Author Archives: hksar gov

     Twenty-seven convictions were recorded in March 2024 for breaches of legislation enforced by the Environmental Protection Department.             Two of the convicti… read more

     The Government announced today (April 23) that a sum of $6 million under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Family Members of Those Who Sacrifice Their Lives to Save Others will be granted to the family members of brave deceased Fireman Mr Yau Yiu-man.
 
​     The late Mr Yau sacrificed his life on January 19, 2024, while attending a rescue operation for a trapped female driver in a traffic accident at Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island.
     
​     The Chairman of the Committee on Financial Assistance for Family Members of those who Sacrifice their Lives to Save Others which approved the grant, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, paid tribute to the late Mr Yau for his gallant act.
 
​     “Despite all the known risks, Mr Yau vividly demonstrated selflessness during the rescue operation. He spared no effort in saving lives, which commands our greatest respect,” Mr Sun said.
 
​     “We deeply mourn the loss of such an excellent and devoted public servant. The grant represents the Government’s recognition of the late Mr Yau’s exceptional courage and professionalism of the highest order. We sincerely hope that the financial assistance can provide some relief to his family members.”
 
     The Scheme was set up in January 2002 to provide financial assistance to family members of those who lost their lives when attempting to save or protect others. Under the Scheme, the amount of financial assistance for each approved application is worked out according to a formula having regard to the age and normal retirement age of the deceased and the prevailing median monthly employment earnings, with the minimum and maximum levels currently set at $6 million and $12 million respectively. read more

     The Director of Drainage Services, Mr Ringo Mok, was deeply saddened by the passing of two workers in a work accident that happened during sewer cleaning works at Sha Tin today (April 23). The workers were certified dead after attempts at resuscitation. The Drainage Services Department (DSD) expressed deepest condolences to the deceased’s families and is working with the contractor to provide immediate and appropriate assistance to the deceased’s families.

     The two deceased persons, aged 26 and 34, were employed by a subcontractor responsible for term maintenance and a construction contract in Sha Tin District. Four workers were carrying out sewer cleaning works at Yuen Wo Playground, Sha Tin. According to the planned work procedure, the workers would carry out high-pressure cleaning of the sewer outside the manhole without entering it. The accident occurred at about 0.00am today (April 23) when two workers were found unconscious inside the manhole. Upon an attempted rescue, they were immediately sent to Prince of Wales Hospital and were certified dead after the attempted resuscitation. The other two workers were conscious when they were sent to the hospital.

     â€‹The DSD is investigating the cause of the incident and is rendering full assistance to the investigations by the Labour Department and the Police. The DSD always attaches great importance to construction site safety and requires contractors and subcontractors to strictly comply with relevant safety guidelines. After the accident, the DSD immediately requested the contractor and subcontractor to suspend relevant works and conduct safety inspections. All related works of the DSD have also been suspended until the DSD confirms that the contractors and their subcontractors have implemented all necessary measures to ensure work site safety. read more

　　The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present its Great Music 2024 from May to November, with acclaimed musicians and orchestras from all over the world as well as a local talented music producer performing in a musical extravaganza series. The programme enables audiences to feel the city’s arts and cultural buzz through music, showcasing the unique charm of Hong Kong as a metropolis where East meets West.
 
　　Brief introductions are as follows:
 
Jazz Concert by Eliane Elias
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Date and time: May 28 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $200 to $520
 
     Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award winner Eliane Elias will perform her hit compositions, combining jazz, Brazilian, classical and pop music styles, to showcase her musical talents with unique presentations to Hong Kong audiences.
 
Violin Recital by Ray Chen
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Date and time: June 7 and 8 (Friday and Saturday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $250 to $650
 
　　Highly sought-after violinist Ray Chen will return to Hong Kong to stage two performances with an inspired and virtuosic programme featuring the music of Beethoven, Bach and more, before reimagining a Chick Corea classic.
 
Piano Recital by Víkingur Ólafsson
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Date and time: June 11 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $250 to $650
 
　　Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson embarked on a world tour featuring Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” in 2023 to showcase his exceptional talent. As part of his tour, Ólafsson will captivate audience members in Hong Kong in June, interpreting Bach’s monumental masterpiece through his distinctive musical perspective.
 
Basel Chamber Orchestra
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Date and time: June 25 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $350 and $700
 
　　The Basel Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of renowned Austrian clarinetist and conductor Andreas Ottensamer, will present a number of classical masterpieces to music fans. The show has specially engaged Japanese pianist Kyohei Sorita to come to Hong Kong for the first time and perform Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 4” with the orchestra.
 
