Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon Gary Fan and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Dr David Chung, in the Legislative Council today (June 20):
 
Question:
 
     The Government announced last month the rolling out of a three-year Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) to implement a fast-track arrangement for the admission of overseas and Mainland technology talents. Regarding the acquisition of the right of abode in Hong Kong by persons who came to Hong Kong under various admission schemes, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of persons who applied for and were granted entry into Hong Kong in each of the past three years under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, and the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, as well as the number of persons, who had come to Hong Kong under the various schemes, acquiring the right of abode in Hong Kong in the past three years (with a breakdown of the figures and their percentages by Mainland resident and resident of other regions);
 
(2) given that the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited will be responsible for examining the TechTAS applications submitted by their tenants, incubatees, grantees or occupants, as well as making recommendations to the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) on the applications concerned, of the criteria adopted and the mechanisms based upon by these two companies and the ITC when considering the relevant applications; and
 
(3) given that under the TechTAS, the ITC will consider admission applications from technology talents who do not meet the relevant academic requirements but possess good technical skills in specialty areas, proven professional abilities or relevant experience and achievements, of the criteria adopted and mechanism based upon by the ITC when considering such types of applications; the specific measures to be put in place to ensure that the TechTAS will recruit the technology talents needed by Hong Kong without becoming nothing more than a shortcut for Mainland residents to acquire the right of abode in Hong Kong?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the question raised by the Hon Gary Fan is as follows:

(1) According to the information provided by the Immigration Department, the statistics on applications received and approved under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates and the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme for the past three years are set out at Annex 1.
 
     The statistics on persons approved for admission to Hong Kong under the immigration schemes mentioned in the question who have acquired right of abode in the past three years, in accordance with applicants’ status in Hong Kong at the time of application for the right of abode, are set out at Annex 2.
 
     The Immigration Department does not maintain statistical breakdowns by region of applicants who have acquired right of abode.

(2) and (3) Persons admitted under the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) must be employed by the applicant technology company/institute, and be engaged principally in conducting research and development (R&D) in Hong Kong in the seven technology areas of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, data analytics, financial technologies and material science. On academic requirements, persons admitted should be degree-holders in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) from a well-recognised university. “Well-recognised universities” refers to the top 100 universities in the latest publications of STEM-related ranking tables of the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Those with a bachelor’s degree only should possess a minimum of one year of work experience in the relevant technology area, while those with a master’s or doctoral degree are not subject to a work experience requirement.
 
     Persons not meeting the academic requirements as mentioned above but possessing good technical skills in speciality areas, proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence can be considered on a case-by-case basis under exceptional circumstances.
 
     Upon receiving quota applications from its tenants or incubatees, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport) will examine the materials submitted, and make recommendations to the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC). The ITC will take into consideration the HKSTPC’s and the Cyberport’s recommendation before deciding whether or not to approve the quota.

     Each quota application will be assessed on its own merits having regard to the following considerations:
 
(i) the knowledge or skillsets of the required technology talent must align with the applicant company or institute’s technology activities;
(ii) the number of quotas requested is justified for the applicant company or institute (e.g. having regard to considerations such as business volume, venue and expansion plans of the applicant company or institute);
(iii) the applicant company or institute has demonstrated genuine difficulties in recruiting local talent in the technology areas concerned; and
(iv) the academic qualifications or other expertise as well as the remuneration packages of the required non-local talent are suitable.
 
     One of the key requirements of the TechTAS is that, at the stage of quota application, the applicant technology company or institute should demonstrate that talent with the relevant skills, knowledge or experience is short in supply or not readily available in Hong Kong. This is to ensure that the TechTAS can effectively assist technology companies or institutes in attracting technology talent in shortage in Hong Kong from around the world to conduct R&D in Hong Kong.
 
