Tag Archives: China

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (January 29) that starting from February 1 this year, it would raise the standard payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme as well as the rates of the Old Age Allowance (OAA), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) (including OAA and OALA under the Guangdong Scheme and Fujian Scheme) and Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme.

     An SWD spokesman said, “On December 8 last year, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council gave approval for the Government to adjust the above rates upwards by 3.3 per cent with effect from February 1 this year in accordance with the established mechanism, i.e. on the basis of the year-on-year rate of change of the Social Security Assistance Index of Prices.  The above adjustment will benefit around 1.5 million people.”

     The spokesman added, “According to the established mechanism, the Government adjusts the maximum rent allowance (MRA) under the CSSA Scheme taking into account the year-on-year rate of change of the Consumer Price Index (A) rent index for private housing. Although the MRA should be adjusted downwards correspondingly starting from February 1 this year according to the relevant mechanism, the Government will continue to maintain the MRA at the current levels (see Annex I), as the difficult global economic environment may continue to weigh on Hong Kong’s economy, and CSSA recipients remain one of the most economically vulnerable groups.”

     The adjusted CSSA standard payment rates and the SSA rates of allowances are set out in Annex II.

     Separately, to tie in with the implementation of municipal solid waste (MSW) charging, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council has also given approval for the provision of a subsidy of $10 per person per month to CSSA and OALA recipients, originally effective from April 1, 2024, having regard to their financial needs. As the Environment and Ecology Bureau announced on January 19, 2024, that the statutory commencement date of MSW has changed to August 1, 2024, the above MSW charging subsidy will take effect from August 1, 2024, accordingly.

     CSSA and SSA recipients may contact their respective social security field units or call the SWD hotline 2343 2255 for enquiries. read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on January 26 to noon today (January 29), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 256 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 27 573 samples of food imported from Japan (including 18 432 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 7 870 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.
  read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:        The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announced today (January 29) th… read more

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 DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited relating to a fraudulent website and an internet banking login screen, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website or login screen concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. read more

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (January 29) that, as advised by the postal administration of Papua New Guinea, mail delivery services previously impacted by protests have returned to normal. read more