In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt, and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on November 24 to noon today (November 27), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 206 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 16 483 samples of food imported from Japan (including 10 961 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 4 712 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

      The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by LGT Bank AG relating to a fraudulent App, which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press releases is available on the HKMA website.
 
      The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
 
      Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the App concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Home Affairs Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Lands Department (LandsD) today (November 27) launched a joint enforcement operation at the Permitted Burial Ground (PBG) of Tai Tau Chau (SK/52) in Sai Kung against illegal hillside burials. It is anticipated that seven illegal graves/urn houses/urns will be removed in about two days' time and the human remains therein will be reburied at the Sandy Ridge Cemetery.

     The FEHD and the LandsD posted notices on 10 unauthorised graves/urn houses/urns located within the PBG of Tai Tau Chau in Sai Kung on October 5 and 16 this year, requiring the related persons of the graves/urn houses/urns concerned to cease occupation of the government land and to contact relevant government departments before November 6 and 16 this year respectively, or else the human remains therein would be reburied at the Sandy Ridge Cemetery. As seven graves/urn houses/urns remained unclaimed upon expiry of the deadline, the Government commenced the clearance operation today.

     The Government has been implementing a pilot scheme on the management of PBGs in individual PBGs since 2016. Taking into account the actual circumstances of each PBG, the Government has been implementing appropriate improvement measures, including erecting boundary pillars for the PBGs, conducting record surveys of existing graves/urn houses/urns, imposing restrictions on the size of burial sites and demarcating available spaces in PBGs for new applications of burial sites, in order to ensure that the places of burials are within PBGs. The pilot scheme has now been extended to 15 PBGs, covering all nine administrative districts in the New Territories. 

     Having examined the data obtained from the pilot scheme, the Government has commenced enforcement actions against illegal burials in the PBGs in phases from July 2021 onwards. Besides conducting enforcement actions in the PBG of Tai Tau Chau in Sai Kung, the Government will also commence follow-up actions in other PBGs under the pilot scheme, including posting notices on other unauthorised graves/urn houses/urns before the coming Ching Ming Festival, with a view to removing unclaimed graves/urn houses/urns as soon as possible after the expiration of the notice period.

     A Government spokesman reiterated that, according to the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 28), it is an offence when any person occupying government land, otherwise than under permission from the Authority, does not cease the occupation as required by a notice prescribed by the Ordinance. Any property or structure on the occupied government land may be demolished and removed by the Government, and the occupier may be prosecuted. Furthermore, according to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), it is an offence to bury human remains without permission in writing of the Authority. Offenders are liable to prosecution, and the human remains inside the graves concerned will be removed.

     The Shandong Liaison Unit (SDLU) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) will move to its new office tomorrow (November 28).

     The new office of the SDLU is located at Unit 1603, Enterprise Square, No. 102 Luoyuan Street, Lixia District, Jinan, Shandong Province. The SDLU's office telephone number (86-531) 8880 7137, fax number (86-531) 8880 9129 and email address sdlu@sheto.gov.hk remain unchanged.

     The SDLU, under the purview of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, has been in operation since April 2015. It strives to strengthen the HKSARG's connection with different levels of government authorities in Shandong Province; promotes economic and trade relations and fosters cultural exchanges with the Province; organises activities in Shandong to promote Hong Kong; liaises with Hong Kong people living, working or studying in Shandong Province; and provides support to Hong Kong residents and enterprises in the Province.

     The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) published today (November 27) a consultation paper on the proposal to promote paperless corporate communication for Hong Kong companies.
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "Promoting paperless corporate communication will improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of companies and establish an environmentally friendly business environment in Hong Kong."
 
     The consultation paper sets out key features of the legislative proposals to amend the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), including introducing an implied consent mechanism and streamlining the notification requirement regarding the dissemination of corporate communications by means of website. Safeguard measures will be put in place to protect the interest of shareholders.
 
     The spokesman for the FSTB said, "We welcome members of the public to give views on the proposals of the consultation paper. We will fully consider the comments received when finalising the proposals."
 
     The consultation paper is available on the webpage of the FSTB at www.fstb.gov.hk/fsb/en/publication/consult/consult-policy.html.
 
     Members of the public may submit views to the FSTB by email (e-comm-consult@fstb.gov.hk) or by post (15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong), on or before January 26, 2024.