Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Yung Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (February 28):

Question:

     Many motorists have relayed that the shortage of parking spaces in various districts had caused them inconvenience when going out. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of (i) the ratio of private car (PC) and motorcycle parking spaces to the relevant licensed vehicles, (ii) the number of PC and motorcycle parking spaces available in public car parks in each of the 18 districts across the territory as well as their usage, (iii) the number of on-street PC parking spaces with parking meters in each of the 18 ‍districts across the territory as well as their usage, (iv) the number of on-street motorcycle parking spaces with parking meters in each of the 18 districts across the territory as well as their usage, (v) the number of prosecutions instituted against illegal parking in each of the 18 districts across the territory, and (vi) the ratio of parking spaces for village housing to standard New Territories Exempted Houses, in each of the past three years;

(2) given that according to the parking standards of the Planning Department, up to one car parking space can be provided for each standard New Territories Exempted House with a size not exceeding 65 square metres, yet some rural residents have relayed that the provision of parking spaces in rural residential areas has long been insufficient, and no additional parking spaces can be provided for some adjacent village houses as they do not meet the relevant parking standards, of the Government’s plans to provide additional parking spaces in rural residential areas, and whether it will review and make timely adjustments to the relevant standards so as to meet the needs of the residents; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as it has been reported that the shortage of parking spaces has undermined motorists’ desire to go out, adversely affecting the Government’s promotion of the night-time economy, of the Government’s plan to facilitate parking by members of the public, including whether consideration will be given to providing more temporary parking spaces in designated areas and during specified periods; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) as some members of the public have relayed that they had been prosecuted for occasionally stopping their vehicles outside the “Where not to stop” areas designated by the Transport Department or in the “No stopping” zones during non-restriction time, and such enforcement actions had left them at a loss, how the Government can ensure that law enforcement officers can pinpoint specifically the contravention of legal requirements by the relevant vehicles when instituting prosecutions against illegal parking, and whether it will consider leveraging technology to assist law enforcement, with a view to improving the accuracy of prosecutions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     It is the Government’s transport policy to centre on public transport with railway as the backbone.  Hong Kong enjoys a well-developed public transport network, and the Government encourages the public to make good use of the public transport services as far as possible, so as to avoid aggravating the burden on road traffic resulting from excessive private cars (PCs) and motorcycles.  Nevertheless, the Government understands that some members of the public choose to commute by PCs or motorcycles for various reasons.  Hence, the Government has been actively pursuing a host of short-term and medium-to-long-term measures to suitably increase the supply of parking spaces where circumstances permit, which include but are not limited to the following measures:
 
(a) Utilising spaces underneath flyovers for designation of parking spaces;
 
(b) Opening up more parking spaces at government buildings for public use during non-office hours;
 
(c) Providing additional on-street parking spaces at suitable locations while ensuring that traffic flow, road safety and the loading/unloading activities of other road users would not be compromised;
 
(d) Providing more parking spaces for public use in suitable “Government, Institution or Community” facilities and public open space projects in accordance with the principle of “single site, multiple use”.  Subject to the results of technical feasibility assessments and the progress of seeking required approvals for the projects under planning, as well as the construction progress of the approved projects, it is expected that about 20 suitable development projects will be completed by batches to provide additional parking spaces starting from 2024-25;
 
(e) Taking forward automated parking system projects in newly-built government carparks and short-term tenancy carparks, so as to increase parking density and make parking more convenient for the public; and

(f) Revising the parking facilities standard for PCs in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) in 2021, which provides more parking spaces in private and subsidised housing development projects.

     As regards the Member’s question, in consultation with the Transport Department (TD), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Lands Department (LandsD) and the Government Property Agency (GPA), a consolidated reply is as follows:

(1) For the period between 2021 and 2023, (i) the ratio of the number of parking spaces of PCs and motorcycles to the number of licensed PCs and motorcycles; and for the 18 districts, in respect of (ii) the number and utilisation of PC and motorcycle parking spaces in public carparks, (iii) the number and utilisation of metered parking spaces for PCs, and (iv) the number and utilisation of on‑street motorcycle parking spaces, please refer to Annex I to IV respectively.

