The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, commenced her trip to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area in Huizhou and Guangzhou today (May 16).

     Accompanied by the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, Mrs Lam met with the Acting Mayor of Huizhou, Mr Liu Ji, and attended a lunch hosted by him. She said at the meeting that given the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, she visited Huizhou today following her trip to three other Bay Area cities, namely Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai, in March. Noting that the ties between Hong Kong and Huizhou have been close, she said frequent contacts between the people in the two places provide a good foundation and strong impetus for co-operation between the two places. With Hong Kong's heavy investment in Huizhou over the years, she expressed the hope that the two cities will explore more collaboration in various industries in the future to seize together the opportunities brought about by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. She added that in particular in innovation and technology (I&T), Hong Kong, whose strength lies in scientific research, can be complemented by Huizhou which is large in area and can provide land for the transformation of achievements of scientific research of Hong Kong for mutual benefit.

     In the afternoon, she visited a large-scale Hong Kong enterprise to know more about its successful experience in the transformation from being an investor in the manufacturing sector in the early period of the reform and opening up in the Mainland to a modern service provider. She also visited Tonghu Ecological and Smart Zone which is under planning to learn about its plan to develop smart industries with the protection of the ecological environment in mind. She was told that the zone is poised to be a cluster of I&T industries and a university from Hong Kong will participate in a project to explore collaboration with Huizhou in academic and scientific research aspects.

     While in Huizhou, Mrs Lam also visited a residential project where many Hong Kong people live to know more about the project's planning and the lives of Hong Kong people who reside in the Mainland.

     Mrs Lam concluded her visit to Huizhou in the afternoon and headed for Guangzhou. Accompanied by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, and Mr Chan, Mrs Lam visited Ershadao Art Park with the Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Ren Xuefeng, to know the ecological development and city environment of Guangzhou.

     Mrs Lam and other officials then had a meeting with Mr Ren and attended a dinner hosted by him. During the meeting, Mrs Lam said that she was pleased to visit Guangzhou for the first time in the capacity of the Chief Executive and note the remarkable progress the city has made in various aspects. She said that the relationship between Hong Kong and Guangzhou has always been close. Along with the opening of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link in September this year, she said she believes that the level of co-operation between the two places will be enhanced, allowing them to jointly promote the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area and helping Hong Kong better integrate into the overall development of the country. She also believed that the economy in various cities in the Bay Area will be boosted and people's livelihood will be improved.

     Mrs Lam will continue her visit tomorrow (May 17).

                

     The Transport Department (TD) said today (May 16) that the TD is very concerned about the recent illegal cases of overloading of Public Light Buses (PLBs).

     A spokesman for the TD said, "Overloading a PLB is an offence and it poses threats seriously to road safety and the lives of members of the public. We strongly condemn this illegal act. We have liaised with the Police and requested them to actively take enforcement actions and step up prosecutions against drivers committing the offence so as to achieve deterrent effects.  Meanwhile, we will strengthen the site and on-board surveys and will immediately follow up with the Police if any illegal driving behaviours, such as overloading, is observed."

     The spokesman also reminded PLB drivers and passengers, "Overloading may constitute a breach of conditions of the third party insurance. Therefore, drivers should not overload a PLB and members of the public should not board a PLB which is fully loaded."

     Regarding the recent media reports about overloading of PLBs, TD has issued letters to the trade instructing them to urge frontline drivers not to overload PLBs. TD will continue to deliver the messages of safe PLB service to the trade and the public through various channels, which include issuing of PLB newsletter, organising PLB road safety seminars for PLB drivers to enhance safe driving, and appealing to the PLB trade to promote safe driving and quality PLB service at trade conferences.

     Moreover, the TD will also review the provision of public transport service in the areas where the PLB services were found involved in overloading, and will consider service adjustments to cater for the passenger demand.

     The TD in collaboration with the Police will continue to combat the overloading malpractice of PLBs.

