Task force for collaboration on planning and development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen control points meeting held in Hong Kong (with photos)

     â€‹The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, co-chaired a meeting of the task force for collaboration on planning and development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen control points with Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government Mr Wang Shourui at the Central Government Offices today (November 16) to continue to take forward the relevant work in various boundary control points (BCPs) between the two sides.
      
     Mr Tang welcomed the arrival of the leaders of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, as well as members of the Office of Port of Entry and Exit of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government and other relevant units, noting that they had done a lot of work to prepare for the meeting. At the meeting, the teams of the two sides discussed the functional positioning of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen land-based BCPs and the planning of transportation connection. They also reported the progress of various issues including the redevelopment projects at the Huanggang BCP and the Sha Tau Kok BCP, as well as the transfer of the existing function of fresh food clearance at the Man Kam To BCP.
      
     In concluding the meeting, Mr Tang said that both sides agreed to implement the planning of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) development blueprint to promote the flows of people and goods in the GBA and take forward a series of measures to enhance the handling capability and clearance facilitation of the BCPs, giving full play to the leading role and knock-on effect of Hong Kong and Shenzhen as core engines for the development of the GBA.
      
     Officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attending the meeting also included representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Planning Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Transport Department.

Photo  Photo  



Effective Exchange Rate Index

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, November 16, 2023 is 105.7 (up 0.1 against yesterday's index).




Auctions for Lunar New Year fair stalls in New Territories to start next Thursday

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (November 16) reminded interested parties to join auctions that will start next Thursday (November 23) for stalls at the 2024 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs in the New Territories.
 
     The nine fairs, with a total of 521 wet goods stalls, 200 dry goods stalls and seven fast food stalls, will be held at Sha Tsui Road Playground in Tsuen Wan, Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square in Tai Po, Tung Tau Industrial Area Playground in Yuen Long, Tin Hau Temple Plaza in Tuen Mun, Yuen Wo Playground in Sha Tin, Shek Wu Hui Playground in North District, Kwai Chung Sports Ground in Kwai Tsing, Man Yee Playground in Sai Kung and Po Hong Park in Tseung Kwan O.
 
     The auctions for stalls of the LNY fairs in Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Yuen Long, North District, Kwai Tsing, Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O will be held at the Assembly Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, 19 Lai Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon on November 23, 24 and 27, and December 1, 4 and 5. The auction sessions are scheduled from 9am to 12.30pm (AM session) and 2pm until completion of the auction (PM session).
 
     The auction for stalls of the LNY fair in Sha Tin will be held at the above-mentioned venue on November 29. The auction session is scheduled from 9.30am until completion of the auction.
 
     The auction for stalls of Tin Hau Temple Plaza LNY fair in Tuen Mun will be held at Tseng Choi Street Community Hall, 27 Tseng Choi Street, Tuen Mun, on November 28. The auction session is scheduled from 9.30am until completion of the auction.
 
     Details of the auctions, the number of stalls and opening prices are as follows:
 
Sha Tsui Road Playground (Tsuen Wan)
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Auction date: November 23 (Thursday)
Number of stalls: 116
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $1,770
Dry goods: $8,480
 
Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square (Tai Po)
——————————————–
Auction date: November 24 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 61
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $2,270
Dry goods: $1,450
Fast food: $5,480
 
Tung Tau Industrial Area Playground (Yuen Long)
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Auction date: November 27 (Monday)
Number of stalls: 150
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $700
Dry goods: $1,350
Fast food: $5,480
 
Tin Hau Temple Plaza (Tuen Mun)
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Auction date: November 28 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 57
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $1,490
Dry goods: $2,140
Fast food: $2,740
 
Yuen Wo Playground (Sha Tin)
——————————————–
Auction date: November 29 (Wednesday)
Number of stalls: 71
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $3,580
Dry goods: $4,570
 
Shek Wu Hui Playground (North District)
——————————————–
Auction date: December 1 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 69
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $710
Dry goods: $1,540
 