     The HKPF handles statistics on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued against illegal parking and other traffic offences by Police Region. Therefore, the prosecution figures by 18 District Council districts is not available. From 2021 to 2023, the figures of FPNs issued against illegal parking by the HKPF by Police Region are tabulated in Annex V. For the ratio of parking spaces in village housing to the number of New Territories Exempted Houses, the LandsD does not maintain the relevant statistics.

(2) Under the prevailing HKPSG, each standard New Territories Exempted House (65 square metres) is allowed to provide up to one private car parking space, which in general should be in communal parking area within the village environs. Moreover, if any village wishes to provide additional parking facilities, it may lodge an application to the Town Planning Board for a planning permission under section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131) for the provision of a temporary car park on a rural site for villagers’ use.

(3) Hong Kong has a well-developed public transport network. As the locations for activities associated with night-time economy are accessible by public transport, we encourage members of the public to make good use of the public transport services to travel to those locations as far as possible. For those who need to travel by car, they may consider using on-street parking spaces or car parks nearby, including car parks of government office buildings which are opened to the public during non-office hours (e.g. nighttime). Members of the public may also gain the latest information on special traffic arrangements and parking vacancy on the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk) or via the “HKeMobility” mobile application.

(4) Road safety is one of the HKPF’s operational priorities, and changing the irresponsible behaviour of road users (such as obstruction to traffic or illegal stopping at restricted zone which may cause inconvenience or even hazard to other road users) is also among the HKPF’s Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities. The HKPF aims to raise the law-abiding awareness of commuters and combat improper traffic obstruction behaviour through publicity, education and enforcement. 

     The HKPF has clear guidelines, training and supervision on the enforcement procedures of traffic offences to ensure that frontline officers comply with operational needs and statutory requirements when taking enforcement actions. The HKPF will also review and update the relevant procedures and guidelines from time to time to meet the actual needs.

     The HKPF has been working closely with relevant departments, adopting new technological solutions for traffic enforcement to enhance the efficiency of frontline officer in combating illegal parking and obstruction-related moving offences. For instance, to raise the enforcement effectiveness and strengthen the deterrent effect, the HKPF has launched in phases the “e-Ticketing Scheme” across the territory since March 2020. Frontline enforcement officers are now able to access or input information of illegally parked vehicles via their mobile devices, take photos of non-compliance as evidence and instantly print out FPNs in order to reduce human errors in issuing handwritten FPNs. Besides, the HKPF has launched the first WeChat mini-programme for online reporting of traffic offences – “Project PROVE – Public Reporting Offences with Video Evidence”, since April 2023. Members of the public can report non-emergency traffic related offences, including dangerous driving, careless driving, failing to comply with traffic signals, traffic signs and road markings, etc. by uploading relevant video clips to “Project PROVE”. The HKPF will examine each report, and if prima facie evidence is established, it will follow up and investigate the case, or even take enforcement action.

     The HKPF will continue to explore the use of more new technologies with relevant departments to enhance the effectiveness of enforcement against offences relating to illegal parking and traffic obstruction. read more

International Innovation and Technology Centre

105. I&T is a key engine driving our economy and society towards high-quality development. The Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint, promulgated in 2022, formulates strategic plans and clear roadmaps for Hong Kong’s I&T development over the next five to ten years, leading Hong Kong steadily towards its vision of becoming an international I&T centre.

106. The Government has committed substantial resources to building a vibrant I&T ecosystem by focusing on enhancing I&T infrastructure, research capacity, talent, etc. The Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport are I&T flagships and incubators for the city. As at end-2023, the number of tenants of these two flagships, together with past and current incubatees, amounted to some 4 500, an increase of more than 60 per cent over the past five years. Among them, 16 have been listed, nine have become unicorns, and a total of some $130 billion has been raised while more than 1 700 local and non-local awards have been won.

Artificial Intelligence

107. Artificial Intelligence (AI), as an important driver of a new round of technological and industrial transformation, is also the key to propelling the development of digital economy in Hong Kong.

