The Government announced today (September 28) that the Financial Secretary, in exercise of the authority under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (MPFSO) delegated to him by the Chief Executive, has appointed Ms Yvonne Cheng Wai-sum, SC, as a Non-executive Director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA).

     The appointment will take effect from October 1, 2018 for a term of two years to September 30, 2020, both dates inclusive.

     Announcing the appointment, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, said, "Ms Cheng is a well-respected member in the legal field. In addition to her passion for the law, Ms Cheng has demonstrated an enthusiasm for public services. We welcome Ms Cheng to the MPFA and believe she will contribute greatly to the work of the Authority."

     Ms Cheng is a Senior Counsel. Her practice spans a broad range of areas of civil and commercial law. In addition to her service as a Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, she is also a member in a number of statutory advisory boards and committees, including the Financial Reporting Review Panel and the Securities and Futures Appeal Tribunal.

     Mr Lau also thanked the outgoing non-executive director, Mr Horace Wong Yuk-lun, SC, for his valuable advice to the MPFA during his term.

     The MPFA is a statutory body established in September 1998 under the MPFSO for the regulation and supervision of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) System. The MPF System commenced operation in December 2000, covering more than 2.8 million scheme members with a total net asset value of more than $860 billion as at end July 2018.
 
      Following is the membership of the MPFA with effect from October 1, 2018:
 
Chairman
———-
Dr David Wong Yau-kar
 
 
Deputy Chairlady
——————
Ms Alice Law Shing-Mui
 
 
Non-Executive Directors
————————-
Mr Chan Kam-lam
Ms Yvonne Cheng Wai-Sum
Dr Bankee Kwan Pak-hoo
Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau
Mr Poon Siu-ping
Mr Abraham Shek Lai-him
Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung
Mr Kingsley Wong Kwok
 
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) as alternate)
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare as alternate)
 
Executive Directors
——————–
Mr Cheng Yan-chee
Ms Cynthia Hui Wai-yee
Ms Gabriella Yee Gar-bo

     The Government announced in the Gazette today (September 28) appointments to the Occupational Retirement Schemes Appeal Board (ORSAB).

     The Financial Secretary, in exercise of the authority under the Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance (Cap 426) (ORSO) delegated to him by the Chief Executive, has re-appointed Ms Cynthia Chung Wing-suet and Ms Giovanna Kwong Fung-ping as the Chairlady and Deputy Chairlady of the ORSAB respectively.

     At the same time, the Financial Secretary has also appointed Mr Eric Tong and re-appointed Mr Kenny Chan Ngai-sang and Ms Miranda So Man-wah as members of the ORSAB.

     The above appointments and re-appointments will take effect from October 1, 2018, for a period of two years until September 30, 2020, both dates inclusive.

     Welcoming the appointments and re-appointments, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, said, "The ORSAB is made up of distinguished members from the legal and accounting sectors. With members' professional expertise and experience, I am confident that the Appeal Board will continue to operate effectively and uphold its impartiality."

     Mr Lau also thanked Ms Ivy Cheung Wing-han, the outgoing member of the ORSAB for her dedicated service on the Board.

     The ORSAB was established in accordance with Section 61 of the ORSO to determine appeals against decisions of the Registrar of Occupational Retirement Schemes as specified in the ORSO.

     The membership of the ORSAB with effect from October 1, 2018, is as follows:

Chairlady
———-
Ms Cynthia Chung Wing-suet

Deputy Chairlady
——————
Ms Giovanna Kwong Fung-ping

Members
———
Mr Kenny Chan Ngai-sang
Ms Miranda So Man-wah
Mr Eric Tong

     The Government today (September 28) announced the re-appointment of Mr Antonio Kwong Cho-shing and Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting as the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health respectively, as well as the re-appointment of four incumbent members and the appointment of seven new members.

     The four incumbent members re-appointed are Miss Ada Ho, Ms Hsu Siu-man, Mr Richard Tsang Lap-ki and Professor Samuel Wong Yeung-shan. The seven newly appointed members are Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen, Dr Haston Liu Wai-ming, Dr Loletta So Kit-ying, Mr Teddy Tang Chun-keung, Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai, Dr Stewart Tung Yuk and Dr Kelvin Wang Man-ping.  

     All appointments will be effective from October 1, 2018, for a term of two years.  

     The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health is an independent statutory body established in 1987 to advise the Government on matters related to smoking and health. It is also tasked to advance public education concerning the effects of smoking on the community and individuals as well as to engage in smoking-related research.

