The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (July 4).
 
     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
 
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
 
     The heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
 
     In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     Hong Kong Customs on June 28 detected a suspected case of using an ocean-going vessel to smuggle goods to India at the Kwai Chung Container Terminals. A large batch of suspected smuggled computers, with an estimated market value of about $10 million, was seized.

     Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Strategies were thus formulated and an ocean-going vessel preparing to depart from Hong Kong to India was identified for inspection.

     Customs officers on June 28 mounted an operation and seized a large batch of suspected computers inside a container which was declared as containing artificial flowers aboard the vessel.

     An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs is the primary agency responsible for tackling smuggling activities and has long been combating various smuggling activities at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, with targeted anti-smuggling operations carried out at suitable times to disrupt these activities.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

  

     The Ministry of Education and the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (July 4) cohosted the Mainland-Hong Kong Teachers Exchange and Collaboration Programme 20th anniversary celebration opening ceremony and conference at South China Normal University in Guangzhou. Over 400 representatives from the education departments of various Mainland provinces and municipalities, Mainland expert teachers (METs) who participated in the programme in the past, and representatives from the Hong Kong education sector attended the events.
 
     The Deputy Director of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Mr Shu Gangbo; the Permanent Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government, Ms Michelle Li; Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province Dr Feng Wei; the First-level Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the HKSAR, Mr Liu Maozhou; and Vice President of South China Normal University Professor Yang Chengwei, officiated at the opening ceremony.
 
     Addressing the ceremony, Ms Li said that it is a fine tradition of the Chinese nation to place importance on teaching and learning, which has been passed down from generation to generation, adding that strengthening the teaching force is the most important fundamental task for building a leading country in education.
 
     She said that the programme had delivered fruitful results over the past 20 years, thanks to the unwavering support from the Ministry of Education; the Department of Education of Guangdong Province; the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the LOCPG in the HKSAR; and the education departments of various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as the dedication of all the METs who took part in the programme in the past. They have all contributed significantly to the education profession in both Hong Kong and the Mainland.
 
     She said that, as this year coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the EDB of the HKSAR Government, with the support of the Ministry of Education, will pilot the Resource Teacher and Principal Training Programme to nurture Hong Kong teachers and principals with potential through the teacher training and exchange base at South China Normal University. The teachers and principals will also receive guidance from Mainland experts recommended by the Ministry of Education, further strengthening exchanges and collaboration between the two places and raising the quality of education with concerted efforts.
 
     The Mainland-Hong Kong Teachers Exchange and Collaboration Programme was launched in the 2004/05 school year. Every year, the Ministry of Education selects outstanding teachers, and teaching and research fellows from different provinces and municipalities across the country, and sends them to Hong Kong to collaborate with schools and provide professional guidance on various subjects and cross-curricular areas (e.g. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) education and Chinese culture). So far, more than 800 METs have travelled to Hong Kong and more than 1 000 Hong Kong primary and secondary schools and kindergartens have participated in the programme.

      

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, July 4, 2024 is 106.8 (up 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     The approval process for the second round of applications under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Public Light Bus/Coach Trade has been completed. The Transport Department (TD) issued letters today (July 4) to all applicants on the application results.

     The application period for the second round applications under the Scheme was from March 25 to April 26. A total of 129 applications, covering public light bus drivers and coach drivers, were received within the application period, involving 1 473 labour importation quotas. Subsequently, four applications were withdrawn. 

     After assessment by an interdepartmental liaison group (ILG) comprising representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Labour Department and the TD, all 125 applications were found eligible. After considering the recommendation of the ILG, the Commissioner for Transport approved the 125 applications. Since the number of eligible quotas being applied for in the second round exceeded the total number of quotas available for allocation (i.e. 849 remaining quotas in total), the quotas were allocated on a pro-rata basis to the eligible applicants. 

     A total of seven applications failed to meet the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour, and the number of eligible quotas being applied for under the applications concerned were adjusted downwards correspondingly. The consolidated results of the second round of applications are in the Annex.

     A stakeholder consultative group, comprising the TD, relevant transport trades and labour representatives, has been set up. The TD has been maintaining close liaison and exchanging views with the consultative group on the implementation of the Scheme. The TD will also provide appropriate assistance to successful applicants in order to ensure their understanding of and compliance with the relevant requirements of the Scheme.

     A spokesman for the TD said, "Over 80 per cent of the imported labour in the first round of applications have arrived in Hong Kong and started to perform driving duties after obtaining relevant driving licences and completing route training. We hope that the imported labour approved in the second round will receive training in Hong Kong soon, with a view to obtaining the respective driving licences and commencing their duties, so as to further alleviate the acute manpower shortage of public light bus/coach trade, and maintain the reliability of public transport services. The TD will continue to listen to the views of the consultative group on matters relating to the Scheme and closely monitor its implementation."

     The Chief Executive in Council endorsed in June 2023 the introduction of the Scheme to, on the prerequisite of safeguarding the employment of local labour, suitably allow the public light bus/coach trade to apply for the importation of labour to fill vacancies for drivers with a quota ceiling of 1 700. A total of 969 quotas were approved in the first round of applications in September last year, of which 118 quotas not used by the applicants after six months have been carried forward to the second round for allocation.