108. Cyberport is expediting the establishment of an AI Supercomputing Centre to meet the demand of research institutes and the industry for computing power. The first phase facility is expected to start operating within this year at the earliest. By early 2026 at the soonest, the computing power of the supercomputing facility is expected to reach 3 000 petaFLOPS. The scale of such power is equivalent to the capacity of processing nearly 10 billion images in one hour.

109. We will allocate $3 billion to Cyberport for the launch of a three-year AI Subsidy Scheme to support local universities, research institutes and enterprises to leverage the Centre’s computing power and achieve scientific breakthroughs. The subsidy will also be used to strengthen the cyber security and data protection of the Centre, and launch promotional and educational activities, etc, to encourage Mainland and overseas AI experts, enterprises and R&D projects to come to Hong Kong.

R&D of Microelectronics

110. With an increasing demand for semiconductors worldwide, the scale of related industries is expected to grow continuously and exceed US$1 trillion by 2030.

111. To capture a market with such huge potential, and dovetail with the national strategy for technological development, the Government is fostering R&D of microelectronics. We will establish the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (HKMSRDI) this year. It will spearhead and facilitate research collaboration on the third-generation semiconductors among universities, R&D centres and the industry, and to realise R&D outcomes by making use of the comprehensive manufacturing industry chain in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Life and Health Technology

112. With solid basic research capabilities in life and health technology, Hong Kong is home to world-class experts, top-notch medical schools, R&D centres and laboratories. We are well-equipped to develop into an international life and health technology centre.

Set up Life and Health Technology Research Institutes

113. In the previous Budget, I earmarked $10 billion to promote the development of life and health technology. Of this, $6 billion will be used to provide subsidies for local universities to collaborate with Mainland and overseas organisations to set up life and health technology research institutes. The purpose is to facilitate relevant R&D activities and transformation of R&D outcomes, and to attract leading I&T talent and research teams around the world to Hong Kong.

Strengthen Clinical Trial Platform

114. The Government will set up the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone this year. It will provide one-stop support to attract more local, Mainland and overseas pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong. We will also actively seek support from the National Medical Products Administration for record filing, so that such data can be used by these enterprises when applying for marketing authorisation of their products in the Mainland.

Establish “Primary Evaluation”

115. The new mechanism for registering New Drugs (“1+” mechanism) came into effect on 1 November 2023. This allows for new drugs for life threatening or severely debilitating diseases to be registered in Hong Kong with the submission of only one certificate of pharmaceutical product issued by reference drug regulatory authorities, subject to the fulfilment of specific requirements. The Department of Health has approved two new drugs for registration under this mechanism, bringing new hope of treatment to patients.

116. The “1+” mechanism is an important step in progressing towards a “primary evaluation” approach. This approach enables us to directly approve applications for registration of drugs and medical devices locally based on clinical data, without relying on other drug regulatory authorities.

117. The Government is committed to establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR). The preparatory office will be set up in the first half of this year to study the restructuring and strengthening of the current regulatory and approval regimes for drugs, medical devices and medical technologies. The objective is to establish a standalone statutory body that is internationally recognised, so as to accelerate clinical application of new drugs and medical devices. It will also drive the development of emerging industries engaging in the R&D and testing of drugs and medical devices.

New Industrialisation Development

118. Driven by information, new industrialisation leverages advanced technologies such as AI, data analytics and new materials to support enterprises in moving towards smart production and develop emerging industries with high value-adding potential and economic efficiency.

119. We will launch a $10 billion New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme (NIAS) this year. Enterprises engaging in life and health technology, AI and data science, advanced manufacturing and new energy technology will each be provided with funding support of up to $200 million on a matching basis of one (Government): two (enterprise). Applicant enterprises shall invest no less than $200 million in Hong Kong.

120. Apart from the above funding support on a matching basis, enterprises participating in the NIAS may receive subsidies to engage research talent under the Research Talent Hub. They may also, on a pilot basis, engage a small number of non-local technical personnel under the Technology Talent Admission Scheme to expedite the set-up and operation of advanced manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong.

