The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will progressively extend the scheme on installation of Internet Protocol (IP) cameras at illegal refuse deposit blackspots to all districts starting from June 6 to combat illegal deposits of refuse and improve environmental hygiene.
 
     A spokesman for the FEHD today (May 29) said, "The FEHD launched a six-month pilot scheme on installation of IP cameras at six refuse deposit blackspots in Central and Western, Sham Shui Po and Yuen Long districts in late December 2016, which has effectively curbed illegal deposits of refuse through targeted surveillance and enforcement actions. 
 
     "In view of these encouraging results, the FEHD, after consulting all District Councils, will extend the scheme to cover about 80 refuse deposit blackspots in the territory for a trial period of one year. When the scheme commences next week, IP cameras installed at 46 blackspots in various districts will be ready for use (see Annex), and installation work at the remaining blackspots will be conducted progressively. FEHD officers will closely monitor the targeted blackspots and suitably adjust its action plans in light of actual circumstances, including the change of IP camera locations in a timely manner, so as to enhance the effectiveness of enforcement actions."

     The spokesman said that the FEHD is implementing the arrangements in accordance with the Guidance on CCTV Surveillance and Use of Drones issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, including posting notices in the areas covered by the IP cameras. In addition, the department has formulated clear operational guidelines, and requires staff to strictly comply with the provisions on the manner of collecting personal data under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap 486) and to handle privacy matters properly. The disclosure of images captured is restricted to the extent necessary for legal action to be taken. Should no prosecution be instituted against irregularities within six months, the images so captured will be deleted.
 
     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD would continue to combat illegal refuse deposits in a multi-pronged manner. Members of the public are urged to observe the laws and be civic-minded. They should deposit refuse properly or may be prosecuted. Since mid-2017, the department has set up six dedicated enforcement teams to step up enforcement actions against various public cleanliness offences.
 
     The scheme will be reviewed one year after implementation. The installation locations of the IP cameras will be uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk).

     Police today (May 29) appealed to the public for information on a girl who went missing in Chai Wan.

     Yeung Man-wa, aged 15, went missing after she was last seen on Tai On Street on May 16 morning. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

     She is about 1.5 metres tall, 49 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a round face with yellow complexion, long straight black hair and a rose tattoo on her upper right arm. She was last seen wearing a black coat and a pair of pink shorts.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing girl or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 9689 7445, or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     â€‹Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, at the STARTIT.Asia Hong Kong 2nd Edition Startup & Ecosystem Mixer today (May 29):
      
Consul General (Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao, Mr Antonello De Riu), Luca (President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao, Mr Luca Cico), Mr Cucino (Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Mr Davide Cucino), Mr Sbuttoni (Partner at Baker&McKenzie, Mr Paolo Sbuttoni), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     Good evening. It's my great pleasure to join you again at the STARTIT.Asia. First of all, congratulations to the success of the first edition of STARTIT.Asia last year. It's great to see the programme taking root in Hong Kong. I am also delighted to see so many aspiring technology entrepreneurs from Italy who find Hong Kong the right place to explore business opportunities. This is an excellent testimonial to Hong Kong's ability to attract and blend the best ideas and talents from all over the world. It also helps strengthen the bilateral relationship between Hong Kong and Italy on the innovation and technology (I&T) front.
      
     According to a survey conducted by Invest Hong Kong in 2017, the number of start-ups has grown over 16 per cent, compared to those in 2016. Co-working spaces have been gaining momentum in Hong Kong. Internationally renowned co-working space operators are expanding their presence in Hong Kong, accelerating the innovation and technology ecosystem and disrupting the office leasing market. What's more, co-working spaces offer entrepreneurs an affordable and flexible way to grow and expand their businesses in this Asia's world city.
      
     Hong Kong's innovation and technology infrastructure is also fast developing in the past few years. Three new submarine cables providing direct links between Hong Kong and the US are in the pipeline. Investors include Facebook, Google, Telstra and NEC. They have chosen Hong Kong as a landing point for their huge investments in the three submarine cables, which are the Pacific Light Cable Network, the Hong Kong-Guam and the Hong Kong Americas Submarine Cable Systems. On cloud services, Google is going to open a Google Cloud Platform region in Hong Kong this year. And Amazon Web Services will also launch an AWS region here in Hong Kong. These again show the big players are also placing their bets on Hong Kong as the data hub of the region.
      
     Just a few days ago, Hong Kong was ranked the second most competitive economy globally, out of the 63 economies assessed in the International Institute for Management Development's (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2018. Among the four main competitiveness factors used in the IMD ranking, Hong Kong maintained the No. 1 position in "Government efficiency" and "Business efficiency", both for the fourth consecutive year.
      
     Hong Kong has unique competitive edges, such as the close proximity to the fast-growing China market, a competitive tax regime, the rule of law, an open and free market and a can-do mindset in the business sector. On top of these, the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government will continue its role as a promoter and facilitator to drive innovation and technology development.
      
     As announced by the Chief Executive in the 2017 Policy Address, we have mapped out a clear direction for Hong Kong's I&T development using an eight-pronged approach. In the 2018-19 Budget, the Financial Secretary unprecedentedly allocated more than $50 billion to accelerate the I&T development in Hong Kong, through nurturing start-ups and promoting industries and R&D collaboration, as well as investing in infrastructure development. The financial commitment and significant investment in both software and hardware help build a vibrant ecosystem for start-ups here in Hong Kong – more than ever before.
      
     Tax incentives will be rolled out with a view to encouraging enterprises to conduct more R&D in Hong Kong. A 300 per cent super tax deduction will be provided to the first $2 million of qualifying R&D expenditure conducted in Hong Kong, and a 200 per cent tax deduction will be provided for the remaining balance. And there is no cap for the amount of tax deduction.  This is a major policy breakthrough for Hong Kong.
      
