Tag Archives: China

     The Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 645) and the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (Civil and Commercial Arrangement) came into operation today (January 29).

     Under the new mechanism of the Civil and Commercial Arrangement, the courts of the two places may recognise and enforce reciprocally effective judgments in civil and commercial matters that are made by the courts of the other place and are covered by the Civil and Commercial Arrangement. This reduces the need for parties to re-litigate the same dispute in the Mainland and Hong Kong courts respectively, thereby reducing the risks, legal costs, and time usually associated with the cross-boundary enforcement of such judgments.

     The Ordinance was enacted for the purpose of implementing the Civil and Commercial Arrangement in the HKSAR through local legislation. The new mechanism applies to judgments given by Hong Kong or Mainland courts from today onwards in cases covered by the Civil and Commercial Arrangement.

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, remarked, “The Civil and Commercial Arrangement showcases the unique advantages enjoyed by Hong Kong under ‘one country, two systems’. Hong Kong is the only jurisdiction to have an arrangement with the Mainland on reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments with such a wide coverage. The Civil and Commercial Arrangement helps consolidate Hong Kong’s status as a regional intellectual property trading centre as well as a regional centre for international legal and dispute resolution services as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.”

     Mr Lam and Vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) Mr Yang Wanming gave an opening speech at a seminar, “New Mechanism for Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Civil and Commercial Judgments between the Courts of Mainland and the HKSAR”, co-organised by the SPC and the Department of Justice today. The seminar, attracting about 300 participants on-site, explains the Civil and Commercial Arrangement as well as the Ordinance, including the applicable rules and specific procedures. Members of the public may also visit the thematic website or read the promotional leaflet on the Ordinance for more details.

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     The Tourism Strategy Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, held its first meeting today (January 29). During the meeting, Mr Yeung invited members’ preliminary views on the formulation of the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) and the future development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
      
     Mr Yeung said, “The Tourism Strategy Committee will focus on exploring how to steer the speedy and quality development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry and foster synergy between tourism and other related sectors.”
      
     Representatives from the Hong Kong Tourism Board were also invited to attend the meeting today and reported Hong Kong’s tourism performance in 2023 and the relevant statistics to the Committee. In addition, the Tourism Commission introduced the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry published in 2017 and the relevant background, and reported the various preparation work on Blueprint 2.0 to the Committee.
      
     The Tourism Strategy Committee is tasked to provide the Government with strategic advice and foster collaboration among different stakeholders in tourism and related sectors for further promoting the long-term and sustainable development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry.    

 

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Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (January 29) that … read more

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (January 29) announced an adjustment to the auto-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations from February 1 to February 29, 2024, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contracts of the dedicated LPG filling stations.
 
     A department spokesman said that the adjustment on February 1, 2024, would reflect the movement of the LPG international price in January 2024, and the average movement of the latest Composite Consumer Price Index and Nominal Wage Index. The overall adjusted auto-LPG ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations would range from $3.73 to $4.62 per litre, amounting to an increase of $0.06 to $0.09 per litre.
 
     The spokesman said that the auto-LPG ceiling prices were adjusted according to a pricing formula specified in the contracts. The formula comprises two elements – the LPG international price and the LPG operating price. The LPG international price refers to the LPG international price of the preceding month. The LPG operating price is adjusted on February 1 and June 1 annually according to the average movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index and the Nominal Wage Index. The latest year-on-year rates of change of the Composite Consumer Price Index and the Nominal Wage Index are +2.1 per cent and +2.2 per cent respectively.
 
     The auto-LPG ceiling prices for respective dedicated LPG filling stations in February 2024 are as follows:

Location of Dedicated LPG Filling Station	Auto-LPG Ceiling Price in February 2024 (HK$/litre)	Auto-LPG Ceiling Price in January 2024 (HK$/litre)
Kwai On Road, Kwai Chung	3.73	3.66
Sham Mong Road, Mei Foo	3.79	3.73
Wai Lok Street, Kwun Tong	3.85	3.78
Cheung Yip Street, Kowloon Bay	3.89	3.82
Ngo Cheung Road, West Kowloon	3.90	3.83
Yuen Chau Tsai, Tai Po	3.95	3.88
Tak Yip Street, Yuen Long	4.06	3.99
Hang Yiu Street, Ma On Shan	4.08	4.01
Marsh Road, Wan Chai	4.09	4.02
Fung Mat Road, Sheung Wan	4.11	4.04
Yip Wong Road, Tuen Mun	4.21	4.13
Fung Yip Street, Chai Wan	4.62	4.53

 
    The spokesman said that the details of the LPG international price and the auto-LPG ceiling price for each dedicated LPG filling station had been uploaded to the EMSD website (www.emsd.gov.hk) and posted at dedicated LPG filling stations to enable the trades to monitor the price adjustment.
 
     Details of the pricing adjustment mechanism for dedicated LPG filling stations can also be viewed under the “What’s New” section of the department website at www.emsd.gov.hk/en/what_s_new/current/index.html. read more

     The Transport and Logistics Bureau today (January 29) announced the launch of the Aviation Promotion Project Funding Scheme under the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund (MATF), which is now open for applications.
      
     “The aviation industry is an important pillar of Hong Kong’s economy. The Government and the Airport Authority Hong Kong are forging ahead with the construction of the Three-Runway System project and the development of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) into an Airport City, which will enhance the capacity and functionality of HKIA significantly and brighten the prospects of the future development of Hong Kong’s aviation industry. The Government endeavours to enable more people to appreciate the vast opportunities in the aviation industry through the Scheme, thereby attracting new blood to join the industry and promoting the industry’s sustainable development,” a spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said.
      
     The Scheme aims to fund local aviation-related organisations and academic institutions for organising activities to promote the aviation industry, raise public awareness and interest, and attract talent to join the industry. Activities mainly for business promotion or individual corporate recruitment will not be considered.
      
     Eligible organisations must submit their applications at least three months before the commencement of the activities concerned. In general, the MATF Secretariat will submit the applications to the Tripartite Taskforce on Manpower Training (Aviation) for approval within two months from the receipt of the application forms and all necessary documents. Applications from locally registered non-profit organisations may receive a maximum of 100 per cent of the permissible expenditure, subject to a ceiling of $250,000; while applications from other eligible organisations may receive a maximum of 50 per cent of the permissible expenditure, subject to a ceiling of $125,000.
      
     The Scheme accepts applications all year round. For details of the Scheme, please refer to the dedicated website. Interested organisations may contact the MATF Secretariat by one of the following means: 

Telephone: 3509 7261
E-mail: matf@tlb.gov.hk
Website: www.tlb.gov.hk/matf/eng/aviation.html read more