Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:
The Marine Department has received notification from the Hong Kong Pilots Association Limited that due to the tropical cyclone, the pilotage service will be suspended from 11pm today (August 31). Shipowners, agents, masters and other port users are advised to pay attention.
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The delegation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Welfare Services and the delegation of the Labour and Welfare Bureau concluded the duty visit to Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) today (August 31). With Super Typhoon Saola edging closer to Hong Kong, the delegations returned early to Hong Kong in the afternoon after completing the itinerary in Guangzhou and Foshan.
In the morning, the delegations visited Yuexiu Haiyuehui in Baiyun District of Guangzhou, which is a health and wellness project for the elderly operated in a public-private partnership mode. It commenced service in May this year, with 155 regular beds and 30 day care beds, providing 24-hour health care services to the elderly. Members learnt that there are designated social workers who design social and recreational activities for the elderly to enrich their lives.
The delegations then travelled from Guangzhou to Foshan and visited Shanqi Nursing Home in Shunde District. Shanqi Nursing Home commenced its services in 2017 and currently offers 870 beds, along with various service centres for rehabilitation, memory care, palliative care, etc.
In summing up the duty visit, the delegation leader, Mr Tang Ka-piu, described the visit as fruitful. "Through visiting the elderly and rehabilitation services in Mainland cities of GBA, as well as meeting with local government representatives and service providers, it helps us leverage the advantages of GBA to enhance collaboration and expand the scope as well as capacity of elderly and rehabilitation services, with a view to providing Hong Kong elderly people with more high-quality options on retiring in the Mainland to meet their needs," Mr Tang said.
The HKSAR Government released today (August 31) the Green Bond Report 2023, which sets out, among others, the allocation of the proceeds raised from green bond issuances, including that of the inaugural tokenised green bond issued this year, and the expected environmental benefits of the projects financed. So far, the Government has successfully issued green bonds totalling close to an equivalent of US$22 billion, funding various green projects in Hong Kong and providing important benchmarks for potential issuers.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "The Green Bond Report 2023 provides comprehensive and detailed information on the green bonds issued by the Government, helping investors and members of the public understand the positive environmental impacts of the green projects financed, and encouraging them to participate in building a greener Hong Kong through green investment. This also fully demonstrates our commitment to consolidating Hong Kong's position as a regional and international green and sustainable finance hub."
The proceeds raised by the Government through issuances of green bonds have been fully allocated or earmarked to green projects, including the District Cooling System for Tung Chung New Town Extension (East), the Three-dimensional Air Pollution Monitoring Network, the Kai Tak Sports Park and the Replacement of the Storm-detecting Weather Radar at Tai Mo Shan, etc.
Since the inaugural green bond issuance in 2019, the Government has been providing information on the allocation of the green bond proceeds via a Green Bond Report on an annual basis, with a qualified third party engaged to assure the contents of the Green Bond Report. The Green Bond Report 2023 is the fourth Green Bond Report of the Government.
The Green Bond Report 2023 has been uploaded to the Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk/en/greenbond/greenbondreport.html.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the delegation of the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services today (August 31) continued their visit to Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Mr Sun visited an elderly apartment in Guangzhou this morning to learn about how the medical-and-elderly care integrated approach facilitates ageing in place and in the community. The delegations then departed for Foshan and toured a retirement community, including its residential care services and facilities, and took a closer look at its links with the neighbouring hospital to support elderly people's health needs.
Mr Sun said that, to assist with Hong Kong elderly persons' retirement on the Mainland and provide more choices of subsidised residential care service, the Social Welfare Department relaxed the eligibility criteria of operators under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong from late July so that private operators with satisfactory track records of providing subsidised residential care services for the elderly in Hong Kong can also take part. The target beneficiary was also expanded from elderly persons awaiting subsidised care and attention places to those awaiting subsidised nursing home places. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government hopes that the relaxed Scheme can attract more Hong Kong operators with rich experience and of high quality to provide more residential care services in the nine Mainland cities in the GBA with a view to fostering experience sharing and professional exchanges, thereby promoting the sustainable development of elderly services in the two places.
With Super Typhoon Saola approaching Hong Kong, to gear up preparedness and response, Mr Sun cancelled the scheduled visit to Zhaoqing and advanced his return to Hong Kong this afternoon with his delegation.
​Hong Kong Customs on August 24 detected a large-scale seaborne cocaine trafficking case, and seized about 302 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $230 million at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. A man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.
Through risk assessment, Customs on that day selected a seaborne container, declared as carrying 1 800 carton boxes of frozen chicken feet and arriving in Hong Kong from Brazil, for inspection. Upon examination, a total of about 302kg of suspected cocaine was found inside 63 carton boxes of frozen chicken feet. The batch of dangerous drugs was packed in plastic bags which were mix-loaded with the frozen chicken feet.
Upon a follow-up investigation, Customs officers on August 29 arrested a 35-year-old man-in-charge of the consignee company.
A holding charge with one count of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug will be laid against the arrested man and he will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (September 1).
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items in and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
