â€‹The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (August 3).
 
     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
 
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
 
     The heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Wah Kwai Community Centre
Wah Kwai Estate, Kellett Bay
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Lai Kok Community Hall
Lai Kok Estate, Cheung Sha Wan

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun 

Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
 
    In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     The Government announced today (August 3) that the next round of recruitment exercises for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Labour Officer II (ALOII), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII), Management Services Officer II (MSOII) and Transport Officer II (TOII) will begin in September 2023.

     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 Civil Service Bureau (CSB)'s website at www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html);

(b) a Pass result in the Aptitude Test (AT) 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 to take the relevant paper(s) in this round of CRE and BLNST in order to be considered for appointment. The CRE and BLNST will be held in Hong Kong, and tentatively in Beijing, Shanghai and six overseas cities, with details set out as follows:
 

 
     In addition, starting from this year, the pool of eligible candidates for the above-mentioned posts will be expanded to students pursuing a bachelor's degree or equivalent and graduating in the year of 2024 or 2025. Arrangements of the relevant civil service recruitment examinations are adjusted accordingly to allow them to apply for the posts and/or apply to take the CRE and BLNST.
 
     Details relating to the CRE and BLNST and an on-line application system will be made available on CSB's website during the respective application periods. Details of the 2023-24 AO, EOII, ALOII, ATOII, MSOII and TOII recruitment exercises will be separately announced in September.
 
     The CSB may adjust the arrangements for the examination as appropriate. Please refer to the CSB's website at www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html for any updates of 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 (August 4). Prospective applicants for civil service posts at the degree or professional level are welcome to apply before the deadline of 5pm on August 17.
 
     A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) reminded persons planning to apply for civil service posts at the 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 7.
 
     In order to attract people with an aspiration to serve the community to join the civil service and to enable young people to better plan their future career development, the pool of eligible candidates for civil service jobs requiring an undergraduate degree will be expanded to students advancing to their third year of undergraduate studies (in a four-year curriculum) in the new academic year. 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 years of 2023/24 or 2024/25.
 
     The CRE consists of three papers, namely Use of English (UE), Use of Chinese (UC) 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 the UC and UE. Therefore, applicants who have attained the specified results in the language subjects concerned in HKDSEE or other specified public examinations will not be arranged to take the UE and/or UC 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 the degree or professional level are also 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. The BLNST result is of permanent validity. Those who have taken the BLNST (degree/professional grades) after July 1, 2022, and attained a pass result need not apply again.
           
     Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and/or the BLNST paper in the coming examination.
 
     Details about the coming CRE and BLNST will be uploaded to the CSB webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) tomorrow. Persons interested in taking the examination may apply through the online application system on the CSB webpage; or by using the CRE and BLNST application form (CSB31 (7/2023)) which can be downloaded from the CSB webpage or obtained from any Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Home Affairs Department or Job Centre of the Labour Department.
 
     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 2, 2023, in eight other cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, London, San Francisco, 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 email to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest provisional figures on restaurant receipts and purchases today (August 3).
 
     The value of total receipts of the restaurants sector in the second quarter of 2023, provisionally estimated at $27.4 billion, increased by 24.3% over a year earlier. Over the same period, the provisional estimate of the value of total purchases by restaurants increased by 19.5% to $8.8 billion.
 
     After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by 19.4% in the second quarter of 2023 compared with a year earlier.
 
     Analysed by type of restaurant and comparing the second quarter of 2023 with the second quarter of 2022, total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 29.2% in value and 24.4% in volume. Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 20.5% in value and 15.9% in volume. Total receipts of fast food shops increased by 19.3% in value and 14.1% in volume. Total receipts of bars increased by 122.7% in value and 110.8% in volume. As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts increased by 21.4% in value and 17.1% in volume.
 
     Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of total restaurant receipts increased by 2.7% in value and 3.9% in volume in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the preceding quarter.
 
     Comparing the first half of 2023 with the same period in 2022, total restaurant receipts increased by 47.7% in value and 41.8% in volume.
 
     To facilitate further understanding of the short-term business performance of the restaurants sector, statistics in respect of the restaurant receipts and purchases in individual months of the reference quarter are also compiled.
 
     Analysed by month, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total receipts of the restaurants sector increased by 43.5%, 17.6% and 15.4% respectively in April, May and June 2023, compared with the corresponding months in 2022.
 
     After discounting the effect of price changes, it was provisionally estimated that the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by 37.7%, 13.1% and 11.0% respectively in April, May and June 2023, compared with the corresponding months in 2022.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that business of restaurants continued to improve in the second quarter of 2023. The value of total restaurant receipts increased visibly by 24.3% over a year ago, and was 2.7% higher than the preceding quarter after seasonal adjustment.
 
     Looking ahead, business of restaurants should continue to improve in the near term. Visitor arrivals are expected to increase further along with the recovery of transportation and handling capacity. The improving labour market and the disbursement of the second instalment of consumption vouchers will provide support to local consumption.
 
Further information
 
     Table 1 presents the revised figures of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant and total purchases by the restaurants sector for the first quarter of 2023 as well as the provisional figures for the second quarter of 2023.
 
     Table 2 and Table 3 present the revised value and volume indices respectively of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant for the first quarter of 2023 and the provisional indices for the second quarter of 2023.
 
     Table 4 presents the year-on-year rate of change in total restaurant receipts in value and volume terms based on the original quarterly series, as well as the quarter-to-quarter rate of change based on the seasonally adjusted series.
 
     The revised figures on restaurant receipts and purchases for the second quarter of 2023 (with breakdown by month) will be released through the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode540.html) and relevant publications of the Department from September 20, 2023.
 
     The classification of restaurants follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.
 
     More detailed statistics are given in the "Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases". Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080002&scode=540).
 
     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel: 3903 7401; email: qsr@censtatd.gov.hk).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, August 3, 2023 is 104.7 (up 0.2 against yesterday's index).