Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 4) seized about 500 000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $1.3 million and a duty potential of about $900,000 at Shenzhen Bay Control Point.

     Customs officers intercepted an incoming truck declared as carrying assorted goods at Shenzhen Bay Control Point yesterday morning. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes inside 37 carton boxes.

     The 52-year-old male driver was arrested and the truck was detained. Investigation is ongoing.

     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.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (June 5) said that 13 general out-patient clinics (see table below) will provide services during the coming Tuen Ng … read more

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (June 5). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

1. Road closure
     
     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Vehicles from eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

1. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions
     
     The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition

     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETONY) held a roundtable luncheon at the BIO International Convention in Philadelphia, the United States (US), today (June 4, Philadelphia time) to promote Hong Kong’s opportunities and strengths in biotechnology development, and encourage biotechnology businesses in the US to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages to grow.
      
     Speaking at the Hong Kong Luncheon, the Director of the HKETONY, Ms Joanne Chu, said that Hong Kong’s appeal as a biotechnology hub continues to gain traction, with the introduction of new measures and investment by the Government. In addition, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development will bring further opportunities for the biotechnology industry in the region.
      
     In the past two years, to support the development of innovation and technology, the Hong Kong Government has invested about US$13 billion and introduced a series of measures from infrastructure development to talent admission to tax deductions for corporation’s research and development (R&D) expenditure. The Government is also enhancing its R&D capabilities by setting up two world-class research clusters in the Hong Kong Science Park, including one focusing on healthcare technologies, to give an edge in pooling top-notch universities, scientific research institutions and enterprises from all over the world to undertake R&D activities together.
      
     Hong Kong is now the world’s second largest funding hub for biotechnology. Following the launch of new listing rules by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) in April last year to welcome pre-revenue biotechnology companies, 12 biotechnology companies, including eight pre-revenue companies, have listed in Hong Kong, raising some US$4.7 billion through initial public offerings. 
      
     Today’s luncheon was attended by about 80 members of the biotechnology industry in the US. Other speakers included the Senior Vice President of the Market Development Division at HKEX, Mr Michael Chan; the Director of the BioMedical Technology Cluster, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Professor Cesar Wong; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization, Professor Albert Yu; the Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in New York, Ms Anna Fan; and Associate Director-General of Invest Hong Kong Mr Charles Ng. They highlighted Hong Kong’s booming biotechnology ecosystem including listing and fund-raising opportunities, and the latest developments in the biotechnology and biomedical landscape in the city. read more

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) is supporting Hong Kong’s architecture and creative talent during this year’s London Festival of Architecture by sponsoring a special exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) during June.

     The exhibition themed “meta/physical– Boundaries of Hong Kong” runs from June 3 to 29 (London Time) is being held at the Building Centre, London. It showcases 10 projects by young Hong Kong architects, demonstrating how they explore various boundaries via a series of objects, building models, photographs and short films. To complement the exhibition, a panel discussion was organised by the HKIA, in which architects from Hong Kong and London shared their experiences in the industry with the audience.

     Speaking at a reception to launch the exhibition on June 3 (London Time), the Director-General of the London ETO, Ms Priscilla To said: “We are very pleased to support the HKIA’s first ever participation in the London Festival of Architecture, the world’s largest annual architecture festival. This exhibition will not only showcase the talent, creativity and professionalism of Hong Kong’s architects, but will also provide an excellent opportunity for the relevant sectors from both Hong Kong and the UK to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.

     “The theme of the London Festival of Architecture this year, ‘Boundaries’, is very relevant to Hong Kong. While Hong Kong is just a tiny dot on the world map, we have an international business and financial centre with a population of about 7.5 million. Through careful land development, modern town planning, innovative architectural design and state-of-the-art engineering support, Hong Kong has increasingly been celebrated for its distinguished city landscape showing the unique character of blending the culture of East and West.”

     Also speaking at the reception, the President of the HKIA, Felix Li, said, “After months of relentless hard work by the project team in Hong Kong and London, the HKIA’s first-participating exhibition in the London Festival of Architecture has now formally launched. We hope our visitors will have a brand new insight of Hong Kong afterwards.”

     The exhibition seeks to replicate how a visitor would experience the richness of ‘boundaries’ in multi-dimensional senses ranging from the stimulation of neon street signs to midnight urban traffic, and from the enclosures by high density building facades to edges of country parks. It invites visitors to experience these “meta/physical” boundaries in ways closely related to Chinese philosophies: the two states of being, physical vs. meta-physical (實ã€�è™› ) and the two states of act, establish vs. diffuse (ç«‹ã€�ç ´).

     For more information about the exhibition visit www.buildingcentre.co.uk/exhibitions/meta-physical . The exhibition will run until June 29, 2019 at the Building Centre (26 Store St, London WC1E 7BT).