Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, and her delegation began the visit to Hangzhou yesterday (May 27) to meet with Mainland government officials to exchange views in areas such as public housing policies, people-oriented designs, innovative construction technologies, and smart property management. Officials of the Housing Bureau (HB) and the Housing Department (HD) also joined the visit.
 
     Ms Ho and the delegation arrived in Hangzhou yesterday evening. They visited a major cultural landmark there, the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture, to learn about its unique architectural structure and how the application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) facilitated its construction. They were also briefed on a variety of Chinese classics and Chinese cultural relics.
 
     Ms Ho today (May 28) met with Chief Economist of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) Mr Cao Jinbiao, who came all the way from Beijing to Hangzhou. She attended the inaugural Mainland and Hong Kong Housing Forum with officials of the MOHURD and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Zhejiang Province afterwards. Ms Ho mentioned that at a meeting with the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr Ni Hong, in Beijing last year, both sides discussed meeting and visiting each other as well as different Mainland cities with a view to improving the housing and living standard of citizens. There has been close liaison since then for arranging this visit to Hangzhou for in-depth exchanges and experience sharing among Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong on topics including smart construction, smart property management, community building, and housing policies.
 
     Ms Ho said that the current-term Government has been sparing no effort in increasing the supply of public housing to provide accommodation to grassroots who are inadequately housed or cannot afford private rental housing. In addition to traditional public rental housing, the construction work of a number of Government-led Light Public Housing (LPH) projects has already commenced at full speed. Intake for the first batch of about 2 100 units is tentatively scheduled for the first quarter next year, with a target to completing about 30 000 LPH units by 2027-28, so as to improve the living conditions and quality of family life for those currently living in inadequate accommodation at the soonest.
 
     On promoting innovative construction technologies, green building and property management, Ms Ho and officials of the HD exchanged views with MOHURD officials on continuous enhancement of applications of technologies like Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP). They also discussed how to adopt more widely various construction robots in public housing projects to further enhance construction efficiency, safety and quality.
 
     Ms Ho also shared with relevant government officials the HB’s effort in improving the well-being of citizens as well as enhancing the quality of housing supply apart from construction speed, efficiency and quantity. She said that the HD team has been collecting views from its residents, stakeholders and professionals in formulating the “Well-being design” guide for improving the planning and design of new public housing projects. The HD is also working to enhance the sense of well-being among residents through improving open space design of existing housing estates and carrying out minor improvement works. The two parties also exchanged views on property management in Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially on enhancing management efficiency by utilising technologies. Ms Ho shared the HD’s effort and experience in continuously enhancing the management efficiency and service quality of nearly 200 public housing estates.
 
     Ms Ho will continue the visit to Hangzhou tomorrow (May 29). She will visit various projects to learn about the development of subsidised rental housing, smart property management and liveable housing design there. The delegation will depart for Beijing afterwards to visit the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited and the China State Construction International Holdings Limited. Their respective group companies are participating in the constructions of the Light Public Housing.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) cases, the spokesperson for TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH) gave t… read more

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Lok Ma Chau this afternoon (May 28), in which a man died.           At about 1pm, a special purpose vehicle driven by a 6… read more

     Hong Kong Customs today (May 28) arrested a male director of a wedding services company who is suspected of having applied false trade descriptions in the course of selling a wedding banquet service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information from a member of the public alleging that a wedding services company in Kowloon Bay falsely claimed to a customer that a specified number of staff would be on-site to provide service, and that the food and beverages specified in the contract would be provided. However, the customer discovered on the day of the banquet that the number of staff and the food and beverages provided on-site were significantly different from what the company had promised.

     After an investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 34-year-old male director of the wedding services company.

     An investigation is ongoing and the arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs reminded traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to purchase products from reputable shops. 

     Under the TDO, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied or offered to be supplied to a consumer 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 violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk), or by filling in an online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). read more

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, at the Asian Shipowners’ Association 2024 International Shipping Forum today (May 28):
 
Mr Banga (Chairman of the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA), Mr Angad Banga), Mr Domínguez (Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Mr Arsenio Antonio Domínguez Velasco), Mr Platten (Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Mr Guy Platten), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,  
     
     Good afternoon and a warm welcome to the Asian Shipowners’ Association 2024 International Shipping Forum. To begin with, I would like to congratulate the Asian Shipowners’ Association and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association for organising this remarkable forum in Hong Kong and for providing an excellent platform that brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from the maritime community around the world. The success of this forum is a testament to the HKSOA’s leadership as the rotational chair within the ASA this year. 
      
     Today, we gather here in Hong Kong to put our heads together on the future of the maritime industry in Asia. Indeed, the theme of the forum this year – “Asia Shipping, Greener Together” – comes at a critical juncture as the world rallies its resources to address climate change and accelerate the green transition. In this regard, shipping has long been one of the most fuel-efficient and sustainable means of moving goods around the world, releasing only a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other modes of transport. Nevertheless, owing to its sheer size as the backbone of global trade, unavoidably the shipping industry also accounts for a substantial amount of carbon emissions. 
      
     At the same time, over the past decade, we have witnessed a significant shift in the centre of gravity of shipping towards Asia. From fleet ownership and cargo shipment to shipbuilding and maritime services, Asia is playing an indispensable role in creating a sustainable maritime industry and the world is watching. Being an Asia’s world city, Hong Kong is already charting new waters for our current and future generations. 
      
     As shown in the video just now, in December 2023, we promulgated the Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, outlining 10 strategies and 32 action measures across four directions to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime centre. In fact, the very first strategy of the Action Plan is to develop Hong Kong as a green shipping hub towards the goal of zero-carbon emission.  
      
     The maritime industry holds immense potential for embracing green transformation, and our drive to promote sustainable practices is unwavering. To support this endeavour, we will provide incentives for Hong Kong-registered ships that have attained high ratings under the international decarbonisation standards formulated by the International Maritime Organization. This initiative, backed by approximately HK$65 million in funding, demonstrates our dedication to supporting environmentally friendly shipping practices.  
      
     Furthermore, the HKSAR Government is conducting a comprehensive feasibility study on the provision of green fuel bunkering services for both local and ocean-going vessels. Our objective is to establish Hong Kong as a leading green maritime fuel bunkering centre. By the end of this year, an action plan will be promulgated, outlining our roadmap for the development of green fuel bunkering in Hong Kong.
      
     Ladies and gentlemen, today’s forum sets an exceptional stage for all of us to come together, exchange ideas, and explore innovative solutions. The panel sessions, focusing on fuels, technologies, training, development, regulation and compliance, will undoubtedly shed light on the course ahead for the maritime industry. Let us seize this opportunity to showcase Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime centre and our commitment to greener shipping. 
      
     Together, we will build a sustainable future for the maritime industry in Asia and beyond. Thank you.