121. It is anticipated that the NIAS will attract 50 to 100 enterprises engaging in relevant industries to invest no less than $20 billion in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park

122. Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) in the Lok Ma Chau Loop (the Loop) enables Hong Kong to play an active part in GBA development, better integrate into overall national development and forge closer connections overseas. While the first batch of buildings in the HSITP will commence operation progressively by the end of this year, various tasks such as attracting enterprises, investment and talent are underway. We will continue to support the development of the HSITP, and are drafting the White Paper on the Development of the HSITP in the Loop targeting to be announced this year.

InnoLife Healthtech Hub

123. We will set up the InnoLife Healthtech Hub in the HSITP to attract top-notch research teams and talent from around the world, with a focus on life and health disciplines, to conduct research. This will be conducive to the development of international I&T centre in the Loop and the GBA. We will allocate $2 billion from the $10 billion earmarked to support the InnoHK research clusters to establish presence in the Loop. We will also allocate $200 million to provide assistance to start-ups engaging in life and health technology in the form of incubation and acceleration programmes, etc.

Nurturing Start-ups

124. In the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2023, Hong Kong ranked second in the world and first in Asia in the Emerging Startup Ecosystems category. The number of start-ups rose to nearly 4 300 last year, about a fourfold increase compared to 2014. Over the same period, the number of people employed by related start-ups increased by about seven times to over 16 000.

125. Since its inception, the Corporate Venture Fund under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) has invested a total of nearly $400 million in 31 start-ups and attracted private investment of about $12.6 billion. The HKSTPC will soon launch the Co-acceleration Programme to pool the efforts of the I&T industry and provide value-added support services to I&T start-ups with high potential and to nurture them as regional or global enterprises.

R&D and Transformation in I&T

Frontier Technology Research Infrastructure Support Scheme

126. We will launch a Frontier Technology Research Infrastructure Support Scheme to assist the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities, on a matching basis, in procuring facilities and conducting research projects which cover various fields such as AI, quantum information, integrated circuit, clinical medicine and health, and gene and biotechnology. To this end, we will allocate $3 billion from the sum earmarked in the past.

Strengthen Support for Technology Transfer

127. To enable universities to strengthen technology transfer and marketing services, we will provide subsidies of no more than $16 million to the Technology Transfer Office of each of the eight UGC-funded universities from 2024-25 onwards.

Enhancing I&T Infrastructure

128. Batch 1 of Stage 2 of the Science Park Expansion Programme, which will provide a gross floor area (GFA) of about 13 000 square metres mainly for wet laboratories, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year. The Cyberport 5 expansion project, which will provide a GFA of about 66 000 square metres for co-working spaces and offices, etc, is expected to be completed by the end of next year at the earliest. Together with the I&T sites in the Loop to be put into use progressively, there will be more room for the local I&T ecosystem to prosper.

(To be continued.) read more

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Tik Chi-yuen and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (February 28):
    
Question:
 
     It has been reported that following the announcement made by the school sponsoring body (SSB) of Rosaryhill Secondary School in September last year that the school would cease operation after two school years, the SSB announced in December last year that the school would cease operation earlier in the coming school year, with its students transferring to Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No. 2. Regarding the arrangements for students of subsidised schools ceasing operation, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of SSBs of subsidised schools giving up their school operating rights of their own accord, other than those with under-‍enrolment, in the past five years;
 
(2) as it is learnt that most subsidised schools will make proper arrangements for students to graduate smoothly from their original schools before ceasing operation, but the SSB of Rosaryhill Secondary School, which is a subsidised school, has reportedly planned to give up its school operating right starting from the coming school year, making it impossible for students of the school to graduate from their original school, how the Government ensures that SSBs of subsidised schools will make every effort to enable a smooth transition for the relevant students to continue their studies in another school after their schools cease operation;
 
(3) as it has been reported that Rosaryhill Secondary School had conducted two parents’ opinion surveys on the transitional arrangements for students, and some parents pointed out that as the school conducted a second survey with revised options and selection criteria when the outcome of the first survey fell short of expectation, they considered that the relevant surveys were “fake consultations”, whether the Government knows the relevant details; whether it has monitored the conduct of parents’ opinion surveys by the school and other subsidised schools, and how it ensures the integrity of their practices; and
 
