach flows.

     As regards tourist education on consumer awareness, the Tourism Commission and the HKTB have deployed staff to distribute souvenirs and leaflets printed with messages concerning consumer rights and channels for lodging complaints to Mainland visitors at the Lo Wu Control Point, the Lok Ma Chau Boundary Control Point, the Hung Hom Control Point and popular attractions, so as to enhance their awareness of the protection of their own rights. An advisory note on consumer rights for Mainland group tour visitors has also been uploaded to the websites of the Tourism Commission and relevant local bodies for Mainland visitors’ reference. 

     Meanwhile, to protect group tour visitors’ rights, the TIC will enforce a series of regulatory measures on arrangements for receiving inbound Mainland group tours, which include requiring Hong Kong travel agents to register with the TIC the itineraries of the Mainland inbound tours that they receive together with proof of accommodation within a specified period.  During the National Day Golden Week, the TIC will deploy additional manpower for conducting inspections in districts where many of the registered shops are located and offer immediate assistance to tourists and tourist guides. In addition, Customs and the Police will step up inspection of retail shops targeting Mainland tour groups, so as to combat unfair trade practices such as coerced shopping.

     The Tourism Commission has provided the hotlines of the relevant local organisations to inbound tour group visitors via the tourism authorities in Guangdong and Shenzhen. During the National Day Golden Week, in case of emergency, Mainland inbound group tourists, tour escorts and tourist guides can seek assistance from the TIC by calling its service hotline 2807 0707 (operating from 9am to midnight). As for enquiries or complaints concerning consumer rights, they can call the HKTB hotline 2508 1234 (operating from 9am to 6pm) or the Consumer Council hotline 2929 2222 (operating from 9am to 5.30pm). read more

     Following is the transcript of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session today (September 27) on the land sale programme for October to December 2018:
 
     In the third quarter of 2018-19, the Government will sell by tender four residential sites, estimated to produce about 2 630 flats. The sites are located one each in Tai Po and on Lantau, and two in Kai Tak. For the Tai Po site, the successful bidder will be required to develop a 100-place residential care home for the elderly in order to provide more elderly facilities.
 
     Including the supply from other sources, the private housing land supply in the third quarter of 2018-19 has a capacity to produce about 3 360 flats in total. The total private housing land supply in the first three quarters is therefore about 9 840 flats.  
 
     The Government will continue to identify suitable sites for sale to meet the demand for private residential units, taking into account other land supply sources and market conditions.
 
     As regards commercial sites, the Government will sell by tender one site for commercial and hotel use in Kai Tak. This site is capable of providing about 56 800 (should be 56 900) square metres of gross floor area, including the provision of 340 to 570 hotel rooms.
 
     As in the past, the Government is firmly committed to increasing land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the community’s housing, economic and other needs. read more

     â€‹With regard to the 2018 National Day Fireworks Display to be held on October 1, the Marine Department (MD) will implement marine traffic control and strengthen the inspection of spectator vessels on the event day to ensure that safety requirements are met.

     The MD will establish a Closed Area in the waters off the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where barges for the fireworks display will be anchored, from 2pm to about 11pm on the event day. All vessels will be prohibited from entering the area. A Restricted Area will be established in the Central Harbour from 8pm to about 10.15pm on the event day. Other than authorised vessels, no vessels will be allowed to enter. Scheduled ferry vessels with permission may continue services until 8.40pm.

     For landside crowd control, all public landing steps within the Restricted Area will be closed temporarily from 7.45pm to about 10pm on the event day. Buffer Zones at Kowloon Public Pier, Kwun Tong Public Pier and Central Piers 9 and 10 will be established immediately after the event for safe and orderly disembarkation of passengers.

     In addition, to ensure vessels disperse in an orderly manner, the Eastern and Western Cordon Lines of the Restricted Area will be lifted in stages after the event. The Western Cordon Line will be lifted first at about 10pm. Spectator vessels behind the Western Cordon Line and those wishing to move to the east must follow the instructions of officers from the MD and the Police at the scene. The Eastern Cordon Line will be lifted later depending on traffic conditions in Victoria Harbour. It is anticipated that the Restricted Area will be lifted by about 10.15pm. 

     Officers from the MD and the Police will also maintain order at major landing facilities after the event. In order to ensure the smooth and safe disembarkation of passengers, coxswains and crew members should remind passengers to pack their personal belongings early before the vessels arrive alongside the landing steps, as well as assist passengers to disembark. Coxswains and passengers should follow the guidance of the MD and the Police at the scene.

     The MD and the Marine Police will also strengthen law enforcement, especially on speeding and overloading. Coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels should check again and reconfirm that the operating licence, the certificate of survey and the third party risk insurance are valid before setting sail.

     Officers from the MD will strengthen the inspection of spectator vessels. Requirements include providing sufficient life-saving appliances on board, ensuring that children wear a lifejacket at all times and that coxswains keep a passenger and crew list on board.

     If any vessel fails to meet these requirements, inspecting officers will issue directions at the scene and request the person-in-charge of the vessel to take remedial action. If the person-in-charge of the vessel refuses to comply with the directions, the department will take the necessary follow-up action, such as prohibiting the vessel from departing or considering prosecution.

     MD Notice No. 140 of 2018 on the marine traffic control and safety measures has been issued and is available for viewing on the MD’s website (www.mardep.gov.hk). read more