Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley tomorrow (October 24). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

1. Road closure

     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Vehicles from eastbound Queen's Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen's Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen's Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen's Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

1. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen's Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

     The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– Eastbound Queen's Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition
     
     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (October 22) seized a total of 534 suspected smuggled smartphones with an estimated market value of about $2.9 million at Lok Ma Chau Control Point and Yuen Long.

     Customs officers intercepted an outgoing private car at Lok Ma Chau Control Point yesterday afternoon and seized 28 smartphones concealed behind the dashboard. The 46-year-old male driver was arrested and the private car was detained.

     Subsequently, Customs officers searched a cargo yard in Yuen Long where 506 smartphones and packing materials were further seized. A 51-year-old man was arrested and two private cars at the cargo yard were detained.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (October 23) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for September 2018. According to the Composite CPI, overall consumer prices rose by 2.7% in September 2018 over the same month a year earlier, larger than the corresponding increase (2.3%) in August 2018. Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rate of increase in the Composite CPI (i.e. the underlying inflation rate) in September 2018 was 3.1%. This increase was also larger than that in August 2018 (2.6%), mainly due to the increases in school fees and the upward adjustment in public housing rentals.

     On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average monthly rate of increase in the Composite CPI for the 3-month period from July to September 2018 was 0.2%, the same as that for the 3-month period from June to August 2018. Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, the average monthly rate of increase in the Composite CPI for the 3-month period from July to September 2018 was 0.2%, the same as that for the 3-month period from June to August 2018.

     Analysed by sub-index, the year-on-year rates of increase in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 3.3%, 2.5% and 2.4% respectively in September 2018, as compared to 2.5%, 2.2% and 2.0% respectively in August 2018. Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rates of increase in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 3.6%, 2.9% and 2.7% respectively in September 2018, as compared to 2.8%, 2.6% and 2.3% respectively in August 2018.

     On a seasonally adjusted basis, for the 3-month period from July to September 2018, the average monthly rates of increase in the seasonally adjusted CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 0.3%, 0.1% and 0.1% respectively. The corresponding rates of increase for the 3-month period from June to August 2018 were 0.2%, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, the corresponding average monthly rates of increase in the seasonally adjusted CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) for the 3-month period from July to September 2018 were 0.3%, 0.1% and 0.1% respectively, and the corresponding rates of increase for the 3-month period from June to August 2018 were 0.2%, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively.

     Amongst the various CPI components, year-on-year increases in prices were recorded in September 2018 for food (excluding meals bought away from home) (5.1% in both the Composite CPI and CPI(A)); electricity, gas and water (3.8% in the Composite CPI and 4.2% in the CPI(A)); housing (2.9% in the Composite CPI and 4.4% in the CPI(A)); miscellaneous services (2.9% in the Composite CPI and 1.7% in the CPI(A)); meals bought away from home (2.8% in both the Composite CPI and CPI(A)); clothing and footwear (2.5% in the Composite CPI and 3.1% in the CPI(A)); alcoholic drinks and tobacco (2.2% in the Composite CPI and 2.3% in the CPI(A)); miscellaneous goods (1.6% in the Composite CPI and 2.0% in the CPI(A)) and transport (1.3% in the Composite CPI and 1.1% in the CPI(A)).

     On the other hand, year-on-year decrease in prices was recorded in September 2018 for durable goods (-1.8% in the Composite CPI and -1.7% in the CPI(A)). 

     Taking the first 9 months of 2018 together, the Composite CPI rose by 2.3% over a year earlier. The corresponding increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 2.6%, 2.3% and 2.2% respectively. Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, the Composite CPI, CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) rose by 2.5%, 2.8%, 2.5% and 2.4% respectively in the first 9 months of 2018 over a year earlier.

     In the third quarter of 2018, the Composite CPI rose by 2.5% over a year earlier, while the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) rose by 2.8%, 2.4% and 2.2% respectively.  The corresponding increases after netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures were 2.8%, 3.1%, 2.8% and 2.5% respectively.

     For the 12 months ended September 2018, the Composite CPI was on average 2.2% higher than that in the preceding 12-month period. The respective increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 2.3%, 2.1% and 2.1% respectively. The corresponding increases after netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures were 2.3%, 2.5%, 2.3% and 2.2% respectively. 