     In addition, we believe Hong Kong can leverage the world-class R&D capacity of our local universities, particularly in the fields of healthcare technologies and artificial intelligence/robotics technologies. The Government has earmarked $10 billion to support the establishment of two research clusters in the Hong Kong Science Park in these areas, so as to attract world-class scientific research institutions and technology enterprises to Hong Kong, and to join forces with our local universities and research institutions in conducting more R&D projects, nurturing more technology talent in Hong Kong.
      
     In addition, $10 billion is allocated to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation for building shared research infrastructure and facilities, as well as enhancing support for its incubatees and tenants. Another $200 million is allocated to Cyberport for enhancing support for start-ups and boosting the development of a digital technology ecosystem. Cyberport will also strengthen its incubation programme and put forward new measures to attract multinational companies to set up offices and R&D units in Hong Kong.
      
     To meet the needs of the I&T sector, the Government will roll out the Technology Talent Admission Scheme. This pilot scheme, which applies to incubatees and tenants of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport, provides a fast-track arrangement for eligible technology companies/institutes to admit top-notch research and development talent from around the world with a pre-approved quota. Successful companies will also be required to engage three local employees to work in technology areas for every three talents admitted from outside of Hong Kong. I believe the scheme will help augment our talent pool and provide more training and job opportunities for our local people.
      
     Global economic gravity is shifting to Asia. Hong Kong will ride on major national strategies, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development and the Belt and Road Initiative, which will bring more business opportunities for Hong Kong's economy.
      
     Before I close, I would like to welcome and encourage more Italian entrepreneurs and investors to come to Hong Kong and explore collaboration with our local counterparts. I believe Hong Kong's growing and robust ecosystem will offer a conducive environment for starting or scaling up businesses in the area of innovation and technology.
      
     Last but not least, my best wishes to the five shortlisted Italian start-ups for their upcoming presentations of promising business ideas. Please enjoy the rest of the STARTIT.Asia programme. 
      
     Thank you.

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) jointly hosted a seminar on overseas treasury management in Guangzhou today (May 29) to promote the advantages of establishing Corporate Treasury Centres (CTCs) and conducting financing activities in Hong Kong to corporations in Guangdong Province.
 
     The seminar on "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area – New Opportunities arising from Overseas Treasury Management" covered how corporations in Guangdong Province can make use of Hong Kong's strengths and policies to manage overseas treasury and financing activities as they proactively invest abroad, especially against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Bay Area development.
 
     The seminar was attended by around 100 participants, including the representative of the People's Bank of China Guangzhou Branch and finance professionals from large corporations in Guangdong Province. Senior representatives from the HKMA, Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Deloitte introduced Hong Kong's CTC tax regime, the "Pilot Bond Grant Scheme" and the "Green Bond Grant Scheme", as well as shared insights on various areas including market trends, tax arrangements, bank services and business operations.
 
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Norman Chan, said, "Being a premier international financial centre in Asia, Hong Kong is an ideal location for corporates to set up their CTCs and conduct financing activities. Over 100 corporates already benefitted from the CTC tax regime in the first year of its introduction. With the implementation of the Bay Area development, the 'going out' momentum of corporates in Guangdong Province will remain strong. The HKMA will continue to promote and support more corporates in Guangdong Province to 'go out' and set up their CTCs in Hong Kong."
 
     The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, said, "Hong Kong offers Mainland and international companies an ideal location with unparalleled connectivity for an Asia-wide business. The benefits of the corporate treasury centre are a key part of the overall attraction for businesses from around the world. As Hong Kong offers new, exciting opportunities arising from the focus on innovation, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Bay Area development, InvestHK will encourage and support even more companies to set up corporate treasury centres in Hong Kong."

  

     Construction contractors, site supervising teams, front-line supervisors and workers with outstanding safety performance were commended at the 24th Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony today (May 29), the finale of Construction Safety Week 2018.
 
     Officiating at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Hon Chi-keung, said that the setting up of the $1 billion Construction Innovation and Technology Fund could not only promote industry productivity, quality construction and environmental efficiency but also help improve site safety. Meanwhile, the Government is actively promoting the adoption of modular integrated construction, which could save construction time and the hardship of construction workers working outdoors and as a result enhance the working environment and safety at sites. Also, the Government is actively advocating the adoption of off-site manufacturing such as using steel reinforcing bar (rebar) products made by approved rebar prefabrication yards to enhance construction safety. The Construction Innovation and Technology Fund will provide funding to the industry to adopt innovative construction methods and new technologies to take forward the transformation of the industry through automation, industralisation and digitisation.
 
     Also officiating at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Committee on Construction Safety of the Construction Industry Council, Dr Derrick Pang, appealed to all members of the construction team to be considerate in carrying out their respective construction duties in order to achieve the goal of enhancing site safety and the occupational safety and health of construction workers.
 
     Fifty-two sites received awards under the Scheme this year, of which 28 came from the public works stream and 24 from the non-public works stream. There were several award categories, including the Considerate Contractors Site Award (New Works), the Considerate Contractors Site Award (Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Works), the Considerate Contractors Site Award (Minor Renovation and Maintenance), the Outstanding Environmental Management and Performance Award, the Model Sub-contractor Award, the Model Frontline Supervisor Award, the Best Model Frontline Supervisor Award, the Model Worker Award and the Best Model Worker Award.
 
     Jointly held by the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council, the Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme aims to raise awareness of safety on construction sites and promote good practices in site safety, health and environmental aspects by commending outstanding role models.
 
     The list of awardees of the Scheme this year is available at the Construction Safety Week website (www.safetyweek.hk/web/subpage.php?lang=en&mid=145).