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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announced today (January 17) the relevant per annum interest rate for the fifth interest payment of Silver Bond Series due 2022 (Issue Number 03GB2207R) (the Bonds) issued under the Retail Bond Issuance Programme of the Government Bond Programme.
      
     According to the Issue Circular dated July 4, 2019 for the Bonds, the fifth interest payment of the Bonds is scheduled to be made on January 31, 2022, and the relevant interest rate is scheduled to be determined and announced on January 17, 2022 as the higher of the prevailing Floating Rate and Fixed Rate. 
      
     On January 17, 2022, the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate are as follows:
 
Floating Rate: +1.82 per cent (Annex)
Fixed Rate: +3.00 per cent
 
     Based on the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate set out above, the relevant interest rate for the fifth interest payment is determined and announced as 3.00 per cent per annum.
 

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, January 17, 2022 is 95.2 (same as last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, January 15, 2022 was 95.2 (up 0.2 against last Friday's index).

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (January 17) the January 2022 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 "Rebased Series of Effective Exchange Rate Index for the Hong Kong Dollar" and "Marriage and Divorce Trends in Hong Kong, 1991 to 2020".

"Rebased Series of Effective Exchange Rate Index for the Hong Kong Dollar"

     The Effective Exchange Rate Index (EERI) for the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) compiled by the C&SD is an index which measures movements in the weighted average of the exchange rate of the HKD against the currencies of major trading partners of Hong Kong. The EERI has been rebased recently following existing practice. The new series has been published as from January 3, 2022, replacing the old series of EERI. This feature article discusses the differences between the rebased and the old series of EERI.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section, the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4914; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).

"Marriage and Divorce Trends in Hong Kong, 1991 to 2020"

     This feature article provides an overview on the marriage and divorce trends in Hong Kong from 1991 to 2020.

     There has been an increasing tendency towards marriage postponement or non-marriage in both genders. In 2016, 32.4% of males and 28.0% of females had never been married (figures excluding foreign domestic helpers). The median ages at first marriage for males and females increased from 29.1 and 26.2 in 1991 to 31.9 and 30.4 in 2020 respectively. The number of registered marriages in Hong Kong decreased from 42 568 in 1991 to 32 825 in 2001, then rebounded to 60 459 in 2012, before dropping gradually to 44 247 in 2019. Hong Kong females marrying Mainland males has become more common. The proportion of such marriages to all cross-boundary marriages increased significantly from 6.1% in 1991 to 35.8% in 2019. On the other hand, the number of divorces increased in the past three decades or so, with the crude divorce rate (per 1 000 population) increased from 1.11 in 1991 to 2.82 in 2019. Amidst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of registered marriages dropped remarkably to 27 863 in 2020, whereas the crude divorce rate also decreased to 2.14 per 1 000 population.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Demographic Statistics Section (1), the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6933; email: population@censtatd.gov.hk).

     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 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).

     The Education Bureau (EDB) reminded parents today (January 17) that children who have joined the Primary One Admission (POA) System for 2022 but have not yet secured a discretionary place can take part in the Central Allocation process by making their choice of schools on either Saturday (January 22) or Sunday (January 23).

     A spokesman for the EDB said, "By participating in Central Allocation, these students will be allocated a Primary One (P1) place in a government or aided primary school.

     "The School Places Allocation Section of the bureau has sent letters to the parents concerned inviting them to make their choice of schools at a specified Central Allocation Centre at an assigned time slot from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 22 and from 9.30am to 12.30pm on January 23.
 
     "Parents who have not yet received the invitation letter from the EDB should call the School Places Allocation Section at 2832 7700 as soon as possible.
 
     "In light of the latest epidemic developments of COVID-19, to reduce crowd gatherings and maintain social distancing, the bureau has arranged for the parents of applicant children to make school choices at the designated Central Allocation Centres in designated time slots on the aforesaid dates according to the applicant children's POA application number. Parents are requested to observe the anti-epidemic measures of the premises. Only one of the parents of an applicant child is required to complete the school choice-making procedures. To minimise crowd gatherings, parents should not take their children to the Central Allocation Centre as far as possible. Parents who cannot make school choices within the specified time slot can go to the designated Central Allocation Centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 23. The bureau has also arranged to send the Choice of Schools Form together with the letter to parents in advance for filling to reduce their length of stay at the Central Allocation Centre.
 
     "If parents are under compulsory quarantine or other related measures and are unable to make school choices in person or through their authorised representatives at the Central Allocation Centre on the specified date, they may contact the School Places Allocation Section (hotline at 2832 7700) for appropriate assistance.

     "In addition, in view of the impact of border control under the epidemic, should individual parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong or parents who are outside Hong Kong be unable to go to the Central Allocation Centre to make school choices in person, they can authorise in writing a representative to take the completed Choice of Schools Form and the Letter of Authorization to proceed with the related procedures. If parents are not able to make school choices in person or through their authorised representatives, they can arrange to return the duly completed form by post on or before January 23."   
  
     Parents who have recently moved their residence or have such plans in the near future are required to inform the School Places Allocation Section as soon as possible so that they can make school choices in the POA School Net where their new home is located. Parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.

     The bureau has put in place a monitoring mechanism to verify the residential addresses of children as given by the parents. Random checks of applicant children's addresses have also been stepped up. Suspected cases of using a false address for POA application may be reported to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700. As in previous years, the bureau will take appropriate action against false address cases.

