The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, May 10, 2024 is 106 (same as yesterday's index).

     The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, began his itinerary in Beijing upon arrival yesterday (May 9). He first met with the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, and introduced the latest work of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB). Mr Xia fully recognised the work of the CSTB. He also expressed his hope that Hong Kong's tourism industry will reach new heights on the path to continuous innovation.
      
     Mr Yeung today (May 10) attended the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony for the Palace Museum Hong Kong Cultural Exchange Hub and witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Co-operation on the Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Mainland and Hong Kong at the Palace Museum in Beijing.
      
     With the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the Palace Museum and the HKJC will jointly carry out the Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Mainland for five years. The programme aims to promote Chinese traditional culture through the integration of arts and technology, deepening the understanding and appreciation of Chinese history and culture among younger generations on the Mainland and Hong Kong. In a bid to strengthen social cohesion and promote Chinese culture to the world, the programme also seeks to enhance the capability building of arts tech professionals, as well as facilitating talent development and exchange among talent in the sector.
      
     Mr Yeung met with the Director General of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Museum of China, Mr Gao Zheng, this afternoon to exchange views and explore co-operation direction on cultural and tourism development. Hong Kong is positioned as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The CSTB has been integrating into the national development based on the principle of "shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism", with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism.
      
     Mr Yeung said, "The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has long been supportive to the work of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It gives policy support in cultural and tourism development and provides appropriate assistance in programme implementation. I look forward to deepening collaboration and exchange on culture and tourism fronts between the Mainland and Hong Kong through the exchange."
      
     Mr Yeung will return to Hong Kong tomorrow.

        

     Organised by the Education Bureau (EDB), the Information Expo on Multiple Pathways 2024 (Info Expo) opened today (May 10) at Rotunda 2 of the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. With the participation of around 30 institutions and organisations, latest information on multiple pathways are being provided to senior secondary school students, parents and teachers with a view to better preparing students for further studies and career paths. 

     A spokesperson for the EDB said that with the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly-funded post-secondary education sectors, the Government has long been committed to providing quality, flexible and diversified study pathways with multiple entry and exit points for secondary school graduates.

     In the 2024/25 academic year, it is estimated that there are about 46 900 full-time locally-accredited post-secondary places to be provided by various institutions, comprising about 22 400 undergraduate places and about 24 500 sub-degree places. Some institutions also provide Diploma of Applied Education (DAE) and other programmes. Hence, there will be sufficient places for eligible students to pursue further studies in Hong Kong.

     The opening ceremony of the Info Expo was officiated by the Chairman of the Sub-committee on Support Measures under the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education (CSPE), Ms Carrie Leung, with CSPE members and representatives of self-financing post-secondary institutions and relevant organisations in attendance. 

     The Info Expo provides information on locally-accredited post-secondary programmes (including programmes eligible for government subsidy schemes, vocational and professional education and training programmes and applied degree programmes), DAE programmes, as well as relevant online platforms such as the Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes, the Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes, the Concourse for Self-financing Post-secondary Education, and the Qualifications Framework. There are also more than 10 thematic talks on various programmes, preparation and strategies for articulation to post-secondary education, and experience sharing by post-secondary students. 

     Admission is free for the two-day Info Expo, and prior registration is not required. There are new interactive games at the EDB booth this year. Participants who complete designated tasks will receive a gift while stock lasts. Secondary students, especially current graduates, parents and teachers, are all welcome to participate.

     For details of the Info Expo, please visit the event website (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/Resources-CareerGuidance-MultiplePathwaysExpo.html).

      

     â€‹The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, today (May 10) officiated at the Care Teams in Southern District – First Anniversary and Healthy Life Launching Ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) in the Southern District.
      
     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said the Care Teams in the Southern District have effectively cared for the community and achieved "thinking what people think" and "addressing people's pressing needs" over the past year. Besides visiting and contacting some 11 000 elderly households and other households in need, the Care Teams handled over 1 000 requests for assistance and organised more than 300 diverse activities covering around 30 000 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Care Teams provided full support to the Government during emergency situations. For instance, during the heavy rainstorm last September, Shek O residents were affected by landslides and road collapse on Shek O Road. The Care Teams swiftly deployed considerable manpower to offer assistance to the residents, demonstrating their outstanding emergency response capabilities.
      
     Other officiating guests included the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam; the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Alice Cheung; the Director-General and the Deputy Director-General of the Hong Kong Island Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Xue Hui-jun and Mr Wang Hui; and the District Officer (Southern), Mr Francis Cheng.
      
     The Care Teams in the Southern District will continue to uphold their belief in serving the community with heart, embody the "We Care We Serve" spirit, and care for residents in need in order to build a better Southern District.

      

     A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (May 10) that the Government attached great importance to construction site safety. In response to the fatal industrial incident at the construction site in Kai Tak on May 8, the DEVB, being the party to procure services for public works, has suspended the contractor and subcontractor concerned from tendering for public works contracts pursuant to the regulating regime. 

     The spokesman said that the contractor concerned was under the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works (the List) and the subcontractor concerned was under the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works (the Specialist List). The DEVB issued notifications to the contractor and subcontractor concerned today to suspend them from tendering for relevant categories of public works contracts. The contractor and subcontractor concerned have to conduct an independent safety audit to review their safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor and subcontractor are required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that they have an effective safety management system before uplifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to future tender exercises, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.

     Relevant government department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB will impose further regulating actions on the contractor and subcontractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the List and the Specialist List.