(4) as it has been reported that the SSB of Rosaryhill Secondary School has decided to adopt a vote by simple majority instead of a vote by the number of parents at least half the total number of the relevant students for a given proposal in requesting that all students be transferred to Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No. 2 in the coming school year, whether the Government has reviewed if subsidised schools have such a power, and how it safeguards the interests of the affected students and parents?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Our reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Tik Chi-yuen is as follows:
 
(1) In the past five school years, three school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) decided and announced to cease operation of an aided school each under their sponsorship. In addition, there is another SSB which decided to hand over four aided schools under its sponsorship to another SSB for continued operation.
 
(2), (3) and (4) For any SSB wishing to cease operation of its sponsored school, it should submit a detailed proposal to the Education Bureau (EDB) setting out clearly the timeline, operation mode during the transitional period and other relevant details. The EDB will urge SSBs to accord top priority to the interests of students and ensure the impact of the school’s cessation arrangements on students is minimal. During the process of cessation, the EDB will closely monitor the situation and maintain communication with the SSBs and schools, so that timely assistance can be offered if the schools encounter difficulties in making related arrangements.
 
     SSBs may make different cessation arrangements according to schools’ circumstances. Generally speaking, schools will first stop admitting Secondary One (S1) or Primary One students, and arrange for current students at upper secondary or upper primary levels to study in their original school until graduation. Some SSBs will also take into consideration the situation where the overall number of students is too small and there is a wastage of school staff in one or two years prior to the cessation. Since the corresponding adjustment of resources will make it difficult to provide a broad and balanced learning environment and is not conducive to the social development of students, the SSBs will try their best to arrange for their students to transfer to other schools as soon as possible. For example, some primary schools will arrange for their students to transfer to other schools to continue their studies at upper primary levels, and some secondary schools will arrange for their students to participate in the Central Placement upon their completion of Secondary Three and proceed to Secondary Four in other public sector schools.
 
     As regards the case of Rosaryhill Secondary School (RSS), in September 2023, its SSB informed the EDB and relevant stakeholders of its decision to cease operation of three schools (namely RSS, Rosaryhill School and Rosaryhill Kindergarten) under its sponsorship due to various factors such as the structural decline in the student population in Hong Kong and the financial situation of the SSB. Noting the decision of the SSB, the EDB has been repeatedly reminding the SSB and the related schools to maintain close liaison and good communication with the stakeholders (including parents, alumni and school staff), consider feasible options to support students and school staff in a pragmatic manner, as well as pay attention to the emotions of students so that appropriate counselling and support can be provided as necessary.
 
     We understand that the SSB has established a Transition Committee (the Committee) to deliberate on appropriate support to the students and school staff of the RSS and explore different feasible plans. Members of the Committee include the SSB’s representatives, the principal, and teacher, parent and alumni representatives of the school. In the course of deliberation, the SSB and school have approached another SSB, conducted briefing sessions and opinion surveys for parents, and maintained communication with school staff, students and parents.
 
     We note that after considering relevant factors (including the survey results), the Committee has endorsed the option of supporting all S1 to Secondary Five students to transfer to another secondary school in the 2024/25 school year. The SSB and school met with teachers and parents separately in late January this year to introduce the transitional arrangements.
 
     The EDB has all along been monitoring the development of the incident while maintaining communication with the SSB and schools. We have liaised and met with the stakeholders for many times, which include discussing the transitional arrangements with representatives of RSS, the other secondary school and their SSBs, as well as making co-ordination for students, school staff and parents to work out plans for appropriate assistance and support. We note that the two schools are actively deepening and progressively implementing the relevant arrangements to effect a smooth transition for teachers and students with a view to helping them familiarise with and adapt to the new environment. The EDB will continue to render support on the transitional arrangements. We will also provide advice and assistance to parents and students in need. If necessary, they may approach Regional Education Offices of the EDB for enquiries on vacant school places in the district. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Edmund Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (February 28):
 
Question:
 
