The Government announced today (July 26) that the next round of recruitment exercises for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII) and Transport Officer II (TOII) will begin in September 2024.

     As part of the entry requirements, applicants for these posts will need to attain: 

(a) Level 2 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) or other results which are accepted as equivalent (details are set out on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB)'s website at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html);
(b) a Pass result in the Aptitude Test paper in the CRE; and
(c) a Pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (degree/professional grades).

     Candidates who wish to apply for the posts mentioned above but do not attain the requisite results should apply through an online application system on the CSB's website to take the relevant paper(s) in this round of the CRE and the BLNST in order to be considered for appointment. The CRE and the BLNST will be held in Hong Kong, and tentatively in Beijing, Shanghai and five overseas cities, with details as follows:

     In addition, students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree or equivalent, and graduating in the years of 2025 or 2026 are also eligible to apply for the posts and/or apply to take the CRE and the BLNST.

     Details relating to the CRE and the BLNST and the online application system will be made available on the CSB's website during the respective application periods. Details of the 2024-25 AO, EOII, ATOII and TOII recruitment exercises will be separately announced in September.

     The CSB may adjust the arrangements for the CRE and the BLNST as appropriate. Please refer to the CSB's website at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html for any updates on the examination arrangements.

     A new round of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (degree/professional grades) will open for application from tomorrow (July 27). The application details will be uploaded to the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) tomorrow. Prospective applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level should apply through the on-line application system on the CSB webpage before the deadline of 5pm on August 9, 2024. Please note that applications submitted by post, fax or e-mail will not be accepted.
 
     A spokesman for the CSB reminded persons planning to apply for civil service posts at degree or professional level in the near future that they are required to have valid CRE results and should make use of the opportunity to take part in this round of examination, tentatively scheduled to be held on October 5, 2024. 
 
     The pool of eligible candidates for civil service jobs requiring an undergraduate degree has been expanded to students in their third year of undergraduate studies (in a four-year curriculum). Therefore, this round of examination will be open to holders of a degree, or a professional qualification meeting the entry requirement of the posts, or undergraduate students graduating in the academic year of 2024/25 or 2025/26.
 
     The CRE consists of three papers, namely Use of Chinese (UC), Use of English (UE) and Aptitude Test (AT). Results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or other specified public examinations are accepted as equivalents to different levels of results for UC and UE. Therefore, applicants who have attained the specified results in the language subjects concerned in the HKDSEE or other specified public examinations will not be arranged to take the UC and/or UE paper(s). Please visit the CSB webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) for the specified results and the language subjects concerned. Applicants should note that different civil service posts have different Chinese and English language proficiency requirements. No public examination results are accepted as being equivalent to the AT. Applicants for some civil service posts at degree or professional level are required to obtain a pass result in the AT paper in order to be eligible for applying for the posts concerned.
           
     All applicants are required to obtain a pass result in the BLNST for all civil service recruitment exercises, regardless of whether they have taken any Basic Law Test centrally conducted by the CSB or individual bureaux/departments in previous recruitment exercises. A pass result in the BLNST has permanent validity. The CSB has been conducting the BLNST (degree/professional grades) since June 11, 2022. Those who possess a pass result in the BLNST (degree/professional grades) need not apply again.
           
     Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and/or the BLNST paper in the coming examination.
 
     For the convenience of those studying or residing outside Hong Kong, the CRE and BLNST (degree/professional grades) are tentatively scheduled to be held on December 7, 2024, in seven other cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney. Applications for taking the examinations outside Hong Kong will be accepted later this year.
           
     General enquiries may be directed to the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at 2537 6429 or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 26) released the test results of a targeted food surveillance project on the nutrition labelling of prepackaged yoghurts and yoghurt drinks. The results of 40 samples tested were all satisfactory.

     "The CFS collected samples from different retail outlets for the targeted food surveillance project. Tests were conducted to check if the energy content and specified nutrient content (total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugars, sodium, protein, carbohydrates, and more) are consistent with the declared values on their nutrition labels," a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap. 132W) require all applicable prepackaged foods to list the ingredients and the content of energy plus seven core nutrients, namely carbohydrates, protein, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars, and regulate any associated nutrition claims.

     Nutrition labelling can assist consumers in making informed food choices, encourage food manufacturers to apply sound nutrition principles in the formulation of foods, and regulate misleading or deceptive labels and claims. According to Section 61 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), if any person falsely describes food or misleads as to the nature, substance or quality of the food on a label of the food sold by him or her, he or she shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.

     The CFS will continue to conduct surveillance on other food samples to check if their energy content and specified nutrient content are consistent with the declared values on their nutrition labels, and the results will be released in due course. The spokesman reminded the food trade to comply with the law, and urged members of the public to pay attention to the information on nutrition labels when purchasing food to make informed food choices so as to achieve a balanced diet and stay healthy.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) delegation on Sunday (July 28) to depart for a visit to three member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to introduce the strengths and latest developments of Hong Kong to local political and business communities, with a view to exploring business opportunities and establishing more extensive connections and networks.

     Noting that ASEAN is the second-largest trading partner of Hong Kong, Mr Lee said the bilateral trade in goods between Hong Kong and ASEAN reached US$144.6 billion last year and accounted for nearly 13 per cent of Hong Kong's external merchandise trade, showing substantial economic potential in these emerging markets. This is his third visit to ASEAN countries since he took office, demonstrating the importance attached by Hong Kong towards co-operation with ASEAN, Mr Lee added.
           
     Members of the HKSAR delegation include the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho; the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau; and the Director of Information Services, Mrs Apollonia Liu.
       
     Members of the delegation also include some 30 high-level representatives from various sectors, including industry and commerce, financial services, transport, logistics, innovation and technology and tourism.
           
     Mr Lee will visit Laos on July 28 and 29. He will depart for Cambodia in the morning on July 30 and depart for Vietnam in the afternoon on July 31. During his visit, Mr Lee will meet with local political and business leaders to introduce Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems", and the opportunities, economic and trade connections, and broad business prospects that Hong Kong can bring to ASEAN. He will also visit local enterprises and major infrastructure projects to explore collaboration opportunities.
           
     Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong in the evening on August 2. During his absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive. During the absence of Mr Yau, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

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     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 26) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Deep Water Bay Beach and South Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, and Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Pui O Beach in Islands District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.