Kwai Chung Sports Ground (Kwai Tsing)
——————————————–
Auction date: December 4 (Monday)
Number of stalls: 96
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $490
Dry goods: $2,250
 
Man Yee Playground (Sai Kung)
——————————————–
Auction date: December 5 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 20
Stall types: Wet goods and dry goods
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $380
Dry goods: $450
 
Po Hong Park (Tseung Kwan O)
——————————————–
Auction date: December 5 (Tuesday)
Number of stalls: 88
Stall types: Wet goods, dry goods and fast food
Opening prices:
Wet goods: $830
Dry goods: $1,540
Fast food: $4,570
 
     Bidders for LNY fair stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong.
 
     Anyone can bid for more than one stall. A bidder must pay the bid price and register in person with his or her own name as the licensee of the stall immediately after successfully bidding for a stall. The bidder is also required to sign at once a licence agreement with the FEHD, or he/she will forfeit the rights to operate the stall.
 
     All fair sites will be made available to the licensees three days in advance of the fairs (from February 1 to 3, 2024) for the setting up of stalls. In the event of any unforeseeable incident that will result in shortening of the whole licence period (including the duration for setting up stalls and the business period of the fair), the Government has the right to postpone the commencement date and shorten the duration of the period. The bidding price (licence fee) paid will be refunded to the successful bidder on a pro-rata basis without interest.
 
     Stall licensees must completely remove the stall structure and all paraphernalia, together with all refuse, debris and unsold commodities (whether damaged or otherwise), from the licensed area before 7am on February 10, 2024.
 
     The FEHD reminded licensees that the stalls are solely for the purpose of selling and promoting the sale of the permitted commodities, and no other activities are allowed in the licensed area. If the FEHD considers that any activity conducted by the licensee to publicise, promote, display, show or sell any permitted commodities in the venue is unlawful, contrary to the interest of national security, immoral or incompatible with the object of the LNY fair, the FEHD is entitled to direct the licensee to stop conducting such activity and the licensee must immediately comply with such direction.
 
     Stall licensees should not destroy, damage or abandon any unsold commodities at or in the vicinity of the stall. They may surrender unsold flowers and plants left behind at the stall to the FEHD at no charge, cost or compensation whatsoever, before 7am on February 10, 2024.
 
     According to the licence agreement, except inside designated stalls, licensees shall not keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licenced area. Whereas licensees of the designated stalls could keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licenced area, the quantity of helium should be such that a licence is not required pursuant to the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulation 2012 (Cap. 295E), i.e. equivalent to 150 litres of helium. Sales of floating LED glowing balloons and aquarium fish by stall licensees are prohibited at the LNY fairs.
 
     In addition, as stated in the licence agreement, for wet goods stalls with a height of more than 3 metres from ground level, the licensee must, at his own costs, provide the FEHD with a certificate issued by an authorised person, a registered structural engineer, or a competent person under the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations (Cap. 59I) to certify the structural safety of the stall structure before the LNY fairs are opened to the public. The height of wet goods stalls must not exceed 4.5m from ground level.
 
     Successful bidders shall comply with all the stipulations and provisions as set out in the licence agreement. Otherwise, the FEHD is entitled to terminate the agreement and the licensee shall immediately vacate the stall.
 
     Details of the 2024 LNY fairs such as the public notice, the locations and layouts of the fair venues, commodities allowed for sale at the fair stalls, open auction arrangements and related rules, and a sample of the licence agreement are available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the FEHD hotline 2868 0000.




Fraudulent social media page related to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited

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 The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited relating to a fraudulent social media page, which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release 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, emails 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 social media page 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.




Import of poultry meat and products from Province of Padua of Veneto Region in Italy suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 16) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Province of Padua of Veneto Region in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 200 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 190 000 poultry eggs from Italy in the first nine months of this year.

     â€‹"The CFS has contacted the Italian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.