     Some members of the accounting profession have relayed that the problem of persons impersonating qualified practising accountants and unlicensed audit business intermediaries (commonly known as “agents”) carrying out unlicensed audit work has persisted for many years, seriously undermining the reputation of the accounting profession and public interest. On the other hand, the Legislative Council duly passed the Financial Reporting Council (Amendment) Ordinance on October 22, 2021, whereby the Financial Reporting Council became the independent regulatory body for the accounting profession and was renamed the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC). The AFRC’s statutory functions were expanded on October 1, 2022, to include the inspection, investigation and discipline work of the accounting profession. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
 
(1) the total number of complaints received by the AFRC from October 1, 2022, to the 31st of last month regarding persons impersonating qualified practising accountants and agents and conducting unlicensed audit business work, and (i) the number of persons impersonating qualified practising accountants and agents and (ii) the amount of money involved; whether the AFRC has commenced investigation into and followed up on such complaints; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) from October 1, 2022, to the 31st of last month, whether the AFRC has proactively investigated if some enterprises and persons soliciting business in the community under the guise of “accounting firms”, “audit services”, “accounting affairs firms”, “chartered accountancy”, etc. are persons impersonating qualified practising accountants or agents; if it has, of the outcome, and whether it has taken follow-up actions; if it has not investigated, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the AFRC will formulate policy initiatives or mechanisms to combat persons impersonating qualified practising accountants and agents, and conduct joint law enforcement actions with other relevant policy bureaux and government departments (e.g. the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Inland Revenue Department and the Hong Kong Police Force); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Security Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC), my consolidated reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
 
     The AFRC is a full-fledged independent regulator of the accounting profession. Since the implementation of the new regulatory regime of the accounting profession on October 1, 2022, the AFRC’s statutory powers have included the regulation of certified public accountants (CPA) and practice units (which are certified public accountants (practising) (CPA (practising)), CPA firms and corporate practices) through registration, issuance of practising certificates, inspection, investigation and discipline.
 
     According to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council Ordinance (Cap. 588) (the Ordinance), only practice units registered under the Ordinance are qualified to provide audit services. Sections 20AAZZL to 20AAZZO of the Ordinance stipulate that any unqualified person who pretends to be a practice unit, uses certain misleading descriptions or provides audit services commits a criminal offence.
 
     The AFRC has signed memoranda of understanding with local enforcement authorities and financial regulators to establish case referral and information sharing mechanisms with a view to combating audit-related offences and misconduct. If the AFRC receives a suspected case of an unqualified person pretending to be a practice unit, using certain misleading descriptions or providing audit services and the relevant person allegedly commits the relevant criminal offence under the Ordinance, the case will be referred to the Hong Kong Police Force for follow up. As regards an unqualified person who makes intermediary arrangements for practice units’ undertaking of subcontracted audit engagements (commonly known as “agents”), such arrangements may at the same time constitute criminal offences involving an unqualified person pretending to be a practice unit or using certain misleading descriptions, etc. In the case where the person involved is a CPA, the case may at the same time constitute CPA misconduct under the Ordinance in relation to which the AFRC is empowered to impose disciplinary sanctions (such as revocation of registration and pecuniary penalty) on that CPA.
 
     The AFRC maintains a register of practice units on its website for public inspection for the purpose of ascertaining whether a person is a practice unit registered pursuant to the Ordinance and is qualified to provide audit services. In accordance with section 20AAZZN of the Ordinance, only a person/unit issued with a practising certificate or registered may use certain descriptions. Those descriptions/characters include “certified public accountant (practising)”, “public accountant”, the abbreviation “CPA (practising)”, the initials “PA”, “執業會計師”, “註冊核數師”, “核數師” and “審計師”. The designation of the above descriptions has already taken into account the need to strike a balance in prohibiting the use of misleading descriptions and avoidance of throttling the room for survival of general businesses such as book-keeping and tax services.
 
