Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs conducted a joint anti-illicit cigarette publicity campaign with members of the Kwai Tsing District Council, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health and the Housing Department (HD) at Cheung Hong Estate and Cheung Ching Estate in Tsing Yi today (May 15).

     Customs officers promoted anti-illicit cigarette messages to residents, traders and security personnel at the Estates, including the Government’s proposal to make amendments to the existing legislation to increase penalties for illicit cigarette-related offences, and also encouraged them to report suspected illicit cigarette trading activities to Customs. 

     If public rental housing units are found to be involved in illicit cigarette crimes, Customs will notify the HD for follow-up action after the conclusion of court proceedings. Customs reminds members of the public, especially young people, not to buy or sell illicit cigarettes or distribute illicit cigarette leaflets to avoid creating a criminal record that could affect their future.

     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at the source, as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling, to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities. Also, Customs will strengthen publicity and education to remind the public not to take part in unlawful acts related to illicit cigarettes.

     In accordance with the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years. Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette 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). 

     In accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no person shall distribute any smoking product advertisement (including any promotion leaflets). Any person who contravenes the regulation is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000. Members of the public may report any suspected activities of illicit cigarette leaflets distribution to TACO’s hotline 2961 8823.

      

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (May 15) that due to maintenance works, Jockey Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District will be temporarily closed from May 19 until further notice. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, May 15, 2025 is 104.6 (down 0.2 against yesterday’s index). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

     The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) will hold a public forum on May 19 (Monday) on the provisional recommendations on the boundaries and names of geographical constituencies for the 2025 Legislative Council General Election. Members of the public are welcome to express their views.

     The forum will be held from 7pm to 9pm at Multi-purpose Hall, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong. The public consultation for the provisional recommendations commenced on May 2 and will last for 30 days to end on May 31.

     Written representations can be submitted to the EAC Secretariat by post at 8/F, Treasury Building, 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, by fax (2511 1682) or email (eacenq@eac.hk) on or before May 31. For written representations submitted by post, the postmark date will be taken as the submission date. Late representations will not be considered.

     Maps showing the proposed boundaries and names of geographical constituencies can be viewed on the EAC’s website (www.eac.hk/en/elections/legco/2025lc_boundaries.html), or inspected at the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of all district offices, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO), philatelic offices of Hongkong Post, management offices of public housing estates, and major and district public libraries.

     For enquiries, please call the REO hotline at 2891 1001. read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is conducting comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor the situation and continue to implement the enhanced testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on May 14 to noon today (May 15), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 99 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 136 137 samples of food imported from Japan (including 89 594 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 31 336 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more