The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) cases, the spokesperson for TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH) gave t… read more
Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Lok Ma Chau this afternoon (May 28), in which a man died. At about 1pm, a special purpose vehicle driven by a 6… read more
Hong Kong Customs today (May 28) arrested a male director of a wedding services company who is suspected of having applied false trade descriptions in the course of selling a wedding banquet service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Customs earlier received information from a member of the public alleging that a wedding services company in Kowloon Bay falsely claimed to a customer that a specified number of staff would be on-site to provide service, and that the food and beverages specified in the contract would be provided. However, the customer discovered on the day of the banquet that the number of staff and the food and beverages provided on-site were significantly different from what the company had promised.
After an investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 34-year-old male director of the wedding services company.
An investigation is ongoing and the arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminded traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to purchase products from reputable shops.
Under the TDO, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied or offered to be supplied to a consumer commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
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Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk), or by filling in an online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). read more
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, at the Asian Shipowners’ Association 2024 International Shipping Forum today (May 28):
Mr Banga (Chairman of the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA), Mr Angad Banga), Mr Domínguez (Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Mr Arsenio Antonio Domínguez Velasco), Mr Platten (Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Mr Guy Platten), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon and a warm welcome to the Asian Shipowners’ Association 2024 International Shipping Forum. To begin with, I would like to congratulate the Asian Shipowners’ Association and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association for organising this remarkable forum in Hong Kong and for providing an excellent platform that brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from the maritime community around the world. The success of this forum is a testament to the HKSOA’s leadership as the rotational chair within the ASA this year.
Today, we gather here in Hong Kong to put our heads together on the future of the maritime industry in Asia. Indeed, the theme of the forum this year – “Asia Shipping, Greener Together” – comes at a critical juncture as the world rallies its resources to address climate change and accelerate the green transition. In this regard, shipping has long been one of the most fuel-efficient and sustainable means of moving goods around the world, releasing only a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other modes of transport. Nevertheless, owing to its sheer size as the backbone of global trade, unavoidably the shipping industry also accounts for a substantial amount of carbon emissions.
At the same time, over the past decade, we have witnessed a significant shift in the centre of gravity of shipping towards Asia. From fleet ownership and cargo shipment to shipbuilding and maritime services, Asia is playing an indispensable role in creating a sustainable maritime industry and the world is watching. Being an Asia’s world city, Hong Kong is already charting new waters for our current and future generations.
As shown in the video just now, in December 2023, we promulgated the Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, outlining 10 strategies and 32 action measures across four directions to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime centre. In fact, the very first strategy of the Action Plan is to develop Hong Kong as a green shipping hub towards the goal of zero-carbon emission.
The maritime industry holds immense potential for embracing green transformation, and our drive to promote sustainable practices is unwavering. To support this endeavour, we will provide incentives for Hong Kong-registered ships that have attained high ratings under the international decarbonisation standards formulated by the International Maritime Organization. This initiative, backed by approximately HK$65 million in funding, demonstrates our dedication to supporting environmentally friendly shipping practices.
Furthermore, the HKSAR Government is conducting a comprehensive feasibility study on the provision of green fuel bunkering services for both local and ocean-going vessels. Our objective is to establish Hong Kong as a leading green maritime fuel bunkering centre. By the end of this year, an action plan will be promulgated, outlining our roadmap for the development of green fuel bunkering in Hong Kong.
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s forum sets an exceptional stage for all of us to come together, exchange ideas, and explore innovative solutions. The panel sessions, focusing on fuels, technologies, training, development, regulation and compliance, will undoubtedly shed light on the course ahead for the maritime industry. Let us seize this opportunity to showcase Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime centre and our commitment to greener shipping.
Together, we will build a sustainable future for the maritime industry in Asia and beyond. Thank you.
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme Signing Ceremony today (May 28):
尊敬的ä¸è�¯è¾¦ç›§æ–°å¯§å‰¯ä¸»ä»» (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Ms Lu Xinning), 王å�‰æ˜Žæ•™ç§‘部部長 (Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Dr Wang Weiming), university presidents and representatives, project leaders, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I’m delighted to be here with you all for the first signing ceremony for the RAISe+ Scheme, to celebrate the partnership between the Government, research, academic and industry sectors.
The Hong Kong I&T (Innovation & Technology) Development Blueprint was published in December 2022. Among the four broad development directions set out in the Blueprint, the very first one is to enhance the I&T ecosystem, which presents a comprehensive roadmap to guide us step by step towards our vision of becoming an international I&T centre.
To develop a vibrant I&T ecosystem, we need to create a healthy I&T ecological chain with close interaction between the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. With our robust R&D (research and development) capability and the ability to make breakthroughs out of the blue, Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages in the upstream sector. However, it is very often that the potential to transform the R&D outcomes cannot be fully unleashed due to various constraints, which results in a comparatively weak midstream sector. This is how we came up with the RAISe+ Scheme to incentivise and accelerate the “1 to N” transformation of outstanding R&D outcomes and the industry development.
Thanks to the tremendous support from our universities, we have received a total of 94 applications in the first application solicitation period. I must say that every single one of them presents brilliant and groundbreaking concepts and innovative technologies. The ideas presented in these applications are incredibly inspiring and hold great potential within their respective fields. The Steering Committee has eventually recommended 24 applications for funding support in-principle. Congratulations to the 24 project teams present here today. We are truly excited about the potential impact that your work is going to bring to the I&T ecosystem, and we hope to witness the emergence of unicorn companies from you all.
I often say that direction is more important than speed in I&T development. I can assure you that we are now on the right track, with a very good start and remarkable progress. With the right direction, what we have to do is to speed up and enhance the efficiency. In addition to launching the RAISe+ Scheme to strengthen the midstream sector, we have also made a lot of efforts to promote the development of downstream industries, with a focus on life and health technology, AI (artificial intelligence) and data science, as well as new energy and advanced manufacturing industries. In fact, in just two years, we have successfully negotiated with more than 100 tech enterprises with strategic importance to set up operations or expand their presence in Hong Kong, ahead of the five-year KPIs (key performance indicators) set out in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address in 2022. This in turn echoes our development direction to enhance our I&T ecosystem with a virtuous cycle of interactions between different sectors.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again to the universities for their positive responses, and to the members of the Steering Committee for generously dedicating their time and sharing their expertise in assessing the applications. And of course, my thanks also go to my colleagues at the ITIB (Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau) and the ITC (Innovation and Technology Commission), for their diligent work and unwavering support.
Today’s collaboration marks a significant step forward in Hong Kong’s I&T development, and will contribute to propelling the development of Hong Kong’s new quality productive forces and enhancing our global competitiveness in the long run. I look forward to seeing the fruits of this scheme very soon and I wish you all a memorable afternoon. Thank you very much. read more