The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: The online registration of HKMC Annuity Plan has resumed services at around 7pm tonight (August 8). Applicants can register online their intent… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat: Legislative Council (LegCo) Members conducted a site visit to Lantau Island today (August 8) to follow up on a case about the improvement of the… read more
Two men were charged with contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (August 8). A man was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and fined $12,000. The other man was fined $8,000.
The courts heard that in July last year and February this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected two suspected unlicensed guesthouses on Shanghai Street and Portland Street in Mong Kok. During the inspections, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented rooms in these guesthouses on a daily basis.
According to the OLA’s records, these guesthouses did not possess licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. The men responsible for managing the premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses”. read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: (Approved for issue by the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee on July 17) Report on the Currency Board Operations (April 17 – June 14) ———————–… read more
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, today (August 8) visited Islands District, exchanging views with Islands District Council (IDC) members on various issues, and getting an update on the latest developments of the district’s major infrastructure projects and the Tung Chung New Town Extension (TCNTE) project.
Accompanied by the Chairman of the IDC, Mr Chow Yuk-tong, and the District Officer (Islands), Mr Anthony Li, Mr Law met with IDC members and exchanged views on issues that concern them. He also proceeded to HKIA Tower, where he was briefed by the Airport Authority Hong Kong on the three-runway system and the SkyCity project.
During the district visit, Mr Law observed from height at Ying Tung Estate in Tung Chung the various infrastructure and development projects, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a cross-boundary transport infrastructure project connecting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and the Tung Chung East reclamation works under the TCNTE project. He was also briefed on the projects’ latest progress by colleagues of related departments.
Mr Law said he was pleased to learn that the TCNTE project, a large-scale land formation project, will allow the development of housing, the economy and the community to run in parallel. The project will provide about 50 000 residential flats and about 870 000 square metres of commercial floor space, accommodating an additional population of more than 140 000 and creating about 40 000 job opportunities.
Mr Law said, “Apart from a better grasp of public sentiments, district visits enable me to get updates on the latest developments in the community. In today’s Islands District visit, I have conducted a journey on major infrastructure, which has enhanced my understanding of the efforts made by the civil service colleagues on these projects.”
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