     Similar to persons admitted under the other admission schemes as mentioned above, persons admitted under the TechTAS who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in Hong Kong in accordance with the law.  The TechTAS will not become a shortcut in applying for right of abode in Hong Kong. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Ho Kai-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, in the Legislative Council today (June 20):
 
Question:
 
     Electronic payment services have become popular in recent years, bringing considerable convenience in consumption to members of the public. However, as some third-party payment platforms fail to properly verify payers’ identities when processing online transactions (for instance, payers are only required to input credit card/debit card numbers and security codes, as well as cardholders’ names), unauthorised transactions are prone to occur. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of complaints involving third-party payment platforms received by the authorities in the past three years, with a breakdown by type of complaints;
 
(2) of the measures taken by the authorities in the past three years to step up the regulation of the operation of third-party payment platforms (including collection of users’ personal data and charging of handling fees or other fees);
 
(3) whether the authorities will consider making it a mandatory requirement for third-party payment platforms to adopt, when processing online transactions, two-factor authentication for verifying payers’ identities, such as by requiring payers to input a one-time password either sent via short message service or generated by security tokens, in addition to credit card/debit card numbers and cardholders’ names; and
 
(4) whether it has plans to promote the acceptance of payment for all government bills and payment notices through third-party payment platforms; if so, of the details and timetable?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Payment Systems and Stored Value Facilities Ordinance (PSSVFO) (Cap 584) prescribing the licensing and regulatory regime of stored value facilities (SVFs) came into operation in 2015. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) considers licence applications and supervises SVF licensees to ensure their safe and sound operation and to foster the development of a secure, efficient, and diversified electronic payment industry.
 
     My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
 
(1) Since the granting of the first batch of SVF licences in August 2016 under the PSSVFO, the HKMA has received around 140 SVF-related complaints. Two cases were related to unauthorised transactions and the remaining were related to SVF licensees’ service qualities, commercial arrangements, etc.
 
(2) The HKMA has issued regulatory guidelines requiring SVF licensees to implement relevant control measures in their operations. The HKMA also monitors and reviews licensees’ implementation of the guidelines through ongoing supervisory work. On personal data and privacy protection, the HKMA’s guidelines require SVF licensees to put in place robust information security measures and to comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) (Cap 486) as well as relevant guidelines issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) to ensure that their users’ personal data are properly handled and safeguarded. The HKMA also maintains regular liaison with the PCPD and has reminded SVF licensees to contact the PCPD on issues relating to the implementation of the PDPO and relevant guidelines. On fees and charges, SVF licensees are required to set out and explain clearly the applicable fees and charges relating to the use of their services and products, and ensure that such details are effectively communicated and made available to users.
 
(3) The HKMA’s guidelines require SVF licensees to implement adequate payment security controls to ensure the authenticity and traceability of transactions and to institute mechanism for preventing and detecting unauthorised transactions that may arise from fraud. Where needed, SVF licensees should implement additional controls to detect unauthorised transactions, such as introducing two-factor authentication to verify users’ identity and issuing transaction notifications to users. The HKMA also requires banks to implement appropriate measures to confirm the authenticity of credit card transactions and protect customers’ interest.
 
     SVF licensees are required to implement appropriate payment security measures having regard to individual circumstances. However, the adoption of two-factor authentication or other payment security technology (e.g. biometric authentication) depends on various factors, such as the risk of the relevant SVF, the security level of the authentication technology, the convenience of the payment method, transaction patterns of users, etc. As the design of relevant security measures needs to be balanced against the nature of an SVF’s operation, it may not be appropriate for the HKMA to require all SVF licensees to adopt the same measures. Some SVF licensees have already adopted two-factor authentication in processing payment transactions. With regard to online credit card transactions, some banks verify the identity of their customers by using two-factor authentication such as SMS one-time password, whereas some other banks send SMS notifications to their customers after the transactions. In general, if a cardholder did not act fraudulently or with gross negligence, he or she will not be held liable for unauthorised transactions.
 
(4) The Government currently accepts a wide range of electronic payment means, including Internet banking, phone banking, PPS, autopay, automated teller machine, etc., for the public’s convenience. We note that the e-wallets offered by some SVF operators provide bill payment service as well. Users can scan the barcodes on their bills (such as phone bills and Towngas bills) and make payments through the e-wallets on their mobile phones. To facilitate the development of the SVF market, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau is exploring with relevant Government departments on a pilot scheme under which members of the public can settle government bills in the same manner. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 20) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     “The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     “Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system,” the spokesman explained.

     “The obese, the sick, including those with heart disease or high blood pressure, the old and the young are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. They should pay special attention,” the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day.

     If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable, and start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Get into a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index remains high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear loose long-sleeved clothing made of close-woven fabrics;
• Wear a wide brim hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above. Apply liberally and reapply after swimming or sweating; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

     If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

     The public may get more information from the DH’s Health Education Hotline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO’s Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. read more

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:      Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force:    … read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning.      To prevent heat stroke, avoid pro… read more