     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at THE ONE International and THE ONE HK Award Gala Dinner this evening (May 16):
 
Mr Ian Riseley (Rotary International President), Dr David Harilela (Founder and Global Founder of THE ONE Humanitarian Award), Mr H W Fung (Chairman of THE ONE Hong Kong Humanitarian Award), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. I have the greatest pleasure to attend the award ceremony this year and celebrate the achievements of our invisible heroes!
 
     Thanks to THE ONE International Award and THE ONE Hong Kong Award, we can identify and honour the dedication of unsung heroes to humanity and the betterment of mankind with their selflessness. Such recognition will also go hand in hand with financial support to further their humanitarian work and at the same time make their good work known to the world, thereby inspiring others to take part in charitable work – in short, to pass on the torch of "love".  
 
     We are often exposed to sad and tragic news every day and may forget the goodness of mankind. But we do not have to look far for shining examples. This year's finalists of THE ONE International Award and THE ONE Hong Kong Award joining us here this evening showcase the highest level of goodness, kindness and compassion of mankind. They empower the underprivileged with education, serve the homeless and the challenged and create a sense of belonging for the forgotten. Notwithstanding their different profiles, they share a common attribute – they put others before them and dedicate their life to helping the needy unconditionally. Every drop in the ocean counts. It is these ordinary acts that have the greatest potential to exhibit the glory of humanity.
 
     The spirit of the awards echoes well with the current-term Government's vision of building a caring, cohesive and inclusive society. We are committed to providing sufficient resources to enhance the livelihood of our people, especially the disadvantaged and grassroots. The estimated recurrent expenditure of the Government on social welfare for 2018-19 is $79.8 billion, representing a 55 per cent leap as compared to the figure just five years ago. In other words, for every $100 the Government spends, $19.6 goes to social welfare, just after education which has always topped the list.
 
     Poverty alleviation is one of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's policy priorities. Among other measures, the Government introduced the Low-income Working Family Allowance Scheme in May 2016. Far from being a "welfare" measure, it is more of a "workfare" to enable and empower people capable of working to achieve self-reliance and, in the long run, enhance the overall upward social mobility of our next generation. Tapping into our experience gained, we have, since April 1, 2018, renamed the Scheme to Working Family Allowance Scheme and brought into effect significant enhancements to the Scheme, including relaxing the working hour and income requirements as well as increasing the rates of allowances. We hope that the much-enhanced Scheme would benefit a larger pool of working households with better support.
 
     We are mindful that Government's sole effort is far from enough to address changing needs and thorny issues in the community. We believe that cross-sector collaboration is a good solution.  We also find it most encouraging and touching that numerous social leaders stand ready to lend us support. To this end, we have in place a Community Investment and Inclusion Fund which provides funding for the implementation of diversified social capital development projects. By leveraging the edges of different sectors, these projects serve to develop mutual help networks for the community, especially among the less privileged, in order to enhance their capacity in general and boost their resilience in the face of adversities. Since its establishment in 2002, about $500 million has been approved to implement over 350 projects, establishing more than 2 100 mutual help networks. To further its well-received objectives, the Government injected an additional $300 million into the Fund last year.
 
     Another innovative initiative is the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged. The Fund was established in 2005 to promote tripartite partnership among the welfare sector, the business community and the Government to help the disadvantaged. In 2015, we created a dedicated portion under the Fund to encourage the business sector to work with schools and organisations to implement more after-school learning and support programmes for primary and secondary school students from grassroots families to facilitate their whole-person development.
 
     Over the years, the Fund has approved a total of about $580 million to deliver more than 1 100 projects, benefiting over 1 million people in need. On top of the $800 million already set aside for the Fund, the Government will inject another $400 million into the Fund in 2018-19 to support more projects beneficial to the disadvantaged. I strongly encourage everyone here to show your serving heart and innovative ideas to make good use of these funds with a view to making Hong Kong an inclusive society for all.
 