     The AFRC accords importance to the assurance of audit quality for protection of public interest. It is empowered under the Ordinance to inspect practice units to monitor if the audit services provided by practice units comply with professional standards. If it is suspected that the audit services provided by a practice unit which undertakes subcontracted audit engagements through “agents” or any other means fail to comply with professional standards, the AFRC, when formulating its annual inspection programme, will adopt the proportionality principle and risk-based approach to prioritise its inspection work on that practice unit having regard to the public interest at stake. In the case where the AFRC discovers in a regular inspection that a practice unit fails to comply with professional standards and related regulatory requirements, it will initiate investigation and impose disciplinary sanctions in respect of the relevant misconduct.
 
     During the period between October 1, 2022 and January 31, 2024, the AFRC received six complaints against practice units which allegedly undertook audit engagements via intermediaries and provided services failing to comply with professional standards, six complaints concerning the alleged provision of audit services by unqualified persons, and one complaint concerning a person pretending to be a CPA (practising). The AFRC will handle the aforementioned complaints in accordance with established procedures. If the complaints concern accounting professionals, the AFRC will assess whether there is sufficient evidence pertaining to the complaints for initiation of investigation or disciplinary sanctions pursuant to the Ordinance. If there is suspected commission of relevant criminal offences under the Ordinance, the cases will be referred to the Police for follow up as appropriate.
 
     The Government and the AFRC have been closely monitoring the operations of the accounting profession, and will continue to explore with professional bodies ways to enhance protection of the public against misleading descriptions. We will encourage the public and audit services users to utilise the AFRC’s practice unit register for verification of the registration status of CPA (practising) and accounting firms, and will promote public awareness toward audit regulation as well as professional standards of the sector through education and training. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Tony Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (February 28):
 
Question:

     It has been reported that in recent years, incidents of traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles such as dump trucks, works vehicles, refuse collection vehicles and container trucks and resulting in heavy casualties have occurred from time to time. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) among the traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles in each of the past 10 years, of the number of traffic accidents involving serious casualties and the number of casualties, as well as the major causes of such accidents;

(2) whether it has analysed the data, information, accident trends and causes of the traffic accidents involving serious casualties mentioned in (1) and formulated corresponding standards and measures to reduce and prevent the occurrence of accidents; if so, of the respective measures to rectify and combat inappropriate driving behaviour;

(3) given that the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) requires that the speed at which a medium and heavy goods vehicle and a bus travels on a road must not exceed 70 km an hour or the speed limit for the road, whichever is the lower, of the numbers of law enforcement actions taken and prosecutions instituted by the authorities in respect of contraventions of the relevant requirements in each of the past seven years; of the new measures in place to monitor the speed of heavy vehicles; and

(4) as the authorities advised in 2003 in response to the recommendations put forth in the Report on Enhancement of Highway Safety that they would explore the feasibility of installing speed limiters in heavy vehicles other than franchised buses, of the latest progress of the relevant work?

Reply:
 
President,

     Having consulted the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Transport Department (TD) in respect of traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles, my reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Tony Tse is as follows:

(1) and (2) According to our records, the numbers of fatal and serious traffic accidents (Note) involving heavy vehicles (including buses, medium goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles) from 2014 to 2023, and the associated numbers of people killed and seriously injured, are set out below:
 

Year	Numbers of Traffic Accidents			Numbers of People Killed and Seriously Injured in Traffic Accidents
	Fatal	Serious	Total	Killed	Seriously Injured	Total
2014	29	479	508	29	507	536
2015	38	500	538	42	600	642
2016	31	458	489	32	490	522
2017	38	398	436	41	453	494
2018	33	361	394	56	434	490
2019	39	379	418	45	442	487
2020	25	281	306	26	300	326
2021	31	253	284	31	265	296
2022	24	154	178	25	175	200
2023*	24	156	180	24	189	213

*Provisional figures

     In general, the numbers of fatal and serious accidents involving heavy vehicles, and the associated numbers of people killed and seriously injured have been declining in the past decade. These traffic accidents mainly involved driver contributory factors, including “driving inattentively”, “driving too close to vehicle in front”, “failing to ensure the safety of passenger”, “turning right/left negligently” and “careless lane changing”.

