Hong Kong Customs and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific today (December 10) hosted a three-day International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes: Criminal Networks, Trade Dynamics and Beyond. The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho; and the Head of the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific, Mr Toshihiko Osawa, officiated at the kick-off ceremony of the forum.

     This is the first time for Hong Kong Customs to host a large-scale international forum focusing on combating money laundering and transnational organised crimes, inviting as many as 250 representatives from law enforcement agencies, the World Customs Organization, Interpol, the Financial Action Task Force, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, anti-money laundering regulators, the fintech sector, and local industries.

     In his opening speech at the forum, Mr Lam highlighted that under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a reputable and efficient legal and judicial system based on common law. He emphasised that Hong Kong has enacted many domestic laws, continuously updated to tackle transboundary crimes, ensuring alignment with international standards and Hong Kong's international legal obligations. He elaborated on Hong Kong's active role in international co-operation to combat money laundering and transnational organised crimes, including the signing of bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance agreements with 33 jurisdictions. These agreements play a crucial role in enabling the effective prosecution of transboundary crimes and the recovery of assets or proceeds of crimes. He also stressed the importance of knowledge and experience sharing, including capacity building, with international symposiums and conferences like this forum providing excellent platforms for such purposes.

     Also speaking at the forum, Mr Tang highlighted that criminals exploit the financial system for money laundering and transnational organised crimes, underscoring the necessity of strengthening international co-operation to combat these issues. He urged that, in addition to actively participating in international organisations to promote intelligence exchange, each country or region should continuously improve their anti-money laundering legal frameworks and regulatory systems to align with international standards. Furthermore, compliance by the private sector plays a key role, with all sectors needing to implement risk-based preventive measures to safeguard the global financial system.

     In her speech, Ms Ho pointed out that the forum is themed "Defeating Crimes Today, Securing Economy Tomorrow" with a series of presentations and panel discussions focusing on anti-money laundering, combating dangerous drugs crimes, and illegal wildlife trade. She emphasised that the effectiveness of combating money laundering and transnational organised crimes depends on full co-operation among governments, law enforcement agencies, and private institutions. Therefore, the forum is guided by three action slogans, namely "Enforcement Strategy", "Public-Private Partnership", and "Synergized Cooperation", encouraging in-depth discussions from different perspectives and experience sharing to promote mutual collaboration.

     In addition, Hong Kong Customs also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at the forum, aiming to jointly promote research and development, as well as staff training in areas of virtual assets, blockchain technologies and intellectual property protection, with a view to enhancing the department's enforcement capabilities in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and combating online infringement activities.

     Looking ahead, Hong Kong Customs plans to organise training courses on anti-money laundering and technology enforcement for Customs members in the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with the HKU to strengthen the Customs capacity building in the region and build a safe and stable global financial environment.

                    

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 10) that the Tung Chung Swimming Pool in Islands District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of faeces in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 6.30am tomorrow.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     The Government today (December 10) announced the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis.
 
     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, announced the Roadmap today and said, "Transportation contributes to about 20 per cent of total carbon emissions in Hong Kong. Promoting the electrification of vehicles is important for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to attain the target of carbon neutrality before 2050. Public buses and taxis generate over 1.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, accounting for about 4 per cent of Hong Kong's total carbon emissions. The adoption of electric buses (e-buses) and electric taxis (e-taxis) will achieve not only a better score card in carbon reduction and air quality but also a better environment for the general public to live, work and enjoy."
 
     The journey to full green transformation of public buses and taxis is still challenging. In addition to making good use of public money, it is also essential to avoid placing excessive burdens on the general public. The Government must, therefore, find cost-effective solutions to strike a balance. In promoting the green transformation of public buses and taxis, the Roadmap adopts three guiding principles, namely (i) primarily by "carrots but not sticks"; (ii) a gradual and orderly approach; and (iii) no additional costs to passengers as far as possible. Major measures include subsidising franchised bus operators to purchase about 600 e-buses and the taxi trades to purchase 3 000 e-taxis. The Government will issue letters to invite eligible taxi owners and the franchised bus companies to participate in the subsidy schemes within this month. In addition, the Government will continue to take a multipronged approach to encourage the industry to expand charging facilities. It is expected to provide at least 500 fast chargers throughout Hong Kong by end-2027 to cater for the expected growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs).
 
