Author Archives: hksar gov

     Fortune Management Consulting Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay two employees’ wages within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods as required by the Employment Ordinance (EO). Both the company and director pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (September 26) and were fined $28,000 respectively, making a total of $56,000.

     The company failed to pay two employees wages to a total sum of $208,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods as required by the EO. The director concerned was convicted for her consent, connivance or neglect in the offence.

     “The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay employees wages within the time limit in accordance with the EO,” a spokesman for LD said.

     “The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added. read more

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, visited Wong Tai Sin District today (September 26). She called at a primary school and a youth centre and met with District Council members.      Accompanie… read more

     The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, will leave for Beijing this Friday (September 28) afternoon to participate in the professional exchange activities of the National Day Delegation from the Educational Sector of Hong Kong 2018.

     More than 130 education workers will join the delegation this year, including representatives from professional education bodies and advisory bodies of the Education Bureau, as well as principals and teachers of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools. 

     The National Day Delegation from the Educational Sector of Hong Kong has been organised since 2006. To tie in with the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up of the country, a series of thematic visits and exchange activities are arranged to enhance Hong Kong education workers’ understanding of the education developments of the country, as well as the history, culture and latest developments of the country, and to promote exchanges between the education workers in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to broaden their professional perspective.

     As in previous years’ National Day celebration and exchange activities, the delegates will be received by state leaders and officials from the Ministry of Education.

     Mr Yeung will return to Hong Kong on October 1. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, will be the Acting Secretary for Education. read more

     A woman was fined $12,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (September 26) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in March this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Arthur Street in Yau Ma Tei. During the inspection, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
      
     According to the OLA’s records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for managing the premise was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
      
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses”. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:

     The Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) today (September 26) held a presentation ceremony for winning schools under the 16th Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA) to recognise their efforts in promoting environmental education and practising the habit of “use less, waste less”. This year, 59 schools received the Green School Award while 25 schools won the Green Lunch School Award (see Annex for the list of awardees).

     Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that waste reduction at source is the key to tackling environmental problems. He called on the public to take proactive action to achieve the aim of “dump less, save more” and live a low-carbon lifestyle. He also encouraged schools to maintain their efforts in promoting the message of “use less, waste less”.

     The Chairman of the ECC, Mr Lam Chiu-ying, commended the winning schools for their unfailing efforts in enhancing environmental awareness among students. He said that in addition to incorporating different environmental elements into their curriculum, the schools had also organised various environmental activities to nurture students’ interest in exploring nature, with the aim of developing a caring attitude towards nature and natural resources. 

     For the primary and secondary school categories of the HKGSA, the schools underwent assessments according to four criteria, namely Environmental Policy and Campus Environment, Environmental Management Measures, Environmental Education Plan and Implementation, and Environmental Education Effectiveness. After verification of the scores, schools meeting the benchmark scores in the relevant assessment criteria were presented with the Green School Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. Among a total of 181 entries this year, seven primary schools and nine secondary schools received the Gold Award, six primary schools and five secondary schools received the Silver Award, and 14 primary schools and eight secondary schools received the Bronze Award. Schools receiving the title Hong Kong Green School were invited to compete in the schools sector of the 2018 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence.

     In the pre-school category, assessment was made according to four criteria, namely Environmental Infrastructure, Environmental Management, Environmental Education, and Parents’ Participation in Environmental Activities. This year, 10 award-winning pre-schools out of 48 entries were presented with cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.

     Launched in 2000, the HKGSA has since attracted the participation of more than 860 schools. The scheme, sponsored by the Environment and Conservation Fund, aims to encourage schools to formulate an environmental policy and implement an environmental management plan. The scheme also aims to enhance environmental awareness, help develop an environment-friendly attitude and promote green practices among school managers, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and their families. 

     For details about the HKGSA, please visit the ECC’s Schools Go Green website at school.ecc.org.hk.

     The 16th HKGSA presentation ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today. In addition to Mr Wong and Mr Lam, other officiating guests were Deputy Secretary for Education, Mrs Hong Chan Tsui-wah, and the Convenor of the ECC Education Working Group, Ms Sylvia Chan. Representatives from the co-organisers, namely the Education University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Vocational Training Council, also attended the event. read more