     On this encouraging note, may I take this opportunity to pay my warmest tribute to Rotary International District 3450 for offering the meaningful awards. Please also join me to give a round of applause to the generous donors who have made these possible. No less important, I am most grateful to have the opportunity to salute all the heroes for their extraordinary and sterling contribution through ordinary acts and look forward to seeing more people joining their league for the betterment of our city.
 
     Thank you.

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, today (May 18) outlined new trends in the development of cross-border commercial dispute resolution amid the growth of commercial activities among countries and the popularity of international arbitration and mediation. Among the key trends highlighted were those relating to the mediation of investment disputes, online dispute resolution and the establishment of a dispute resolution centre specially designed for the Belt and Road Initiative.
      
     She made the remarks when delivering a speech at the Seminar on the Trend of Cross-border Commercial Dispute Resolution and the Belt and Road Initiative, which is one of the events of Mediation Week 2018.
      
     Ms Cheng said that under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government signed an Investment Agreement with the Ministry of Commerce in June 2017. It provides for an "investment dispute mediation mechanism" as a way to settle disputes. The mechanism can effectively promote the use of mediation in solving various types of cross-border disputes. Hong Kong will actively promote the development of investment and cross-border mediation.
      
     "Innovative technology has greatly helped the development of dispute resolution services. I believe the establishment of a safe, reliable and credible platform to provide enterprises in various economies along the Belt and Road with convenient and cost-effective online dispute resolution will become a new trend," Ms Cheng said, adding that Hong Kong is establishing an online dispute resolution platform, eBRAM.hk.
     ã€€
     She added, "A fair and effective dispute resolution mechanism is all the more important in the process of implementing the Belt and Road Initiative."
      
     Ms Cheng pointed out that it is of utmost importance to establish a set of dispute resolution rules that are specifically designed for the Belt and Road Initiative, with recognition and compatibility for different cultures. The Department of Justice (DoJ) will assist interested people in Hong Kong to establish a unique, fair and impartial and internationally recognised dispute resolution centre for the Belt and Road Initiative to provide dispute resolution services for state-owned enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises of various countries.
      
     The Seminar on the Trend of Cross-border Commercial Dispute Resolution and the Belt and Road Initiative was organised by the DoJ and co-organised by the Hong Kong Mediation Centre and the Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Mediation Center as part of Mediation Week 2018.
      
     The theme of Mediation Week 2018 is "Mediate First – Exploring New Horizons". It seeks to look ahead to future developments including online dispute resolution and the use of mediation in resolving international commercial disputes.
      
     The highlight of Mediation Week is the Mediation Conference 2018 to be held on May 18. Over 20 leading international and local experts and practitioners will gather and share their views and experiences on the latest global developments of mediation. The Conference will explore the recent developments of mediation in Hong Kong and overseas, how mediation may contribute to resolving disputes arising from the Belt and Road and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development initiatives, online dispute resolution, and the use of mediation in resolving international commercial disputes.
      
     For more details of the activities of Mediation Week 2018, please visit www.doj.gov.hk/mediatefirst/eng/programme2018.html.
    

  

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (May 16) held the 9th CEDD Construction Site Safety Award Presentation Ceremony to commend contractors of 14 contracts with outstanding safety performance at their construction sites (see the Annex for the list of awardees).
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Lam Sai-hung, said that the CEDD has all along attached paramount importance to the safety of construction sites in order to provide a safe working environment for construction workers and to ensure the safety of people near construction sites, and to eventually attain the goal of zero site accidents.
 
     Mr Lam called on contractors and works supervisory teams to stay vigilant on site safety and explore the use of technologies such as adopting building information modelling technology to enhance site safety. 

     The CEDD Construction Site Safety Award Scheme was launched in 2009 and at present comprises the Construction Site Safety Award and the Innovation Award for Site Safety. The Construction Site Safety Award aims at encouraging contractors to enhance the culture and standard of safety at construction sites and to maintain good management of site safety, while the Innovation Award for Site Safety aims at encouraging contractors to adopt innovative ideas and technologies to improve the working environment and procedures to enhance site safety.