The Transport Department today (June 1) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on June 16 (Saturday) and 17 (Sunday), in Meeting Room S421, L4, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

     "A total of 280 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been posted at the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.

     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:

(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:

(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.

(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.

(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.

(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk.

     Members of the public are invited to visit the new phase of the Arts Fun Fair to be launched by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) at Kowloon Park this Sunday (June 3). Visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park while appreciating a wide range of handicrafts and artworks.
 
     The 20th phase of the Arts Fun Fair at Kowloon Park runs from June 3 until May 26 next year, and will be open from 1pm to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays at the park's Loggia. There will be 29 stalls displaying and selling trendy craftworks including fabrics and floral ornaments as well as traditional arts products and services including painting and calligraphy.
 
     The Arts Fun Fair aims at enhancing public interest in the arts and enriching the arts atmosphere in Hong Kong. It will also make the park more appealing and enjoyable for park-goers, a spokesman for the LCSD said.
 
     "The Arts Fun Fair at Kowloon Park has been well received by the general public. In addition to the fair, other specialised facilities in the park, such as the Sculpture Walk, the Sculpture Garden and the Maze Garden, also win the hearts of visitors enjoying fun-filled weekends," the spokesman said.
 
     In addition to the fun fair at Kowloon Park, arts corners at Hong Kong Park and Victoria Park have also commenced.
 
     The 18th phase of the Hong Kong Park's Arts Corner is now open from noon to 6pm every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday. It will continue until December 31 at the outdoor area near the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware inside the park. There are 10 stalls in operation featuring dough sculptures, straw-weaving items and ornaments, as well as arts stalls providing cultural and arts services including painting, silhouette cutting and portrait drawing.
 
     The 19th phase of the Arts Corner in Victoria Park will run until March 31, 2019, and is open from 10am to 6pm on Sundays and public holidays at the park's South Pavilion Plaza. It comprises 22 stalls, displaying and selling various kinds of handicraft products and artistic works including fabrics, leather goods and ornaments, as well as providing arts services including face painting, photography and portrait drawing. The arts corner will be suspended when there are major events in the park.
 
     For enquiries, please call 2724 3344 (Kowloon Park), 2521 5041 (Hong Kong Park) or 2890 5824 (Victoria Park).

    

     The provisional registers of electors and omissions lists were released today (June 1) for public inspection until June 25.
 
     About 3.81 million registered electors are contained in the 2018 provisional register for geographical constituencies, which represents a net increase of about 8 000 electors compared to last year, after taking into account about 81 000 who are newly registered and removing the names of about 27 000 and 46 000 electors that have been listed on the omissions list due to death and as a result of the inquiry process.
 
     For functional constituencies, about 3.52 million registered electors in the District Council (second) functional constituency, commonly known as the Super District Council, are listed in the provisional register, whereas for the other traditional functional constituencies, the number of registered electors is about 231 000. These figures have taken into account newly registered electors, electors who have changed to register between the District Council (second) functional constituency and other traditional functional constituencies, and electors listed on the omissions list due to death or as a result of the inquiry process.
 
     "In addition to the applications for new registration, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) has received applications for updating particulars from about 124 000 registered electors of geographical constituencies. The respective provisional registers include all validated applications for registration as electors and applications for changes of particulars. For those who are no longer eligible for registration, their names have been removed from the respective registers and listed on the omissions lists," an REO spokesman said.
 
     The REO appeals to members of the public to log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk), or call the REO hotline on 2891 1001, to check their own latest registration particulars and whether they are listed on the omissions lists.
 
     Anyone who has applied to be registered as an elector but does not find his or her name in the relevant register, or whose name is on the omissions lists, or who finds his or her particulars incorrectly recorded, may lodge a claim in person with the REO.
 
     If anyone considers that a registered person is not eligible to be registered, he or she may also lodge an objection in person with the REO.
 
     "The statutory deadline for lodging a claim or objection is June 25. The Revising Officer will consider the evidence provided by the applicant to make a ruling in accordance with the legislation," the spokesman said.
 
     The specified forms for claims and objections can be obtained from the REO (10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, or 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade and Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay) and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres. They can also be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/application.htm).
 
     To enhance transparency, and assist the persons concerned and members of the public to attend the hearings, information on the hearings of the claims and objections (including the date, time and venue of the hearings, and the names of the claimants/objectors/electors being objected to) will be uploaded to the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/claims_and_objections.htm) before the hearing day.
 
