The Civil Service College (CSC) today (May 31) held a thematic briefing session on "International Landscape and China's Foreign Relations in 2024" jointly with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The briefing was delivered by the OCMFA's Commissioner, Mr Cui Jianchun. It was attended by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and over 400 senior officials, including Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaux, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and other senior directorate officers of the HKSAR Government. This session also heralds the series of talks on the country's foreign affairs to be run this year.
 
     Mr Lee delivered the opening remarks at the session. He expressed gratitude to Mr Cui's attendance at the session to give an analysis on the intricate and grave international political and economic situation and national foreign strategies, which enabled the HKSAR Government to better support the country in coping with the environment of international competition, and concurrently contribute to the country's high-quality development.
 
     Mr Lee pointed out the intensifying geopolitical tensions have an impact on the global economy and international trade. Hong Kong is an externally oriented economy with distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle. It has been playing its role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" and has consistently consolidated and enhanced Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre, shipping centre and trade centre. He said he hopes the HKSAR government officials would have a better understanding of the current international political and economic environment through this briefing session, which would be conducive to the formulation and implementation of various related policies, and would help Hong Kong maintain its advantages in internationalisation, further widen its international network and strengthen collaboration with other countries, so as to further contribute to the enhancement of Hong Kong's global competitiveness.
  
     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said during the session that civil servants of the HKSAR must have an accurate understanding of the country's current development situation and future development directions, fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" principle, and support the HKSAR Government's full implementation of "patriots administering Hong Kong". The CSC will continue to enhance training to strengthen civil servants' sense of patriotism, foster their forming of holistic views, and broaden their international perspectives. This will better equip the civil service to effectively complement the Government in playing Hong Kong's role as the gateway between the country and the world, and telling the world good stories of the country and the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong. 
 
     The CSC will continue to strengthen collaboration with the OCMFA and run a series of talks on the country's foreign affairs in 2024, which began with today's thematic briefing session that will be followed by talks on topics such as the latest developments of multilateral diplomacy, China-Middle East relations, and telling good stories of China. Since the end of 2021, the CSC has organised 16 talks under this series, which have been well received by colleagues. Nearly 4 000 directorate and senior-level civil servants have attended the talks so far.

      

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 31) said the department strives to continuously strengthen publicity and education work, stepping up efforts in the promotion of community-wide participation in waste reduction and recycling. A GO Recycling Campaign will be launched tomorrow (June 1). Through a new round of promotional activities and extra GREEN$ rewards, it encourages members of the public to cultivate the habits of source separation and recycling and to integrate the habits into their daily lives. The GO Recycling Campaign is also one of the celebration events for the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

     From June 1 to July 31, members of the public who submit designated recyclables (including waste paper, metals, plastics, glass containers, regulated electrical equipment, small electrical appliances, fluorescent lamps/tubes, rechargeable batteries and beverage cartons) at the EPD's community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY (including Recycling Stations, Recycling Stores, Recycling Spots, and Smart Recycling Bins) can earn six times the normal amount of GREEN$ points. Those who participate in food waste recycling using Smart Food Waste Recycling Bins can also gain an additional 10 GREEN$ points daily. In addition, to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, limited edition gifts featuring Big Waster will be available for redemption from July 1 to 31.

     Residents of Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates account for about 30 per cent of the Hong Kong population. Starting from June 1, the EPD will progressively distribute designated bags to about 840 000 households in all 214 PRH estates. Each household will be provided with 20 designated bags free of charge every month for an initial period of six months (to be distributed in three batches, with a pack of 40 bags in each batch), with a view to educating and encouraging residents to learn about waste reduction and waste separation for recycling. The EPD hopes that residents can make good use of the recycling facilities in their estates and try to use the 20 designated bags provided to dispose of all monthly waste without using additional garbage bags, so as to achieve waste reduction and recycling. In addition, the EPD will also launch the Waste Reduction and Recycling Charter to encourage residential premises to provide sufficient and convenient recycling facilities and handle recyclables properly.

     Throughout the implementation of the GO Recycling Campaign, the Green Outreach and the operators of GREEN@COMMUNITY will organise waste reduction and recycling promotional activities in PRH estates, Recycling Spots, public markets and near public transport stations (e.g. MTR stations) across the territory. The Green Outreach will also offer assistance to schools to take forward the "We-recycle@School" activity launched on March 1. Over 300 primary and secondary schools have committed to participating in the activity. The EPD will launch online videos featuring interactions between key opinion leaders and Big Waster on social media to educate the public on source separation, clean recycling and the utilisation of community recycling facilities. 

     A spokesman for the EPD said that the department has rolled out a number of waste reduction and recycling schemes to improve the community recycling network progressively, thereby helping the public practise waste reduction at source, including the Programme on Source Separation of Waste that provides free waste separation bins to over 2 700 housing estates/residential buildings and about 1 300 commercial and industrial buildings; and the continuous expansion of the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY. As of the end of May this year, GREEN@COMMUNITY has established 11 Recycling Stations, 77 Recycling Stores (including 45 in PRH estates), more than 130 Recycling Spots, 82 Smart Recycling Bins and an increasing number of Recycling Spots. It is anticipated to increase the number of public collection points to about 380 in June and further to about 500 in August. Together with about 1 100 sets of roadside recycling bins in rural areas, the recycling network comprising the above schemes has already covered over 80 per cent of the population in various districts of Hong Kong.

