Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (August 23) officiated at the Award Presentation Ceremony 2018 of the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme (HKSES). Eighty-three students were selected as the fourth cohort of awardees.
             
     Fifty-eight of the awardees are going to pursue undergraduate study and 25 postgraduate study at world-renowned universities. These include not only top-notch comprehensive universities but also world-class institutions specialising in only one or a few particular disciplines.
      
     The disciplines that the awardees are going to pursue cover a wide spectrum, ranging from conventional ones such as natural and social sciences, arts, law and engineering to other specialties such as music and fine arts, and disciplines of study which are currently unavailable in Hong Kong such as drama therapy and archaeology (distribution of the awardees by different disciplines is at the Annex).
      
     “The diverse pool of scholarship recipients well reflects the variety and vibrancy of Hong Kong. The contribution of this diverse pool of talents to our society after their graduation and return to Hong Kong is expected to fuel further long-term development of Hong Kong in many different realms and aspects,” said a spokesman for the Education Bureau.
      
     He added that competition for the awards was keen and rigorous, with 789 applicants who will commence their undergraduate or postgraduate study in the 2018/19 academic year vying for the the scholarships. Apart from academic achievements, selection was also based on key considerations including the non-academic attributes of applicants, such as his or her leadership skills and potential as well as commitment and contribution to Hong Kong.
      
     “As the selection process is still ongoing, some more applicants may be offered the scholarship after today’s ceremony,” the spokesman added. A list of the awardees as of August 23, 2018 has been uploaded to the HKSES website (www.edb.gov.hk/hkses).
      
     Other officiating guests at the award presentation ceremony included the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, and the Chairman of the Steering Committee on the HKSES, Dr Victor Fung.
      
     The HKSES aims to support local students to pursue studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong with a view to grooming a top cadre of talents with global vision, an international network and world-class education, thereby contributing to enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness as Asia’s world city in a globalised knowledge economy. Key features of the scholarship scheme are available at the HKSES website.
      
     Details of the next cohort applications for the HKSES will be announced shortly. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, August 23, 2018 is 104.3 (up 0.3 against yesterday’s index). read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 22) seized a total of 118 suspected smuggled smartphones with an estimated market value of about $680,000 at Shenzhen Bay Control Point.      Customs officers… read more

     Representatives of the governments, financial regulators and exchanges of Hong Kong and Shanghai held the eighth Working Meeting of Hong Kong-Shanghai Financial Co-operation in Hong Kong today (August 23) to discuss how to further enhance financial co-operation between the two places.
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr James Lau, and the Director-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government Financial Services Office, Mr Zheng Yang, gave an account of the latest market situation and developments of the financial services sector in Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively. Representatives of the two places exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including the progress made in respect of financial services in the Mainland (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ); the co-operation in cross-boundary Renminbi (RMB) business and the securities, futures and insurance sectors; the development of green finance; and initiatives on the exchange of financial talents.
 
     Addressing the Meeting, Mr Lau said that the country had entered a new phase of reform and opening up, and was dedicated to enhancing the competitiveness of its financial sector and the sustainable and sound development of the capital markets. Amongst others, the daily quotas under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect were quadrupled in May this year, providing further facilitation to international and Mainland investors. Mr Lau said that he looked forward to closer financial co-operation between the two cities on various fronts, and to seeing Hong Kong and Shanghai play more significant roles in the two-way opening-up of the Mainland.
 
     Shanghai representatives briefed the Hong Kong side on the latest developments of the FTZ, including the progress of implementing various financial initiatives since the promulgation of the “Fully Deepening the Reform and Liberalisation Plan of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone”. Both sides also explored ways to enhance co-operation in cross-boundary RMB business. 
 
     On bolstering co-operation in the securities and futures industry, both sides agreed to encourage their financial institutions and corporations to leverage fully on the other side’s market as a platform for investment and financing. With the implementation of the new listing regime in Hong Kong earlier this year, the two sides agreed to assist more Shanghai companies in the biotech, emerging and innovative sectors to list in Hong Kong.
 
     On insurance, with the recent announcement of preferential treatment, the capital requirements for Mainland insurers ceding reinsurance business to qualified Hong Kong reinsurers will be reduced. Both sides agreed to reinforce co-operation and explore the establishment of partnership in relation to reinsurance business along the Belt and Road.
 
     The two sides will also continue to organise the Cross-boundary Study Tour for Post-secondary Financial Talents in order to facilitate exchange and training of talents between the two places.
 
     The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong and the Shanghai Municipal Government Financial Services Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Advancing Hong Kong-Shanghai Financial Co-operation and an Agreement on Enhancing Hong Kong-Shanghai Financial Co-operation in 2010 and 2016 respectively. One of the co-operation measures is that financial representatives of the two places would hold bilateral meetings regularly to enhance mutual exchanges and co-operation in the financial area.

    

     The Transport Department (TD) today (August 23) announced that two auctions of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held on September 22 (Saturday) and 23 (Sunday) at Meeting Room S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

     “A total of 228 and 241 approved PVRMs will be put up for public auction. The lists of the marks were posted on the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk, today,” a department spokesman said.

     The reserve price of all these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:

(i) Paddle bidding will be used at this auction;

(ii) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations;

(iii) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed;

(iv) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through the Easy Pay System (EPS), or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding of the PVRM concerned. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted. For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed; and

(v) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

     “Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing,” the spokesman said.

     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department’s licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk . read more