Police will implement special traffic arrangements on March 23 and 24 to facilitate two public order events to be held on Hong Kong Island.

(1)

A. Road closure

From 3pm on March 23 to 3pm the following day

– The western general pick-up/drop-off and loading/unloading area on Lung Wo Road north of Star Ferry Multi-Storey Car Park.

From 3am to 2.30pm on March 24

– Westbound and northbound Yiu Sing Street;
– Lung Wo Road between Man Yiu Street and Yiu Sing Street; and
– Westbound Lung Wo Road between Yiu Sing Street and Edinburgh Place.

B. Traffic diversions

– Traffic along southbound Man Yiu Street or eastbound Man Cheung Street cannot enter eastbound Lung Wo Road. Affected vehicles will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, northbound Tim Mei Avenue, eastbound Lung Wui Road and northbound Road D11; and
– Traffic along northbound Edinburgh Place east of City Hall cannot enter westbound Lung Wo Road. Affected vehicles will be diverted via eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road, northbound Fenwick Street, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, flyover, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Man Yiu Street.

C. Suspension of parking spaces

     All motorcycle parking spaces at the western general pick-up/drop-off and loading/unloading area on Lung Wo Road north of Star Ferry Multi-Storey Car Park will be suspended.

     Vehicles found illegally parked within the precinct of the special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning.

(2)

     The following roads will be intermittently closed from 2.30pm on March 24 until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:

– Westbound Yee Wo Street;
– Westbound Jardine’s Bazaar;
– Westbound Hennessy Road; and
– Westbound Queensway.

     Vehicles may not be permitted to access or leave car parks along the route during the road closure period.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chaired the fourth meeting of the Youth Development Commission (YDC) today (March 22). At the meeting, members were briefed on the proposed cross-bureau initiatives on stepping up youth life planning work and the suggested framework of the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme.

     One of the aims of the YDC is to promote cross-bureau and cross-departmental collaboration, with a view to enabling more holistic and effective examination of, and discussion on, issues of concern to young people. On youth life planning work, members agreed to implement three cross-bureau collaborative initiatives, which are 1) formulating a set of strategic plans on the implementation of life planning education at school; 2) enhancing the existing Career Information Website of the Education Bureau and developing it into a one-stop interactive career information platform; and 3) enhancing the Funding Scheme for Youth Life Planning Activities (Funding Scheme). The YDC will announce details of the new round of the Funding Scheme and will call for applications shortly. Members also agreed that apart from cross-bureau collaboration, life planning work requires concerted efforts from all sectors of the community. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) briefed Members on the latest developments of its "CLAP for Youth @ JC" project. Members agreed that government bureaux should continue to explore potential collaboration with the HKJC to promote best practices on youth life planning. 

     Members took note of the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme proposed by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The programme aims to spend $500 million in the course of three school years from 2019/20 to 2021/22 to provide financial support for around 500 publicly funded secondary schools in Hong Kong to set up IT innovation labs so as to further promote the development of popular science education. The OGCIO will set up a one-stop support centre to provide professional advice and support on the procurement of IT equipment and various thematic extra-curricular activities for schools.

     â€‹The three Task Forces under the YDC have made considerable progress in their work. The Task Force on Youth Exchange and Internship has introduced various enhancement measures for the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland, the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland and the Funding Scheme for International Youth Exchange. The three funding schemes were well received by organisations and had received a record-breaking number of applications, at 185, 459 and 179 applications respectively. The Task Force is now concluding its assessment work. The Task Force on Youth Outreach and Engagement will soon launch the second stage of youth engagement activities to hold diversified youth sharing sessions, inviting young people from different backgrounds and relevant stakeholders to give opinions on the YDC's work and matters of their concern. Moreover, the Youth Development Fund (YDF) has launched its Facebook and Instagram pages to strengthen dissemination of information and connections of the YDC with young people. The Task Force on Youth Development Fund and Programmes, having consulted stakeholders and youth entrepreneurs, has completed the review of the YDF and decided to launch new funding schemes to provide more useful support to Hong Kong young people who intend to start their own business. The new funding schemes under the YDF are now open for application. Details of the schemes and the application guidelines have been uploaded to the YDC's website (www.ydc.gov.hk/ydf/en).

