In response to media enquiries regarding the booking arrangements for an outsourced contractor of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), Spotlight Enterprises Limited (Spotlight), which organises fee-charging programmes in the sports centres under its management, a spokesman for the LCSD today (August 7) reiterated that the department handled all hiring applications for facilities in sports centres in an impartial manner while the outsourced contractor must, in addition, comply with the restrictive provisions specified in the contracts. The spokesman assured that no privilege or preferential treatment has ever been given to the contractor.
 
     All hiring applications for LCSD sports centre facilities (including those submitted by the outsourced contractors) must be handled in accordance with the "Booking Procedure for Use of Fee Charging Recreation and Sports Facilities" under which the priorities and application arrangements have been clearly set out. Spotlight belongs to the category with the lowest priority (i.e. bona fide associations and corporations) and can reserve recreation and sports facilities three months in advance. If hiring applications from other organisations with the same priority as Spotlight are received for the same session, the allocation will be determined by balloting so as to ensure that applications from all eligible organisations are handled impartially.
 
     As an outsourced contractor, Spotlight must also comply with relevant requirements specified under the contract with LCSD, which only allow it to hire no more than 100 hours in a month and no more than 20 hours of which shall fall in peak periods for the facilities in the sports centres under its management. The outsourced contractor is also required to submit a detailed proposal on its programmes two months in advance for LCSD's approval to ensure that the programmes being organised are in line with the LCSD's mission of promoting sport for all. Other organisations are not bound by these contract restrictions. In other words, the outsourced contractor is additionally regulated by the contract requirements and therefore there is no question of granting privilege or preferential treatment to the contractor.
 
     Records show that Spotlight has organised programmes at venues and facilities with comparatively lower usage rates including squash courts, activity rooms and dance rooms in 10 of the 14 outsourced sports centres during the current contract period. The average usage rate of these facilities during peak and non-peak hours (including the sessions hired by Spotlight) are between 72% and 76%. On the other hand, Spotlight normally would not apply for those popular facilities with higher public demand, such as the multi-purpose arena for ball games at sports centres.
 
     Although in principle the LCSD can exercise its discretion under the contract to allow the contractor to hire the facilities to organise programmes for more than the above-mentioned hours, the department has only done so for programmes held at two sports centres. In making the decisions, the department mainly considered that no other organisation had applied for the same sessions whilst the contractor's proposed programmes would help further promote the facilities of the sports centres as well as provide diversified activities for public participation.
 
     According to the LCSD's "Booking Procedure for Recreation and Sports Facilities", all block bookings (including activities organised by the Home Affairs Bureau or the LCSD, and those subvented by the LCSD) during peak hours should not exceed half of the total available hours of the month, so as to ensure that adequate peak hour sessions will be available for public use to meet the needs of different venue users.
 
     The LCSD has all along been actively promoting "Sport for All". Apart from providing various recreation and sports facilities and programmes for use and participation by the public, the department also encourages both organisations and individual members of the public to hire LCSD's venues for organising programmes, training courses or competitions. With an aim to promoting sports, the department allows these kinds of activities, regardless of whether it is fee-charging or not, to be held in its leisure venues. Programmes organised by venue hirers (including Spotlight) are generally self-financed and participants may be charged an enrollment fee in order to cover the administrative or activity-related expenses. As to recreations and sports programmes organised by the LCSD, they are aimed to promote "Sport for All" and are highly subsidised by the Government, making it inappropriate to directly compare with the fees charged for programmes held by Spotlight.
 
     In conclusion, Spotlight has organised recreation and sports programmes in sports centres under its management in accordance with the LCSD's "Booking Procedure for Recreation and Sports Facilities" and relevant requirements and terms as specified in the contracts. No privilege or preferential treatment has ever been given to the contractor. These recreation and sports programmes also help promote the facilities of the sports centres and provide diversified activities for the public.
 
     The LCSD will continue to closely monitor the usage of the outsourced sports centres and the performance of contractors to ensure the service quality of these sports centres.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The second round of the 2018 New Series Hong Kong Banknotes roving exhibitions will start tomorrow (August 8) at 1/F Atrium, Temple Mall North for 3 days till August 10. The roving exhibitions aim to raise public awareness on the design and security features of the new series. Details are as follows:
 

 
     In addition, an educational mobile application "2018 New Banknotes" has been launched to enhance the public's understanding of the new series. Members of the public are encouraged to participate in "The 5 Thematic Icons" game, collect one thematic icon from each of the five themes of the new series and visit the roving exhibitions to enter into a lucky draw. The grand prize will be a set of special edition layered prints of the 2018 New Series Hong Kong Banknotes (6 sets in total), and the general prize will be a limited edition miniature model of the HKMA Coin Cart (1 000 pieces in total).
 
