Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (July 15) the July 2024 issue of the “Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics” (HKMDS).
 
     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled “Foreign Affiliates Statistics of Hong Kong” and “Trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland of China”.
 
“Foreign Affiliates Statistics of Hong Kong”
 
     With globalisation of the world economy, it is popular for multinational enterprises to provide services to customers in another economy through setting up affiliated companies abroad.
 
     In view of the importance of services supplied via this mode, the C&SD has developed a statistical framework for compiling relevant statistics, known as “foreign affiliates statistics (FATS)”. This feature article briefly describes the statistical system for compiling inward FATS, and presents principal inward FATS of Hong Kong for 2022. It is an update of similar articles on the same subject published in preceding years.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade in Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7410; email: tis@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
“Trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland of China”
 
     Hong Kong has maintained a close trading relationship with the mainland of China (the Mainland) for many years. In the past decade, the Mainland was Hong Kong’s largest destination of total exports and supplier of imports, on average accounting for 55.9% and 45.9% of Hong Kong’s total exports and imports respectively.
 
     This feature article analyses the performance and highlights the salient features of merchandise trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland during the period from 2014 to 2023.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4914; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).
 
     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk). read more

     The Education Bureau (EDB) today (July 15) announced the release of the Primary Education Curriculum Guide (PECG) (2024) prepared by the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) for schools’ implementation in the 2024/25 school year with a view to further optimising the whole-school curriculum planning and promoting students’ whole-person development.
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     In line with the following major developments in education, the Ad Hoc Committee on Primary Education Curriculum Guide (AHC) has further enriched the relevant contents of the PECG (2024), striving to better suit the needs of schools and students, and keep abreast of the times:

＊    Fostering values education: echoing the optimised 12 “Priority Values and Attitudes”;
＊    Promoting patriotic education: enriching the recommendations related to patriotic education;
＊    Introducing primary humanities (PH) and Primary Science (PS): updating the suggested lesson time allocation for each Key Learning Area/subject and the flexible lesson time; and providing new examples of good use of learning time to tie in with the introduction of PH and PS in the 2025/26 school year; and
＊    Optimising the recommendations related to school assessment and assignment policies.
 
     An EDB spokesman said, “In order to create more space for fostering the balanced physical and psychological development of students, the PECG (2024) specifically puts forward recommendations to optimise school assessment and assignment policies, such as giving appropriate self-learning tasks instead of written assignments during long holidays; avoiding arranging tests or examinations immediately after long holidays; arranging a tutorial session in the afternoon as far as possible; collecting views of stakeholders on the school assessment policy at least once per school year; and formulating a mechanism in school to co-ordinate the time arrangement of assessments as well as the amount of homework.”
      
     Since the release of the PECG (Pilot Version) in September 2022, the EDB has been collecting views from the sector and reviewing the piloting in schools through various channels, such as questionnaire surveys and onsite workshops. Schools generally agree with the updated Seven Learning Goals and have incorporated the major renewed emphases of the PECG into their whole-school curriculum planning according to their development priorities.
      
     The EDB is very grateful to the CDC for their professional advice during the drafting process of the curriculum guide, and also for the contribution of the AHC under the CDC in updating the PECG as well as their participation in its promotion. The AHC has conducted an ongoing review during the piloting period, and further enriched the contents of the PECG to tie in with the latest developments of the country, society and education, striving to better suit the needs of schools and students and keep abreast of the times.
      
     To promote the PECG, the EDB continues to develop diversified modes of resources, including the PECG video series, the “Little Seedling” comics series, the school resources packages, and featured articles in “Smart Parent Net”. A new promotional video will be launched in the coming school year. The EDB will also keep on organising onsite workshops for teachers to support schools’ implementation of the major renewed emphases of the PECG.
      
     The PECG (2024) and related resources are available on the EDB webpage (www.edb.gov.hk/pecg) for schools’ reference and use. read more

     The 2024 Maker in China SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Contest – Hong Kong Chapter (MiCHK) is open for enrolment starting from today (July 15). Hong Kong start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming to expand in the Mainland market are welcome to join the contest. The deadline for enrolment is August 16.

     The contest covers various technology fields that enhance new quality productive forces, including Fintech, AI & Big Data, Advanced Network Equipment, Third Generation Internet and Metaverse, Quantum Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, New Materials, New Energy and Green Technology, Biomedicine, as well as Smart Living and Smart Mobility.

     The contest allows Mainland investors and enterprises to learn more about the innovative technology products and solutions of the local industry, and also enables local innovative technology SMEs to explore business opportunities on the Mainland. In the MiCHK 2024 Final to be held on September 26, the top 10 finalists will have one-on-one business matching sessions with investors and enterprises from the Mainland. They will also have the opportunity to receive support to participate in various start-up programmes and exhibitions, and to promote their innovative projects to different regions through multiple platforms. The champion, first runner-up and second runner-up will represent the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to compete in the state-level Maker in China SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Contest Final in Guangzhou in November, where they will compete for opportunities to gain support in entering the Mainland market by connecting with Mainland investors, setting up in the Mainland entrepreneurial parks, and receiving guidance on result transformation.

     The MiCHK 2024 is jointly organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer of the HKSAR Government, the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and the China International Cooperation Association of SMEs, and formulated by the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, the Angel Investment Foundation and the Guangzhou SME’s Promotion For Specialization Refinement Differentiation Innovation Development. For more details about the contest, please visit www.makerinchina.hk. read more

     With a view to further enabling the public to visit the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir and appreciate its internal structures, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (July 15) announced that no prior appointment will be required for the public to visit the service reservoir from August 1. The opening hours will be from 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm from Monday to Sunday (closed on the first Tuesday of each month), with final admission time at 11.30am and 4.30pm each day.

     For guided tours, the WSD will organise one session for groups in the afternoon from Monday to Friday (closed on the first Tuesday of each month) and two sessions for individuals in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. Members of the public are welcome to make appointments through the WSD’s Guided Tour to Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir dedicated webpage.

     The service reservoir has a maximum capacity of 100 persons. The WSD will arrange entry on a first-come, first-served basis. For other special arrangements, the WSD will make announcements through its dedicated webpage. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 15) that due… read more