The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, August 12, 2022 is 100.4 (up 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     The Kwai Tsing District Office together with the Sham Shui Po Police District and the Department of Health conducted an enforcement operation today (August 12) at a building in Kwai Tsing District, which was included in a compulsory testing notice earlier. The operation started at around 7.30am and ended at around 9.15am today.
 
     Starting from around 7.30am today, persons subject to compulsory testing of Lai Choi House, Lai Yan Court in Kwai Tsing District, were requested to provide the SMS notification received through a mobile phone or related certification containing the results of COVID-19 tests, to show that they had taken such tests as required pursuant to the compulsory testing notice of the building within the specified period issued by the Government earlier on. The Government arranged for staff to verify the testing certifications of the persons subject to compulsory testing at the entrance/exit of the building, to verify whether persons subject to compulsory testing had undergone testing in compliance with the requirement.
 
     During the operation, test records of around 350 persons were checked. Among them, 48 persons were found to have violated the compulsory testing notice. The Government has issued compulsory testing orders to them, requiring them to undergo testing within a specified period. A fixed penalty notice of $10,000 was also issued to one of them.
 
     The Government wishes to thank the many residents who had complied with the compulsory testing notice for their co-operation to fight against the virus together. The Government will continue to enforce the law strictly. All persons subject to compulsory testing should comply with the compulsory testing notice. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.
 
     The Kwai Tsing District Office is grateful for the support and co-operation of the residents and relevant organisations. The Government understands that the enforcement process may cause some inconvenience to the residents, but hopes that the residents can understand.

     A female shop owner and a female shopkeeper of a money exchange shop were convicted of operating a money service without a valid licence by Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (August 12). They were fined $42,000 and $20,000 respectively. 

     After investigation, Customs officers in November 2020 found that the two women had been operating a remittance business at a money exchange shop in Mong Kok after the renewal application for a Money Service Operator licence was rejected. Therefore, they were suspected of operating a money service without a valid licence.

     Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, a person who wishes to operate a remittance or money changing service needs to first obtain a licence from the Customs and Excise Department. The maximum penalty for such operators without a valid licence upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     Customs reminds consumers to procure services from licensed money service operators. The register of licensees is accessible from the website of Customs' Money Service Operators Licensing System at eservices.customs.gov.hk/MSOS/wsrh/001s1?request_locale=en.

     Members of the public may report any suspected unlicensed money service operation to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     â€‹To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Highways Department (HyD) is holding the "Building and Maintaining Highway Infrastructure through Innovation in Highways Department" exhibition from today (August 12) to August 21. Members of the public are invited to visit.
      
     "The main theme of the exhibition is 'Road Construction and Maintenance – Unleash The Power of Innovation'. Through real-life examples of the HyD's work, visitors can learn more about the department's innovation initiatives. These include Roadbot 2, the world's first intelligent robot system with full cognitive abilities in understanding its surroundings for placing and collecting traffic cones and lanterns, which enhances the safety of workers carrying out road works; drone-based remote sensing technologies for monitoring tree health conditions, which help to enhance the overall landscape quality across Hong Kong's road network; the first high-precision mobile laser scanning and imagery system adopted by the Government for the territory-wide surveying work; and the leading-edge building information modelling technology for managing the whole construction project cycle holistically," a spokesman for the HyD said.
      
     A highlight of the exhibition is the 270-degree panoramic view "Immersive Hall", which offers a first-hand and fully immersive experience for visitors to understand more about the planning, design, construction and maintenance of Hong Kong's public road network. In addition, informative panels, interesting interactive question-and-answer games with gifts and a photo-taking booth are available for visitors to get a deeper understanding of the HyD's daily work.
 
Details of the exhibition:
Date: August 12 to 21
Time: 11am to 9pm
Venue: Event Hall, UG/F, Olympian City 1, West Kowloon

        

     The Advisory Committee on Post-office Employment for Former Chief Executives and Politically Appointed Officials has advised on the proposed employment of Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, former Secretary for Food and Health; Dr Chui Tak-yi, former Under Secretary for Food and Health; Miss Elizabeth Fung Hoi-yung, former Political Assistant to the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; Mr Allen Fung Ying-lun, former Political Assistant to the Secretary for Development; and Mr Henry Fung Hing-lai, former Political Assistant to the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, after their departure from the Government on July 1, 2022. 

     The Advisory Committee considers that, subject to the observance of certain restrictions it has advised, the proposed employment of the aforementioned former politically appointed officials would not give rise to any potential conflict of interest. The Advisory Committee also does not anticipate adverse public perception to arise from the proposed employment.
 
     The Advisory Committee considers and advises on the post-office employment or appointments for former politically appointed officials. In considering each case, the Advisory Committee has regard to the information provided by the former politically appointed official concerned, the assessments by relevant government bureaux or offices, and the criteria for advice as stipulated in the guidance notes on post-office employment for politically appointed officials.

     Details of the above-mentioned cases are available at the Advisory Committee's website (www.ceo.gov.hk/poo/eng/index.htm).

     The membership of the Advisory Committee is as follows:
 
Professor Liu Pak-wai (Chairman) 
Mr Cheng Yan-kee
Mr Simon Ip Sik-on
Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee
Ms Lo Wing-sze