     Regarding food waste recycling, the EPD has been gradually expanding the domestic food waste collection services, including the implementation of various food waste collection schemes in PRH estates and private residential buildings. The EPD expected to complete the installation of more than 700 Smart Food Waste Recycling Bins in over 200 PRH estates across the territory by August 2024 and has planned to install additional Smart Food Waste Recycling Bins in PRH estates with higher quantity of food waste.

     Information on the extra rewards and limited edition gifts under the GO Recycling Campaign can be found on the EPD website at www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en-hk/article/go-recycling-campaign-extra-rewards.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     Flat selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2023 (HOS 2023) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) was completed on May 31, 2024, with all flats available for sale sold to eligible applicants.

Flat selection for HOS 2023

     Flats for sale under HOS 2023 include a total of 9 154 flats from six new HOS developments (Kai Yuet Court in Kai Tak; On Ying Court, On Lai Court and On Wah Court in Kwun Tong; Siu Tsui Court in Tuen Mun and Long Tin Court in Yuen Long); 61 rescinded flats from Kam Chun Court in Ma On Shan and Kai Cheung Court in Diamond Hill sold under HOS 2020 as well as Yu Nga Court in Tung Chung and Yu Tak Court in Sha Tin sold under HOS 2022; and 412 recovered Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) flats. During the application period, the HA received a total of around 172 000 applications for HOS 2023.

     "Flat selection for HOS 2023 commenced from January 31, 2024, and eligible applicants were invited in batches to select flats for sale under HOS 2023 according to the priority under the respective application categories. After around 70 days of sale, all HOS flats and recovered TPS flats for sale under HOS 2023 were sold out on May 31, 2024. The sales situation was similar to that of HOS 2022," a spokesman for the HA said.

Live-in requirements for subsidised sale flats (SSFs)

     Purchasers of SSFs have been reminded that they are required to comply with the live-in requirements. The Agreement for Sale and Purchase made between the owner of SSFs and the HA has stipulated that the flat concerned shall be occupied by the owner and all members of the family named in the Application Form for the purchase of the flat. If the owner or any family member ceases to actually or permanently live in the flat without the prior written consent of the HA, the HA has the right to require the owner to assign the flat back to the HA at the costs and expenses of the owner. If the owner is found to have breached any of the concerned requirements, the HA will not approve the application from the parties concerned for the issuance of a Certificate of Availability for Sale (CAS) under the HOS Secondary Market Scheme (SMS). Even if a CAS has been issued, the HA also has the right to revoke the CAS so that the owner concerned will not be able to sell the flat under the SMS.

     "To avoid subsequent revocation of CAS issued, starting from June 1, 2024, owners of SSFs applying for CAS are required to submit copies of utility bills issued within the last six months as proof of residency to support their applications. If the applicant fails to provide sufficient information, the HA will reject the application," the spokesman said.

     A director of DME Microelectronics Limited was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violation of the requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The director had pleaded guilty earlier at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts and was sentenced today (May 31) to two months' imprisonment suspended for two years. The director was also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $510,000 in total via the court to the employees concerned.

     The company wilfully and without reasonable excuse contravened the requirements of the EO, failing to pay two employees wages and payment in lieu of notice totalling about $445,000 within seven days after the termination of employment in accordance with the EO, and also failing to pay the awarded sums of about $510,000 in total to the two employees within 14 days after the date set by the Labour Tribunal (LT). The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.

     "The judgment will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO and the awarded sums as ordered by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board," a spokesman for the LD said.

     "The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.

     The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) conducted an enforcement operation yesterday evening (May 30) at Kennedy Town Swimming Pool against a suspected illegal use of walkie-talkies. During the operation, five sets of walkie-talkies were seized and notices of investigation were issued to five persons requesting them to assist in further investigations.
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     "The walkie-talkies seized in the operation may potentially interfere with existing FM sound broadcasting services. OFCA will conduct investigations according to established procedures and, based on the evidence collected, decide whether to instigate prosecution against the individuals concerned," a spokesman for OFCA said.

     The spokesman stressed that OFCA will continue the enforcement work against unlicensed use of radiocommunications apparatus, which may cause harmful interference to legitimate spectrum users. According to the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106), save for radiocommunications apparatus exempted from licensing, it is an offence for any person to possess or use any apparatus for radiocommunications, or establish or maintain any means of telecommunications without an appropriate licence. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and imprisonment of five years.

     Members of the public are reminded not to use any illegal walkie-talkies causing interference to existing licensed radiocommunications services. If needed, they should choose walkie-talkies that are exempted from licensing in Hong Kong, such as those radiocommunications apparatus operating in the 409 MHz and 2.4 GHz bands.

     For information on the use of walkie-talkies in Hong Kong, please refer to OFCA's website (www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/galley/information_leaflets/index_id_16.html).