The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will launch a new lecture series on appreciating ballet entitled "Great Masters & the Classics" from August to October. Hosted by local ballet educator Margaret Lau, the lec… read more
The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is organising the screening programme “Integrating Traditional Morality with Modern Reality: Sil-Metropole Retrospective”, now being shown between June and September, showcasing classic films produced by the Sil-Metropole Organisation. The screening programme has received an overwhelming response, and most of the tickets for the screenings have been sold out. In this connection, the HKFA will introduce additional screenings of “Full Moon in New York” (1990) on August 25 (Sunday) at 4pm and “Cageman” (1992) on August 31 (Saturday) at 5pm at its Cinema so that more audience members can revisit these two film classics. This screening programme is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF).
Since the 1950s, the partner organisation of this screening programme, the Sil-Metropole Organisation and its predecessors (Great Wall, Feng Huang and Sun Luen), have produced over 500 films, which reflected the changes in Chinese traditional culture in modern society from various perspectives.
“Full Moon in New York”, directed by Stanley Kwan, brings together three great award-winning actresses: Sylvia Chang, Maggie Cheung and Siqin Gaowa, in an intricate psychological portrait of women in a foreign land. Directed by Jacob Cheung, “Cageman” is a realistic portrayal of lower-class housing issues of the time. The film won the Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor awards at the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards.
“Full Moon in New York” is in Cantonese, Mandarin and English with Chinese and English subtitles, while “Cageman” is in Cantonese without subtitles. “Cageman” is rated Category III and restricted to viewers aged 18 or above.
Tickets for the additional screenings priced at $45 will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from July 26 (Friday). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please visit the website of the HKFA (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2024/silver/pe-event-2024-silver.html) or call 2739 2139.
The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the LCSD’s Chinese Culture Promotion Office, aims to enhance the public’s appreciation of Chinese culture and cultivate citizens’ national identity and cultural confidence. The inaugural CCF is being held from June to September. Through different performing arts programmes in various forms and related extension activities, including selected programmes of the Chinese Opera Festival, exemplary local arts projects recognised by the China National Arts Fund, performing arts programmes from arts and cultural organisations, film screenings, exhibitions, talks and more, the festival allows members of the public and visitors to experience the broad and profound Chinese culture with a view to promoting Chinese culture and patriotic education as well as enhancing national identity amongst the people of Hong Kong, making contributions to the steadfast and successful implementation of “one country, two systems”. For details, please visit the CCF website www.ccf.gov.hk.
The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.
The Government announced today (July 19) the reappointments of Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung as the Chairman of the Elderly Commission (EC) and Professor Daniel Lai Wing-leung as a member of the EC, as well as the appointment of one new member Mr Godfrey Ngai Shi-shing to the EC. Their appointments will take effect from July 30, 2024, for a term of two years.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said, “The EC plays an important role in advising the Government on policies and initiatives relating to elderly care. The Commission’s work will surely benefit from the rich experience of Dr Li and the members reappointed and newly appointed. We will continue to work closely with the Commission to further improve the elderly services in Hong Kong.”
The membership of the EC with effect from July 30, 2024, is as follows:
Chairman
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Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung
Non-official members
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Professor Bai Xue
Dr Johnnie Casire Chan Chi-kau
Miss Grace Chan Man-yee
Ms Ip Shun-hing
Professor Daniel Lai Wing-leung
Professor Linda Lam Chiu-wa
Mr Lau Tat-chuen
Dr Jenny Lee Shun-wah
Mr Horace Lit Hoo-yin
Dr James Luk Ka-hay
Mr Theodore Ma Heng
Ms Queenie Man Wei-yin
Mr Godfrey Ngai Shi-shing
Mr Kyrus Siu King-wai
Mr Albert Su Yau-on
Ms Macy Wong Chor-kei
Miss Yu Chui-yee
Official members
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Secretary for Labour and Welfare or representative
Secretary for Health or representative
Secretary for Housing/Director of Housing or representative
Director of Health or representative
Director of Social Welfare or representative
Chief Executive, Hospital Authority or representative read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
The Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (July 19) endorsed the outcome of the 2024 rent review for public rental housing (PRH) in accordance with section 16A of the Housing Ordinance (HO) and a one-off special concessionary measure for PRH tenants in accordance with section 17 of the HO.