     "The REO has issued reminder letters to those electors who have been listed on the omissions list, to remind them once again to take appropriate remedial actions. The envelope is beige in colour and stamped with a red reminder message, 'Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake.' The letter seeks to remind the recipients to reply by June 25. Upon approval by the Revising Officer, their names and residential addresses will be included in the final register," the spokesman said.
 
     For the geographical constituencies and the District Council (second) functional constituency, full copies of the provisional register can be inspected during ordinary business hours at the REO on 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. The relevant section of the register pertinent to a particular district is available for public inspection at the respective Home Affairs Enquiry Centre during its business hours from Mondays to Fridays. As regards the omissions lists for the geographical constituencies and the District Council (second) functional constituency, full copies are available for public inspection at the REO's office at Harbour Centre in Wan Chai and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres.
 
     For functional constituencies (other than the District Council (second) functional constituency) and Election Committee subsectors, full copies of the provisional registers and omissions lists are available during ordinary business hours for public inspection at the REO's office at Harbour Centre in Wan Chai and its office on 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade and Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay. They can also be inspected at the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in Central, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin during their business hours from Mondays to Fridays.
 
     The REO's ordinary business hours are from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
 
     Statistical information about the provisional registers is available on the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
 
     The REO will publish the final registers of electors on or before July 25.

     The Students' Study Room at To Kwa Wan Public Library will be closed from July 5 to 7 and partially closed from July 8 to October 17 for repair works, while other library services will remain normal, a Leisure and Cultural Services Department spokesman announced today (June 1).
 
     For enquiries, please call 2926 4155.

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (June 1) launched the Higher Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) and the third phase of the application procedure – the "New Application" phase.

     An SWD spokesman said, "Elderly persons aged 65 or above not receiving Normal OALA, Old Age Allowance (OAA) or Disability Allowance (DA) may make applications for Higher OALA starting from today. Application forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from the SWD's website, or obtained from social security field units (SSFUs). Applicants can submit the completed application forms together with photocopies of relevant supporting documents by fax, email or post or directly to the SSFU concerned, or through referral by other government departments or non-governmental organisations. Applicants can also authorise another person to make an application on their behalf. Upon receipt of the application forms, SWD staff will arrange interview appointments with the applicants to verify their eligibility."

     The SWD spokesman reminded elderly persons under the "New Application" phase that, as long as their applications are submitted on or before December 31 this year, and all the eligibility criteria for the Higher OALA are met, including the age and residence requirements as well as income and asset requirements, they would receive a lump-sum retrospective payment counted from the effective date (i.e. May 1, 2017) or the date of eligibility, whichever is later. Hence, there is no need to rush to submit applications at the beginning of the "New Application" phase.

     For elderly persons who do not meet the income and asset limits for Higher OALA but meet those for Normal OALA, they may consider applying for Normal OALA. However, the arrangement of lump-sum retrospective payment mentioned above is not applicable to Normal OALA.

     The SWD is also issuing today the second batch of yellow notification letters under the "Postal Submission" phase to recipients of OAA and Normal DA aged 65 or above, inviting them to apply for Higher OALA through postal submission. Elderly persons who meet the income and asset limits and opt to switch to receive Higher OALA are required to return the completed Postal Submission Application Form to the SWD by post on or before December 31 this year. Eligible elderly persons will receive a lump-sum retrospective payment (after deducting the payment of allowance already made during the corresponding period) counted from the effective date (i.e. May 1, 2017) or the date of eligibility, whichever is later. Subject to the establishment of eligibility, payment will be credited into the elderly persons' designated bank accounts currently used for receiving OAA/DA.

     Furthermore, SWD will disburse on June 4 the lump-sum retrospective payment of Higher OALA to eligible elderly persons under the "Auto-conversion" phase. The payment will be credited into their bank accounts currently used for receiving Normal OALA.

     The SWD spokesman said that the SWD issued about 360 000 green notification letters under the "Auto-conversion" phase on April 3 to Normal OALA recipients who meet the income and asset limits for Higher OALA applicable on the effective date (i.e. May 1, 2017) according to the SWD's records.

     The spokesman added that some elderly persons may not be able to receive the green notification letters owing to various reasons, such as not making a timely report of updated address to the SWD and undelivered mail. About 3 000 undelivered green notification letters were returned to the SWD. The SWD has initiated contact and reached most of these elderly persons. However, a small portion of them cannot be reached despite repeated attempts by the SWD. To avoid affecting the payment of allowance, the spokesman reminded elderly persons who have moved without informing the SWD to contact the SSFU concerned during office hours (Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm) in order to update their address.

     For details about the Higher OALA, please visit the SWD's website www.swd.gov.hk/oala or call the Enquiry Line at 3595 0130 during the above office hours.