Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident that happened in Chek Lap Kok tonight (November 7) in which a man died.             The LD immediat… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     To enhance awareness of blood donation within the academic community and to encourage youth participation, the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) invited the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and the delegation of associations of secondary school heads to the BTS Headquarters today (November 7). The delegation toured the blood bank, laboratories, donor centre and education vehicle. The BTS provided an overview of its blood donation education initiatives, and facilitated a dialogue on strategies for promoting blood donation within schools. Dr Choi and the members of the delegation also gave blood after the tour, setting a role model for students in Hong Kong.

     In her opening remarks, Dr Choi said, “Blood donation not only helps those in need in the community but also cultivates in students the correct values and attitudes such as care for society, willingness to help, and respect for life, becoming good citizens. This year, 10 secondary schools are awarded the Elite Partnership Award in recognition of their exemplary efforts in cultivating a culture of blood donation on campus, which is truly commendable. The Education Bureau (EDB) appeals to the education sector to encourage more students to actively take part in blood donation.” The EDB fully supports the BTS’s efforts in blood donation education. Dr Choi added that it is heartening to see the BTS has introduced innovative blood donation education programmes, raising awareness of blood donation among youngsters.

     The Chief Executive and Medical Director of the BTS, Dr Lee Cheuk-kwong, addressed that, “In an aging society, the recruitment of new blood donors is of paramount importance. Young donor education is prioritised in blood donation promotion.” He added that, the BTS’s educational initiatives integrate holistic education and life planning. For example, the “Learn About Blood Tour” launched in 2022 invited students to visit the Centre’s blood bank to explore the blood production process and gain insights into the related medical and laboratory professions. Additionally, to cultivate a habit of regular blood donation, the BTS recognised young donors under 25 who have donated blood three or more times during campus donation events by presenting them with “Young Donor Medal”. Furthermore, promotion vehicle was deployed to campus donation drives and school representatives were invited to visit featured donor centre, aiming to attract more young donors through diverse activities.
      
     The BTS calls upon all members of the academia to continue supporting blood donation activities, and groom our next generation to be regular donors. For more information on academic blood donation programmes, please visit the BTS website: www.ha.org.hk/rcbts. 

        

     The Department of Justice (DoJ) today (November 7) hosted the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Lawyers Exchange Reception, bringing together more than 150 participants from the legal sectors of the Mainland, Macao and Hong Kong, including representatives from the Guangdong Lawyers Association, the lawyers associations of the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA, the Macao Lawyers Association, and Hong Kong legal professional bodies, as well as many GBA lawyers and various Legislative Council Members, to discuss the work of promoting the construction of rule of law in the GBA.

     The Director-General of the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, Mr Chen Xudong, and the Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Ms Leong Weng-in, also attended the event.

    The DoJ consulted various stakeholders on the work of the GBA. The GBA lawyers considered that it is necessary to establish a platform as soon as possible to facilitate exchanges and capacity building among them to enable the industry to better participate in the development of the GBA.

     The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that the establishment of the platform is not only an initiative in the Policy Address, but also an important measure in the DoJ’s Action Plan on the Construction of Rule of Law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The platform aims to consolidate the professional strengths of the legal services in the GBA and foster mutual capacity development by leveraging the strengths of the GBA, thereby giving full play to the unique strengths of GBA lawyers and contributing to the high-quality development of the GBA.

     Mr Cheung said it is an initial suggestion that the platform, with the GBA lawyers as key members, would serve three objectives:

(1) Promote training and professional exchanges among the GBA lawyers in a more systematic manner;
(2) Establish and develop the team of the GBA lawyers; and
(3) Build and promote the brand of GBA lawyers to contribute to the construction of foreign-related rule of law of the country.

     He emphasised that once the details of the establishment of the platform are finalised, the DoJ looks forward to implementing the setting up as early as possible in response to the industry’s strong demands.

     He continued that the platform organisation, together with the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to be launched shortly, will enable Hong Kong to fully harness the institutional strengths of the “one country, two systems” framework in response to the keen demands for the foreign-related legal talent in the region and beyond, and to grasp the opportunities in the GBA with a view to making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the country.

