Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, started her visit in Beijing today (May 10).

     Ms Cheng called on the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Le Yucheng, in the morning.  She introduced Hong Kong’s measures to enhance its competitiveness as the international legal and disputes resolution services centre, which was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

     In the afternoon, Ms Cheng and the legal and disputes resolution practitioners from Hong Kong met with the Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, Mr Weng Jieming.  During the meeting, the practitioners introduced Hong Kong’s strengths in international legal and dispute resolution services which could complement the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development. They also suggested Mainland enterprises to fully use Hong Kong’s international legal and dispute resolution services and recommended to explore to build a platform to further exchanges with Mainland enterprises.  

     Ms Cheng and the practitioners from Hong Kong then met with the Chief Justice of the People’s Republic of China and President of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), Mr Zhou Qiang.  SPC actively supported Hong Kong’s efforts to promote mutual legal assistance between the two jurisdictions.  The practitioners also discussed with SPC on their needs and suggestions on legal co-operation, as well as ways to enhance the existing mechanism.

     Ms Cheng and the Executive Vice President of SPC, Mr Shen Deyong, also signed a minutes of meeting in respect of strengthening mutual legal assistance between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

     Ms Cheng will continue her visit tomorrow by calling on the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission. She will also join the practitioners from Hong Kong to attend two roundtable meetings host by representatives of the Mainland arbitration and business sector.

        

     Police today (May 10) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tsing Yi.      Poon Wai-ying, aged 79, went missing after she left her residence in Cheung Hong Estate… read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at a media session at the Legislative Council Complex this evening (May 10): Reporter: Mr Chan, are you satisfied that a few pro-democracy… read more

     Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a press conference today (May 10) on the proposed enhancements to general ex-gratia compensation and rehousing arrangements for the Government’s development clearance exercises:
      
     In line with the “people-oriented” philosophy of the current-term Government, we propose enhancements to the existing ex-gratia compensation and rehousing arrangements for the Government’s development clearance exercises to address the needs of affected clearees. We believe that our proposal fairly and pragmatically balances the use of public money, public housing resources and community and stakeholders’ expectations.

     Our proposal comprises the following key features:
 
(a) replacing “project-specific” packages with a unified as well as enhanced general ex-gratia compensation and rehousing package applicable to all future government development clearance exercises;
 
(b) offering non-means tested rehousing for eligible households in dedicated rehousing estates to be developed and managed by the Hong Kong Housing Society;
 
(c) suitably relaxing the eligibility criteria and increasing the amount of cash ex-gratia allowances;
 
(d) offering appropriate ex-gratia compensation and rehousing arrangements for eligible households residing in surveyed/licensed non-domestic structures; and
 
(e) relaxing the eligibility criteria of applicable ex-gratia allowances for business undertakings on brownfields and in squatters.
     
     Subject to the Legislative Council Finance Committee’s approval of the parts involving ex-gratia allowances, the proposed enhancements, including the enhanced rehousing arrangements, will take effect at the same time. The unified as well as enhanced general package will be applicable to all eligible persons who have not yet received government compensation or rehousing as of the respective announcement date in respect of any on-going or future land resumption and clearance exercises. The announcement date of the proposal for domestic occupants and business undertakings in squatters is today (i.e. May 10, 2018), while that of the proposal for business undertakings on brownfields is April 11, 2017 (i.e. the date when the Government announced the extended ex-gratia allowance arrangement last year).    read more

     â€‹The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, chaired the sixth meeting of the Steering Group on the Modification of Recycling and Refuse Collection Facilities in Public Places today (May 10) to discuss new conce… read more