     For further details of the game and the terms and conditions of the lucky draw, please refer to the HKMA Facebook page and the link below:
www.facebook.com/hkmagovhk
www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/currency/2018_series/main.htm

     The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, visited Shenzhen today (August 7), touring some innovation and technology companies and an eye hospital set up by Hong Kong people. He also met with Shenzhen officials to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between the two places.

     Visiting an innovation and technology enterprise in Nanshan District, Mr Nip was updated on the latest flexible display technology, as well as the research and development of related intelligent products and their application in daily life. He also toured another technology company in the district specialising in developing 3D sensing technology where he learnt about the application of high-technology sensors in various areas, such as 3D scanning and intelligent recognition. Before leaving Nanshan District, Mr Nip visited an enterprise focusing on developing computer vision technology, including virtual reality and augmented reality.

     During the visits, Mr Nip exchanged views with enterprise representatives to explore complementary co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in innovation and technology development.

     Mr Nip then went to an eye hospital in Shenzhen established by Hong Kong people to see for himself the development of Hong Kong's medical sector in the Mainland.

     The hospital is the first specialist hospital wholly owned by Hong Kong people in the Mainland under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. Its medical team comprises ophthalmology experts from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas.

     The hospital renders high-quality professional services to Mainland residents on the one hand, and serves as a platform for the diversified development of Hong Kong's medical professionals on the other.

     In the evening, Mr Nip met with the Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Ai Xuefeng, and the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Ms Cai Ying, to exchange views on concerted efforts in driving the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and enhancing co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

     Mr Nip will return to Hong Kong this evening.

          

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, visited Shenzhen today (August 7) to get updates on the latest developments in financial technologies (FinTech) and innovation and technology (I&T) in the city.

     Upon arrival, Mr Chan called on the Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Mr Wang Lixin, and exchanged views on further co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

     Mr Chan said that Shenzhen and Hong Kong have all along been close partners. He expressed the hope that both sides can leverage on the opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to strengthen co-operation in FinTech, I&T and creative industries.

     He then visited the headquarters of Tencent to understand more about the newest FinTech services in the Mainland. He also attended an activity organised by the Tencent Financial Academy and exchanged views with Hong Kong youths participating in an internship programme in Shenzhen.

     He remarked that the Greater Bay Area covers not only Shenzhen, which houses many leading I&T enterprises, but also a large number of cities transforming towards an advanced manufacturing economy. As Hong Kong is the most cosmopolitan city in the region and offers the best professional services, its enterprises and those in the Mainland may join forces in tapping new markets and developing the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub where talent, research and development institutes and enterprises can cluster.

     Mr Chan also visited an intelligent logistics provider and a FinTech company founded by Hong Kong people to learn from their top management about the latest applications in big data analytics and information and communications technology.

     Tomorrow (August 8), Mr Chan will continue his visit in Shenzhen and call on two large-scale technology companies before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with 11 financial regulators and related organisations (note), announced today (August 7) the initiative of the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN).
 
     Building on the UK Financial Conduct Authority's proposal earlier this year, GFIN seeks to provide a more efficient way for innovative firms to interact with regulators, helping them navigate between jurisdictions as they look to scale new ideas. It will also create a framework for co-operation between financial services regulators on innovation related topics, sharing different experiences and approaches.
 
     GFIN today issued a consultation (see Annex) on the role it should play in delivering its objectives including the tools it will use. The consultation sets out three main functions of the GFIN:

• Acting as a network of regulators to collaborate and share experience of innovation in respective markets, including emerging technologies and business models;
• Providing a forum for joint policy work and discussions; and
• Providing firms with an environment in which to trial cross-border solutions. 

     The Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Howard Lee, said, "The opportunities and challenges created by fintech are not bound by jurisdictional borders. The GFIN initiative will enable regulators across the globe to share experience and knowledge in realising the benefits while managing the risks. The HKMA is delighted to be a founding contributor of the initiative and looks forward to facilitating the creation of a healthy fintech ecosystem."
 
     The working group is asking for feedback on the consultation questions by October 14. Over the course of the next two months, the working group will engage with interested parties across different jurisdictions involved in the project. The working group will then assess feedback and agree on next steps.
 
Note: The organisations involved in the GFIN working group at present are: Abu Dhabi Global Market; Autorité des marchés financiers (Québec, Canada); Australian Securities and Investments Commission; Central Bank of Bahrain; United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Dubai Financial Services Authority; Financial Conduct Authority (United Kingdom); Guernsey Financial Services Commission; Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Monetary Authority of Singapore; Ontario Securities Commission (Canada); and Consultative Group to Assist the Poor.