Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 12) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

Sex	Female
Age	36
Affected area involved	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
High-risk exposure	Camel ride
Hospital	Ruttonjee Hospital
Condition	Stable
MERS-Coronavirus preliminary test result	Pending

 
     “Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV),” a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     Locally, the CHP’s surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed relevant symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.
 
     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP’s Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization’s latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP’s health advice on MERS.
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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (December 12) investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a kindergarten-cum-child care centre in Wong Tai Sin District, and hence reminded the public and management of institutions to maintain personal and environmental hygiene against AGE.

     The outbreak involves 13 boys and nine girls aged 2 to 5 years. They developed vomiting, diarrhoea and fever since December 4. Sixteen of them sought medical attention but none required hospitalisation. All patients are in stable condition.

     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit and provided health advice to the staff of the school concerning proper and thorough disinfection, proper disposal of vomitus, and personal and environmental hygiene. The school has been put under medical surveillance.

     The CHP’s investigations are ongoing.

     A spokesman for the CHP advised members of the public to take heed of the following preventive measures against gastroenteritis:
 

• Ensure proper personal hygiene;
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
• Wear gloves when disposing of vomitus or faecal matter, and wash hands afterwards;
• Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Pay attention to food hygiene;
• Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
• Drink boiled water; and
• Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.

     
     The public may visit the CHP’s website (www.chp.gov.hk) or call the Health Education Hotline (2833 0111) for more information. read more

     The Environment Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (December 12) held the sixth meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) in Guangzhou. 

     The sixth meeting of the JWGCP was co-chaired by the Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Director-General of GDDIIT, Mr Tu Gaokun, to discuss and review the work progress in 2019.

     At today’s meeting, in compliance with the policy direction of ecological civilisation construction under the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the JWGCP also agreed on the 2020 work plan, which focuses on the continuous promotion of the use of cleaner production technologies and management systems for energy saving by high energy consumption industries, and encourages the adoption of water saving technologies and recycling of wastewater by high water consumption industries. In addition, both sides will continue to encourage Hong Kong-owned enterprises to undertake cleaner production audits, and support relevant trade and industry associations to carry out trade-specific promotion and publicity activities on controlling volatile organic compounds at source by the enterprises.

     The meeting was attended by representatives of the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR; and by representatives of GDDIIT, the Department of Ecology and Environment and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province.

     Hong Kong and Guangdong have been jointly promoting cleaner production to tackle environmental pollution in the region. By adopting cleaner production, enterprises can improve their environmental performance and reduce pollutant emissions, in addition to increasing their economic benefits through energy saving.

     The Cleaner Production Partnership Programme was launched by the EPD in collaboration with the then Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province (now GDDIIT) in 2008, with more than 3 200 funding applications approved to date. More details of the Programme are available on the cleaner production website: www.cleanerproduction.hk/en_index.asp.

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:      The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Airstar Bank Limited on fraudulent website and phis… read more

     Hong Kong’s external direct investment (DI) statistics for 2018 were released today (December 12) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD). 

Stocks of DI

     At the end of 2018, the total stock of Hong Kong’s inward DI (i.e. the position of Hong Kong’s DI liabilities) increased by 1.0% over a year earlier to $17,120.7 billion. Its ratio to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at 602% in 2018. The increase in 2018 was mainly attributable to the positive DI inflow to Hong Kong during the year.

     As for the total stock of Hong Kong’s outward DI (i.e. the position of Hong Kong’s DI assets), it increased by 0.9% over a year earlier to $16,071.3 billion. Its ratio to GDP was 565% in 2018. The increase in 2018 was mainly attributable to the positive outflow of DI to enterprises outside Hong Kong during the year.

