â€‹Hong Kong Customs on February 29 and March 2 detected two suspected smuggling cases involving river trade vessels. A large batch of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $211 million was seized. 

     Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs suspected that criminals were using river trade vessels to smuggle goods to the Mainland and thus formulated strategies to combat related activities. During the operation, two river trade vessels departing from Hong Kong and bound for Macao and Huangpu of Guangzhou respectively were selected for inspection on the above mentioned dates. Upon examination, Customs officers onboard the two vessels found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including over 130 000 hard disks, about 200 000 electronic product accessories, about 160 000 cigarettes, about 13 000 bottles of health products and about 3 000 boxes of pharmaceutical products.

     An investigation is ongoing. 

     Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has all along been combating various smuggling activities proactively at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, along with mounting targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to land a solid blow against relevant activities.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Moreover, any person who imports or exports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities 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/).

              

     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 7 to noon today (March 8), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 220 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. 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 52 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 34 997 samples of food imported from Japan (including 23 441 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 9 728 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The review meeting of the Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Mainland municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), was held in Shenzhen today (March 8). The first batch of Hong Kong civil servants arranged by the HKSAR shared their experiences and insights gained from the three-month exchange in Shenzhen.
 
     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; the Director General of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Ms Chen Liwen; and member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Director General of the Organization Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Cheng Buyi, attended and addressed the review meeting. The Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung; the Director General of the HKMAO of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Mr Jiang Likun; and the Head of the Civil Service College, Mr Oscar Kwok, were also present.
 
     At the review meeting, Mrs Yeung said that this year marks the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The successful completion of the Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme with the Mainland municipalities in the GBA is of great significance and has laid a solid foundation for future exchanges and co-operation between civil servants from both sides.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, "Hong Kong civil servants play a crucial role in promoting the high-quality development of the GBA. The Chief Executive has proposed in the 2023 Policy Address the introduction of an exchange programme with civil servants from GBA cities, enabling Hong Kong civil servants to gain a deeper understanding of the development of the GBA and the work of the host government agencies, thereby better complementing the GBA's development strategy." She expressed her gratitude to the HKMAO of the State Council, the HKMAO of the Guangdong Provincial Government and the HKMAO of the Shenzhen Municipal Government for their support for the programme.
 
     The HKSAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government signed the Agreement on Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme with the Mainland Municipalities in the GBA in September last year. The first batch of participants began their exchange in Shenzhen in December last year. They were assigned to the Futian District People's Government, the Agency for the Construction and Development of Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen Municipality (Qianhai Authority), the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Transport Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, to engage in in-depth exchanges in areas such as district management, technology development, town planning, transportation and environmental protection. The 10 participating middle and senior-level civil servants came from eight departments and grades, including the Administrative Officer Grade, the Executive Officer Grade, the Environmental Protection Department, the Highways Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Planning Department and the Transport Department.
 
     Mrs Yeung said that the exchange period has been extended from four weeks to about three months. The participants this round were assigned to projects that promote Hong Kong-Shenzhen co-operation and the city's development, deepening their understanding of the operations of Mainland government authorities and the formulation and implementation of policies, while also establishing closer ties with their Shenzhen counterparts. The participants also visited major facilities and took part in cultural and sports activities in Shenzhen, experiencing first-hand the city's vibrancy and creativity.
 
     Mr Cryus Chow from the Administrative Officer Grade was among the first batch of participants of the exchange programme. During his exchange, he served successively as the Special Assistant to both the Vice District Mayor of the Futian District People's Government and the Deputy Director of the Agency for the Construction and Development of Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. Among his responsibilities was to promote the development and planning of the Hetao area. During the review meeting, he shared his reflections, "This exchange has been a learning process, allowing me the opportunity to participate in project meetings and visits with Shenzhen civil servants. I was deeply impressed by the boldness of my Shenzhen counterparts in proposing and discussing many innovative ideas."
 
     Miss Chan Fei-fei from the Executive Officer Grade served as the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director-General of the Qianhai Authority during her exchange. She was involved in the day-to-day operations of the Hong Kong and Macao Service Office of the Qianhai Authority, serving Hong Kong residents and enterprises in Qianhai by understanding their needs and exploring suitable measures for their development. She considered the exchange an opportunity to enhance her understanding of national policies and the operations of Shenzhen's government authorities. Upon her return to Hong Kong, she hopes to apply the experience and insights gained to her work.

     Mrs Yeung encouraged the participants to actively share their experiences with their colleagues after returning to Hong Kong, integrate their learning from the exchange with the situation in Hong Kong, and apply it to their future work, thereby playing an active role in future co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
 
     Under the co-ordination of the HKMAO of the State Council, the Civil Service Bureau has organised the Civil Service Staff Exchange Programme jointly with a number of Mainland municipalities since 2002. Under the programme, officers from Hong Kong and the Mainland are attached to each other's side to share experience and expertise so as to better understand each other's structure, regulations, policy, operation, etc, to foster co-operation and communication and gain first-hand experience of the host city's latest developments.

          

     The Government announced today (March 8) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Mr Kevin Lam Sze-cay, Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi and Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong as members of the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The reappointments are for a period of three years with effect from April 1, 2024. 

     The Independent Commission advises the Government on matters relating to the systems of remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, as well as those for officials under the Political Appointment System. The Chairman of the Independent Commission is Mr Carlson Tong and other members are Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung and Ms Winnie Wong Chi-shun.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 8) that the Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 7pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.