     The Exchange Reception is one of the events on the fourth day, themed “Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA” under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024.

        

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024 today (November 7):
 
Margaret (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is my pleasure to join you all at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024.  For those travelling from abroad, a very warm welcome to Hong Kong.

     The HKTDC has been organising this annual flagship event for 16 years, and the Fair this year is particularly special. For the first time, exhibitors trading liquor – approximately 20 per cent of the traders in this show – are benefitting from a reduction in liquor duty. As announced in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address just a few weeks ago, the duty on liquor has been reduced from 100 per cent to just 10 per cent, for the portion of value above HK$200. We believe this change will stimulate high-end liquor trading and auctions in our city.  

     This is a timely initiative, as the production and consumption of wine and spirits in China have become increasingly vibrant and promising. Many Chinese baijiu (白酒) brands are looking to expand globally. Whisky consumption on the Mainland has surged as well, making it the world’s fourth-largest whisky market by value last year. 

     Meanwhile, I am delighted that the Irish Whiskey Association is participating in this Fair for the first time. I have no doubt that many participants will ask about Irish coffee! 

     Hong Kong is the ideal location for your wine and spirits business. While our favourable tax regime – zero tax for wine, now lowered tax for liquor – is a clear advantage, what truly sets us apart is our status as a highly internationalised city, which facilitates the free flow of capital, people, and goods, coupled with highly efficient customs clearance, a comprehensive air and shipping network, advanced storage facilities, top-quality wine valuation services and a vibrant auction market. Here, you will find the right traders, partners, and business opportunities. 

     Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the HKTDC for organising this year’s Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair. I am especially pleased that this event not only serves as a highly successful B2B platform but will also welcome a diverse group of public visitors on Saturday. With talks, masterclasses, and competitions, it promises to be both entertaining and educational for wine and liquor lovers in our city and beyond. 

     I wish you all a rewarding three days at the Fair and a memorable weekend in Hong Kong, and the best of business in the time to come. Thank you.

          

　　The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the first meeting of the Working Group on Promoting Silver Economy today (November 7) to commence co-ordinating the work plans of relevant bureaux for promoting the silver economy.
 
　　The Chief Executive (CE) announced in the 2024 Policy Address that a Working Group, chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, will be set up and commence work by the end of this year. The Working Group will implement measures in the five areas of boosting “silver consumption”, developing the “silver industry”, promoting “quality assurance of silver products”, enhancing “silver financial and security arrangements” and unleashing “silver productivity”, to meet the growing needs of the elderly and help the industry seize business opportunities.
 
　　Mr Cheuk said, “Developing the silver economy to tackle population ageing is crucial to people’s livelihood and well-being. The silver economy encompasses a wide range of sectors and has a long industry chain. Its burgeoning market signifies substantial development potential. Accelerating the growth of the silver industry requires co-ordination of various policies. The Working Group will co-ordinate the efforts of relevant bureaux in formulating supportive policies and measures to implement the five areas outlined by the CE to boost the scale of the silver economy. It will not only inject vitality into Hong Kong’s economy and drive the overall economic development, but also deliver high-quality silver product and service models for the elderly to share the fruits of development.

　　”Bureaux will work out implementation details of the work plans under their policy areas in the upcoming six months, to formulate initiatives and measures for implementation in the first half of next year. The Working Group will monitor the work progress of bureaux to implement relevant initiatives and measures as soon as possible,” he added.
 
　　At the meeting today, the Working Group reviewed initial work directions of bureaux under each of the five areas, and discussed how to strengthen collaborations among bureaux and departments. Bureaux and departments were also asked to further include elements supportive of the silver economy and deepen their work in this regard to build up a silver-friendly community and accelerate the development of the silver economy.
 
　　The other members of the Working Group include the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Vice Chairman); the Secretary for Labour and Welfare; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; and the Secretary for Health. The Working Group will also invite representatives of other bureaux, departments or relevant agencies to discuss related work on a need basis.