Hing Yu Fong Food & Confectionery Company Limited was fined $38,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 10) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Guarding and Operation of Machinery) Regulations and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Fire Precautions in Notifiable Workplaces) Regulations. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.

     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on January 16, 2023, in a food factory in Tsuen Wan. While a woman was operating a mixer for food production, she fell into the mixing drum and was trapped by the revolving mixer arm of the mixer. She was seriously injured and passed away on the same day.

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, today (August 10) met the Acting Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong, Mr Slamet Noegroho, to reiterate the stance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government on the issue of placement fees for the employment of Indonesian domestic helpers (IDHs).

     Mr Sun made it clear to the Acting Consul-General that, in order to maintain the long-standing cordial, mutually beneficial and close co-operative relationship between Hong Kong and Indonesia, no change should be made by the Indonesian side to the arrangement of IDHs' placement in Hong Kong that would increase the burden of Hong Kong employers or undermine the employment opportunities of IDHs in Hong Kong. Furthermore, there should be equal treatment for any change, and Hong Kong should not be singled out.

     Mr Sun said, "The Acting Consul-General clarified at the meeting that there is no change to the cost structure of fees for arranging IDHs to work in Hong Kong. As to the information communicated by the Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association (ASPATAKI) with employment agencies in Hong Kong last week, the Acting Consul-General also stated that the ASPATAKI does not represent the Indonesian Government. The Acting Consul-General said that both governments' policies and regulations remain the same, and issues relevant to employment of IDHs in Hong Kong should continuously be discussed between the Indonesian Government and the HKSAR Government as before."

     The HKSAR Government will continue to communicate and collaborate with the Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong in protecting the interests of IDHs in Hong Kong as well as their employers, in order to maintain Hong Kong as an attractive place for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to come to work. The HKSAR Government will also actively discuss with other places, including Bangladesh and Cambodia, to widen the sources of FDHs for Hong Kong.

        

     Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for June 2023 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (August 10) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
 
     In June 2023, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods decreased by 14.7% and 15.5% respectively over June 2022.
 
     Comparing the first half of 2023 with the same period in 2022, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods decreased by 18.7% and 16.2% respectively.
 
     Comparing the second quarter of 2023 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods decreased by 2.5% and 2.0% respectively.
 
     Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
 
     Comparing June 2023 with June 2022, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.3% and 3.9% respectively.
 
     As regards price changes in the first half of 2023 over the same period in 2022, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.4% and 3.8% respectively.
 
     Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
 
     The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2022, the index increased by 0.3% in June 2023 and 0.5% in the first half of 2023.
 
     Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
 
     Comparing June 2023 with June 2022, declines were recorded for the total export volume to all main destinations: the USA (-25.4%), the mainland of China (the Mainland) (-16.6%), India (-13.6%), Taiwan (-12.8%) and Vietnam (-4.7%).
 
     Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased:
India (9.3%), the USA (5.0%), Vietnam (4.9%), the Mainland (4.2%) and Taiwan (1.9%).
 
     Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
 
     Comparing June 2023 with June 2022, declines were recorded for the import volume from all main suppliers: Singapore (-34.2%), the Mainland (-17.1%), Taiwan (-16.3%), Japan (-7.5%) and the USA (-3.1%).
 
     Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Taiwan (8.8%), the Mainland (5.2%), Singapore (3.6%), Japan (2.6%) and the USA (2.0%).
 
Further information
 
     Details of the above statistics are published in the June 2023 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).
 
     Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Chong Hing Bank Limited relating to a fraudulent website and mobile application (App), which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website or App concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. relating to a fraudulent website, which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.