The Government announced today (November 29) the following senior appointments: 

(a) Mr Eddie Cheung Kwok-choi, Director of Broadcasting, will take up the post of Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment) on January 2, 2025. He will succeed Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa who will proceed on pre-retirement leave on the same day; and

(b) Ms Manda Chan Wing-man, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), will take up the post of Director of Leisure and Cultural Services on December 4, 2024. She will succeed Mr Vincent Liu Ming-kwong, who has proceeded on pre-retirement leave.

     Commenting on the appointment of Mr Cheung and Ms Chan, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said, "The appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new capacity."

     On the retirement of the two senior officials, Mrs Yeung thanked them for each rendering over 30 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community and making significant contributions to the Government. She wished them a fulfilling and happy retirement.

     Mrs Yeung said, "During Miss Tse's tenure as Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), she capably led the Environment Protection Department and the team to formulate and implement a range of environmental policies, delivering results particularly on the improvement of air and water quality, waste reduction and management, nature conservation, tackling climate change and promoting energy efficiency/conservation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she personally steered the roll-out of a unique territory-wide sewage surveillance programme for detecting virus loads in the population, which provided important data for informing the formulation of anti-epidemic measures, thereby contributing to our ultimate success in combating the epidemic."

     Turning to Mr Liu, Mrs Yeung said, "During Mr Liu's tenure as Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, he played an instrumental role in ensuring the strategic planning, steady provision and sound management of sports and cultural venues. He also strived to provide quality leisure and cultural programmes to the public, making sterling contributions to reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an events capital and East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges." 
     
     Brief biographical notes of the four officers are set out below:

Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa
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     Miss Tse joined the Government in June 1987. She served in the Executive Officer and Labour Officer Grades before joining the Administrative Service in June 1988, rising to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in April 2023. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former Civil Service Branch, the former New Airport Projects Co-ordination Office, the former Economic Services Branch, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, the former Finance Bureau, the former Economic Development and Labour Bureau, the former Transport and Housing Bureau and the former Food and Health Bureau. She was Director of Home Affairs from April 2016 to January 2022, Permanent Secretary for the Environment (later renamed as Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment))/Director of Environmental Protection from January to December 2022, and has been serving as Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment) since January 2023.

Mr Vincent Liu Ming-kwong 
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     Mr Liu joined the Administrative Service in July 1987 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2021. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Municipal Services Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Education and Manpower Branch, the former Chief Secretary's Office (later renamed as the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office), the Civil Service Bureau, the former Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the former Home Affairs Bureau, and the former Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (later renamed as the Office of the Communications Authority). He served as Deputy Secretary for the Environment from March 2014 to January 2019, Government Property Administrator from January 2019 to October 2019, and became Director of Leisure and Culture Services from October 2019.   

Mr Eddie Cheung Kwok-choi
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     Mr Cheung joined the Administrative Service in October 1993 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2024. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the former Financial Services Branch, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto, the former Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau, the former Education and Manpower Bureau and the Home Affairs Department. He was Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) from January 2013 to August 2019, Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union from August 2019 to October 2022, and has been serving as Director of Broadcasting since October 2022.

Ms Manda Chan Wing-man
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     Ms Chan joined the Administrative Service in September 1995 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2024. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Home Affairs Department, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the former Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau, the former Trade and Industry Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Security Bureau, the Chief Executive's Office, and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. She was Commissioner for Narcotics of the Security Bureau from January 2016 to November 2019, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the Labour and Welfare Bureau from November 2019 to October 2022, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) since October 2022.

        

     Thirteen landlords of subdivided units (SDUs), who contravened Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 7) (the Ordinance), pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $45,200 today (November 29) at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts. Since the Ordinance came into force, the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) has successfully prosecuted 465 cases involving a total of 402 SDU landlords, with fines ranging from $400 to $34,800, amounting to a total of $1,015,810.

     The offences of these landlords include (1) failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation within 60 days after the term of the regulated tenancy commenced; and (2) requesting the tenant to pay money other than the types permitted under the Ordinance (i.e. requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance). One of the landlords committed 12 offences under (1) and was fined $9,600.

     The RVD earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon an in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted against the landlords.

     A spokesman for the RVD reiterated that SDU landlords must comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance, including prohibiting landlords from doing any act calculated to interfere with the peace or comfort of members of the tenant's household, with the intention of causing the tenant to give up occupation of the SDU; or requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance, and also reminded SDU tenants of their rights under the Ordinance, including a four-year (i.e. two years plus two years) security of tenure. He also stressed that the RVD will continue to take resolute enforcement action against any contraventions of the Ordinance. Apart from following up on reported cases, the RVD has been adopting a multipronged approach to proactively identify, investigate and follow up on cases concerning landlords who are suspected of contravening the Ordinance. In particular, the RVD has been requiring landlords of regulated tenancies to provide information and reference documents of their tenancies for checking whether the landlords concerned have complied with the requirements of the Ordinance. If a landlord, without reasonable excuse, refuses to provide the relevant information or neglects the RVD's request, the landlord commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine at level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for three months. Depending on the actual circumstances, and having regard to the information and evidence collected, the RVD will take appropriate actions on individual cases, including instigating prosecution against suspected contraventions of the Ordinance.

