The Education Bureau today (December 20) announced that the annual subsidy amount of the Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong (NMTSS) will be adjusted upwards from $34,390 in the current academic year to $35,120 in the 2025/26 academic year, in accordance with the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index.
 
     The adjusted level of subsidy will apply to both new and continuing eligible students. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Eligible students enrolling in the relevant programmes will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
 
     Launched in the 2017/18 academic year, the NMTSS provides a non-means-tested annual subsidy for eligible students pursuing full-time locally accredited local and non-local self-financing undergraduate (including top-up degree) programmes offered by eligible institutions in Hong Kong. In line with the policy to promote vocational and professional education and training (VPET) as stated in "The Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address", with effect from the 2023/24 academic year, the eligibility criteria of the NMTSS have been rationalised to benefit students from different backgrounds, including those with VPET qualifications.
 
     The subsidy applies to all eligible local students enrolling in programmes covered by the Scheme. Applications for the subsidy need to be made through the institutions concerned. A list of the 15 eligible institutions and programmes for the 2025/26 cohort is in the Annex. The list may be updated according to the latest information provided by the institutions. Please visit the NMTSS website (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/nmt/nmt-prog-search) for the latest information about the eligible programmes.

     The Government announced today (December 20) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang and Mr Brian David Li Man-bun as members of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee for two years starting from January 1, 2025. 

     Established in 1993, the Disaster Relief Fund provides a ready mechanism for Hong Kong to respond swiftly to international appeals for humanitarian aid in relief of disasters that occur outside Hong Kong. The Committee is tasked with advising on disbursement from the Disaster Relief Fund and monitoring the use of grants by the recipients. 

     The membership of the Committee from January 1, 2025, is as follows:
 
Chairman:
Chief Secretary for Administration (ex-officio)

Members:
Dr Ko Wing-man
Mr Chan Hak-kan
Ms Lam So-wai
Mr Edmund Wong Chun-sek
Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang
Mr Brian David Li Man-bun
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury or representative (ex-officio)
Secretary for Labour and Welfare or representative (ex-officio)

     To advance the development of a digital government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is collaborating with Guangdong Province to promote the Cross-boundary Public Services initiative. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) announced today (December 20) the setting up of a Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk in Huizhou to enable residents and enterprises in Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to access public services of Hong Kong without the need to travel to Hong Kong in person.
 
     Starting today, the public can use the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk located on 1/F, Building 1, Huizhou Civic Center, to access various public services of Hong Kong. The opening hours of the kiosk in the Center are 8.30am to noon and 2pm to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays on the Mainland). For details, please visit the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services thematic website at www.crossboundaryservices.gov.hk/en/home/index.html.
 
     Following the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks that commenced operation earlier in Guangzhou, Qianhai and Futian in Shenzhen, and Zhuhai as well as Foshan, the Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks currently provide a total of 70 public services from 11 government bureaux and departments as well as related organisations, encompassing areas commonly used by enterprises and the public including taxation, company registration, property and vehicle enquiry and registration, application for personal identification documents and entry of talent, welfare and education, healthcare, immigration clearance, urgent assistance as well as culture and tourism. Members of the public can use the self-service kiosks to perform data entry, document scanning and result printing to enjoy one-stop access when applying for various public services.
 
     An "iAM Smart" self-registration kiosk is also set up at the Huizhou location to enable Hong Kong residents working and living on the Mainland to register for "iAM Smart+" and directly use the "iAM Smart" mobile app for one-stop public services, such as renewal of a vehicle licence, application for an International Driving Permit and registration for eHealth. For details and registration requirements, please visit the "iAM Smart" thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html.
 
     A spokesman for the DPO expressed sincere gratitude to the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data for its strong support, and to the Center for its full co-operation. The DPO will continue to discuss with the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data to set up self-service and self-registration kiosks in more Mainland cities of the GBA to cope with the demands of residents and enterprises in the GBA for public services of Hong Kong.
 
     To implement the State Council's Guiding Opinions to all provincial governments on Cross-provincial Public Services and their comprehensive deployment, the HKSAR Government accepted the invitation of the People's Government of Guangdong Province in 2021 to jointly launch the GBA Cross-boundary Public Services, and worked with Guangdong Province in November last year to introduce a dedicated service area/thematic website for Cross-boundary Public Services. The initiative enables enterprises and the public in both regions to enjoy simple and convenient cross-boundary services, with a view to facilitating the provision of public services and investment in the GBA, and enhancing the satisfaction and sense of contentment of enterprises and the public in accessing services across the boundary.

        

     â€‹The Government announced today (December 20) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong, Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, Mr Chan Kin-por, Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har, Mr Stanley Ng Chau-pei, Mr Tam Yiu-chung, Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung, and Mr Chow Chung-kong as non-official members of the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.

     "All non-official members will serve for a one-year term, from January 1 to December 31, 2025," a Government spokesman said.

     The Selection Committee is tasked with considering nominations for various honours as well as for the appointment of Non-official Justices of the Peace (JPs) and making recommendations to the Chief Executive.

     Honours and awards are awarded to individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to Hong Kong or dedicated public and community service. The appointment of JPs is governed by the Justices of the Peace Ordinance (Cap. 510). JPs are required to perform certain functions, including visiting custodial institutions or detention centres, to ensure that such facilities are effectively managed and that no inmate is unfairly treated or deprived of his or her rights.

     The annual Honours List and the list of new JP appointments are normally published in the Government Gazette on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1).

     The Selection Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Other official members include the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office.

     The Selection Committee's full membership for the new term is as follows:

Chairman
———-
Chief Secretary for Administration

Non-official Members
————————
Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee
Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong
Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi
Mr Chan Kin-por
Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har
Mr Stanley Ng Chau-pei
Mr Tam Yiu-chung
Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung
Mr Chow Chung-kong

Official Members
——————-
Financial Secretary
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
Chairman, Public Service Commission
Director, Chief Executive's Office

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 19) seized about four kilograms of suspected etomidate (the main ingredient of "space oil"), a kind of Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, with an estimated market value of about $4.2 million in Tsuen Wan.
      
     Through intelligence analysis and in-depth investigations, Customs officers yesterday afternoon intercepted a 32-year-old local man at a hotel in Tsuen Wan and seized about 2kg of suspected etomidate inside a plastic bag carried by him. He was subsequently arrested. Customs officers later escorted him to his rented hotel room for a search and further seized about 2kg of suspected etomidate and a batch of suspected packaging paraphernalia.
      
     The arrestee has been charged for possession of Part 1 poison and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 21).
      
     Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour report hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).