     The Transport Department (TD) today (March 22) reminded the public that to facilitate tram track renewal works at Des Voeux Road Central, parts of the traffic lanes on Pedder Street will be temporarily closed from about 10am tomorrow (March 23) to 6am next Monday (March 25).

     Appropriate traffic signs will be erected on-site to guide motorists.

     The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of the above road sections will be relatively busy. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience in case of traffic congestion. Members of the public are advised to stay alert to the latest traffic news through the media or the department's website (www.td.gov.hk).

     Under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive, the Financial Secretary has appointed five new members and re-appointed 20 serving members to the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal (SFAT) for a new term from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2021. 
 
     The membership of the SFAT for the new term is as follows:
 
New appointees
——————
Mr Vincent Chan Chun-hung
Professor Chan Koon-hung
Mr Nelson Lam Chi-yuen
Mr Peter Leung Ming-hym
Ms Amelia Yau Yu-xin
 
Re-appointed members
————————–
 
Mr Jeffrey Chan
Ms Mable Chan Mei-bo
Ms Yvonne Cheng Wai-sum
Ms Kerry Ching Kim-wai
Mr Mohan Datwani
Ms Cindi Hui Ming-ming
Mr Johnson Kong Chi-how
Mr Henry Lai Hin-wing
Professor Leung Siu-fai
Mr Mak Kwong-fai
Dr Billy Mak Sui-choi
Mr Anthony Muh Yi-tong   
Mr Gerry Ng Joo-yeow 
Ms Edith Shih
Mr Roy Tsang Chi-wai       
Ms Wendy Tsang Kam-yin  
Mr Simon Wong Hin-wing
Mr Jamee Wong Kwok-ching
Ms Wendy Yuen Miu-ling
Ms Helen Zee
 
     Announcing the appointments today (March 22), a government spokesman said, "The SFAT provides an effective safeguard to ensure that the relevant regulatory decisions are reasonable and fair. It enhances the accountability of the relevant regulatory bodies."
 
     The Government also paid tribute to outgoing members. They are Ms Rebecca Chan Sze-oi, Ms Ivy Cheung Wing-han, Mr Vincent Chin, Ms Ding Chen, Mr Dennis Ho Chiu-ping and Mr Timothy Tse Wai-ming.
 
     "Their service to the SFAT provided an effective safeguard for the proper regulation of the securities and futures industry in Hong Kong," the spokesman said.
 
     The SFAT is a statutory tribunal established under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (SFO). According to the law, the SFAT is chaired by a judge or former judge for hearing appeals against specified decisions made under the SFO by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and the investor compensation company recognised by the SFC. There are currently four chairmen on the SFAT, namely Mr Michael John Hartmann, Mr Michael Victor Lunn, Mr Kenneth Kwok Hing-wai, S.C., and Mr Garry Tallentire.

     To facilitate closer exchange by the arts, culture and creative industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held the Greater Bay Area Performing Arts Forum at the Ko Shan Theatre today (March 22). Industry forerunners from the Greater Bay Area were invited to seize new opportunities for co-operation by building exchange platforms for the performing arts community and discussing their experiences in theatre operation and programme planning.
 
     In her welcome remarks, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li, said that cities in the Greater Bay Area share the common historic origins and roots in traditional culture, while each demonstrates its own advantages and uniqueness. With the numerous cultural venues in the region, the forms and content of the performing arts have become more diversified while ticketing and promotion networks reach beyond boundaries. Ms Li said she believes that the collaboration of hardware and software across the Greater Bay Area can cultivate a more prosperous environment for the cultural and arts community.
 
     Following the completion and operation of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, as well as the launch of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the social and cultural communication in the areas has become stronger. In light of this, the LCSD has been proactively lining up performances and exchange activities in Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao since last year, and invited different parties to discuss the achievements in the forum.
 
     Participants at the forum included performers, representatives of cultural venues and other arts professionals in the Greater Bay Area such as representatives of performing venues and the artists and arts groups who have performed in the region. Through keynote speeches, discussion of experience and exhibitions, industry practitioners could connect and keep abreast of the operational practices of arts groups and performing venues, understand the audience in the Greater Bay Area and the environments of the arts industry in other cities in the Mainland, and explore new co-operation opportunities.