Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold Sport For All Day 2019 on August 4 (Sunday) to publicise the benefits of regular exercise. Free recreation and sports programmes will be held at designated venues in the 18 districts, and various leisure facilities of the LCSD will also be open for free use by the public.
      
     Adopting “Stay Active, Healthy and Happy!” as the slogan, the event encourages people of all ages and abilities to maintain a healthy lifestyle by participating in sports activities and fostering the habit of exercising at least half an hour a day. This year’s Sport For All Day will have wushu as the focal sport. Related demonstrations and participation sessions will be held on the day to promote the sport.
      
     Enrolment for the free programmes or distribution of activity coupons will start from 8.30am on July 15 (Monday) at respective LCSD District Leisure Services Offices or designated venues in the 18 districts on a first-come, first-served basis. These programmes include:
 

• Health talks and exercise demonstrations
• Fitness corners
• Sports activities for parents and children
• Sports participation sessions
• Activities for persons with disabilities
• Wushu demonstrations and participation activities

 
     The fee-charging leisure facilities that will be open for free use by the public on August 4 include:
    

• Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms, activity rooms, dance rooms and cycling track
• Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls, archery ranges, rope courses and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds, artificial and natural turf pitches)
• Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool)
• Craft of water sports centres

 
     Booking for free use of available leisure facilities can be made at Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues in various districts (except self-service kiosks) starting from 9am on July 28 (Sunday). Each person can only book one free session on a first-come, first-served basis irrespective of the types of facilities. No prior booking is required for the public swimming pools. Members of the public may line up at the entrances of the swimming pools for free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
      
     For details of Sport For All Day 2019, please refer to the attachment, visit the designated website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad or call 2414 5555 for enquiries.
      
     The LCSD has also invited the 18 District Councils, National Sports Associations, district sports associations, community sports clubs and community sport organisations, as well as privately operated sports clubs and health centres, to organise free activities and offer free facilities for the public to enjoy on August 4 in support of the event.
      
     Sport For All Day 2019 is co-organised by the Department of Health; the Sports Medicine Team of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; the Sports Medicine and Health Science Alumni Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China; the Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability; and the Hong Kong Wushu Union. read more

     A Vietnamese illegal worker was jailed by Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on June 1.

    During operation “Twilight” on May 30, Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators raided a restaurant in Sham Tseng. A male Vietnamese illegal worker, aged 31, was arrested. When intercepted he was working as an odd-job worker. An employer suspected of employing the illegal worker was arrested and the investigation is ongoing.

     The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on June 1 with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Meanwhile, he was also charged with one count of using a false instrument and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment of which part of the sentence is to run consecutively, making a total of 16 months’ imprisonment.

     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases. Under the prevailing laws, any person who uses or has in his possession any false instrument, or makes false representation to Immigration Officers, commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution, and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.

     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase, and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.
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     The Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications starting today (June 3) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade or industrial organisations and research institutes.
     
     The PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong’s professional services.

     The maximum grant under the PASS for each approved project is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services is covered by the PASS, including accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design as well as technical testing and analysis. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome.

     So far, 42 projects have been funded under the PASS, including seminars, forums, workshops, exchange events, exhibitions, and research and studies. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project such as manpower costs, venue and set up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team’s travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong, are typically eligible for funding under the scheme. More details about the PASS and the funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/en/home/index.html.

     The PASS receives applications all year round and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is August 31, 2019.

     A briefing session will be held on June 20, 2019 for organisations interested in applying for the PASS funding. For registration for the briefing session or other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk. read more

     The Kwun Tong Occupational Safety and Health Centre of the Labour Department (LD) will launch a wide range of occupational safety and health courses in the second half of 2019. The courses aim at enhancing the working population’s understanding of the occupational safety regulations, and their awareness of occupational health.   
 
     The courses cover a wide range of topics, including:
 

1. Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and Regulations
2. Confined Spaces Regulation
3. Major Safety Regulations Related to Working in Catering Trade
4. Dangerous Substances Regulations
5. Safety Management Regulation
6. Safety Regulations on Manual Handling Operations
7. Regulations Related to Safety in Hotel Industry
8. A Brief Introduction to the Regulation on Display Screen Equipment
9. Office Workstation Setup
10. Air Monitoring in the Workplaces
11. Lighting Assessment in the Workplace
12. A Brief Introduction to Noise at Work Regulation
13. Strategies for the Prevention of Occupational Diseases
14. Gas Poisoning in Manholes
15. Occupational Health in Catering Industry
16. Chemicals and Occupational Health
17. Medical Examinations for Workers Engaged in Hazardous Occupations in Industrial Undertakings
18. Manual Handling Operations and Prevention of Back Injuries
19. Occupational Health Hints for New Recruit Young Employees
20. Health Hazards of Hot Environment at Work
21. Health Hints on the Use of Computer
22. More Exercise, Smart Work
23. Noise Hazards and Prevention of Hearing Loss
24. Occupational Health for Office Workers
25. Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders for Office Workers
26. Occupational Health for Workers in Pre-primary Education Services
27. Occupational Health for Cleansing Workers
28. Occupational Contact Dermatitis
29. Manual Handling Operations and Prevention of Back Injuries for Workers of Hotel Industry / Residential Care Homes
30. Occupational Health for Professional Drivers
31. Work & Common Gastrointestinal Diseases
32. Prevention of Upper and Lower Limb Disorders
33. Occupational Stress Workshop
34. Work & Healthy Lifestyle
35. First Aid in the Workplace
36. Safety Regulations on Working in Times of Inclement Weather and Hot Environment
37. Major Safety Regulations Related to Accident Prevention in Office Work

 
     The courses will mainly be conducted in Cantonese at the LD’s Occupational Safety and Health Centre, G/F, Kwun Tong Community Health Centre Building, 60 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong. Enrolment is free.
      
     Application forms are available at the centre or offices of the Occupational Health Service of the LD. They can also be downloaded from the department’s website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content6.htm). For enquiries, please call 2361 8240. read more

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Russia at around midnight on June 5 (Wednesday) to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held from June 6 to 8, and other relate… read more