     For enquiries about the procedures for Central Allocation, please call the bureau's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088.

     Central Allocation is composed of two parts. Part A, which takes up 10 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation, is for unrestricted school choices. Parents can choose up to three government or aided primary schools in any school nets. Part B takes up the remaining 90 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation. Parents of applicant children residing in the school net concerned are to select schools from the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2022)" of their school net, while parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong are to select schools from the "2022 Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (For Applicant Children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong)". Parents should fill in the Choice of Schools Form in the order of their preference.

     The computer-programmed Central Allocation will first process the school choices in Part A and then the school choices in Part B. The allocation mechanism is based on parents' choices in general. For oversubscribed schools, the order of priority in allocating places will be determined by random numbers generated by the computer for individual applications. This is to ensure fairness to all applicant children.

     For applications for participation in POA 2022 after January 23, parents need to complete the necessary procedures with the School Places Allocation Section of the bureau. The bureau will separately arrange P1 places for the applicant children this June.

     In the event of adverse weather or other special conditions on any day during the period of making school choices, please pay heed to radio or television announcements on any special arrangements.

     The results of Central Allocation for POA 2022 will be sent to parents by post from June 1 to 2. Parents wishing to receive the results of Central Allocation of their applicant children via SMS message on June 1 may provide a mobile phone number on the Choice of Schools Form and indicate their consent to receive the results via that mobile phone number.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) reminded parents today (January 17) that children who have joined the Primary One Admission (POA) System for 2022 but have not yet secured a discretionary place can take part in the Central Allocation process by making their choice of schools on either Saturday (January 22) or Sunday (January 23).

     A spokesman for the EDB said, "By participating in Central Allocation, these students will be allocated a Primary One (P1) place in a government or aided primary school.

     "The School Places Allocation Section of the bureau has sent letters to the parents concerned inviting them to make their choice of schools at a specified Central Allocation Centre at an assigned time slot from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 22 and from 9.30am to 12.30pm on January 23.
 
     "Parents who have not yet received the invitation letter from the EDB should call the School Places Allocation Section at 2832 7700 as soon as possible.
 
     "In light of the latest epidemic developments of COVID-19, to reduce crowd gatherings and maintain social distancing, the bureau has arranged for the parents of applicant children to make school choices at the designated Central Allocation Centres in designated time slots on the aforesaid dates according to the applicant children's POA application number. Parents are requested to observe the anti-epidemic measures of the premises. Only one of the parents of an applicant child is required to complete the school choice-making procedures. To minimise crowd gatherings, parents should not take their children to the Central Allocation Centre as far as possible. Parents who cannot make school choices within the specified time slot can go to the designated Central Allocation Centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 23. The bureau has also arranged to send the Choice of Schools Form together with the letter to parents in advance for filling to reduce their length of stay at the Central Allocation Centre.
 
     "If parents are under compulsory quarantine or other related measures and are unable to make school choices in person or through their authorised representatives at the Central Allocation Centre on the specified date, they may contact the School Places Allocation Section (hotline at 2832 7700) for appropriate assistance.

     "In addition, in view of the impact of border control under the epidemic, should individual parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong or parents who are outside Hong Kong be unable to go to the Central Allocation Centre to make school choices in person, they can authorise in writing a representative to take the completed Choice of Schools Form and the Letter of Authorization to proceed with the related procedures. If parents are not able to make school choices in person or through their authorised representatives, they can arrange to return the duly completed form by post on or before January 23."   
  
     Parents who have recently moved their residence or have such plans in the near future are required to inform the School Places Allocation Section as soon as possible so that they can make school choices in the POA School Net where their new home is located. Parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.

     The bureau has put in place a monitoring mechanism to verify the residential addresses of children as given by the parents. Random checks of applicant children's addresses have also been stepped up. Suspected cases of using a false address for POA application may be reported to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700. As in previous years, the bureau will take appropriate action against false address cases.

     For enquiries about the procedures for Central Allocation, please call the bureau's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088.

     Central Allocation is composed of two parts. Part A, which takes up 10 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation, is for unrestricted school choices. Parents can choose up to three government or aided primary schools in any school nets. Part B takes up the remaining 90 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation. Parents of applicant children residing in the school net concerned are to select schools from the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2022)" of their school net, while parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong are to select schools from the "2022 Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (For Applicant Children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong)". Parents should fill in the Choice of Schools Form in the order of their preference.

     The computer-programmed Central Allocation will first process the school choices in Part A and then the school choices in Part B. The allocation mechanism is based on parents' choices in general. For oversubscribed schools, the order of priority in allocating places will be determined by random numbers generated by the computer for individual applications. This is to ensure fairness to all applicant children.

     For applications for participation in POA 2022 after January 23, parents need to complete the necessary procedures with the School Places Allocation Section of the bureau. The bureau will separately arrange P1 places for the applicant children this June.

     In the event of adverse weather or other special conditions on any day during the period of making school choices, please pay heed to radio or television announcements on any special arrangements.

     The results of Central Allocation for POA 2022 will be sent to parents by post from June 1 to 2. Parents wishing to receive the results of Central Allocation of their applicant children via SMS message on June 1 may provide a mobile phone number on the Choice of Schools Form and indicate their consent to receive the results via that mobile phone number.