The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, today (March 29) said that the rates of allowance of the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Scheme will be increased starting from the next claim month, further alleviating the burden of grassroots working families, encouraging continuous self-reliance through full-time employment and incentivising more families to join the labour market.

     It was announced in the Policy Address last year that the rates of household and child allowances under the WFA Scheme will be increased by 15 per cent across the board with effect from the claim month of April 2024 (details at Annex), benefiting all households receiving WFA. Taking a four-person household with two eligible children as an example, the maximum monthly WFA they may receive will increase from the current amount of $4,200 to $4,830. Households submitting their WFA applications starting from May 2024 will benefit from the new rates of allowance.

     On the other hand, after the passage of the Appropriation Bill 2024 (the Bill), the Working Family Allowance Office (WFAO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) will disburse a one-off extra allowance to WFA recipients as proposed in the 2024-25 Budget. It is expected that the extra allowance will be disbursed one month after the passage of the Bill at the earliest.

     Households which made WFA applications during the applicable period that were eventually approved are eligible for the one-off extra allowance. The applicable period is from the first day of the month in which the Bill is passed by the Legislative Council to the date of passage of the Bill, and the six calendar months before that month. For applications submitted by post, the date of the post-stamp is adopted as the application date.

     In order to be eligible for the extra allowance, new applicants or previous WFA recipients who have yet to submit applications during the applicable period should submit their applications before the applicable period expires (i.e. on or before the date of passage of the Bill). The extra allowance is equal to one half of the average monthly allowance in approved months in a recipient's most recently submitted WFA application, which was submitted within the applicable period and eventually approved. The amount varies from case to case.

     If a WFA household is receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) at the date of passage of the Bill, the household is eligible for only one single extra allowance, which will be calculated based on the higher amount the household is eligible to receive under the WFA Scheme or the CSSA Scheme. The rates of allowance of the WFA Scheme are determined on a monthly basis based on the household's income and working hours. The claim period of an application covers the six calendar months immediately before the submission of the application, and an eligible household has to submit an application for every claim period.

     For enquiries, applicants may visit the website of the WFSFAA (www.wfsfaa.gov.hk) or call the 24-hour hotline (2558 3000) of the WFAO.

    

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 28) that lifesaving services will be provided at 22 gazetted beaches from April 1. Please refer to the Annex for details of the beaches concerned. 

     During the swimming season (from April to October), lifesaving services will be provided daily at the above gazetted beaches from 9am to 6pm. The services will be extended from 8am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the peak period from June to August. 

     The LCSD reminds members of the public not to swim at the beaches without lifesaving services to avoid accidents.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 28) that swimming pool complexes will open gradually for public use from April 1, or upon completion of annual maintenance, for the new swimming season. The department calls on swimmers to mind their safety and keep public swimming pools clean and hygienic while swimming.

     All public swimming pools, except Mui Wo Swimming Pool, will be open between April and October from 6.30am to 10pm for three sessions daily with two one-hour breaks. To tie in with the ferry schedule, the daily opening hours of Mui Wo Swimming Pool start from 8.30am to 6pm, with one one-hour break. In addition, Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool in Kowloon City District has been temporarily closed for maintenance. 

     For the 17 pool complexes with both heated and non-heated swimming facilities, heated facilities will continue operation between April 1 and 15 while non-heated facilities will come into service from April 16.

     The 17 swimming pool complexes include:

Hong Kong Island: 
 

Kowloon: 
 

New Territories: 
 

     To maintain the hygiene of public swimming pools, each pool will be closed for thorough cleaning once a week, in addition to the routine cleaning work carried out daily. The cleaning operation will be conducted on a designated weekday (Monday to Friday) from 10am to the end of the second session. If the scheduled weekly cleaning day falls on a public holiday, cleaning will be rescheduled to another weekday in the same week.

     Individual swimming pools will be temporarily closed during certain periods in 2024 for maintenance works. Details are set out in the Annex.