     Analysed by immediate source of investment, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the mainland of China (the Mainland) were the two largest sources for Hong Kong’s inward DI, with a share of 31.9% and 26.8% respectively at end-2018. Analysed by major economic activity of Hong Kong enterprise groups (HKEGs) which had received inward DI, those engaged in investment and holding, real estate, professional and business services took up the largest share, at 69.4% at end-2018. This was followed by banking, at 11.8%; and import/export, wholesale and retail trades, at 9.0%.

     Analysed by immediate destination of investment, the Mainland and the BVI were the two largest destinations for Hong Kong’s outward DI, with a share of 40.6% and 33.8% respectively at end-2018. Analysed by major economic activity of HKEGs which had made outward DI, those engaged in investment and holding, real estate, professional and business services took up the largest share, at 80.4% at end-2018. This was followed by import/export, wholesale and retail trades, at 7.4%; and banking, at 2.8%.

Flows of DI

     In 2018, total DI inflow amounted to $760.5 billion, smaller than that of $979.6 billion in 2017. On the other hand, total DI outflow in 2018 amounted to $587.7 billion, smaller than that of $792.7 billion in 2017. Taking the inflow and outflow together, a net DI inflow of $172.8 billion was recorded in 2018.
 
     Analysed by immediate source of investment, the Mainland was the major source of Hong Kong’s DI inflow in 2018, amounting to $296.6 billion. The BVI came next, at $281.1 billion. Analysed by major economic activity of HKEGs which had received DI inflow, those engaged in investment and holding, real estate, professional and business services attracted the largest amount in 2018, at $479.7 billion.
 
     Analysed by immediate destination of investment, the Mainland accounted for a predominant share of Hong Kong’s DI outflow in 2018, at $397.0 billion. The BVI came next, at $199.3 billion. Analysed by major economic activity of HKEGs which had made DI outflow, those engaged in investment and holding, real estate, professional and business services took up the largest amount, at $472.6 billion.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that the stocks of overall inward and outward DI continued to rise in 2018 and reached $17,120.7 billion and $16,071.3 billion (602% and 565% of GDP) respectively at end-2018, notwithstanding the increasingly uncertain global economic and financial environment in the latter part of the year. According to the World Investment Report 2019 issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Hong Kong is the world’s second largest destination for inward DI and fourth largest source of outward DI. The vast stock of external DI in Hong Kong reveals our status as an international centre for finance and commerce, as well as our attractiveness as a base for multinational corporations to manage their investment and business in the international arena.
 
     The spokesman noted that Hong Kong’s DI covers a large geographical spread and a wide range of economic activities, with the Mainland featured prominently both as a source and as a destination. To further Hong Kong’s development as an international financial and business centre, the Government will strive to enhance our established competitive advantages, explore new areas of strength, and capitalise on the vast opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the national Belt and Road Initiative.
 
Further information
 
     DI represents external investment in which an investor of an economy acquires a lasting interest and a significant degree of influence or an effective voice in the management of an enterprise located in another economy. For statistical purpose, an effective voice is taken as being equivalent to a holding of 10% or more of the voting power in an enterprise.
 
     According to the international statistical standards, the total stocks and flows of DI presented above are compiled based on the “asset/liability principle”, while detailed DI figures analysed by country/territory and by major economic activity of HKEGs are based on the “directional principle”. Owing to the adoption of different presentation principles, the total stocks and flows of DI are different from the sums of the detailed DI figures by country/territory or by major economic activity of HKEGs. However, the overall direct investment balance compiled from figures based on these two presentation principles respectively is the same.
 
     Tables 1 and 2 show the positions (i.e. stocks) and flows of inward DI in Hong Kong by selected major investor country/territory and by major economic activity of HKEGs respectively for 2017 and 2018. Similar statistics on outward DI from Hong Kong are presented in Tables 3 and 4.

     More detailed statistics for 2018 are given in the report External Direct Investment Statistics of Hong Kong 2018. Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp260.jsp?productCode=B1040003).
 
     Enquiries about the DI statistics may be directed to the Balance of Payments Branch (2) of the C&SD at 3903 7017. read more