     In the future, the Government will also accelerate the participation of the private market in the construction of public charging facilities to fully utilise the power of the market and establish a business model applicable to the market. With rapid technological advancements and an increasing supply of EVs, the Government expects that the price differences between EVs and conventional vehicles will continue to narrow in the future, and EVs may even be cheaper than conventional vehicles, such that the Government's subsidy may no longer be needed.
 
     Mr Tse continued, "Looking forward, new smarter technologies such as fast charging are emerging, with new models of EVs entering the market continuously. As the availability of e-buses and e-taxis continues to rise, their prices are decreasing. We will lead the comprehensive green transformation of public buses and taxis in the most cost-effective manner, step by step, to achieve zero vehicular emissions and attain carbon neutrality before 2050."
 
     With the concerted efforts of all sectors of society, the Government expressed confidence that Hong Kong will become greener and more beautiful in the future and move towards becoming a sustainable city where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously.
 
     For details about the Roadmap, please visit the website of the Environment and Ecology Bureau (www.eeb.gov.hk/sites/default/files/pdf/Bus_Taxi_Roadmap_eng.pdf).

      

     Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, at a media session after attending the launch event for the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis today (December 10):
      
Reporter: First, given the high cost of operating electric buses and taxis, how to ensure the incentive is attractive enough for the trade? I am worried that such a transformation will lead to fare hike as well. And the second question, how about other types of green transportation, for example hydrogen buses? Are there any plans on that?
      
Secretary for Environment and Ecology: Today we announced the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis. In the past years, we observed that the prices of electric vehicles, including buses as well as those vehicles suitable for use as taxis, have been coming down quite quickly. Recently we noticed that certain subsidy, which we believe is not excessive, actually can enable bus companies and taxi owners to switch to electric. That's why we produce our proposal this time. We are looking to the future. Because the prices are coming down very quickly, we believe very soon electric vehicles will be very competitive against the conventional vehicles, and therefore the need for further subsidy in future will diminish.
      
     I believe the real driving force for electric vehicles will be their convenience in Hong Kong as well as their reliability and drivability, and experience of the drivers. People who are using electric vehicles can tell you, it's a very good experience to drive electric vehicles as they are more convenient, more reliable and also the fuel cost is much cheaper than using conventional fuel. I believe these are the driving forces, which will be driving people to use electric vehicles in future.
      
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)     

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has long been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat. The FEHD today (December 10) conducted a raid on a licensed fresh provision shop (FPS) in Kwun Tong District, suspecting such malpractices.

     During the raid on Shui Wo Street in Kwun Tong, FEHD officers seized and immediately destroyed about 225 kilograms of suspected frozen beef and about 90kg of suspected frozen mutton. In addition, FEHD officers marked and sealed about 148kg of prepackaged frozen beef for further investigation. A beef sample was also collected for detection of preservatives. Prosecution will follow if sufficient evidence is found. The licensee of the FPS is suspected of breaching the licensing condition for the display and sale of frozen meat as fresh meat, and the FEHD is proceeding with the cancellation of the FPS licence. 

     FEHD officers also gave a verbal warning to the FPS operator due to non-compliance with relevant licensing conditions by failing to provide delivery notes for inspection. 

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The selling of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat not only breaches the licensing conditions but also poses food hazards. Such operations are also unfair to other compliant businesses."

     The spokesman added, "Anyone selling chilled or frozen meat without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment if convicted. The FEHD will continue regular inspections at licensed FPSs and market meat stalls and handle complaints actively. In detecting any irregularities, the department will carry out investigations promptly and take appropriate enforcement action. In addition, the FEHD also actively investigates suspected violations from time to time and conducts surprise inspections and enforcement actions as necessary. Prosecutions will be initiated and follow-up actions will be taken against breaches of licensing conditions or tenancy agreements if sufficient evidence is found. The licences of those FPSs breaching the licensing conditions may be cancelled, while the tenancies of market meat stalls breaching tenancy agreements may be terminated."

     â€‹The spokesman emphasised that the FEHD is very concerned and strongly commits to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat through stringent enforcement actions against violations.