The Government's inter-departmental working group responsible for tackling management issues of oyster rafts in Deep Bay started to remove oyster rafts not authorised to temporarily remain at that location (i.e. oyster rafts without markers) today (June 13).

     The working group provided markers with unique identification numbers to local oyster farmers whose oyster rafts had been authorised to temporarily remain in Deep Bay. These markers should be attached to their corresponding oyster rafts for the working group to inspect. The working group started to remove oyster rafts without attached markers as well as all associated items today under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance (Cap. 313) in accordance with the first phase of the management plan.  

     A spokesman for the working group said, "The working group will continue taking appropriate action, including the removal operation. Persons related to these oyster rafts may also be legally liable. The working group will assess factors such as navigational safety, water quality, and environmental conditions in Deep Bay, as well as the condition of oyster rafts authorised to temporarily remain in the next stage. With reference to this assessment, the working group will determine the culture area, actual number of oyster rafts, and culture locations to be permitted for oyster cultivation in Deep Bay under the management plan." 

     The Government's inter-departmental working group consists of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Lands Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Marine Department, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Home Affairs Department. Members of the public can call 2150 7093, fax to 2314 2866 or email mailbox@afcd.gov.hk to contact the working group.

    

     The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, called on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and met with its Deputy Minister, Mr Ta Quang Dong, in Hanoi, Vietnam, yesterday (June 12).

     Mr Yeung said, "Our country has indicated clear support for Hong Kong to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges, offering unlimited development opportunities to the arts and cultural sectors. Hong Kong has been a place consisting of a fusion of cultures of Asia and other parts of the world. Hosting the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum regularly enables cultural ministers and senior officials of Asian countries to exchange views and share experiences, thereby assisting Hong Kong to become a cultural hub connecting the country with the world."

     He said that there has been cultural co-operation between Hong Kong and Vietnam. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts collaborated with the Department of Training of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam to promote educational exchanges in arts and culture. Vietnamese performing groups also participated in the Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. In the area of sports, the Hong Kong football team has played against the Vietnam national football team many times. Tourism activities between Hong Kong and Vietnam have also resumed with great potential for co-operation. Hong Kong is committed to becoming an important tourist destination for Vietnam.

     Mr Yeung began his visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, yesterday. He first visited the Vietnam Television Corporation and met with its senior management to explore collaboration opportunities. He also visited the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies to learn about its strategies and recommendations from research and implementation of its plans.

     Mr Yeung visited the Vietnam Football Federation this morning (June 13). He then met in the afternoon with leaders of Vietnam's creative industries, including film, television, and fashion to discuss opportunities of collaborations.

     â€‹Mr Yeung will depart for Hong Kong tomorrow (June 14) morning.

              

     The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Co-operation Committee (Committee) was established and convened its first meeting in Hong Kong today (June 13) under the co-chairmanship of the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, and the Vice-Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government and Director General of the Office of the Financial Affairs Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Luo Huanghao.
 
     At the inauguration ceremony, Mr Hui said that the Committee gathered official members from the Central Authorities, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, as well as leaders of the financial industry in both places, as non-official members. It brought together the Government, the community and business sectors to provide insights and suggestions on Shenzhen-Hong Kong financial co-operation and the development of financial infrastructure of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Mr Hui said he looked forward to the continuous strengthening of financial co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, leveraging the Committee as an important mechanism and platform for communication, liaison, interaction, exchange and collaboration between the financial sectors of both places, thereby fostering mutual access between the financial markets of the two places and providing a joint contribution to building the financial strength of the country.

     Mr Luo said that Shenzhen and Hong Kong were closely connected with each other in terms of geographical proximity and cultural ties, with active economic exchanges and huge potential for co-operation. The establishment of the Committee will bolster the financial co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong to a higher level, a higher quality and a wider range of areas.
 
     The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau signed a Letter of Intent on Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Co-operation Committee, and agreed to conduct meetings regularly to strengthen financial co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
 
     At the meeting today, the Committee discussed the latest developments of the financial markets and financial co-operation initiatives of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It also explored new suggestions on further enhancing the development of a collaborative market and enabling the movement of financial talent.
 
     "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" proposed to deepen financial co-operation in the GBA, including establishing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Co-operation Committee with Shenzhen to provide advice and suggestions on bolstering mutual access between the financial markets of the two places, co-operation on financial technologies and green finance, and the exchange of financial talent. The membership of the Committee (Chinese only) is at the Annex.
 

        

     The Home Affairs Department is opening 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (June 13).
 
     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.

     The total gross value of construction works (GVCW) performed by main contractors in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 8.7% in nominal terms over a year earlier to $68.7 billion, according to the provisional results of the Quarterly Survey of Construction Output released today (June 13) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).
 
     After discounting the effect of price changes, the provisional results showed that the total GVCW performed by main contractors increased by 8.4% in real terms over the same period. GVCW in real terms is derived by deflating the corresponding nominal value with an appropriate price index to the price level in the base period of 2000.
 
     Analysed by type of construction works, the GVCW performed at private sector sites totalled $21.8 billion in the first quarter of 2024, up by 20.8% in nominal terms over a year earlier. In real terms, it increased by 18.3%. The GVCW performed at public sector sites increased by 9.5% in nominal terms over a year earlier to $25.5 billion in the first quarter of 2024. In real terms, it increased by 7.8%.
 
     The GVCW performed by main contractors at locations other than construction sites amounted to $21.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024, down by 2.2% in nominal terms compared with a year earlier. In real terms, it decreased slightly by 0.8%. Construction works at locations other than construction sites included minor new construction activities and decoration, repair and maintenance for buildings; and electrical equipment installation and maintenance works at locations other than construction sites.
 
     Analysed by major end-use group, the GVCW performed at construction sites in respect of residential buildings projects amounted to $20.1 billion in the first quarter of 2024, up by 48.4% in nominal terms over a year earlier. Over the same period, the GVCW performed at construction sites in respect of transport projects up by 10.4% in nominal terms to $11.0 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, the GVCW performed by main contractors increased by 9.2% in nominal terms and 9.1% in real terms in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth quarter of 2023.
 
     Table 1 shows the provisional figures on the GVCW performed by main contractors in the first quarter of 2024. Tables 2 and 3 show the revised figures for the whole year of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2023 respectively.
 
     Owing to the widespread sub-contracting practices in the construction industry, a construction establishment can be a main contractor for one contract and a sub-contractor for another contract at the same time. The GVCW performed by main contractors covers only those projects in which the construction establishment takes the role of a main contractor, but not projects in which it takes only the role of a sub-contractor. However, sub-contractors' contribution to projects should have been included in the GVCW performed by main contractors for whom they worked.
 
     The classification of construction establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.
 
     More detailed statistics are given in the "Report on the Quarterly Survey of Construction Output". Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1090002&scode=330).
 
     For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6965; email: building@censtatd.gov.hk).