Hong Kong Customs has long attached great importance to staff training and is committed to providing Hong Kong youth with opportunities for their growth and development. The department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vocational Training Council (VTC) on April 26 and commenced co-operation in enhancing Customs officers' training in professional areas. Both sides will also jointly promote Customs work to VTC students who aspire to join the disciplined services, and promote "Customs YES", with an aim to broaden students' vision and motivate them to serve the community.

     The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, and the Executive Director of the VTC, Mr Donald Tong, witnessed the signing of the MoU by the Deputy Commissioner (Management and Strategic Development) of Customs, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, and Deputy Executive Director of the VTC Ms Alaina Shum. Through co-operation, the department will support the VTC in incorporating fundamental knowledge such as Customs duties, responsibilities and scopes of work into the curriculum of the VTC's full-time Higher Diploma Programme in Management for Disciplined Services (HD Programme). The department will also arrange to introduce recruitment information to students of the HD Programme and encourage them to join Customs upon graduation. Students will also have the opportunity to join activities by "Customs YES" for unleashing their potential, cultivating positive values and strengthening their sense of belonging to society. Under the co-operation framework, the VTC will provide assistance to enhance Customs trainings in various professional areas for effective enforcement.

     Ms Ho expressed her gratitude to the VTC for supporting Customs training and recruitment of new Customs personnel with potential and commitment. She emphasised that the MoU would serve as a wider platform for both sides to jointly nurture talent and deepen training co-operation.

     Mr Tong said that the MoU represented an important milestone signifying closer co-operation between the two sides in respect of vocational and professional education and training. He thanked Hong Kong Customs for supporting the VTC and vocational and professional education and training, and believed that the co-operation would enable students of the VTC to gain a deeper understanding of Customs work, which would be conducive to their career planning and development.

    

     â€‹The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (April 29) that rental of six market stalls at Sunlight Market in Tung Chung will be open for application starting tomorrow (April 30).

     The FEHD spokesman said, "Sunlight Market, opened in March last year, is located at Fu Tung Street near Tung Chung Station. We introduced a new management model to strengthen the role of the service contractor in managing the market, with a view to enhancing business vibrancy and meeting the needs of the public. There are a total of six market stalls, including two fruits stalls, one vegetable stall, one other food-related wet goods stall, one frozen/chilled meat (excluding chilled poultry) stall and one seawater fish stall, open for application from April 30 to May 14. They will be allocated by computer balloting."  

     Applicants should be aged 18 or above and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. Starting from tomorrow, application forms can be downloaded from the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or obtained at the District Environmental Hygiene Offices. The completed application form together with supporting documents shall be delivered at or before 6pm on May 14 by fax (2545 2964), email (tcmkt@fehd.gov.hk), in person or by post to the Islands District Environmental Hygiene Office. Applicants can also fill in the online application form and submit the application online. Late applications will not be accepted.

     The priority order of eligible applicants in selecting a market stall for rental will be generated by open computer balloting. The date of ballot is scheduled for May 28. The result will be uploaded onto the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) on the next day after the computer balloting for checking by the applicants. The FEHD will subsequently issue letters to notify successful applicants of the stall rental arrangements.

     Hongkong Post announced today (April 29) that, as advised by the postal administration of Greece, mail delivery services previously impacted by a local strike have returned to normal.

     Hongkong Post announced today (April 29) that, as advised by the postal administration of Mauritius, mail delivery services previously impacted by torrential rainfall have returned to normal.

     Hongkong Post announced today (April 29) that selected philatelic products issued by China Post, Macao Post and Telecommunications and the postal administrations of Australia, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, New Zealand and the United Nations will be available for sale from tomorrow (April 30).
 
     To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, China Post issued the "Year of Jiachen" special stamps. The stamp titled "Golden Dragon Flying Forward" depicts a high-spirited golden dragon wriggling agilely with majesty. The other stamp named "Two Dragons Offering Blessings" is based on a Chinese traditional auspicious pattern. The round and square elements of the stamp and design embodied the concept of "heaven is round and the earth is square" and achieved a harmonious and solemn aesthetic. In addition, postal administrations around the world also continue the tradition of issuing zodiac stamps to welcome the Year of the Dragon. Liechtensteinische Post AG issued a set of stamps on "Chinese Signs of the Zodiac: Dragon" emphasising the elegance and vitality of the dragon. Isle of Man Post Office presented "Year of the Dragon" stamps on the theme of the legend of four dragons, symbolising good fortune and prosperity. These stamps highlight various depictions of dragons, which are highly collectible.
 
     Annual albums released by various postal administrations will also be put on sale concurrently. The stamp albums, comprising a rich collection of special stamps issued in 2023 with descriptions and illustrations, are not to be missed by philatelists.   
 
     The selected philatelic products will be available for sale at the Hongkong Post online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) starting from 9am tomorrow, while stocks last. These products will also be available at the PostShop of the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office and Sha Tin Central Post Office on the same day. Details of each product, the prices and sales quotas are set out in the Appendix. For further information, members of the public may visit the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) or call the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau hotline at 2785 5711.