The Government announced today (December 27) the reappointment of Dr David Wong Yau-kar as the Chairman of the Education Commission (EC), as well as nine serving non-official members for a term of two years with effect from January 1, 2025.

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said, "I am confident that under Dr Wong's capable leadership, and with members' profound knowledge and experience in different fields, the EC will continue to provide sound advice and recommendations for the long-term development of Hong Kong's education, and work together with the Government to nurture a diverse pool of talent, driving the higher-quality advancement of Hong Kong and contributing to our society and our country."

     Dr Choi thanked the outgoing members, Mr Joseph Luc Ngai and Professor Eric Yim Chi-ming, for their sterling support throughout their tenure.
 
     The membership list of the Commission with effect from January 1, 2025, is as follows:
 
Chairman
————
Dr David Wong Yau-kar
 
Ex-officio members
————————
Permanent Secretary for Education
Chairperson, Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals
Chairman, Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education
Chairperson, Curriculum Development Council
Chairman, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority Council
Chairman, Quality Education Fund Steering Committee
Chairperson, Standing Committee on Language Education and Research
Chairman, University Grants Committee
Chairman, Vocational Training Council
Chairman, Committee on Home-School Co-operation
 
Non-official members
————————–
Dr Phyllis Chan Kwok-ling
Dr Sylvia Chan May-kuen
Ms Mimi Cheung Yee-may
Mr Herbert Chia Pun-kok
Mr Kwok Wing-keung
Dr Ling Yu-shih
Mr Benjamin Ng Yau-keung
Professor Douglas So Cheung-tak
Dr Winnie Tang Shuk-ming

     The Government announced today (December 27) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung as the Chairman of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) and appointed Dr Chan Fu, Dr Sylvia Chan May-kuen, Mr Ho Wing-cheong, Dr Sandy Lau Sin-ting, Mr Quincy Lui Kwan-yiu and Dr Ryan Wong Man-yeung as new members. Fourteen members have also been reappointed.

     The term for all new members and reappointed members is two years from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026. 

     A spokesman for the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau said, "The new members come from different sectors including the social services, education, medical and business sectors. With their wealth of experience and expertise, they will bring new momentum to the work of ACAN. Moreover, we are pleased to reappoint fourteen members who are enthusiastic about anti-drug work. The Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau is looking forward to working together with ACAN in the coming two years, especially on a series of events in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of ACAN with a view to consolidating anti-drug awareness in the community."

        Among the new members, Dr Chan Fu is from the medical and education sectors; Dr Sylvia Chan May-kuen is from the school education sector; Mr Ho Wing-cheong and Dr Sandy Lau Sin-ting are senior management officers of non-governmental organisations; and Mr Quincy Lui Kwan-yiu and Dr Ryan Wong Man-yeung are company directors.

     The spokesman also extended his gratitude to the eight outgoing members for their contributions to the work of ACAN. They are Dr Lam Ho-yi, Dr Lee Tin-yan, Mr Clifford Leung Siu-on, Ms Li Ka-yan, Professor Ng Chi-fai, Mr Poon Hing-fai, Mr Albert Su Yau-on and Professor Tang Wai-kwong.

     ACAN is the Government's advisory body on anti-drug matters. It was established in 1965. The membership list of the new term of ACAN is as follows: 

Chairman
———–
Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung

Members
———-
Dr Chan Fu
Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung
Dr Sylvia Chan May-kuen
Professor James Chan Yuk-kit
Ms Vera Ho Ivy Yuen-wei
Mr Ho Wing-cheong
Mr Rex Ip Yik-nam
Mr Lau Chun-hung
Dr Sandy Lau Sin-ting
Ms Anthea Lee Shuk-wai
Ms Agnes Leung Yuk-kuen
Ms Nicole Li Yuen-ting
Ms Helen Lu Hai
Mr Quincy Lui Kwan-yiu
Mr Rex Mok Chung-fai
Mr Wilfred Ng Sau-kei
Dr Rizwan Ullah
Dr Ryan Wong Man-yeung
Mr Benny Wong Wai-yue
Director, Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore
Secretary for Education or her representative
Commissioner of Police or his representative
Commissioner of Customs and Excise or her representative
Director of Health or his representative
Director of Social Welfare or her representative
Commissioner for Narcotics

     The Waste Disposal (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the Ordinance) will come into effect on January 1, 2025, to implement relevant amendments to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention) regarding the control of transboundary movements of electrical and electronic waste (EEW) and their proper management in Hong Kong.
 
