Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹In view of the latest typhoon situation, the Home Affairs Department has opened the following additional temporary shelter for people in need:   Region Venue Address New Territories (exc… read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 1) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
      
     Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
      
Grade 1 beaches are:  

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach*	Silverstrand Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	South Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Stanley Main Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Kiu Tsui Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Trio Beach*
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Middle Bay Beach*	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Pui O Beach*

 
Grade 2 beaches are:  

Anglers’ Beach*	Golden Beach*
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach*	Kadoorie Beach*
Butterfly Beach*	Lido Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach*	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach*	Ting Kau Beach*
Discovery Bay

 
Grade 3 beaches are:  

Castle Peak Beach

Silver Mine Bay Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Middle Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers’ Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Approach Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
      
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
      
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 26 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from September 1.
      
Note 2: This refers to the non-gazetted beach in Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service. read more

     The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting today (September 1) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.
 
     The PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong’s professional services.
 
     The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of the PASS is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants’ travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.
 
     Up to early August 2023, near 100 projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong’s professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home/index.html.
 
     Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong’s competitive edges and professional services to Mainland cities (including those in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) and overseas markets, $50 million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under the PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its latest list of eligible activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under the PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.
 
     The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is November 30, 2023. A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for PASS funding. For registration for the briefing session or other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk. read more

     A woman who went missing in Chai Wan has been located.      Keung Pui-fung, aged 58, went missing after she was last seen in Shau Kei Wan on August 30 afternoon. Her family made a report to Poli… read more

     A woman who went missing in Cheung Sha Wan has been located.      Chau Pui-yee, aged 52, went missing after she was last seen in a hospital on Princess Margaret Hospital Road on August 21 evening. A staff member of the hospital made a r… read more