Tag Archives: China

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LegCo Public Accounts Committee to hold public hearing tomorrow

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold the second public hearing on “Nano and Advanced Materials Institute” (Chapter 1) of the Director of Audit’s Report No. 83 tomorrow (December 14) at 9am in Conference Room 1 of the LegCo Complex.
 
     Six witnesses have been invited to appear before the above hearing to respond to points raised in the Report and answer questions asked by the PAC members.
 
     The programme for the public hearing is as follows:
 
Subject: Nano and Advanced Materials Institute
(Chapter 1 of the Director of Audit’s Report No.83)
Date: December 14 (Saturday)
Time: 9am
Venue: Conference Room 1

Witnesses:
Professor Sun Dong
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry

Mr Ivan Lee
Commissioner for Innovation and Technology

Mrs Elina Chan
Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Research and Development Centres)

Professor Cheng Shuk-han
Chairwoman, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

Mr Andy Fung
Chief Executive Officer, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

Ms Jenny Yiu
Chief Operating Officer, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

     The PAC is chaired by Mr Shiu Ka-fai, and its Deputy Chairman is Mr Paul Tse. Other members are Ms Yung Hoi-yan, Mr Luk Chung-hung, Mr Edmund Wong, Mr Louis Loong and Ms Carmen Kan. read more

Amendment Regulations in relation to road traffic gazetted

     Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2024, Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2024, Road Traffic (Traffic Control) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 and Road Traffic (Expressway) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 were gazetted today (December 13).

     The above amendment regulations aim to tie in with international vehicle standards, technological development, and Hong Kong’s road conditions to enhance road safety and facilitate the application of new vehicle technologies in Hong Kong. The amendment regulations will be tabled at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on December 18 for negative vetting. 

     A spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “We aim to create a safer and more convenient road environment for road users in Hong Kong through optimising vehicle design and construction standards with the amendment regulations. The eight proposals are: (1) requiring electric vehicles to be equipped with an acoustic vehicle alerting system; (2) requiring vehicles with extendable aerial structures to be equipped with an over-height warning system; (3) mandating the use of child restraining device in private cars for child passengers; (4) enabling the use of remote control parking function by drivers; (5) relaxing the restrictions on information that can be displayed on a visual display unit when the vehicle is parked; (6) allowing camera-monitor systems as an alternative to conventional reflecting mirrors and setting out specifications and standards on reflecting mirrors and camera-monitor systems; (7) allowing electric commercial vehicles to travel on expressways without the need to apply for an expressway permit; and (8) updating the requirements on lighting lamps, reflectors and the maximum overall height of single-decked bus.”

     The spokesperson continued, “The Government will continue to review technological advancements and vehicle operational requirements and update the regulations in a timely manner to keep pace with the evolving vehicle technologies and the latest international standards, flexibly adapting to industry development.”

     When formulating the amendment regulations, views collected from consultations with various stakeholders were taken into consideration, including the LegCo Panel on Transport, the Transport Advisory Committee and industry representatives. The regulatory details and effective dates are specified in respective amendment regulations, and relevant information is set out in the LegCo Brief issued by the Government on December 11. read more

Hong Kong team achieves excellent results at International Junior Science Olympiad (with photo)

     A team of six students representing Hong Kong achieved outstanding results in the 21st International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO 2024), winning a total of two gold and four silver medals.  

     The IJSO is a science competition for secondary students aged 15 or below. The competition, covering physics, chemistry and biology up to the senior secondary level, comprises written assessments and science experiments that require students to analyse and solve unfamiliar problems. The IJSO 2024 was held in Romania from December 2 to 12 with the participation of around 300 contestants from 52 countries or regions.  