     The country is a party to the Basel Convention, and the Basel Convention is applicable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In line with the requirements of relevant amendments to the Basel Convention, the Ordinance will accordingly place all EEW under the existing import and export permit control and enable the HKSAR to fulfil obligations under the Basel Convention, alongside the country.
 
     The relevant amendments to the Basel Convention will take effect globally from January 1, 2025. By that time, the export of EEW is only allowed if the state of import and any states of transit have given their prior consent. This measure ensures that EEW undergoing transboundary movement will be properly managed in the state of import, thereby protecting the local environment and public health.
 
     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said, "The Legislative Council passed the Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2024 on November 20, 2024, so that all EEW will be controlled by the existing import and export permit system under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (Cap. 354). When the new control comes into effect on January 1, 2025, any person who imports EEW into, or exports EEW out of Hong Kong should obtain a permit from the EPD in advance."
 
     The spokesman added, "For instance, EEW that the recycling trade has imported or exported previously (e.g. waste TV set-up boxes, waste routers, waste power supply units, waste hard disk drives, waste landline phones and waste keyboards) will be subject to control and permits will be required for their import or export. To facilitate the relevant trade to adapt to the new control, the EPD has promulgated the implementation details to the recycling industry, maritime and aviation trade through different channels. The EPD has also visited local EEW recycling facilities to further publicise the changes to operators. Relevant guidelines and information, including a straightforward dummies guide and at a glance summaries, have been uploaded to the EPD webpage (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/guide_wiec_gp3.html).
 
     Moreover, a six-month phasing-in period (i.e. January 1 to June 30, 2025) will be put in place when the new control takes effect. During the phasing-in period, the EPD will suitably exercise discretion when handling cases of non-compliance and will continue to assist the trade in complying with the new control through ongoing communications and strengthened promotional and education efforts.
 
     For enquiries on the import and export permit control of EEW, please call 2755 5462 or email to wasteimportandexport@epd.gov.hk.

     The Government announced today (December 27) that the annually updated aggregate list of eligible universities (aggregate list) under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) will take effect on January 1, 2025.
 
     The TTPS aims to attract talent in the following three categories:
 
Category A: persons with annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above in the year immediately preceding the date of application;
Category B: full-time bachelor's degree graduates of the universities/institutions prescribed in the aggregate list (eligible universities/institutions) with at least three years of work experience over the past five years immediately preceding the date of application; or
Category C: full-time bachelor's degree graduates of eligible universities/institutions in the past five years immediately preceding the date of application with less than three years of work experience.
 
     This round of updates to the aggregate list reflects the changes in 2024 to the top 100 universities/institutions in four world university rankings (namely the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, the U.S. News and World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities) in the past five years; and the top five universities/institutions providing specialised hotel programmes on the QS World University Rankings in the discipline of "hospitality and leisure management" in the past five years.
 
     Starting from November 1 this year, the aggregate list also includes the top five specialised institutions on the QS World University Rankings in the discipline of "Art and Design" in the past five years and the top 20 ranked Mainland universities under the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Best Chinese Universities Ranking in the past five years.
 
     The updated aggregate list consisting of 199 universities/institutions (see Annex) will be uploaded onto the online platform of Hong Kong Talent Engage (www.hkengage.gov.hk) and the TTPS webpage of the Immigration Department (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/TTPS.html) on January 1, 2025.

     The Inland Revenue Department announced today (December 27) that starting from January 6, 2025, the new annual rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates will be 0.4250 per cent against the current rate of 0.5500 per cent, i.e. the new rate will be $0.0354 per month per $100.

     Tax Reserve Certificates bear simple interest, and interest is calculated monthly (including part of a month) from the date of purchase to the date of payment of tax. Interest is only credited when certificates are used to pay tax, and no interest is due where the principal value of a certificate is repaid to its holder.

     The rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates is reviewed every month based on the average prevailing interest rate for the 12-month time deposit for $100,000 to $499,999 offered by the three note-issuing banks.

     The new rate will apply to all certificates purchased on or after January 6, 2025. Certificates purchased before January 6, 2025 will continue to earn interest at the rates prevailing on their respective purchase dates. Below is a summary of the interest rates for the past periods:
 

     Interest will cease to accrue after 36 months.