Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, continued his visit programme in Sichuan today (July 9), meeting local Hong Kong people and representatives of Hong Kong enterprises, and attending a working lunch hosted by the Mayor of Chengdu.
      
     In the morning, Mr Lee met and exchanged views with Hong Kong people and representatives of Hong Kong enterprises in Sichuan to learn more about their work, studies and daily life. Noting that economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between Sichuan and Hong Kong are frequent, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong people and enterprises in Sichuan have witnessed and helped to establish ties between Sichuan and Hong Kong, contributing to the economic and trade exchanges and people-to-people bonds between the two places. Mr Lee expressed his hope that they will continue to support the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in Sichuan and deepen co-operation and exchanges in various areas between the two places.
      
     At noon, Mr Lee and the delegation attended a working lunch hosted by the Mayor of Chengdu, Mr Wang Fengchao. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to Sichuan Province and Chengdu for their thoughtful arrangements for this visit, and for their continuous support to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu (CDETO) of the HKSAR Government.
      
     In the afternoon, the delegation led by Mr Lee visited the CDETO to understand the work of its staff. He encouraged them to continue to act as a bridge to enable exchanges and co-operation between the two places to reach new heights.
      
     Later, accompanied by member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Vice Governor of Sichuan Province Mr Pubu Dunzhu, Mr Lee and the delegation visited the Chengdu People’s Park to learn more about the unique local lifestyle and food culture.
      
     Concluding the visit, Mr Lee expressed his sincere gratitude to the Central Government for gifting another pair of giant pandas to the HKSAR, which fully demonstrates the Central Government’s care and support for the city. He pointed out that this visit has produced three achievements: the pair of giant pandas to be gifted to Hong Kong have been selected; Ocean Park and the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda are working at full steam to draft a co-operation agreement on the details to expedite the approval and implementation of the process; and the establishment of communication channels between Ocean Park, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda to collaborate with and assist one another in facilitating the smooth transfer of the giant pandas to Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Lee and the delegation will return to Hong Kong tonight.  

          

     The Lands Department announced today (July 9) that the tender for a site, Sha Tin Town Lot No. 646 at Shan Mei Street, Fo Tan, Sha Tin, New Territories, has been awarded to the highest tenderer, Sinopec (Hong Kong) Petrol … read more

     The Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports) of Customs and Excise, Mr Kenneth Chu, today (July 9) attended a meeting in Zhuhai with representatives of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, the Shenzhen Customs District, the Gongbei Customs District and the Macao Customs Service to discuss how to tie in with the Central Government’s new policy of increasing the duty-free allowance for luggage articles brought into the Mainland from Hong Kong by visitors who are Mainland residents.

     During the meeting, the three sides explored ways to enhance the management of clearance at control points and enforcement co-operation to align with the new measure.

     Hong Kong Customs will continue to strengthen co-operation with the Mainland Customs and local law enforcement agencies and step up investigation and enforcement efforts against parallel trading activities. It will also report in a timely manner and launch joint operations through a point-to-point liaison mechanism established with the Mainland Customs to combat parallel trade syndicates and effectively mitigate the risks of related activities.

     The three Customs administrations agreed to flexibly deploy manpower, conduct real-time monitoring and notification of the situation of each control point, and take contingency actions where necessary during the summer holidays and other peak outbound travel periods to ensure the smooth operation of Customs clearance, which could create favourable conditions for the new measure and facilitate passenger movement.

  

     Four public rental housing (PRH) residents were each sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment (suspended for 12 months) and were fined $5,000 or $10,000 for not declaring their Hong Kong domestic property ownerships or that the total household net asset value exceeded 100 times the prevailing PRH Income Limits in making a declaration of their income and assets and applying for purchase of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats.

     A spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) today (July 9) reminded residents of PRH estates and HOS applicants to declare their income and assets truthfully.

     Information on the four cases is as follows:

Case 1:
     A PRH resident living in Shun Lee Estate declared in the Income and Assets Declaration Forms in 2022 and the application form for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats in 2023 that he did not have any domestic property ownership in Hong Kong. Subsequent investigations revealed that he solely owned a domestic property in the Central and Western District at the material time.

Case 2:
     A PRH resident living in Choi Tak Estate declared in the Income and Assets Declaration Forms in 2022 that the total household net asset value of his two-person household did not exceed 100 times the prevailing PRH Income Limit of $1,960,000. Subsequent investigations revealed that he owned 50 per cent of an industrial property in Ap Lei Chau with an estimated value of about $6.2 million, which had exceeded the aforesaid asset limit.

Case 3:
     A PRH resident living in Hau Tak Estate declared in the Income and Assets Declaration Forms in 2022 that she did not have any domestic property ownership in Hong Kong. Subsequent investigations revealed that she solely owned a domestic property in the Tseung Kwan O District at the material time.
 
Case 4:
     A PRH resident living in Ping Tin Estate declared in the Income and Assets Declaration Forms in 2022 that she did not have any domestic property ownership in Hong Kong. Subsequent investigations revealed that she solely owned a domestic property in the Tuen Mun District at the material time.
 
     The PRH resident in Case 1 was prosecuted for making a false statement knowingly and making a statement which he knew to be false or misleading as to a material particular to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) in applying for HOS flats, contrary to section 26(1)(a) and section 26(2) of the Housing Ordinance respectively. The PRH residents in Cases 2 to 4 were prosecuted for refusing or neglecting to furnish information specified in the declaration form, contrary to section 27(a) of the Housing Ordinance. The aforesaid PRH residents were convicted in the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (July 8). Given the gravity of the offence, the defendants were sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment (suspended for 12 months) and were fined $5,000 or $10,000. The HD has already recovered one subject PRH flat in June and is following up on the remaining cases. 
 
     The spokesman reminded PRH residents that households living in PRH should accurately complete their Income and Assets Declaration Forms. Before furnishing particulars specified in the requisition required by the HA, households should read the content and completion guidelines of the Income and Assets Declaration Forms carefully and compute their income and assets in accordance with the methods specified. Otherwise, they may be prosecuted for making a false statement knowingly, contrary to section 26(1)(a) of the Housing Ordinance. If convicted, the maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for six months. Alternatively, they may be prosecuted for refusing or neglecting to furnish information as specified in a declaration form, contrary to section 27(a) of the Housing Ordinance. If convicted, the maximum penalty is a $25,000 fine and imprisonment for three months. The HD will take action to recover the undercharged rent incurred due to the inaccurate information furnished by the households or even recover their PRH units.
 
     Moreover, if subsidised sale flats applicants make statements to the HA which they know to be false or misleading as to a material particular in their purchase of such flats, they may be prosecuted under section 26(2) of the Housing Ordinance. If convicted, the maximum penalty is a $500,000 fine and imprisonment for one year. If the applicant has already purchased and completed the assignment of the flat, the court may order the purchasers to forfeit to the HA a sum equivalent to the difference between the purchase price (including the premium) and the market value of the flat.
 
     The spokesman reiterated that the public, in general, recognises the HD’s efforts in combating the abuse of PRH resources. The HD will continue to adopt multipronged and risk-based measures to comprehensively combat tenancy abuse. The HD will take decisive tenancy management and law enforcement actions against tenants who are found to have abused PRH and breached the tenancy agreement or relevant policies, in order to ensure that the precious PRH resources are allocated to those most in need. read more

     The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (July 9).

     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.

     For further information, please call the department’s hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

     The heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Island:
———————

Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:
————————–

Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf. read more