Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (November 27) that… read more
Following is a question by the Hon Gary Zhang and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, in the Legislative Council today (November 27):
Question:
On pursuing studies at local universities, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of persons admitted to the bachelor’s degree programmes of local universities through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) and the Non-Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Non-JUPAS) on the basis of their Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) results in each of the past three years, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by their HKDSE results;
Table 1
| Total grade points in the best five subjects | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||
| JUPAS | Non-JUPAS | JUPAS | Non-JUPAS | JUPAS | Non-JUPAS | |
| 15 points or less | ||||||
| 16 to 18 points | ||||||
| …… | ||||||
| 31 to 33 points | ||||||
| 34 to 35 points | ||||||
| Year | (i) | (ii) | (iii) |
| 2022 | |||
| …… | |||
| 2025 |
| Total grade points in the best five subjects | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||||
| (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | |
| 15 points or less | |||||||||
| 16 to 18 points | |||||||||
| …… | |||||||||
| 31 to 33 points | |||||||||
| 34 to 35 points | |||||||||
| Academic year | With HKDSE results | Total | |
| Admitted via JUPAS | Admitted via non-JUPAS | ||
| 2021/22 | 12 225 | 81 | 12 306 |
| 2022/23 | 12 178 | 19 | 12 197 |
| 2023/24 | 12 590 | 21 | 12 611 |
| Year | No. of private candidates registered | Among which, the no. of those who registered with documents other than HKID cards |
| 2022 | 6 959 | 295 |
| 2023 | 7 637 | 238 |
| 2024 | 7 431 | 549 |
| 2025 (As at October 28, 2024) |
9 410 | 1 027 |
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (November 27):
Question:
It was announced in this year’s Policy Address that a reform will cover the regime of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of talents admitted to Hong Kong under the above schemes so far this year, together with a breakdown by their country or place of origin;
(2) of the respective average time taken to vet and approve the applications of the talents mentioned in (1);
(3) of the respective numbers of persons who have come to Hong Kong as dependants of the talents mentioned in (1);
(4) as the Government has enhanced the General Points Test under QMAS since the 1st of this month, whether the progress of the vetting and approval of the applications submitted before that date will be affected; and
(5) as some QMAS applicants have relayed that it has been more than six months since they submitted their applications, and it has been reported that the Government encourages those who submitted their applications before the 1st of this month to cancel their original applications and submit new ones, whether the vetting and approval of new applications submitted by these individuals will be expedited?
Reply:
President,
To address the challenge of labour shortage in Hong Kong, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address to reform various aspects of the talent admission regime, so as to maintain the competitiveness of the relevant measures and build a quality talent pool for meeting Hong Kong’s future development needs.
The Labour and Welfare Bureau implemented on November 1 this year’s enhancement measures, including extending the validity period of the first visas of high-income talents under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) from two years to three years, expanding the list of eligible universities under the TTPS, and improving the criteria and arrangements for the General Points Test under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS).
Our reply, in consultation with the Immigration Department (ImmD), to Member’s questions is as follows:
(1) to (3) In the first 10 months of 2024, about 180 000 applications were received under various talent admission schemes, with nearly 120 000 approved. Amongst those approved under various talent admission schemes, around 75 000 talents arrived in Hong Kong. At the same time, about 75 000 dependants arrived in Hong Kong together with the approved talents.
Among them, 34 360, 9 423 and 21 296 applications were approved under the TTPS, the QMAS and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) respectively. The breakdowns of the numbers of applicants by region and the numbers of applicants under Categories B and C of the TTPS by region of their graduating universities are at Annex 1. The numbers of dependants admitted to Hong Kong by the above three talent admission schemes are at Annex 2.
The processing of the applications for visa/entry permits under the TTPS and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals will normally be completed within four weeks upon applicants’ submission of all the required information and supporting documents. The applications submitted under the General Points Test (GPT) of the QMAS before November 1 this year have to go through the procedures of verification of eligibility and consultation with the Advisory Committee on Admission of Quality Migrants and Professionals. It takes a longer processing time than that of other talent admission schemes. The processing time also varies in view of the complexities of different cases. In general, it takes about six to nine months.
(4) and (5) The ImmD will continue to process the applications submitted under the GPT of the QMAS before November 1 this year in accordance with the pre-existing criteria and arrangements. Starting from November 1 this year, the enhanced GPT was introduced under the QMAS which adopts more objective and explicit assessment criteria and streamlined selection procedures. The processing efficiency will be enhanced. If applicants opt to withdraw their previous applications and submit new ones under the enhanced regime, the processing time will be shortened. read more
A property owner who persistently failed to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123) was convicted and fined over $88,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts this month.
The case involved an unauthorised structure with an area of about 67 square metres on the flat roof of a residential building at Wo Yi Hop Road, Kwai Chung. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without the prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD three times and was fined $39,980 in total upon convictions by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted for the fourth time and was fined $88,900 upon conviction again at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on November 13.
A spokesman for the BD today (November 27) said “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners concerned must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement actions and consider instigating prosecution against owners again if they persist in not complying with orders, so as to ensure building safety.”
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues. read more
The Report of the Director of Audit on the Accounts of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the year ended 31 March 2024 (Report on the Government Accounts) and Report No. 83 of the Director of Audit on the results of value for money audits were tabled in the Legislative Council this morning (November 27).
The Report on the Government Accounts provides an overall assurance that the financial statements properly present the assets and liabilities of the Government as at March 31, 2024, and the receipts and payments for the year that ended on that date.
A value for money audit is an examination into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which any bureau of the Government Secretariat, department, agency or other public body has discharged its functions. Report No. 83 of the Director of Audit covers a variety of subjects on the administration of government programmes and provision of public services.
Report No. 83 comprises the following eight chapters:
Chapter Subject
1 Nano and Advanced Materials Institute
2 Planning and management of sheltered space within Hong Kong waters
3 Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
4 Regulation of operations of small unmanned aircraft
5 Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly
6 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Repair and maintenance of university premises
7 Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link
8 Youth Development Fund
The Report on the Government Accounts and Report No. 83 of the Director of Audit on the results of value for money audits are available on the Audit Commission’s website at www.aud.gov.hk. read more