Overall Wage and Payroll Statistics According to the figures released today (March 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed, as measured b… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (March 28) published the March 2025 issue of its Quarterly Bulletin and Half-Yearly Monetary and… read more
Hong Kong Customs on March 25 detected a suspected air freight gold bullion smuggling case, and seized about 145 kilograms of suspected gold bullion with an estimated market value of about $110 million, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). This is the largest gold bullion smuggling case detected by Customs on record in terms of the seizure volume and market value.
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an outbound air cargo consignment, declared as carrying plastic luggage departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of luggage in 14 carton boxes, and a total of about 145kg of suspected smuggled gold bullion concealed therein.
An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
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.
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Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Nam Sang Wai Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
“The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Nam Sang Wai area”, a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (March 28).
The planning scheme area, covering about 600 hectares, is bounded by San Tin Highway and Castle Peak Road – Tam Mi in the east, Mai Po and Fairview Park area in the north, Shan Pui River and Yuen Long New Town in the west and Shan Pui Chung Hau Tsuen and Castle Peak Road – Yuen Long in the south.
The approved OZP has incorporated amendments shown on the draft Nam Sang Wai OZP No. S/YL-NSW/9, which mainly involve (i) rezoning an area to the north of Ho Chau Road from “Residential (Group D)” (“R(D)”) to “Residential (Group A)1”, “Residential (Group A)2” and “Other Specified Uses” (“OU”) annotated “Pumping Station” to facilitate public housing and private residential developments under a Land Sharing Pilot Scheme application; (ii) rezoning a strip of land to the north of Ho Chau Road from “R(D)” to “Village Type Development” (“V”) as an extension of the adjacent “V” zone, with the remaining knoll from “R(D)” to “Green Belt” to reflect the existing condition; and (iii) rezoning a site at Wing Kei Tsuen from “OU” annotated “Comprehensive Development to include Wetland Restoration Area” to “OU” annotated “Comprehensive Development to include Wetland Restoration Area 1” for a private comprehensive residential development.
The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP have been amended to reflect the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zonings and the planning circumstances, where appropriate.
The approved Nam Sang Wai OZP No. S/YL-NSW/10 is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Fanling, Sheung Shui and Yuen Long East District Planning Office, (iv) the Yuen Long District Office, (v) the San Tin Rural Committee, and (vi) the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee.
Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk). read more
The Registered Contractors’ Disciplinary Board (the Board) has completed a disciplinary inquiry under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) and decided that a registered minor works contractor (RMWC) appointed as a qualified person (QP) under the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) should be disciplined for failing to discharge the duties or abide by the requirements imposed on a QP under the BO.
The Board ordered the RMWC to be prohibited from certifying any prescribed inspection, or certifying or supervising any prescribed repair of windows, for six months with effect from the date of the Gazette, and to pay a total of $43,400, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiry.
The Board’s written decision and order issued on March 14 was published in the Gazette today (March 28). Details are available at the following link: www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20252913/egn202529131789.pdf.
The RMWC submitted a certificate to the BD in April 2021, certifying that a prescribed inspection had been carried out to the windows of a residential unit in Tuen Mun, and that those windows were safe and no prescribed repair was required. Subsequently, the BD conducted an investigation in response to a report and found that the rivets of some windows showed greyish white power or rust.
The RMWC was later prosecuted, convicted and fined $9,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts in May 2022, pursuant to sections 40(2B)(b) of the BO, for having carried out a prescribed inspection in a manner likely to cause a risk of personal injury or property damage.
In view of the convictions and investigation results, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RMWC under the provisions of section 13(1) of the BO.
A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that in order to ensure building safety, the BD attaches great importance to the quality of the prescribed inspection and repair of windows by a QP under the MWIS. Any QP who contravenes the relevant provisions of the BO in carrying out a prescribed inspection and repair of windows under the MWIS is not only liable to criminal prosecution but also disciplinary action under the BO. read more