â€‹A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (September 29) said that the opening hours of columbaria under the FEHD will be extended to 7am to 7pm during the Chung Yeung Festival period (i.e. from October 7 to November 5) to assist grave sweepers as well as to lessen crowd conditions. The department appealed to grave sweepers to avoid grave-sweeping activities during the peak period on the day of the Chung Yeung Festival and pay tribute to ancestors over a wider period before and after the festival.
      
     In addition, the spokesman reminded grave sweepers to pay attention to special traffic and transport arrangements which will be implemented during the Chung Yeung Festival. Access to cemeteries and columbaria of the FEHD will be closed to all vehicles while the special traffic and transport arrangements are in operation, except for those with permission. For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements in the vicinity of cemeteries and crematoria, please browse the Transport Department website (www.td.gov.hk).
      
     At the same time, the FEHD expects that there will be a large number of visitors burning paper offerings in joss paper burners (JPBs) at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium during the peak sweeping period of the Chung Yeung Festival. In order to reduce the waiting time as well as the gathering of crowds, no walk-in queuing for the JPBs will be allowed at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the above-mentioned Chung Yeung Festival period. All JPB users must make advance bookings via the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or obtain queue tickets on the ground floor of the Columbarium. For details of the JPB arrangements, please browse the FEHD website. 
      
     To protect the environment and to prevent hill fires, members of the public are encouraged to adopt more environmentally friendly ways to pay respect to their ancestors, such as offering flowers instead of burning joss papers and incense. Grave sweepers should take extra care when burning incense, which should only be carried out inside a designated joss paper furnace or an iron bucket. They should make sure that all of the fire has gone out before leaving. Grave sweepers are also reminded to keep flammable items (such as alcohol antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based instant hand sanitisers) away from fires.
      
     The Government has been promoting green burials, and the FEHD has set up the Internet Memorial Service webpage (www.memorial.gov.hk) and its mobile application for members of the public to pay tribute to their deceased beloved ones anywhere and anytime.

The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
 
     The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to two major international sports events that will be held in October this year, namely the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF–Hong Kong (October 6 to 8) and the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2023 (October 7 to 15).
      
     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (September 29) that like all other "M" Mark events, these two events will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and thereby bring in more visitors from abroad.
      
     "The Aramco Team Series will take place in Hong Kong for the first time and the Hong Kong Tennis Open will be held in Hong Kong again after a four-year hiatus. These events do not only showcase Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events, but also enhance Hong Kong's position as a centre for major international sports events," Mr Ng said.
              
     The "M" Mark System aims to encourage and help local national sports associations and private and non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be granted "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.
      
     For details of "M" Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk.

     To alleviate the impact of tariff increase on households during the transition to a low-carbon future, monthly electricity charges relief of $50 will be provided to each eligible residential electricity account during January 2024 to December 2025 under the new round of Electricity Charges Relief Scheme (ECRS) (2024-2025).
 
     Starting from January 2024, the Government will credit the relief of $50 to each residential electricity account with CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) or the Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric) in existence on the first day of each month for 24 consecutive months. The credits can only be used for the purpose of offsetting billed charges for electricity consumed under the same account and will reduce the amount demanded in the electricity bills issued by the power companies to their residential customers. Any unused credit in a month can be carried forward to cover billed electricity charges under the same account up to the expiry date of December 31, 2025, or the close of the account, whichever is earlier.
 
     The current round of ECRS (2019-23) will come to a close on December 31, 2023. All unused credit will not be carried forward to the new round of ECRS.
 
     The credits under the relief scheme will be reflected in the electricity bills for residential accounts with the two electricity companies. Users may contact CLP's Customer Service Hotline on 2678 2678 or HK Electric's Customer Service Hotline on 2887 3411 for enquiries about account matters. More details of the relief scheme can be found at www.eeb.gov.hk/en/energy/ecrs.html.
 
     This relief measure is expected to involve government expenditure of about $3.5 billion and benefit around 2.9 million eligible households.

