The "Quarterly Report on General Household Survey" for January to March 2024 is now available for access and download.

     The report contains statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment for the first quarter of 2024. It also contains detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of members of the labour force, including their age, sex, educational attainment, employment status, occupation, industry, hours worked per week and monthly employment earnings, etc. Information on duration of unemployment for the unemployed is also presented.

     Users can browse and download the report at the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050001&scode=200).

     The summary of broad survey findings published in the report is shown in Table 1 attached.  Enquiries about the contents of the report can be directed to the General Household Survey Section (3), Census and Statistics Department (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).

     Hong Kong Customs on May 23 seized about 10 000 suspected counterfeit goods with a total estimated market value of about $8.9 million at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected a 40-foot container arriving in Hong Kong from Nansha, Guangdong. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected counterfeit goods within the container, including watches, sunglasses, clothes, footwear and mobile phone accessories.

     An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected counterfeit goods would be transhipped to overseas regions.

     The investigation is ongoing.

     Customs will continue to strengthen co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and take stringent enforcement action against cross-boundary counterfeit goods activities based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
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     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), together with Regional Anti-Triad Units and District Anti-Triad Squads launched a new round of registration for the RenoSafe Scheme today (May 30). Subsidised buildings or housing estates which have been granted the subsidies under the third round of Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme (OBB 2.0) and Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme (FSW Scheme) will be progressively registered to the scheme.

     Between April 1 and September 30, 2023, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) accepted applications for the third round of OBB 2.0 and FSW Scheme. Upon conclusion of the application period, over 1,600 applications were respectively received for the two subsidy schemes. URA will start issuing Approval-in-Principle letters to approved buildings or estates in batches today.

     Launched in 2013, the RenoSafe Scheme adopts a multi-pronged approach to prevent and combat criminal infiltration in building maintenance projects and related tendering procedures through inter-departmental collaboration. Apart from the HKPF, participating government departments and public organisations include the Buildings Department, the Competition Commission, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Hong Kong Fire Services Department, the Home Affairs Department, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Property Management Services Authority, and the URA.

     Registration for the RenoSafe Scheme is a mandatory requirement for buildings or housing estates participating in subsidies under various government-funded building maintenance schemes such as OBB 2.0 and FSW Scheme. The OBB 2.0 and FSW Scheme aim to assist more flat owners in conducting prescribed inspections and repairs under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and fulfilling the Fire Safety Directions issued under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance. Upon registration, buildings or housing estates are required to fulfill a series of obligations, such as displaying relevant publicity materials; actively co-operating with relevant government departments and organisations, including notifying the Police in advance of the details of meetings and elections of the buildings or housing estates concerned, providing relevant records; and taking the initiative to provide information on suspected unlawful acts.

     The participating government departments and public organisations are committed to providing a range of support services to RenoSafe Scheme members, including professional advice on building maintenance works and related aspects, a 24-hour police hotline for public enquiries or referrals on building maintenance works-related matters; providing direct contact channels with relevant government departments, as well as round-the-clock operational support provided by the Police.

The Police will proactively contact buildings or housing estates that have been approved under the third round of OBB 2.0 and FSW Scheme in batches for registration. At the same time, the Police also appeal to buildings or housing estates that have not applied for any government-funded building maintenance schemes or have not been granted any relevant government subsidies to enroll in the RenoSafe Scheme. This will enable participating government departments and public organisations to maintain liaison with the owners, monitor building maintenance-related crimes, and take timely enforcement actions to facilitate the smooth implementation of building maintenance works to prevent and combat building maintenance-related crimes.

     Members of the public may visit the Police website at www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/cpa/cpa_renosafe.html for more details on the RenoSafe Scheme. Interested parties or those who have information on related crimes, please contact the 24-hour police hotline at 2527 7887.

  

     With effect from June 1, the Government will regularise the Pilot Scheme on Immigration Facilitation for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors and expand the scope of the scheme to cover more authorised host organisations and an additional designated activity. Upon regularisation, the scheme will be named the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors.
      
     The pilot scheme has been welcomed by the industry since its launch and has been operating in an orderly manner. As of the end of March this year, the pilot scheme benefited over 16 600 non-local talents from nearly 120 countries/regions, and facilitated their coming to Hong Kong to participate in various short-term events and activities, such as the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, the InnoEX, the Asian Financial Forum, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races and more. The scheme is conducive to bringing together talent worldwide for exchanges in Hong Kong, giving full play to Hong Kong's strength as a place of "connect and excel" under "one country, two systems".
      
     To respond more fully to the needs of various sectors, the Government decided, after a review, to regularise the pilot scheme and expand five of the original sectors, including adding 18 new authorised organisations and expanding a designated short-term activity. Details are set out at the Annex. After regularisation, the scheme will continue to cover the existing 12 sectors, and other arrangements will remain unchanged:
 

• Medical and healthcare;
• Higher education;
• Arts and culture;
• Sports;
• Heritage;
• Creative industries;
• Innovation and technology;
• The Hong Kong Laureate Forum;
• Aviation;
• International/mega events;
• Finance; and
• Development and construction.

     The Government launched the two-year pilot scheme in June 2022 to provide immigration facilitation for visitors participating in short-term activities in designated sectors, with a view to facilitating business, promoting development of relevant sectors and raising Hong Kong's international profile. Under the pilot scheme, organisations authorised by relevant government bureaux or departments can issue invitation letters to relevant non-local talents in their sectors. Invited persons may come to Hong Kong and participate in designated short-term activities as visitors without the need to apply for employment visas or entry permits from the Immigration Department (ImmD). Invited non-local talent are talent in shortage or whose participation in designated short-term activities in Hong Kong is conducive to economic development or achieving relevant policy objectives. They may participate in the designated short-term activities for up to 14 consecutive calendar days upon each arrival, and receive remuneration for the designated activities concerned. At present, the scheme covers 12 sectors with a total of some 400 authorised organisations.
      
     For more information on the scheme, please visit the ImmD’s website (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/stv.html).

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 30) reminded the public again that holders of toll tickets can visit the TD's designated outlets to apply for a refund on or before June 30, otherwise no refund can be made. The details of the refund locations are as follows:
 

 
     Applicants are advised to fill in the application form (www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_5214/ops_form_182.pdf) in advance and bring along the toll tickets for refund. Applicants who apply for a refund for a large quantity of toll tickets are suggested to contact the contractor by email (info@wilsonparking.com.hk) or call 2830 3814 before visiting the designated refund outlets to ensure that they would be provided with the necessary assistance.