The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, today (March 26) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Dr Eddy Li.
 
     Mr Yau said, "Dr Li was an outstanding industrialist and a successful entrepreneur who spared no effort to promote the development of trade and industry in Hong Kong. As a business leader for years, he was the President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and President of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Association, and was well respected in the business sector. He was deeply committed to public services with excellent performance, having served on various advisory boards such as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Productivity Council and offered invaluable advice, making significant contributions to the development of trade and industry. Under his leadership, his business group was dedicated to promoting various charitable causes and made admirable contributions to society."
 
     "I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr Li for his contributions to the community, and extend my deepest condolences to his family," Mr Yau said.

     The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau convened a meeting today (March 26) to co-ordinate the preparations for visitor arrivals to Hong Kong during the five-day Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland from May 1 to 5. The meeting was hosted by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, with representatives attending from government departments including the Hong Kong Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Transport Department, and various District Offices. Representatives from various tourism-related organisations including the Travel Industry Authority, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, major tourist attractions and the hotel industry also attended.
      
     Mr Yeung said, "In anticipation of the increased number of visitors arriving in Hong Kong during the Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland, government departments and relevant organisations will continue to work closely, making early preparations for active deployment of resources as well as stepping up co-ordination and communication with relevant Mainland counterparts so as to create good travel experiences for visitors arriving in Hong Kong."
      
     Relevant parties will maintain close communication before the Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland to plan and take forward various preparations for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong.

    

     A renovation company and its male director were convicted and respectively sentenced to a fine of $2,500 and nine weeks' imprisonment today (March 26) at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts for engaging in wrongly accepting payment, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO). The company and the male director were earlier convicted of applying a false trade description to renovation services on February 29, and were fined $3,000 and sentenced to imprisonment for eight months respectively. The two sentences of the male director are to run concurrently, making a total of eight months' imprisonment.  

     Hong Kong Customs earlier received information alleging that a renovation company was suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices in the online sale of various types of custom-made furniture.
      
     After an investigation, Customs found that the male director of the renovation company concerned sold different types of custom-made furniture through a social media platform page. However, he failed to supply the relevant products or procure a third person to supply equivalent products within a reasonable time after accepting payments from a customer. The director later told the customer that the delivery would be delayed or arrangement of refunds could be made, but no follow-up action was taken eventually.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentence and reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Consumers should also purchase products at reputable shops.
      
     Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if, at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
      
     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 online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     The Chief Executive in Council today (March 26) authorised the construction of the railway station at Hung Shui Kiu (HSK Station) under the Railways Ordinance. It is expected that the construction of the HSK Station will commence this year for completion in 2030. 

     The HSK Station will be an intermediate station between the Tin Shui Wai Station and the Siu Hong Station at the Tuen Ma Line. It primarily serves the future Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA) in the western part of the Northern Metropolis.   

     A Government spokesperson said, "The HSK Station will offer an alternative transport choice for local residents. Currently, the commute via road-based transport between HSK/HT NDA and the Tin Shui Wai Station or the Siu Hong Station takes about 20 to 25 minutes during peak hours. With the commissioning of the HSK Station, the same journey by rail is expected to be shortened to about four minutes."

     "The Government and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) have been engaging the relevant local stakeholders, including relevant District Council members, rural committee members and local residents, through various modes and channels in the past few years to provide information and exchange views on the HSK Station. During the period, many local residents expressed their desire for the early implementation of the HSK Station," the spokesman said. 
      
     The scheme of the HSK Station was gazetted on February 24, 2023. Subsequently, the Government received some objections and, in collaboration with the MTRCL, has carefully reviewed the grounds of each objection, met the objectors to explain the railway scheme and addressed their concerns with a view to allaying their doubts. The Government has also submitted the unwithdrawn objections to the Executive Council for consideration.
      
     "During the implementation of the HSK Station project, the MTRCL will continue to maintain close communication with the relevant stakeholders. Also, the MTRCL is required to comply with the conditions set out in the environmental permit issued by the Director of Environmental Protection to minimise the disturbances to the environment to acceptable levels," the spokesman said.

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) carried out a repatriation operation today (March 26). A total of 27 Vietnamese illegal immigrants were repatriated to Vietnam. The persons removed comprised 11 men and 16 women, all of whom were unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants. Among them were discharged prisoners who had committed criminal offences and had been sentenced to imprisonment.

     â€‹The ImmD will remain committed to expediting the removal process to repatriate illegal immigrants and overstayers from Hong Kong as soon as practicable according to the actual situation through appropriate measures as necessary.