     Chan Tsz-kiu (Queen’s College) and Tian Yu-yang Timothy (St. Paul’s Co-educational College) each won a gold medal. Silver medalists are Chan Wai-yu (Po Leung Kuk No. 1 W. H. Cheung College), Chan Wing-yan (St. Paul’s Co-educational College), Ma Sum-yuet (St. Paul’s Co-educational College) and Yang Chun-chak (St. Paul’s Co-educational College). 

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, congratulated the Hong Kong team today (December 13) on their remarkable performance. “The excellent results of the Hong Kong team, which have demonstrated our students’ exceptional talent in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) and their persistence in learning, is indeed very commendable. The Education Bureau (EDB) will continue to strengthen the promotion of STEAM education in primary and secondary schools to nurture innovation in students, as well as step up the promotion of the effective use of the school-based student talent pool for identifying and nurturing more STEAM talent,” she said.

     “The EDB has been attaching great importance to the grooming of gifted students and will strengthen the collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) to offer more diversified training, and arrange for students to participate in territory-wide, cross-territory, national and international competitions so that students with potential in STEAM subjects have more opportunities to further develop their potential and nurture future innovation and technology talent for Hong Kong,” she added. 

     The members of the Hong Kong team achieved excellent results in the International Junior Science Olympiad – Hong Kong Screening last year. They subsequently completed the science enhancement programmes provided by the HKAGE. The outstanding students in the programmes were then selected as contestants representing Hong Kong to participate in the IJSO 2024. The Hong Kong team was fully funded by the EDB to join this competition.

Photo  
read more

Gazettal of legal notices for onboarding of Mandatory Provident Fund scheme to eMPF Platform

     To prepare for the onboarding of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme to the eMPF Platform, the Government published in the Gazette today (December 13) the following legal notices:
 
(i) the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Specification of Dates for Purposes of Section 19M(2)(a)) (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024 (Mandatory Use (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024); and
 
(ii) the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Appointment of Dates for Purposes of Section 19U(4)) (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Appointment of Dates for Purposes of Section 19Y(3)) (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024, and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Appointment of Dates for Purposes of Section 19Z(4)) (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024 (collectively Fee Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Notices 2024).
 
     The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 (Amendment Ordinance 2021) enacted by the Legislative Council (LegCo) in October 2021 provides the necessary legal basis for the implementation of the eMPF Platform, and confers power on the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury to publish legal notices in the Gazette to put certain provisions of the Amendment Ordinance 2021 into operation when the eMPF Platform is ready for use and MPF trustees/schemes are ready to be onboarded. Such legal notices will be published in the Gazette by batches to dovetail with the phased onboarding of MPF trustees in ascending order of their assets-under-management size. The first two batches of legal notices were gazetted in April and May 2024 respectively to effect the launch of the eMPF Platform and onboarding of the five “early adopters”.
 
     On the mandatory use of the eMPF Platform by MPF trustees, the Mandatory Use (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2024 specifies March 5, 2025, as “material day” for the BEA (MPF) Master Trust Scheme administered by the Bank of East Asia (Trustees) Limited (BEA), such that BEA is mandated to use the eMPF Platform to perform scheme administration functions in relation to this MPF scheme. On cost savings and fee-setting of MPF schemes to be charged by MPF trustees on scheme members, the Fee Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Notices 2024 appoint June 5, 2025, as “material day” for the constituent funds of the BEA (MPF) Master Trust Scheme, such that BEA is mandated to make corresponding reduction in its fees charged on scheme members in relation to the constituent funds of this MPF scheme. Relevant legal notices for the remaining MPF schemes will be published in the Gazette when the respective onboarding dates are ascertained having regard to the onboarding preparation status of the MPF trustees concerned.
 
     If scheme members/employers have any question regarding the detailed operation of the eMPF Platform, they may visit the Platform’s official website (empf.org.hk), or call the Platform’s customer service hotline (183 2622). Scheme members/employers may also visit the three eMPF service centres located on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and the New Territories.
 
     The aforementioned legal notices will be tabled at the LegCo for negative vetting on December 18, 2024. read more