“Section 16A of the HO provides that the HA shall conduct a rent review every two years in accordance with the mechanism stipulated therein and vary the PRH rent according to the change in the income index between the first and second periods covered by the review. The report compiled by the Commissioner for Census and Statistics (C for C&S) for the 2024 PRH rent review showed that the income index of the second period of the review (i.e. 2023) was higher than that of the first period (i.e. 2021) by 10.73 per cent. The HO also sets a 10 per cent cap on the rate of rent increase. To this end, PRH rent will be adjusted upwards by 10 per cent with effect from October 1, 2024. The increase is about $230 per PRH household per month on average, and the range of adjustment is from $49 to $572,” a spokesman for the HA said.
Meanwhile, having considered the prevailing socio-economic circumstances, the extent of the rent increase, the impact on the PRH tenants and the HA’s financial position, the SHC also decided to provide a one-off special concessionary measure to PRH tenants by waiving the extra rent payable by tenants each month due to the rent adjustment in the first three months following the rent adjustment by virtue of section 17 of the HO. The provision of the special concessionary measure will result in about $575 million of rental income foregone in 2024-25 for the HA, and the HA’s rental housing operating account is estimated to have a deficit of about $591 million in 2024-25.
“Excluding Comprehensive Social Security Assistance households, about 60 per cent of the tenants will have a monthly rent increase of $250 or below, and about 2 per cent of tenants will have a monthly rent increase of $100 or below. We believe that most of the PRH tenants should be able to afford the rent increase,” the spokesman said.
“To ensure the rational use of the HA’s financial resources, the special concessionary measure is not applicable to ‘well-off tenants’. In addition, we will continue to adopt a prudent financial management principle when considering whether to provide rent waiver for PRH tenants in future rounds of rent review, so as to ensure that the HA has sufficient financial resources to undertake the massive housing construction programme,” he said.
The rent adjustment will take effect from October 1, 2024. The HA will notify all PRH tenants in writing one month before the implementation date of the new rent.
The HO stipulates the PRH rent adjustment mechanism, which came into effect in 2008. Under this mechanism, PRH rent is reviewed every two years. Section 16A(7)(b) of the HO provides that the C for C&S shall compute the income index for the first and second periods under a rent review. The income index is compiled by comparing the income data of about 24 000 PRH households in each of the periods. The mechanism provides an objective basis for the HA to determine when and to what extent PRH rent should be adjusted, taking into account tenants’ affordability. According to the mechanism, there is a 10 per cent cap on the rate of rent increase, whereas there is no floor in the case of rent reduction. The income of PRH households has increased cumulatively by 131 per cent from 2007 to 2023, while PRH rent will have only increased by 87 per cent cumulatively during the same period (upon the 10 per cent rent increase pursuant to the outcome of the current rent review), which shows that tenants’ income increase has exceeded the rent increase. read more
The Transport Department (TD) today (July 19) reminded members of the public that, to facilitate the drone show to be held near Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui East at 7.30pm tomorrow (July 20), the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Road closures
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In connection with the holding of the drone show that evening, road closures and the corresponding traffic diversions will be implemented in phases on roads in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, including Salisbury Road, Mody Road, Haiphong Road, and parts of Chatham Road South, Nathan Road and Kowloon Park Drive from around 5.30pm until crowds disperse and roads are reopened.
Public transport services arrangements
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MTR lines including Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Tung Chung Line, East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line will be strengthened subject to passenger demand.
In connection with the road closure arrangements (including suspension of Star Ferry Bus Terminus and Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) Bus Terminus), a total of 48 bus and five green minibus (GMB) routes operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted or suspended, and the associated bus stops and GMB stands located within the affected areas will be suspended or relocated.
Taxi stands (including taxi pick-up/drop-off points), public light bus stands, on-street parking spaces and private car parks on the affected roads in Tsim Sha Tsui will be temporarily suspended during the road closure period.
The short-working route of water taxi ferry service will be suspended from 12.30pm onwards.
For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), its mobile application “HKeMobility” or refer to the passenger notices issued by the relevant public transport operators.
Due to road closures, the TD anticipates that the traffic along the concerned areas will become significantly congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the affected areas. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise patience and drive with care, and follow the instructions of the Police on site.
The TD appeals to members of the public to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements, subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or “HKeMobility”. read more