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Author Archives: hksar gov

Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Bill gazetted today

     The Government today (June 22) gazetted the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Bill to provide for the application of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
 
     The implementation of the Convention will enhance the conservation and rational utilisation of marine resources in the Southern Ocean. The Central People’s Government, upon consultation with the HKSAR Government in accordance with the Basic Law, has agreed in principle to extend the application of the Convention to the HKSAR.
 
     The Bill will provide for the legal basis for the HKSAR to fulfil the Convention’s requirements. Upon the passage of the Bill, two regulations will be made to provide for the implementation of the Toothfish Catch Documentation Scheme to regulate the trading of toothfish in Hong Kong, as well as to conduct port inspection and control with a view to tightening up the monitoring of fishing vessels.
 
     The Government consulted (the Fish Marketing Advisory Board) and other stakeholders including trading companies, importers, wholesalers, retailers, representatives of seafood trade and catering associations as well as environmental groups earlier this year. The parties consulted were supportive of the proposed implementation of the Convention in Hong Kong. In addition, the Legislative Council’s Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene in general supported the proposal.
 
     The Bill is scheduled for introduction into the Legislative Council on July 4. read more

East Asia

FSDC releases report on digital identity and KYC utilities

The following is issued on behalf of the Financial Services Development Council:

     The Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) today (June 22) released a research report entitled the “Building the Technological and Regulatory Infrastructure of a 21st Century International Financial Centre: Digital ID and KYC Utilities for Financial Inclusion, Integrity and Competitiveness”. The report sets out key recommendations regarding digital identity and “know your client” (KYC) utilities for Hong Kong.
 
     The Chairman of the FSDC, Mrs Laura M Cha, said, “The application of technology for facilitating the provision of financial services is gaining traction globally. During the development of FinTech infrastructure to enhance the KYC process, Hong Kong also needs urgent regulatory fixes to improve customers’ account opening experience and, more importantly, to maintain the city’s financial competitiveness.”
 
     The report seeks to present the main features of an essential strategy to develop the necessary technological and regulatory infrastructure for digital identification and electronic-KYC in Hong Kong. The report recommends (i) an urgent revision of the current regulatory environment to facilitate non-face-to-face account opening; (ii) that the forthcoming electronic identity system consider elements necessary to support its use in digital and non-face-to-face customer identification; (iii) that a Hong Kong KYC utility (KYCU) be established to address due diligence requirements applicable to individual and legal entity customers – with the Government’s support and provision of system to check trusted data available via the KYCU, while the customers are the data owner; and (iv) that a KYCU working group be established to address the different issues and challenges in the spectrum.
 
     The full version of the report can be downloaded from the FSDC website: www.fsdc.org.hk.
 
About the FSDC
 
     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established the FSDC in 2013 as a high-level, cross-sectoral advisory body to engage the industry in formulating proposals to promote the further development of Hong Kong’s financial services industry and to map out the strategic direction for development.
 
     The FSDC set up five committees, namely the Policy Research Committee, the Mainland Opportunities Committee, the New Business Committee, the Market Development Committee and the Human Capital Committee, as the five streams of its work. read more

East Asia

Road works at Ka Wai Man Road and Ex-Mount Davis Cottage Area proposed

     The Government published in the Gazette today (June 22) the proposed road works to facilitate public housing development at Ka Wai Man Road and Ex-Mount Davis Cottage Area, Kennedy Town.

     Details of the proposal are set out in the Annex. The plan and scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Harbour Building,
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

District Lands Office, Hong Kong West and South,
20/F, Southorn Centre,
130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

     The gazette notice, scheme, plan and location plan will be available at www.thb.gov.hk/eng/psp/publications/transport/gazette/gazette.htm.

     Any person who wishes to object to the works or the use, or both, is required to address to the Secretary for Transport and Housing an objection in writing, which can be submitted via the following means:
 

  • By post or by hand to the Transport and Housing Bureau’s drop-in box No. 6 located at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. The box is available for use between 8am and 7pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays);
  • By fax to 2868 4643; or
  • By email to gazettethb@thb.gov.hk.

     A notice of objection should describe the objector’s interest and the manner in which he or she alleges that he or she will be affected by the works or the use. Objectors are requested to provide contact details to facilitate communication. A notice of objection should be delivered to the Secretary for Transport and Housing not later than August 21, 2018. read more

East Asia