The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     Exchange Fund Bills Tender Results:
 

     The Government announced today (December 6) that the Chief Executive, pursuant to the Financial Reporting Council Ordinance, appointed Ms Florence Wong Wai-mei, Head of Oversight, Policy and Governance of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), as the Executive Director to the Council of the FRC for a three-year term from December 6, 2019 to December 5, 2022. 
 
     In addition, while the recruitment exercise of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FRC is in progress, Ms Wong will act as the CEO until further notice.

     Christmas is around the corner and it is time to share the joy with family and friends. Members of the public can purchase heartwarming holiday gifts as well as experience the warmth brought by social enterprises (SEs) and support them by patronising SE booths at the 54th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (HKBPE).
      
     The HKBPE will be held at Victoria Park from December 10 to 31. Members of the public are welcome to visit the SE booths at Booths No. 3C01 to 3C04. Fifteen SEs will take turns to showcase their products, including handicrafts and health and organic products. Please refer to the Annex for details. People purchasing products at the SE booths will receive a fine souvenir for free while stocks last upon reaching the spending requirements.
      
     The HKBPE will be open from 11am to 8pm, and will close at 6pm on the last day of the exposition. The admission fee is $8, and entry is free for children below 1 metre in height, senior citizens aged 65 or above and persons with disabilities.
      
      A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department said, "The HKBPE provides a good opportunity for SEs to showcase their quality products and services and reach a wider audience. Social enterprises have to achieve their social missions while sustaining their business. Public support is crucial to their success."
      
     Social enterprises now provide a great variety of products and services. The Social Enterprise Directory (www.socialenterprise.org.hk/en/sedb) published by the Social Enterprise Business Centre has an online search engine and a mobile application providing detailed information on over 600 social enterprises in Hong Kong.
      
     For those who are interested in the around 80 social enterprise restaurants in Hong Kong, please search for "social enterprise restaurants" on the online platform or the mobile application of OpenRice.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, December 6, 2019 is 106.2 (down 0.3 against yesterday's index).

     The Transport Department today (December 6) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on December 21 and 22 (Saturday and Sunday) in Meeting Room S221, L2 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai respectively.

     "A total of 340 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been uploaded to the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.

     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:

(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
 
(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.
 
(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.
 
(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk.