The Correctional Services Department (CSD) announced today (December 12) that the Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service will be fully implemented on December 17 to facilitate the visitation of visitors.  … read more
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart for Beijing at dusk tomorrow (December 13) to join the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, in meeting with relevant ministries during Mr Lee’s duty visit to Beijing.
Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong on the afternoon of December 14. During his absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. read more
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 11) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. About 12 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $5.7 million was seized.
A 32-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Copenhagen, Denmark, via Helsinki, Finland, yesterday. During Customs clearance, the batch of suspected ketamine was found in 10 bags of drink powder and dog food inside his check-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.
The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 13).
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
The Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports) of Customs and Excise, Ms Wong Wai-chuen, today (December 12) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Cross-boundary Express Cargo Clearance Facilitation Arrangement (CEFA) with the Federal Express (Hong Kong) Limited to further deepen collaboration at the Customs Headquarters Building.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ms Wong said that to dovetail with the rapid development of the global electronic commerce industry, Customs has started the trial of the CEFA since the first half of this year by introducing an innovative customs clearance model of “free flow through the first line and efficient control at the second line”. Through pre-assessing the risk of goods based on the declared cargo information from logistics providers and utilising technology monitoring to ensure uninterrupted transportation of parcels, the time spent on loading, unloading and locating parcels inspected at Hong Kong ports will be reduced. Upon the arrival of parcels at a designated clearance area, a designated mobile examination team from Customs will conduct customs clearance on the spot to accelerate cargo shipment procedures. The implementation of the CEFA has demonstrated a balanced approach between trade facilitation and enforcement, thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s competitive advantage as a major international trade centre and regional logistics hub.
Customs attaches great importance to maintaining close co-operation with logistics providers and welcomes enterprises to participate in the CEFA to improve the overall efficiency of customs clearance and create a favourable business environment in Hong Kong. To participate in the CEFA, logistics providers must fulfil the following requirements:
(a) Obtain Authorized Economic Operator accreditation in Hong Kong;
(b) Become users of the Road Cargo System or other systems designated by Customs, with accurate cargo information submitted in formats specified by Customs;
(c) Become users of Customs electronic locks; and
(d) Bear a high level of credibility and a secured supply chain policy that meets the safety requirements of Customs.
Customs will continue to expand the scope of co-operation with the logistics industry to promote swift and reliable cargo clearance services, achieving a win-win situation for both sides. The department is also committed to being the gatekeeper and shoulder the responsibilities of the facilitator of economic development of the country and Hong Kong to intercept illegal articles entering and exiting Hong Kong, expedite cargo flow, and facilitate trading activities.
The 38th Shenzhen-Hong Kong Environmental Co-operation Forum was held in Hong Kong today (December 12). It was co-chaired by the Director of Environmental Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Dr Samuel Chui, and the Director of the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Li Shuisheng, to review this year’s work progress and pass the work plan for the year ahead. They also exchanged views on the work of Shenzhen and Hong Kong in solid waste management and resource recovery, as well as co-operation in water quality management.
Dr Chui said, “On solid waste management and resource recovery, waste reduction and circular economy are part of the Greater Bay Area (GBA)’s significant development. Hong Kong will keep boosting waste reduction and recycling, including introducing a producer responsibility scheme for more products. We will also continue to promote jointly with Shenzhen and other Mainland cities of the GBA the circular economy and green transformation by strengthening collaboration in environmental technology and industries, with a view to supporting the high-quality development of the GBA.”
He added that Hong Kong and Shenzhen will also strengthen studies in areas including collaboration on improving regional ozone pollution, as well as analysis of formation mechanisms and the uniqueness of regional and cross-regional ozone transportation in the GBA. Both sides will further improve the water quality management of the Deep Bay (Shenzhen Bay) to enhance the sewerage collection and treatment facilities in the area, as well as improve assessment standards suitable for the unique ecological environment quality of the Deep Bay, in order to ensure the water quality of the Deep Bay and build picturesque bays together.
Following the forum, representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau visited the Environmental Protection Department’s sludge treatment facility, T·PARK, to learn about how this modern waste management facility applies waste-to-energy technology in sludge treatment and provides leisure and environmental education for the public.
The HKSAR Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government have been in close contact, exchanging information and sharing knowledge on different environmental protection aspects such as regional air quality, water quality management and waste management, in order to align with national planning and developments. The Forum has been held twice a year since 2006 to deepen environmental co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
