The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved from the Disaster Relief Fund a grant of $3.207 million to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, China (ADRA China) for providing relief to earthquake victims in Papua New Guinea.
 
     Announcing the grant today (May 15), a spokesman for the Government said that the grant will be used to provide food and hygiene items. The Committee hoped the grant would facilitate the provision of timely relief to the victims and help them restore their normal living.
 
     "To ensure that the money is used for the designated purposes, ADRA China will be asked to submit an evaluation report and an audited account on the use of the grant after the relief project has been completed," the spokesman said.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 15) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in So Kon Po and Causeway Bay this Saturday (May 19) to facilitate the holding of a football match at Hong Kong Stadium.

     The special traffic and transport arrangements mainly include:
     
* From about 1.30pm, the section of Caroline Hill Road between Leighton Road and Cotton Path, and the section of Hysan Avenue westbound between Sunning Road and Hoi Ping Road, will be closed, subject to the actual situation;

* From about 4.30pm, Caroline Hill Road and the section of Eastern Hospital Road between Caroline Hill Road and Cotton Path will be closed to facilitate the dispersal of spectators until the crowd disperses and road closures are lifted, subject to the actual situation;

* During the road closure period, Citybus route 5B, New World First Bus route 8H, Cross Harbour route 936, green minibus routes 14M, 26 and 30, and residents' service route HR 51 will be temporarily diverted; and

* On-street car parking spaces and car parks within the affected areas will be suspended.

     The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of So Kon Po and Causeway Bay will be congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of the Police. Members of the public planning to go to the affected areas are advised to use public transport services as far as possible.

     The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures whenever necessary. Members of the public are advised to stay alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television.

     Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements are now available on the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk).

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

     More than 150 bankers, project finance experts, risk officers and professionals attended a seminar jointly organised by the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and the HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO) today (May 15) to explore sustainable infrastructure financing opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative.
      
     The Belt and Road Initiative aims to build connectivity, which can help foster economic growth and regional cooperation. With growing interest from the private sector to capitalise on Belt and Road opportunities, this year's seminar was designed to raise awareness and promote participation of Hong Kong banks in Belt and Road projects.  In line with Hong Kong's commitment to sustainability, the seminar also put a spotlight on financially sustainable and environmentally friendly projects along the Belt and Road countries.
      
     The Executive Director (External) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Deputy Director of the IFFO, Mr Vincent Lee, said, "We are pleased to work with HKAB again to co-host this year's seminar.  Today's discussion clearly highlights the strengths of Hong Kong's platform in facilitating infrastructure financing and investments, and our credentials as a premier centre for green finance in the region.  Going forward, IFFO will continue to work with private and public sector stakeholders closely to facilitate more bankable and sustainable infrastructure projects."
      
     The Chairperson of the HKAB and Chief Executive, Hong Kong, HSBC, Ms Diana Cesar, said, "Financing the colossal investment needs of economies in Asia and beyond will require all available sources of capital. Hong Kong banks are in a unique position to connect enterprises engaged in Belt and Road projects with capital, advice and other solutions.  Hong Kong's focus on green financing can also support China's aim of building a sustainable New Silk Road.  This seminar brings together 60 financial institutions and businesses that can benefit from, and contribute to, economic development along the Belt and Road routes.  The Hong Kong Association of Banks is pleased to be part of this mission in regional cooperation."
      
     The seminar featured keynote speeches, presentations and a panel discussion on "Infrastructure Financing and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges" by bankers and insurance practitioners.  The high turnout at this seminar shows that the Hong Kong banking community is keen to contribute to the sustainable development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
 
About HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office

     As part of the HKMA, IFFO's mission is to facilitate infrastructure investments and their financing by working with a cluster of key stakeholders.
      
     The functions of IFFO are:
 

• providing a platform for information exchange and experience sharing;
• building capacity and knowledge on infrastructure investments and financing;
• promoting market and product development; and
• facilitating infrastructure investment and financing flows.

     By establishing IFFO, the HKMA can play a valuable role as a catalyst in the facilitation of infrastructure investments and their financings with its mandate to promote Hong Kong as an international financial centre.
      
     For more information about IFFO, please visit www.iffo.org.hk.
 
About HKAB
 
     The Hong Kong Association of Banks was created by the Hong Kong Association of Banks Ordinance (Cap 364) (Ordinance) in 1981 to replace the Exchange Banks' Association. The Ordinance provides a framework for the Government to exchange views with the banking sector for the further development of the industry.

     Roles of HKAB include:
 

• to promote the interests of fully licensed banks in Hong Kong and after consultation with the Financial Secretary to make rules for the conduct of banking business;
• to be a focal point for consultation on law reform, new legislation and regulatory matters;
• to form a sounding-board for the Government and other relevant bodies on general business and banking issues;
• to offer a channel of communication among its members and with third parties; and
• to promote best practice to members and provide information service.

     For more information about HKAB, please visit www.hkab.org.hk.

  

     The Lands Department announced today (May 15) that the tender for a site, New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6568 at Kai Tak Area 1F, Site 1, Kai Tak, Kowloon, has been awarded to the highest tenderer, Super Great Limited (parent company: Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited), on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $25,161 million.

     The tenderers, other than the successful tenderer, in alphabetical order, with the name of the parent company where provided by the tenderer in brackets, were:

(1) City Champion Investments Limited (CK Asset Holdings Limited)
(2) Juliyam Limited (Henderson Land Development Company Limited)
(3) Sky Base Properties Limited (Sino Land Company Limited, Kerry Properties Limited, K. Wah International Holdings Limited and Lifestyle International Holdings Limited)
(4) Voyage Mile Limited (Wheelock Properties Limited, Chime Corporation Limited, New World Development Company Limited and China Overseas Land & Investment Limited)

     New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6568 has a site area of about 16,556 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding godown and petrol filling station) purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 78,897 square metres and 131,495 square metres respectively. Both include the gross floor area of Government Accommodation, being residential care homes for the elderly and day care centres for the elderly to be constructed by the purchaser.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 15) announced that a Chinese lettuce sample was found to have pesticide residue at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.
 
     A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the Chinese lettuce sample at import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained cyhalothrin at a level of 0.48 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the maximum residue limit of 0.2 ppm.
 
     "Based on the level of pesticide residue detected in the sample, adverse health effects would not be caused under usual consumption."
 
     Generally speaking, to reduce pesticide residues in vegetables, members of the public can rinse vegetables thoroughly under clean running water, and scrub produce with hard surfaces with a clean produce brush to remove dirt and substances including pesticides and contaminants from the surface and the fissures, when appropriate.
 
     Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) concerning pesticide residues commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.
 
     Since the regulation came into effect on August 1, 2014, the CFS has taken over 142 900 samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues. Together with the unsatisfactory sample announced today, a total of 217 food samples (including 209 vegetable and fruit samples) have been detected as having excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.2 per cent.
 
     The spokesman added that excessive pesticide residues in food may arise from the trade not observing Good Agricultural Practice, e.g. using excessive pesticides and/or not allowing sufficient time for pesticides to decompose before harvesting. The MRLs of pesticide residues in food set in the Regulation are not safety indicators. They are the maximum concentrations of pesticide residues to be permitted in a food commodity under Good Agricultural Practice when applying pesticides. In this connection, consumption of food with pesticide residues higher than the MRLs will not necessarily lead to any adverse health effects.
 
     The CFS will follow up on the unsatisfactory result, including tracing the source of the food in question and taking samples for testing. Investigation is ongoing.