     To help curb illegal acts as soon as possible, members of the public should report to the RVD promptly any suspected cases of contravening the relevant requirements. Reporting can be made through the telephone hotline (2150 8303), by email (enquiries@rvd.gov.hk), by fax (2116 4920), by post (15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon), or in person (visiting the Tenancy Services Section office of the RVD at Room 3816-22, 38/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and please call 2150 8303 to make an appointment). Furthermore, the RVD has provided a form (Form AR4) (www.rvd.gov.hk/doc/en/forms/ar4.pdf) on its website to facilitate SDU tenants' reporting to the RVD.

     The RVD reminds that pursuant to the Ordinance, a regulated cycle of regulated tenancies is to comprise two consecutive regulated tenancies (i.e. the first-term tenancy and second-term tenancy) for an SDU, and the term of each regulated tenancy is two years. A tenant of a first-term tenancy for an SDU is entitled to be granted a second-term tenancy of the regulated cycle, thus enjoying a total of four years of security of tenure. Since the first batch of regulated tenancies has already approached their second-term tenancies, the RVD has started a new round of publicity and education work in order to assist SDU landlords and tenants to understand the important matters pertaining to the second-term tenancy, and procedures that need to be followed about two months prior to the commencement of the purported second-term tenancy. In addition, the RVD has started issuing letters enclosing relevant information to the landlords and tenants concerned of regulated tenancies in batches, according to the expiry time of their first-term tenancies, to remind them about their respective obligations and rights under the Ordinance. These landlords and tenants may also visit the dedicated page for the second-term tenancy on the RVD's website (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/tenancy_matters/second_term_tenancy.html) for the relevant information, including a concise guide, brochures, tutorial videos and frequently asked questions. SDU landlords and tenants are also advised to familiarise themselves with the relevant statutory requirements and maintain close communication regarding the second-term tenancy for handling the matters properly and in a timely manner according to the Ordinance.

     For enquiries related to regulated tenancies, please call the telephone hotline (2150 8303) or visit the RVD's webpage (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/our_services/part_iva.html) for the relevant information.

     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 28 to noon today (November 29), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 179 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. 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, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 102 719 samples of food imported from Japan (including 66 098 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 23 064 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) received the Winner Award and two Honorable Mentions at the Autodesk Hong Kong BIM Awards 2024. The awards presentation ceremony was held on November 20 in Hong Kong.
      
     The WSD's Siu Ho Wan Water Treatment Works Extension Project won the Winner Award. The project team utilised building information modelling (BIM) to simulate the complex features of water treatment works, including structure, mechanical and electrical equipment, and routing of pipelines in a 3D manner, to enhance design accuracy. In addition, the project team incorporated the construction workflow and duration of various work activities into the model to dynamically display the situation of work sites in a 4D manner, promoting better co-ordination among stakeholders and greatly enhancing the effectiveness of construction management. The award showcases the department's dedication to integrating cutting-edge BIM technology during the design and construction stages.
      
     Additionally, the adoption of digital tools such as BIM in asset management can enhance the operation and maintenance efficiency of the water supply system. Two WSD projects – (i) the First Stage of the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant and (ii) Digitalising Smart Water System for Smart Trunk Transfer Support System with Pump Optimisation in conjunction with artificial intelligence-Driven BIM and Geographic Information System Integration – received Honorable Mentions. These two projects highlight the significance and impact of the application of BIM technology to enhance the efficiency and reliability of water supply systems.
      
     The WSD team remains committed to leveraging innovative technologies and methodologies to ensure a reliable and efficient water supply for Hong Kong.

      

      The Government today (November 29) announced details of the three pilot areas of large-scale land disposal in the Northern Metropolis.
 
      To expedite development of the Northern Metropolis, the Government actively leverages market forces and adopts diverse development modes. Apart from adopting the Enhanced Conventional New Town Approach under which landowners are allowed to participate in the development of new development areas through in-situ land exchanges, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address to adopt, on a pilot basis, a large-scale land disposal approach, under which sizable land parcels with commercial value and earmarked for provision of public facilities will be selected and granted to successful bidders for collective development. This approach enhances the participation of enterprises in important development for Hong Kong, and can speed up the development of the land parcels, at the same time reduce the financial outlay of the Government.
 
      The three pilot areas under large-scale land disposal are located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, the Fanling North New Development Area and the San Tin Technopole, of about 12.5 hectares, 15.9 hectares and 18.6 hectares respectively. Each pilot area covers private residential, industry and public facility sites. Developers are required to carry out site formation and engineering infrastructure works for all the sites, retain the residential sites for development, and hand other sites back to the Government for management after constructing some public facilities such as roads and open space. The requirements on industry sites vary across the pilot areas, including the developers retaining certain site to construct and operate an enterprise and technology park building, requiring developers to construct an industry building and then hand it back to the Government, and some only requiring the developers to carry out site formation. One of the focus areas of the expression of interest exercise to be launched next month is to invite the market to put forward innovative and feasible suggestions, and to propose how developers could make good use of the large-scale land disposal approach to enable their in-depth and substantial participation in developing industry sites to promote industry development in the Northern Metropolis.
      
     A fact sheet of the three pilot areas has been uploaded onto the website of the Northern Metropolis (www.nm.gov.hk/en/northern-metropolis#s5). The Development Bureau had also introduced the pilot areas of large-scale land disposal to enterprises in today's Enterprise Participation in Northern Metropolis Development Event.
 
      The Government will launch a three-month exercise in December this year to invite interested parties to submit expressions of interest for the three pilot areas of large-scale land disposal, in order to finalise the tender details and conditions later. The Government targets to commence the tendering work for the three pilot areas progressively from 2025 to 2026.