     To ensure a clean environment in public swimming pools, swimmers should maintain personal hygiene and observe the pool rules, including the following points:
(a) Swimmers should shower before entering the pool deck;
(b) Swimmers should walk through the shower bath and footbath;
(c) Swimmers should not go swimming if they feel unwell and should seek medical consultation instead;
(d) Swimmers are advised to use the toilet before swimming and should never urinate or defecate in the pools. They should leave the water immediately and use the toilet if they have to vomit; and
(e) Parents should teach their children the importance of maintaining personal and public hygiene.

     Holders of public swimming pool monthly tickets are encouraged to apply for monthly ticket smart cards which are printed with the card holder's photo and preloaded with information on the validity period. The smart cards will enable holders to enter the pools easily and conveniently without having to produce documentary proof of identity. Interested monthly ticket holders can apply for smart cards free of charge. For details, please visit the following website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-ticket.html.

     For details of the opening arrangements and the schedule of the weekly cleaning operations of the public swimming pools, please visit the following websites:
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-hk.html ;
(swimming pools in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon); and
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-nt.html
(swimming pools in the New Territories).

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (March 28) urged the public not to consume a kind of bottled black vinegar product imported from Japan, as the product might contain red fermented rice with suspected problems. The CFS is following up on the case.
     
     Product details are as follows:

Product name: (Not available in English)
Brand: (Not available in English)
Place of origin: Japan
Volume: 500 ml
Importer: Golden Fellow Hong Kong Limited

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS, upon learning that food and beverages which were made with suspected problematic red fermented rice are recently being recalled in Japan, immediately contacted importers and retailers for follow-up. A preliminary investigation found that a retail outlet in Causeway Bay had sold the affected bottled black vinegar product. The above-mentioned importer has stopped sales and removed from shelves the affected product, and has initiated a recall according to the CFS's instructions. Members of the public may call its hotline at 5132 8989 during office hours for enquiries about the recall."

     â€‹The CFS has alerted the trade and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. The CFS has also enhanced relevant surveillance and will closely monitor the latest developments in the Japanese authority's recalls of relevant food products. The investigation is ongoing. Members of the public should consult medical professionals if they intend to consume food products containing red fermented rice for improving health conditions.

     The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, today (March 28) visited Luohu District and Pingshan District in Shenzhen to learn about Shenzhen's experience in the development of local districts, in particular the development mode and experience in attracting industries, for reference of the Northern Metropolis development.
     
     Ms Linn attended experience sharing sessions by the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Governments of Luohu District and Pingshan District on the development of Sungang and Qingshuihe sub-districts in Luohu District, as well as Pingshan District and Baguang sub-district of Dapeng New District. The discussion topics included the planning and development process, and selection of developer, etc. She also visited some of the districts.
     
     The development direction of Sungang sub-district in Luohu District focuses on modern commercial business while the neighbouring Qingshuihe sub-district, planned as a "Headquarters Economic Cluster of Digital Economy", is a base for the artificial intelligence industry. The Life and Health Technology Park and Biomedical Accelerator area in the Pingshan District are the platforms for strategic industries such as biomedicine and medical equipment. As for Baguang sub-district of Dapeng New District, it focuses on emerging industries such as marine industry, and life and health, etc.
     
     Ms Linn said that being innovative in policy making is necessary for delivering the vision of the Northern Metropolis. For the previous mode of development, the Government would carry out site formation works, followed by sale of individual sites by public tender. Roads and community facilities were also constructed by the Government in general. The Government will proactively explore the mode of "development of local districts", to select sizable land parcels with commercial returns and community facilities in some New Development Areas in the Northern Metropolis, for the developer being the successful bidder of the project to develop and construct the project collectively. This mode of development can alleviate the financial burden of the Government in the initial stage, facilitate a more coordinated design for the development of local districts, and expedite the provision of public facilities by leveraging market forces.
 
     The Director of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office of the Development Bureau, Mr Vic Yau, also joined the visit.
     
     The delegation returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.