Commentary

     A Government spokesman said that the underlying inflation rate went up to 3.1% in September, mainly on account of special factors including the upward adjustment in public housing rentals and increase in school fees as the effects of the government subsidy schemes introduced a year earlier dissipated.

     Looking ahead, the inflation rate may still be subject to some mild upward pressure in the rest of the year, as local costs have increased along with the sustained economic expansion, and as the earlier rises in fresh-letting residential rentals would also continue to feed through. The Government will monitor the situation closely, particularly the impact on the lower-income people.

Further information

     The CPIs and year-on-year rates of change at section level for September 2018 are shown in Table 1. The time series on the year-on-year rates of change in the CPIs before and after removing the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures are shown in Table 2. For discerning the latest trend in consumer prices, it is also useful to look at the changes in the seasonally adjusted CPIs. The corresponding time series on the average monthly rates of change during the latest 3 months for the seasonally adjusted CPIs are shown in Table 3. The rates of change in the original and the seasonally adjusted Composite CPI and the underlying inflation rate are presented graphically in Chart 1.

     More detailed CPI data (including year-on-year comparison, month-to-month comparison, seasonally adjusted data series and the CPIs by the Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP)) are available in the monthly reports. Users can download the September 2018 issue of the "Monthly Report on the Consumer Price Index" (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp270.jsp?productCode=B1060001), the time series of CPIs at detailed level (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp270.jsp?productCode=D5600001), the time series of CPIs at COICOP division level (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp270.jsp?productCode=D5600002) and the time series of CPIs after netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp270.jsp?productCode=D5600003) free of charge at the website of the C&SD.

     For enquiries about the CPIs, please contact the Consumer Price Index Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7374 or email: cpi@censtatd.gov.hk).

     A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said today (October 23) that the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) has submitted the report of the 2018 Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) to the EDB.
      
     The spokesman said, "In 2018, the Primary Three TSA was conducted on the basis of 'no student names, no school names, no collection of reports and selection of participants by sampling'. About 10 per cent of Primary Three students from public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools in the territory were sampled to participate in the Primary Three TSA. Primary schools which have arranged for all their Primary Three students to participate in the assessment will be provided with school-level data directly by the HKEAA later for use as feedback on learning and teaching. The EDB will not obtain school reports of individual schools from the HKEAA."
      
     The performance in the three subjects of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics of the Primary Three and Secondary Three students who participated in the TSA this year remains steady. As the Primary Three TSA this year was conducted on a sampling basis, the HKEAA processed the related data through statistical methodology to calculate the territory-wide basic competency attainment rates in the three subjects of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics. As in previous years, the attainment rates of different levels were calculated against the basic competency standards set in 2004.
      
     The spokesman added, "The new arrangements for the Primary Three TSA and related enhancement measures have re-established the TSA as a low-stakes assessment without the need for drilling, and the education sector is generally satisfied with the new arrangements. According to the information provided by the HKEAA, schools which have arranged for all their Primary Three students to participate in the assessment have selected school reports with different coverage according to their school-based and subject-based needs, with the information analysis report being particularly popular. Schools agree that assessment reports provide useful information which helps them develop more appropriate curriculum plans and learning and teaching strategies, and implement 'assessment for learning' in the classroom."
      
     The EDB has regularised the four enhancement measures, namely improving assessment papers and question design, enhancing school reports, strengthening professional support measures and including a questionnaire survey on students' learning attitude and motivation, and will continue to support schools in promoting "assessment for learning" to encourage sharing of good teaching practices among schools. The EDB will organise seminars on the 2018 TSA arrangements to promote "assessment for learning". Effective ways of using assessment data and information to enhance learning and teaching will be introduced. The seminars will be held in November. Teachers can sign up via the EDB training calendar.
      
     The EDB will continue to strengthen public education on how to make good use of assessment information to improve learning and teaching. The EDB will also closely observe the implementation of the new arrangements for the Primary Three TSA through various channels including inspections, school visits and daily contacts, with a view to maintaining communication with schools and stakeholders and exploring room for continuous improvement and follow-up arrangements.
      
     The territory-wide percentages of students achieving basic competencies in the three subjects of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics from 2004 to 2018 are shown in the Annex. Details of the TSA and this year's results can be found on the HKEAA's website (www.bca.hkeaa.edu.hk).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 is 105.7 (up 0.3 against yesterday's index).