According to the figures released today (September 20) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total employment in the private sector surveyed decreased by 1.3% or 34 100 persons in June 2022 compared with a year earlier… read more
The Government announced today (September 20) that in order to fight the coronavirus epidemic, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department have been collecting sewage samples for virus testing in all… read more
A Government spokesman announced today (September 20) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland yesterday (September 19) was sufficient and stable.
According to the latest information, the quantity of vegetables supplied from the Mainland to Hong Kong yesterday (as of midnight) by land and water transportation was over 2 600 tonnes, comparable to the average daily supply from the Mainland on a normal day. The volume of vegetables sold through the wholesale markets of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the Vegetable Marketing Organization was about 783 tonnes. The average wholesale prices of choi sum and pak choi stood at $5.00 and $5.80 per catty respectively yesterday. The supply of eggs to the wholesale market remained steady, with the average daily supply standing at over 3.1 million for the past week, comparable to the average daily supply on a normal day last year.
The total supply of chilled pork from the Mainland yesterday was about 39 tonnes. The supply of live pigs was plentiful.
The supply of chilled poultry from the Mainland was over 140 000 head yesterday, and over 8 000 live chickens were slaughtered locally. The supply was abundant.
Regarding the rice supply, in compliance with the requirement by the Government, stockholders of rice have to maintain the reserve stock of rice at a level sufficient for consumption by the local population for 15 days. The trade generally stocks double the required amount, which is sufficient for one month’s consumption by Hong Kong citizens. In recent years, the import and consumption of rice in Hong Kong has stood at a steady level of around 320 000 to 330 000 tonnes per year. The import quantity (including reserve stock) as of end-August 2022 was 27 100 tonnes. Suppliers also maintain a reserve for food that can be stored, such as frozen meat, for around three months’ stock generally.
The Government will continue to maintain close liaison with the Mainland authorities and major food suppliers to ensure a stable food supply.
The AFCD updates and publishes the fresh food supply information daily. Members of the public may visit the AFCD website for updates on daily supplies and wholesale prices of fresh food (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/agriculture/agr_fresh/agr_fresh.html). read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (September 20) released a position paper titled “e-HKD: Charting the Next Steps” to set out its policy stance on retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), i.e. e-HKD, and outline its next steps.
As part of its “Fintech 2025” strategy to future-proof Hong Kong in terms of CBDC readiness, the HKMA has examined the prospect of issuing e-HKD in Hong Kong from both the technical and policy perspectives. Two rounds of market consultation, one on high-level technical design and one on key policy and design issues, were conducted.
In total, 75 responses were received (Note) during the consultation. Overall, the respondents are supportive of the e-HKD initiative and believe that e-HKD has the potential to make payments more effective while supporting the digital economy. At the same time, the respondents also pointed out the need to further examine issues such as privacy protection, legal considerations, and use cases. Taking into account the findings of the study and the feedback received, the HKMA will start paving the way for possible implementation of e-HKD in the future. A three-rail approach will be adopted:
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
Exchange Fund Bills tender results:
| Tender date | : | September 20, 2022 |
| Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
| Issue number | : | Q2238 |
| Issue date | : | September 21, 2022 |
| Maturity date | : | December 21, 2022 |
| Amount applied | : | HK$110,900 MN |
| Amount allotted | : | HK$54,909 MN |
| Average yield accepted | : | 2.63 PCT |
| Highest yield accepted | : | 2.66 PCT |
| Pro rata ratio* | : | About 80 PCT |
| Average tender yield | : | 2.70 PCT |
| **************************** | ||
| Tender date | : | September 20, 2022 |
| Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
| Issue number | : | H2267 |
| Issue date | : | September 21, 2022 |
| Maturity date | : | March 22, 2023 |
| Amount applied | : | HK$30,240 MN |
| Amount allotted | : | HK$11,600 MN |
| Average yield accepted | : | 3.32 PCT |
| Highest yield accepted | : | 3.39 PCT |
| Pro rata ratio* | : | About 43 PCT |
| Average tender yield | : | 3.49 PCT |
| Tender date | : | September 27, 2022 |
| Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
| Issue number | : | Q2239 |
| Issue date | : | September 28, 2022 |
| Maturity date | : | December 28, 2022 |
| Tenor | : | 91 Days |
| Amount on offer | : | HK$63,126 MN |
| **************************** | ||
| Tender date | : | September 27, 2022 |
| Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
| Issue number | : | H2268 |
| Issue date | : | September 28, 2022 |
| Maturity date | : | March 29, 2023 |
| Tenor | : | 182 Days |
| Amount on offer | : | HK$15,000 MN |
| **************************** | ||
| Tender date | : | September 27, 2022 |
| Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
| Issue number | : | Y2295 |
| Issue date | : | September 28, 2022 |
| Maturity date | : | September 27, 2023 |
| Tenor | : | 364 Days |
| Amount on offer | : | HK$5,000 MN |