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (September 29) gazetted a notice to invite tenders for the contract for Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area Second Phase Development – Contract 2 – Fresh Water Service Reservoir and Associated Mainlaying Works (Contract No. YL/2023/02). The closing time for the tender is noon on December 8.

      The works mainly include: 

1. site clearance and formation for about 8.5 hectares of lands;
2. construction of Tan Kwai Tsuen East Fresh Water Service Reservoir and associated roadworks, power supply and landscaping works;
3. laying of about 4.5-kilometre-long fresh water mains and about 3.5km-long flushing water mains; and
4. implementation of environmental mitigation measures and related environmental monitoring and audit programme for the works mentioned above.

     The works are scheduled to commence in early 2024 and will take about 57 months to complete.

     The CEDD has commissioned Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited to design and supervise the works. Interested contractors may obtain the forms of tender and further particulars from the company at Level 5, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong.

     Details of the tender notice are available on the CEDD's website (www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender-notices/contracts/tender-notices/index.html). For enquiries, please call Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited at 3447 6109 during office hours.

     The Chief Executive has appointed 22 persons, on an ad personam basis, as panel members of the Private Columbaria Appeal Board for a three-year term from September 29, 2023, to September 28, 2026. The appointments were gazetted today (September 29):
 
Chairperson
Dr William Wong Ming-fung, SC
 
Deputy Chairpersons
Mr Johnny Fee Chung-ming
Miss Queenie Fiona Lau
Mr Aidan Tam Lon-foong
 
Members
Ms Cindy Chan Chui-bik
Mr Paul Chan Wan-po
Mrs Peggy Cheung Po-yee
Ms Alice Chow Kin-tak
Dr Chung Shan-shan
Mr Tommy Fung Hei-wai
Miss Ha Wing-ka
Mr Joseph Junior Ho
Mr Alec Ho Yat-wan
Mr Frederick Hui Cheuk-kit
Mr Samuel Hui Siu-chor
Professor Alvin Lai Chi-keung
Mr Alex Lai Ting-hong
Miss Sylvia Lee Hiu-wah
Dr Mak Shu-lun
Ms Nancy Ngai Yuet-ping
Ms Miranda So Man-wah
Mr Joseph Wong Yiu-cho
 
     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, welcomed all panel members. He also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Chairperson, Mr Ambrose Ho, Deputy Chairperson Mr Frederick Chan Hing-fai and 16 members, namely Ms Bonnie Chan Jo-ying, Dr Chau Chi-kwan, Mr Chiu Kam-kuen, Dr Catherine Chong Shiu-yin, Dr Choy Hung-tat, Mr Nevin Ho Chi-lok, Mr Sunny Ho Lap-kee, Mr Lincoln Huang Ling-hang, Mr Spencer Kwan Tin-che, Mr Ben Leung Chi-hung, Mr Philip Leung Kwong-hon, Mr Fred Li Wah-ming, Mr Timothy Ma Kam-wah, Mr Tang Chi-wang, Mr Aaron Wan Chi-keung and Mr Wu Kam-fai, for their contributions to and support for the work of the Board in the past years.
      
     The Private Columbaria Appeal Board is a statutory body established under section 83 of the Private Columbaria Ordinance (Cap. 630). An Appeal Board consisting of a presiding officer (principally the Chairperson or a Deputy Chairperson) and four panel members will be constituted to hear and determine an appeal lodged by an applicant or a holder of a specified instrument who is aggrieved by a decision made by the Private Columbaria Licensing Board or the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene referred to in section 84(1) of the Ordinance. All presiding officers of the Appeal Boards are legally qualified as defined in section 82 of the Ordinance.
 
     Mr Tse said that the regulation of private columbaria involves complicated and sensitive issues, requiring contributions from a balanced mix of panel members from diverse backgrounds. The appointments to the new term with panel members with expertise in legal, building, engineering, education, commercial business, and social services fields ensure that the Board will review appeal cases from various perspectives.