The launching ceremony of the Consular Protection Month co-hosted by the Immigration Department (ImmD) and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OCMFA) was held today (June 7) at Hong Kong International Airport. As guests of honour, Deputy Commissioner of the OCMFA Mr Pan Yundong; ​the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok, jointly officiated at the launching ceremony, marking the start of a series of publicity activities on consular protection.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Pan said that over the past 27 years or so since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Central Government has always upheld the notion of "the safety of Hong Kong people is no small matter; the interests of compatriots are extremely important" and has proactively protected the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong people overseas, benefitting them with the country's diplomatic achievements. During the Consular Protection Month, the OCMFA will work closely with the ImmD in organising a series of activities for Hong Kong people to better understand consular protection policies and work involving Hong Kong, and to enhance their awareness and capabilities regarding safety precautions.
 
     Mr Tang pointed out that consular protection has always been the strongest safeguard for Hong Kong people travelling abroad. With the full support of the OCMFA and the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions, the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD strives to provide practicable assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong. He thanked the OCMFA and the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions for sparing no effort in providing Hong Kong people with various support services, which fully demonstrates the country's care and concern for Hong Kong people.
 
     The Consular Protection Month starts in June, during which a series of publicity activities will be held to enhance public awareness of the consular protection provided by the country and outbound travel safety. The activities include the arrangements for roving exhibitions on consular protection; the launch of an online virtual exhibition as well as the release of a new edition of an animated video on consular protection and outbound travel safety; the participation in the travel expo, and the conduct of seminars on consular protection.
 
     For more information about the Consular Protection Month, please stay tuned to updates on the ImmD's Instagram account (www.instagram.com/hongkongimmigrationdept/) and Weibo account (weibo.com/u/7800183480). For information on consular protection and outbound travel safety, please browse the online virtual exhibition on consular protection and outbound travel safety at consularprotection-travelsafety-exhibition.hk, or scan the QR code in the Annex, or watch the animated video jointly produced by the ImmD and the OCMFA on the ImmD's official YouTube channel.

          

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (June 7) that open auctions for a total of 214 stalls in 28 public markets will be held in June.

     The retail commodities allowed for sale in these stalls cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, service trades (including manicures, beauty and Chinese medicine practitioners), siu mei and lo mei, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from August 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Bidders for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the same market in the auction, but shall deliver vacant possession of the current stall to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the tenancy agreement. The terms and conditions of the auctions have been uploaded to the FEHD website, with details of qualifications of the bidders listed."

     The date of the auctions and the number of stalls are as follows:

Kowloon
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Auction date: June 17 (Monday) (am)
Number of stalls: 27

Hong Kong Island (except Aberdeen Market)
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Auction date: June 19 (Wednesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 77

Aberdeen Market
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Auction date: June 19 (Wednesday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 15

New Territories
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Auction date: June 21 (Friday)
Number of stalls: 95

     The New Territories auction will be held at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall, 1/F, Tai Po Tung Cheong Street Leisure Building, 25 Tung Cheong Street, Tai Po, New Territories. The remaining auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Competition Commission to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

     Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Bidders interested in the auctions may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.

     Hong Kong Customs arrested a person-in-charge of an electronic and computer products supplier yesterday (June 6), who was suspected of supplying external power banks with a false trade description, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     During a follow-up investigation of another case involving suspected violation of the Ordinance, Customs alleged that the actual electric capacity of three models of external power banks was inconsistent with what was claimed. 

     Afterwards, Customs officers sent three samples to an accredited laboratory for testing. The results revealed that the electric capacity of the three samples are 5250.4mAh, 5311.6mAh and 7599.2mAh, which is about 20 per cent to 30 per cent less than the claimed electric capacity.

     Customs officers then took enforcement action yesterday and arrested a man-in-charge, aged 35, of the supplier involved in the case.

     No potential safety risks have been detected in the three samples. The case is still under investigation. The arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Also, consumers are reminded to purchase products from reputable shops and to have a clear knowledge of the product details before purchase.

     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

      

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 China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited relating to phishing instant messages, which have 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, email 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 instant messages 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.

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 China CITIC Bank International Limited relating to a fraudulent website and an internet banking login screen, which have 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, email 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 website or login screen 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.