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.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 22) that due to inclement weather, red flags have been hoisted at Clear Water Bay First Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

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.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (June 22) that the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme (MUSSS) 2018/19 will, from today until September 21, be open for applications from eligible Hong Kong students pursuing undergraduate studies in 176 designated Mainland institutions.
      
     The MUSSS was launched by the Government in July 2014 to provide subsidy to Hong Kong students, having passed a means test, to pursue undergraduate studies in designated Mainland institutions. Eligible students will receive either a full-rate subsidy or a half-rate subsidy per academic year, depending on their needs. Starting from the 2017/18 academic year, a non-means-tested subsidy is introduced under the MUSSS. Eligible students will receive a flat-rate subsidy for an academic year. The subsidy under MUSSS is granted on a yearly basis. The subsidised period will be the normal duration of the undergraduate programmes pursued by the student concerned in the designated Mainland institution. Eligible applicants can only receive either means-tested subsidy or non-means-tested subsidy in an academic year.
      
     For the 2018/19 academic year, the amounts of adjusted full-rate subsidy and half-rate subsidy under means-tested subsidy are HK$16,800 and HK$8,400 respectively. The amount of non-means-tested subsidy is HK$5,600. There are 176 designated Mainland institutions, comprising 102 institutions participating in the 2018/19 Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions and 74 others.
      
     "It is envisaged that the MUSSS will benefit the bulk of Hong Kong students pursuing undergraduate studies in the Mainland with different financial needs. Hong Kong students who receive and have completed senior secondary education in Hong Kong, including those studying local and non-local curricula as well as non-Chinese speaking students, and meeting other criteria, will be eligible for the MUSSS," a spokesman for the EDB said.
      
     Details of the MUSSS and the application form are available at the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/musss18). Eligible students should submit the completed application forms to the EDB by post, on or before August 21 (for students who entered the designated Mainland institutions before the 2018/19 academic year) or September 21 (for students who will first enter the designated Mainland institutions in the 2018/19 academic year). The EDB will notify individual applicants of the application result by the first quarter of 2019.

     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.