“New Oriental Chinese Music Scene” by Shanghai Chinese Orchestra
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Date and time: August 5 (Monday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $200 to $440
 
Date and time: August 6 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
Ticket prices: $200 to $380
 
　　After a 12-year hiatus, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra will visit Hong Kong again in August to present two delicate performances of Shanghai-style Chinese music under the baton of the renowned conductor Tang Muhai, showcasing the unique charm of contemporary Chinese music and the rich cultural heritage of the Jiangnan region at the inaugural Chinese Culture Festival.
      
　　Tickets for Jazz Concert by Eliane Elias and “New Oriental Chinese Music Scene” by Shanghai Chinese Orchestra are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Meanwhile, tickets for Violin Recital by Ray Chen, Piano Recital by Víkingur Ólafsson and Basel Chamber Orchestra will be available from April 30 (Tuesday) onwards. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1682.html.
 
　　Moreover, one pop concert and two notable recitals of the Great Music 2024, namely the “ART!ON POP” Concert, Duo Recital by Gautier Capuçon (Cello) and Jean-Yves Thilbaudet (Piano) and Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin, will be held on July 21-22, October 3 and November 16 respectively at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Programme details and booking schedules will be announced later. Music fans should stay tuned.

                      

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (April 23):

Reporter: With May 1 Golden Week coming up next week, what arrangements have been made to ensure smoother and more efficient cross-border travelling? And with the first pyrotechnic show happening, what are the expected visiting numbers? And for my second question, is the Government in contact with authorities in Guangdong over flood situations across the border, and what will Hong Kong do to guard again a once-in-a-century rainstorm if heavy rain persists for almost a week? Thank you.

Chief Executive: We have been making comprehensive preparation for the May 1 Golden Week. We estimate that there will be at least 800 000 additional visitors to Hong Kong from the Mainland. We also believe that at our immigration control points, both at the airport and the railway and land crossings, there will roughly be about 5.9 million people going in and out of all the immigration control points. It will be a busy period, but I am very glad to see that the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau has long made arrangements to ensure that we have comprehensive preparation, for both the immigration control points’ management as well as that there will be good management of tours and also improving services to visitors. The actual arrangements for the immigration control points will be announced when we come nearer to the actual day. There will be special transportation arrangements, of course, to ensure that the experience in Hong Kong, both crossing the boundary or within the travelling between different tourist spots, will be well managed. The Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department have already been in close contact with the transportation operators.
 
     We will be in full gear to ensure that there will be good and smooth service for visitors. We will also be turning out officers to take care of the management of tourist groups, because we want to spread them out, also to stagger the meal arrangements, so that they will be smoothly absorbed into the whole arrangement at different districts. Of course we want visitors, which of course include tourists, and also maybe as a result of the activities, local spenders to have good experiences in taking meals, in shopping, in all kinds of service businesses. I am glad to see that different operators and different workers in these service industries are already geared up, some with special promotion plans, some with promoting experiences, measures – all rolled out to welcome the visitors. We will make good use of this opportunity to show that Hong Kong is a vibrant city. We welcome tourists. Hong Kong will give tourists good experiences that they will not just enjoy, but when they finish their business, they will tell their friends and neighbours within their home cities.

     In respect of the preparation for extreme weather, we know, of course, about the floods that are being experienced in Guangdong. There are good dialogues between Hong Kong authorities and the relevant authorities in different cities of Guangdong. We have, first of all, had good communication with the authorities responsible for possible discharge of water from reservoirs in Guangdong. We have already sought good agreement with them, so that they will give us a lot of advance notice period, such as when they plan for such possibilities, they will give us advance notice. One thing that is very important is that discharge of water from the reservoirs in Shenzhen or nearby cities will not be in any way a cause of any flooding in Hong Kong, because it is a very different system.
 
     Rest assured that we will ensure that we have the right measures put in place to ensure that we will be facing the challenges of extreme weather in a smooth way. The Chief Secretary for Administration, in fact, has already convened an interdepartmental meeting to look at the strengthened measures that we will be taking in anticipation of the coming season of extreme weather attacks. In fact, since last year’s experience of the extreme weather attacks, including heavy storms and black rainstorms, there have been all the improved measures already being studied and planned. What I am pleased to see is that the Chief Secretary for Administration has made use of an opportunity to gather all departments concerned to go through all the experiences and strengthened measures to prepare, warn the public for and also to respond and recover from all these potential storms and black rainstorms. I think we will wait for an opportunity to inform the public about the enhanced measures that the Government will take. These measures will include enhanced information dissemination, so that the public will know of the possibility of some challenging attacks that may take place, and also strengthened response plans, strengthened recovery plans, and of course some measures relating to traffic arrangements as well when we come across these extreme conditions. We will announce the details when we have got all these measures fully drawn up in good anticipation of the possible coming of the extreme condition season.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more