Effective Exchange Rate Index
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 is 105.5 (down 0.2 against yesterday’s index). read more
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 is 105.5 (down 0.2 against yesterday’s index). read more
The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department (HAD) yesterday (March 25) conducted a joint surprise operation with the Hong Kong Police Force to inspect one place of premises in Yuen Long District that was suspected of operating an unlicensed guesthouse in order to ensure the safety of the general public.
A spokesman for the HAD said, “During the operation, the OLA found one place of premises that was suspected of operating an unlicensed guesthouse. The OLA will follow up this case and will initiate prosecution if there is sufficient evidence after completion of the investigation.”
The spokesman stressed, “Operating an unlicensed hotel/guesthouse is a criminal offence and it can lead to imprisonment as well as a criminal record upon conviction. According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, an offender of an unlicensed hotel/guesthouse is liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and three years’ imprisonment, and a fine of $20,000 for each day during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for the hotel/guesthouse involved in a repeated offence.”
Tourists and members of the public can make use of the search functions on the OLA’s website to check whether the hotel/guesthouse concerned is licensed or not. Any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse should be reported to the OLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses”.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
Exchange Fund Bills tender results:
Tender date | : | March 26, 2024 |
Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
Issue number | : | Q2413 |
Issue date | : | March 27, 2024 |
Maturity date | : | June 26, 2024 |
Amount applied | : | HK$125,231 MN |
Amount allotted | : | HK$60,237 MN |
Average yield accepted | : | 4.40 PCT |
Highest yield accepted | : | 4.48 PCT |
Pro rata ratio* | : | About 38 PCT |
Average tender yield | : | 4.52 PCT |
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Tender date | : | March 26, 2024 |
Paper on offer | : | EF Bills |
Issue number | : | H2442 |
Issue date | : | March 27, 2024 |
Maturity date | : | September 25, 2024 |
Amount applied | : | HK$40,035 MN |
Amount allotted | : | HK$15,000 MN |
Average yield accepted | : | 4.34 PCT |
Highest yield accepted | : | 4.44 PCT |
Pro rata ratio* | : | About 1 PCT |
Average tender yield | : | 4.48 PCT |
Two property co-owners were convicted and fined about $25,000 in total at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts this month for failing to comply with a statutory notice issued in respect of their residential unit under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) according to the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The subject unit is located in a 59-year-old composite building on Apliu Street, Sham Shui Po. A statutory notice was issued under section 30B(5) of the BO by the Buildings Department (BD), requiring the concerned owners to appoint a registered inspector to carry out the prescribed inspection and, if necessary, prescribed repair in respect of the balcony of the unit.
Since the owners failed to comply with the statutory notice, they were prosecuted by the BD and were convicted and fined by the court on March 6 and 20 respectively.
“Failing to comply with a statutory notice without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The BD may instigate prosecution proceedings against the owner according to the BO”, a spokesman of the BD said today (March 26).
Pursuant to section 40(1BC) of the BO, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a statutory notice served on the person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 5 ($50,000 at present) and to imprisonment for one year, as well as a further fine of $5,000 for each day that the offence has continued.
The Layman’s Guide on MBIS can be downloaded from the BD website at www.bd.gov.hk/doc/en/resources/pamphlets-and-videos/LGMBIS_e.pdf. read more
Parents of Primary Six students participating in the current (2024) cycle of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System who have made applications at the discretionary places (DP) stage will receive notifications tomorrow (March 27) from the secondary schools they have applied for if their children have been selected as successful applicants. Students who have not been notified as successful DP applicants can participate in the Central Allocation (CA), the Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (March 26).
Notification arrangements for successful DP applicants
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Under the notification arrangements for successful DP applicants, if students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for Discretionary Places, their parents will receive notifications from the secondary schools concerned on March 27. Parents who have registered as SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) users with “iAM Smart” or “iAM Smart+” may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they would accept the DP offers.
Parents of successful DP applicants who have also successfully applied for a school place in a non-participating Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary school should decide between the two options. If the parents decide to accept the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary school, they should disregard the notifications from the secondary schools which have selected their children at the DP stage. Their children will be allocated to the DSS secondary school concerned according to the established mechanism. If the parents decide to decline the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary school, they should notify the DSS secondary school concerned and retrieve the originals of the signed Parent’s Undertaking and the Primary 6 Student Record Form on or before April 10 in order to retain the school place successfully applied for at the DP stage.
Distribution of school choice documents for CA
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Parents who have registered as eSSPA users and bound their account to “iAM Smart+” may browse choice-making information and documents, submit CA applications and view allocation results via the eSSPA. To cater for the needs of different parents, traditional paper application forms will continue to be accepted, and primary schools participating in the SSPA System have been informed to collect copies of the following documents on April 9: