The Government today (March 25) issued a vision statement on developing the sustainability disclosure ecosystem in Hong Kong. The statement sets out the vision and approach of the Government and financial regulators in developing a comprehensive ecosystem for sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong.  

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "Accurate information is an essential element in facilitating green and sustainable financial services. The vision statement clearly indicates the specific direction of the Government and financial regulators regarding the development of sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. This will help Hong Kong stay abreast of international trends in green and sustainable finance and accelerate our progress towards rising as an international green finance centre. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will continue to collaborate with financial regulators and stakeholders to progressively enhance Hong Kong's sustainability disclosure ecosystem and realise the vision, and further promote carbon neutrality in the city before 2050 and our country's '3060 Dual Carbon Targets' as well."

     Key points of the vision statement are as follows:

1. The Government and financial regulators aim for Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align the local sustainability disclosure requirements with the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards), showcasing to international investors and markets Hong Kong's commitment to reinforcing its leading position on the international sustainable finance map and solidifying the competitiveness of businesses in Hong Kong to address the global demand for sustainability disclosure.

2. The Government will adopt a holistic approach in developing the local sustainability disclosure standards and sustainability disclosure ecosystem. Assuming the role of the sustainability reporting standard setter in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants will develop the local sustainability reporting standards (Hong Kong Standards) aligned with the ISSB Standards as well as the complementary application and implementation guidance.

3. The Hong Kong Standards are intended for cross-sectoral observance, including listed companies and regulated financial institutions, such as banks, fund managers, insurance companies, and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) trustees, etc. A phased implementation approach will be adopted, with application of the Hong Kong Standards prioritised for publicly accountable entities such as listed companies and regulated financial institutions.  

4. The Government and financial regulators will promote sustainability assurance to enable credible implementation, enhance capacity building to support the industry and companies, and facilitate the use of technological solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and enable comparability and interoperability of disclosures.

5. The Government will work with financial regulators and stakeholders to develop a roadmap on the appropriate adoption of the ISSB Standards, and aim to launch the roadmap within 2024 to provide a transparent and well-defined pathway on sustainability reporting for businesses in Hong Kong as well as sufficient time for making preparations and developing readiness for the pragmatic implementation of the Hong Kong Standards.

     The full vision statement can be found in the Annex to this press release.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 25) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From March 17 to 23, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases:
 
     1. A male patient, aged 74 with underlying illnesses, who lives in North District; and
     2. A male patient, aged 82 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Yuen Long District.

     "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of March 23, 15 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.

     "Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily. 

     
     â€‹The public should observe the health advice below:
     

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes: 

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.
 

     The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, and a delegation of representatives from the Housing Bureau and the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) visited Huizhou today (March 25) to inspect the production progress of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) modules of Light Public Housing (LPH).

     Ms Ho; the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Miss Rosanna Law; the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Michael Li, and the delegation visited CSCEC Science and Industry Greentech Corporation Limited (CSCEC Science and Industry) in the morning to inspect the factory manufacturing of LPH MiC modules. They were briefed on the production progress and learned about the smart and automated manufacturing process. Ms Ho appreciated the project team's effort to support the challenging LPH works by investing a large amount of manpower and resources, and applying advanced management and construction technologies including the application of automatic welding systems. 

     Apart from promptly increasing production capacity, material reserves and high-calibre staff, the project team has been exploring how to optimise applications of technologies like Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP) and MiC Lift, with the target of making LPH as Hong Kong's first Steel "Full MiC" high-rise construction project. This allows for the expeditious and safe construction of LPH to help those in need improve their living conditions as early as possible. 

     CSCEC Science and Industry has been commissioned by the main contractor, Chevalier – China Railway Joint Venture, to produce about 9 300 MiC modules in total for the LPH projects at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun Area 3A and Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok. The first batch of modules is expected to arrive in Hong Kong next month at the earliest.

     Ms Ho said that construction work of the first four LPH projects has already commenced at full speed (including the project at Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak, with China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited as the main contractor). Among them, intake for the Yau Pok Road project is tentatively scheduled in the first quarter of next year. She thanked the hard work of the construction team and encouraged them to continue deploying the best talent and most advanced construction technologies to expedite the construction, with a view to improving the living conditions and quality of family life for those currently living in inadequate accommodation at the soonest.

     The delegation visited the factory of a Hong Kong enterprise, Yau Lee Wah Construction Materials (Huizhou) Company Limited, in the afternoon to learn about the different innovative technologies and smart equipment adopted by Hong Kong contractors in manufacturing MiC modules, such as artificial intelligence automated MiC steel mold production, automatic welding systems and automatic aluminium window sash production lines. Apart from a government project of ArchSD (Chai Wan Government Complex and Vehicle Depot), the factory also supplied over 90 000 units of different types of precast elements (including MiC modules) for the public housing projects of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (e.g. Tung Chung Area 99, Anderson Road Quarry Sites R2-5 and more).

     Ms Ho and her delegation will return to Hong Kong this evening after the visit.

                      

Monthly wage
 
     According to the statistics released today (March 25) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the median monthly wage of employees in Hong Kong in May – June 2023 was $19,800. This was 3.5% higher than the median of $19,100 in May – June 2022.
 
     The change in monthly wage in 2023 when compared with 2022 is useful in reflecting the change in take-home pay of employees between these two years.
 
     In May – June 2023, the 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentile monthly wages of Hong Kong employees were $10,400, $14,300, $31,100 and $48,500 respectively. They were 3.8%, 4.3%, 3.1% and 2.6% higher than the corresponding figures in May – June 2022 respectively (Table 1).
 
     As shown in Table 2, increase in median monthly wage was generally observed for both male and female employees and for all age groups, educational attainments, occupational groups and industry sections.
 
Hourly wage
 
     The median hourly wage of employees in Hong Kong in May – June 2023 was $80.1, 3.5% higher than the median of $77.4 in May – June 2022.  The 5th, 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentile hourly wages were $44.4, $47.7, $57.0, $127.6 and $204.2 respectively. The overall hourly wage distribution of employees is shown in Table 3. The number of employees analysed by selected hourly wage level is shown in Table 4.
 
     In May – June 2023, the median hourly wage of male employees was $89.6 while that of female employees was $70.7.  Analysed by age group, the median hourly wage of employees at age 35 – 44 was the highest ($94.0), followed by employees at age 25 – 34 ($82.4) and at age 45 – 54 ($82.0). The median hourly wages of employees of different sexes, age groups, educational attainments, occupational groups and industry sections are given in Table 5.
 
Further information
 
     The above wage statistics were compiled based on the data obtained from the 2023 Annual Earnings and Hours Survey (AEHS). The purpose of the survey is to provide comprehensive data on the level and distribution of wages, employment details and demographic profile of employees in Hong Kong. These statistics are useful for studies on labour-related topics by the private sector and the Government. They also provide important inputs for analyses related to the Statutory Minimum Wage. A sample of about 10 000 business undertakings was selected for the survey.
 
     Wage(s) is defined to include basic wage, commission and tips not of gratuitous nature, guaranteed bonuses and allowances, and overtime allowance paid to an employee in the survey period. It does not cover bonuses and allowances of gratuitous nature, end of year payment and payments in kind. Number of working hours is the sum of contractual/agreed working hours (including meal breaks if they are regarded as working hours according to the employment contract or agreement with the employer) and overtime hours worked at the direction of employers.
 
     By arranging the hourly wages of all employees from the smallest to the largest value, the median hourly wage is the hourly wage of the employee who ranks in the middle of all the employees concerned. In other words, the median hourly wage is the hourly wage value that delineates the lowest 50% of all the employees concerned.
 
     Percentile hourly wage figures are useful in discerning the distribution of hourly wage of employees. The pth percentile hourly wage is the hourly wage value which delineates the lowest p% of all the employees concerned, where p can be any integer value from 1 to 99. For instance, the 10th percentile hourly wage is the hourly wage value that delineates the lowest 10% of the employees. The 25th percentile, 50th percentile and 75th percentile hourly wages are also known as the lower quartile, median and upper quartile hourly wages respectively.
 
     The median and percentile monthly wage figures are derived similarly as the median and percentile hourly wage figures.
 
     Regarding the survey coverage, the AEHS covers all business undertakings irrespective of their employment sizes and industries, except those engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing activities. All employees of business undertakings falling within the scope of the survey who are under the coverage of the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO) are included in the survey.  Government employees as well as student interns, work experience students and live-in domestic workers as exempted by MWO are excluded.  As it is necessary to derive the hourly wage of employees from their monthly wages and hours of work, those employees with zero working hours in the survey reference period are also excluded.
 
     Details of the wage statistics compiled from the 2023 AEHS and the survey methodology are given in the 2023 Report on Annual Earnings and Hours Survey. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050014&scode=210).
 
     Enquiries concerning the survey results of the AEHS can be directed to the Wages and Labour Costs Statistics Section (2) of the C&SD at 3105 2369.

     In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on March 22 to noon today (March 25), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 298 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 38 327 samples of food imported from Japan (including 25 575 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 10 580 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.