     The Government attaches great importance to road safety and endeavours to ensure the safety of road users by adopting a multi-pronged strategy. In respect of vehicle construction, we have obtained the support of the Legislative Council Panel on Transport for the legislative proposal on extending the statutory requirements for the mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts to the rear passenger seats of newly-registered goods vehicles, and all passenger seats of public and private buses; the legislative proposal on requiring the installation of over-height warning system for vehicles with extendable aerial structures, and requiring all newly registered vehicles to be installed with reflecting mirrors up to international standards. The Government is in the process of further consulting the trade on the details of amendments and drafting the law. We expect that the legislative amendment proposal would be submitted to the Legislative Council this year.

     In addition, the TD will continue working in collaboration with the Road Safety Council and the HKPF to raise road users’ safety awareness through various publicity and educational campaigns. The TD will continue to raise heavy vehicle drivers’ awareness of safe driving through distribution of newsletters and leaflets enclosing safe driving tips to the goods vehicle trade, as well as organising safe driving seminars in conjunction with the HKPF. The TD will also launch the yearly event “Safe Driving and Health Campaign” to encourage commercial vehicle drivers to pay attention to safe driving and personal health through a series of publicity and educational activities and various channels such as radio broadcast, free health check-ups, website and social media.

     Road safety is one of HKPF’s operational priorities. The HKPF adopts a “3E” multi-pronged approach, viz. through road engineering (Engineering), public engagement (Engagement) and proactive enforcement (Enforcement), to enhance road safety.
      
     The HKPF, in collaboration with the Highways Department, the TD and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, provides advice on improving the safety of road projects from time to time. On enforcement, the HKPF takes into account the prevailing annual trend of traffic accidents and draws up the “Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities”. The HKPF will take stringent enforcement actions against offences under the “Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities” with a view to changing the undesirable behaviour of road users which causes traffic accidents or obstructs traffic. 
      
     In addition, the HKPF adopts a multi-agency approach to strengthen the publicity on road safety risks, traffic contravention cases in the “Selected Traffic Enforcement Priorities” and the rationale for stringent enforcement actions. The HKPF disseminates road safety messages from time to time through different channels, including various HKPF social media platforms.

(3) Traffic enforcement statistics on speeding involving heavy vehicles (i.e. medium and heavy goods vehicles, buses, etc.) in the past seven years are as follows:
 

Year	Traffic Enforcement Statistics on Speeding involving Heavy Vehicles (i.e. Medium & Heavy Goods Vehicles, Buses, etc.)
	Fixed Penalty Notice	Summons	Arrest	Total
2017	17 258	69	1	17 328
2018	15 651	121	2	15 774
2019	13 610	71	0	13 681
2020	14 600	86	1	14 687
2021	14 429	47	1	14 477
2022	12 291	33	2	12 326
2023	12 102	27	0	12 129

     The HKPF is committed to combatting speeding offences to ensure the safety of road users. Apart from using fixed speed enforcement cameras for regular traffic enforcement, the HKPF also uses mobile devices such as laser guns, mobile radar and in-car video recording systems for ad hoc enforcement operations. This would help keep motorists alert at all times, hence reducing the risk of traffic accidents.

(4) Under the risk-based principle, the Government prioritised the installation of speed display device on public light buses (PLBs) in 2005 to allow passengers to monitor the speed and caution drivers against speeding by minding their driving speed. To further enhance the safety of PLBs, the Government also enacted legislation in 2007 to require every PLB to be fitted with an approved speed display device. The Government had also required the installation of speed limiter setting at the maximum speed of 80 km/h on newly registered PLBs since 2010. Subsequently, the Government enacted legislation in 2012 to require every PLB to be fitted with an approved speed limiter.

     Although there is no international standards on installation of speed limiter for taxis, in order to enhance the safety of taxis, the TD has approved taxi models equipped with collision avoidance function at the end of 2022, and is studying the feasibility of equipping taxis with more safety functions.

     As for other vehicle classes (including heavy vehicles), the TD will continue to pay heed to the development and applicability of international automotive technology, and will conduct study and review of current regulatory requirements in a timely manner.

Note: Serious traffic accident refers to traffic accident in which one or more persons is injured and detained in hospital for more than twelve hours. read more