     The full membership of the Council with effect from October 1, 2018, is as follows: 

Mr Antonio Kwong Cho-shing (Chairman)
Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting (Vice-Chairman)
Miss Ada Ho
Dr Daniel Ho Sai-yin
Ms Hsu Siu-man
Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen
Dr Haston Liu Wai-ming
Dr Christina Maw Kit-chee
Dr Loletta So Kit-ying 
Mr Teddy Tang Chun-keung
Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai
Mr Richard Tsang Lap-ki
Dr Stewart Tung Yuk
Dr Kelvin Wang Man-ping
Ms Sandy Wong Hang-yee
Professor Samuel Wong Yeung-shan
Deputy Director of Health

     The Highways Department (HyD) today (September 28) invited tenders for the Central Kowloon Route – Kai Tak East (Contract No. HY/2018/02).

     The works are scheduled to commence in March 2019 and will take about 70 months to complete. The works mainly include:

* construction of an approximately 700-metre dual 2-lane Central Kowloon Route mainline in Kai Tak, including at-grade roads and bridges;
* construction of Kai Tak Interchange, including bridges, an underpass, and associated at-grade slip roads, connecting the Central Kowloon Route with the existing road network;
* construction of a footbridge, and demolition or backfilling of an existing subway across Kai Fuk Road;
* realignment of existing Kai Fuk Road, Kai Cheung Road and Kai Cheung Road/Kai Fuk Road loop road;
* reconstruction of an approximately 30m existing multi-cell box culvert;
* construction of an approximately 130m underground ventilation and electrical and mechanical adit;
* construction of a ring road underpass, connecting the Central Kowloon Route mainline and the Central Kowloon Route Administration Building;
* junction improvement works at existing Wang Kwong Road/Kai Cheung Road and Wang Kwong Road/Lam Hing Street junctions;
* arrangement and implementation of cross boundary disposal of construction and demolition materials; and
* associated roadworks, drainage, waterworks, landscaping works, geotechnical works, and electrical and mechanical works.

     The HyD has appointed Arup-Mott MacDonald Joint Venture as the consultant to design and supervise the construction works. Interested contractors can obtain the tender forms and other particulars from Arup-Mott MacDonald Joint Venture at Level 5 Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong.

     The invitation to tender was gazetted today. Submission of tenders will close at noon on December 14, 2018 (Friday). Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box located at the lobby of the Public Entrance on G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar.

     For enquiries, please call the consultant at 2268 3560.

     Following is a reminder of the press releases on statistical data to be issued between October and December 2018. The schedule for issuing press releases on statistical data in 2018 was provided to the media in September 2017. No change has been made to the original schedule.
 
October 2018
==========

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
2                      Retail sales statistics for August 2018
 
18                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for August 2018
 
19                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for July – September 2018
 
19                    Business expectations for fourth quarter 2018
 
23                    Consumer Price Index for September 2018
 
25                    External merchandise trade statistics for September 2018
 
26                    Salary indices for managerial and professional employees for June 2018
 
November 2018
============

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
1                      Retail sales statistics for September 2018
 
5                      Restaurant receipts and purchases statistics for third quarter 2018
 
15                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for September 2018
 
16                    Gross Domestic Product for third quarter 2018 : data
                        contained in the press release entitled "Economic
                        Situation in the Third Quarter of 2018 and Latest GDP
                        and Price Forecasts for 2018" issued by the Office of the
                        Government Economist under the Financial Secretary's
                        Office (Note)
 
16                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for August – October 2018
 
20                    Consumer Price Index for October 2018
 
26                    External merchandise trade statistics for October 2018
 
30                    Retail sales statistics for October 2018
 
December 2018
============

Date                Press Release
—–                ——————
6                      Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for third quarter 2018
 
10                    Quarterly business receipts indices for service industries for third quarter 2018
 
11                    Construction output statistics for third quarter 2018
 
11                    Statistics on trade involving outward processing in the mainland of China for third quarter
                        2018
 
14                    Index of industrial production and producer price index for the industrial sector for third
                        quarter 2018
 
17                    Gross National Income and external primary income flows for third quarter 2018
 
18                    Unemployment and underemployment statistics for September – November 2018
 
18                    Employment and vacancies statistics for September 2018
 
20                    Consumer Price Index for November 2018
 
20                    Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for October 2018
 
20                    Chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product by economic activity for third quarter
                        2018
 
21                    Balance of Payments and International Investment Position statistics for third quarter
                        2018
 
27                    External merchandise trade statistics for November 2018
 
28                    Wage and payroll statistics for September 2018
 
Note: The Office of the Government Economist under the Financial Secretary's Office will issue a press release on the "Third Quarter Economic Report 2018" and final update of the GDP and price forecasts for 2018 as a whole. The GDP for the third quarter of 2018 will also be released there. No separate press release on the GDP for the third quarter of 2018 will be issued by the Census and Statistics Department on that day.
 
     The schedule for regular press releases in 2019 can be downloaded at the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/press_release/index.jsp).