Tag Archives: China

     The Transport Department (TD) said today (May 14) that, from now on, arrangements for renewal applications for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles will be refined. Eligible applicants may submit their renewal applications online during the application period allotted by the TD without having to participate in a computer ballot.

     The refined arrangements are only applicable to Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles renewal applicants who meet all of the following criteria:
(i) the applicant remains unchanged;
(ii) the vehicle remains unchanged (including vehicle registration mark, colour and chassis number/vehicle identification number); and
(iii) the designated drivers remain unchanged (including the number of designated drivers and their Hong Kong identity card numbers).

     If the applicants for the renewal of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles fail to meet any of the above criteria, they are required to participate again in the computer ballot and submit applications for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles in the form of a new application within the allotted designated period. To enable applicants who submit new applications to register for the computer ballot, the TD will relax the computer ballot registration period at the same time, from 30 days before the expiry of their Closed Road Permit to 60 days before.

     The refined arrangements for renewal applications for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles introduced by the TD are as follows:

(a) starting from May 14, the TD will issue emails in phases to holders of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles Closed Road Permit that expires in or after July this year to invite permit holders to submit Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles renewal applications;

(b) after receiving invitation emails from the TD, eligible applicants for renewal of the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles may use the passcode provided in the emails and their personal information to submit renewal applications on the designated website within the allotted designated application period specified in the invitation email;

(c) the designated application period allotted by the TD covers six calendar days, allowing sufficient time for applicants submitting renewal applications for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles to prepare the necessary application documents. If eligible applicants for the renewal of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles do not submit the renewal applications within the designated period allotted, the applicants will be required to participate again in the computer ballot to obtain an application quota, and submit the application as a new application within the allotted designated period; and

(d) To further enable holders of valid licences for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles to enquire whether they are invited to submit renewal applications, to learn when their allotted application periods are and what their passcodes are, etc, the TD will launch a new function, “Enquire Renewal Application Invitation Details”, on the designated website on May 20 for applicants to check by themselves.

     In addition, according to the “Guangdong Province Administrative Measures for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to the Mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge”, Mainland authorities will accept and vet applications submitted by holders of valid licences for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles 30 days prior to the expiry of electronic vehicle licences from the Mainland authorities at the earliest. Hence, after completion of the preliminary vetting of the applications, the TD will pass the applications for Mainland authorities’ processing within 30 days prior to the expiry of electronic vehicle licences from the Mainland authorities. Applicants will be notified by email of the updated application status by then, and they may also check the status of their applications online on the designated website. Applicants are advised to wait patiently after submission of their applications for renewal of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles.

     Details of the refined arrangements for renewal applications of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles are available at the Renewal Application page on the designated website (www.hzmbqfs.gov.hk/en/RenewalApplication).

     Furthermore, the number of applications of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles to be processed will be increased from 300 to 400 applications per working day starting from June, to better cope with the needs of new applications and renewal applications.

     The governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will continue to monitor the operation of the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and will keep close liaison with relevant departments to review and enhance the arrangements of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles in a timely manner. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) delegation, led by the President of the LegCo, Mr Andrew Leung, continued its duty visit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today (May 14).

     In the morning, the delegation met with the President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Mr Low Kian Chuan. Both sides exchanged views on various topics including promoting new industrialisation and supporting young entrepreneurs. They looked forward to businesses in Hong Kong and Malaysia continuing to promote exchanges and knowledge sharing in various industries, with a view to strengthening the economic development of both places.

     Members then attended a luncheon with representatives of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia to share information on the latest development of Hong Kong’s commerce, trade and investment. The delegation emphasised that Hong Kong’s early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will contribute to strengthening regional co-operation. The delegation also exchanged views with the chambers of commerce on the Belt and Road Initiative and developments of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, aiming to further promote bilateral relations and achieve mutual benefits in areas such as investment, trade, maritime services and logistics.

     In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to learn about the latest development of innovation and technology in Malaysia and explore opportunities for deeper co-operation. MDEC is a government agency responsible for leading the transformation of Malaysia’s digital economy. Members also share experiences with representatives of MDEC on areas such as e-commerce, electronic payment, fintech, digital infrastructure, as well as cyber and data security. Last year, MDEC collaborated with post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong to foster the development of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

     The delegation departed for Jakarta, Indonesia in the evening and will begin its duty visit in Jakarta tomorrow (May 15). 

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority.      Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed as having Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in a surgical ward, the spokesperson for… read more

     A man who went missing in Wong Tai Sin has been located.      Ho Hiu-pang, aged 28, went missing after he left his residence in Wang Tau Hom Estate on May 12 morning. His family made a report to Police on… read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a territory-wide enforcement operation codenamed “Silver Wing” yesterday (May 13) to combat violations by imported workers. During the operation, four imported workers, suspected of performing duties at non-contractual homes for the elderly, were arrested. Three persons-in-charge of the homes for the elderly concerned were also arrested.
 
     The ImmD received a report earlier about several homes for the elderly where imported workers were illegally deployed for duties. After an in-depth investigation and intelligence analysis, the ImmD officers initiated the operation yesterday and arrested the abovementioned four imported workers and the three persons-in-charge of the homes for the elderly. The arrested imported workers comprised one man and three women, aged 32 to 52, who were suspected of breaching their conditions of stay by performing duties at non-contractual homes for the elderly. The arrested persons-in-charge of the homes for the elderly comprised three women, aged 42 to 65, who were suspected of aiding and abetting a person who breached their condition of stay in Hong Kong.
 
     “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence. Also, after entry into the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the imported worker admitted on an employment condition must remain under the direct employment of the same employer for the specified job and in the specific workplace(s) as stipulated in the Standard Employment Contract and cannot be employed by other companies or subcontractors. Change of the employer, post or place of work (unless stipulated in the Standard Employment Contract) is not permitted. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.