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 (July 4) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Shek O Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
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 (July 4) that the Environmental Protection Department has classified the water quality at Kwun Yam Beach in Islands District as Grade 4, which means the beach is not suitable for swimming. The red flag has been hoisted. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach until further notice.
The 2017 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee was tabled in the Legislative Council today (July 4). The report gives a summary of the Committee's work in 2017.
The Committee is tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC and its officers. The Committee takes an independent view of the ICAC's investigation findings on the complaints received, reviews the ICAC's procedures which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations for improvement.
In 2017, the Committee received 24 complaints involving 100 allegations against the ICAC or its officers. Among the allegations received in 2017, 48 per cent were related to misconduct, 42 per cent to neglect of duties and 9 per cent to abuse of power by ICAC officers. The remaining 1 per cent was related to inadequacies of ICAC procedures.
The ICAC submits investigation reports to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases, while assessment reports are submitted for complaints which do not warrant full investigation. During 2017, the Committee held three meetings to consider the investigation reports on 23 complaint cases received in 2016 or 2017. These complaints contained a total of 49 allegations. Three allegations in three of these complaints were found to be substantiated or partially substantiated, and the four ICAC officers concerned were given appropriate advice by senior officers. In the year, the Committee also considered and endorsed nine assessment reports. Preliminary assessment showed that there were no grounds or justifications in these complaints that would warrant formal investigation, and the Committee agreed that no further investigative action should be taken.
In the course of considering the complaints, both the Committee and the ICAC scrutinised the internal procedures, guidelines and practices of the ICAC. After careful examination of the issues identified in the investigation reports considered during 2017, the ICAC organised more briefing sessions and strengthened the training of frontline officers to enhance their vigilance and knowledge in the use of information technology for duty purposes, security classification of documents and their handling, dealing with difficult requests of complainants, making appropriate case referrals and handling of items seized during search operations. Furthermore, the ICAC reviewed the practices for handling confidential correspondence and promulgated some updated internal instructions in this regard.
The annual report of the Committee is available on the Administration Wing website (www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/icac.htm) and also at the ICAC's regional offices.
Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, in the Legislative Council today (July 4):
Question:
Will the Government provide the following statistics for each quarter in 2017 and in the first half of 2018 (adopting the first quarter of 2004 as the base period, i.e. first quarter of 2004=100):
(1) in respect of various industries and occupations, the respective (i) numbers of employed persons, (ii) nominal wage indices and (iii) real wage indices, broken down by gender; and
(2) the nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the real GDP, as well as the growth rates of such figures?
Reply:
President,
In response to the various parts of the question, statistics for 2017 and the first quarter of 2018 are provided below (statistics for the second quarter of 2018 will be released in August or September 2018):
(1) The numbers of employed persons (excluding foreign domestic helpers) by gender in various industries and occupations in 2017 and the first quarter of 2018 are set out in Table 1 of the Annex, whereas the nominal and real wage indices for selected industries and selected occupational groups during the same period are set out in Table 2 of the Annex. The Government has not compiled wage indices broken down by gender.
(2) Hong Kong's gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices (i.e. in nominal terms) was HK$2,661.0 billion in 2017 and HK$688.0 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
In chained (2016) dollars (i.e. in real terms), Hong Kong's GDP was HK$2,585.2 billion in 2017 and HK$652.1 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
When compared with 2004, the growth rates of GDP in nominal terms and in real terms were 102.1 per cent and 59.6 per cent respectively in 2017.
A Vietnamese illegal worker holding a recognisance form was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (July 3).
During operation "Twilight" on May 28, Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators raided a restaurant in Yuen Long. A male Vietnamese illegal worker, aged 54, was arrested. When intercepted he was washing dishes. Upon identity checking, he produced for inspection a recognisance form issued by the ImmD, which prohibits him from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant. In addition, he was also suspected of using and being in possession of a forged identity card. An employer suspected of employing the illegal worker was arrested and the investigation is ongoing.
The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. After trial, he was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. In addition, he was also charged with using a forged Hong Kong identity card and was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. All sentences are to run concurrently, making a total of 15 months' imprisonment.
The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment should be applied in such cases.
The spokesman also warned that it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or an identity card relating to other person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years' imprisonment.
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening on vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.