The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: As at 9am today (March 5), 11 COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 10 604 patients with confirmed or … read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (March 5) that the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$495.9 billion as at the end of February 2021 (end-January 2021: US$493.2 billion) (Annex).
Including unsettled foreign exchange contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of February 2021 amounted to US$495.7 billion (end-January 2021: US$493.2 billion).
The total foreign currency reserve assets of US$495.9 billion represent about seven times the currency in circulation or 41 per cent of Hong Kong dollar M3.
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund’s data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund’s Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA’s policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of March 2021, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
| March 5 | SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
| March 12 | SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
| March 31 | SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity |
| March 31 | Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account |
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, March 5, 2021 is 101.2 (up 0.3 against yesterday’s index). read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
To tie in with the Government’s latest relief measures announced by the Financial Secretary last month, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)’s Commercial Properties Committee (CPC) today (March 5) approved the proposed extension of the existing 75 per cent rent concession for the HA’s eligible non-domestic tenants/licensees, including carpark users for monthly parking of commercial vehicles, for six months from April 1 to September 30, 2021.
The CPC also approved that the HA’s tenants/licensees may continue to apply to the HA for 100 per cent rent concession for the period during which their operations at the premises concerned are required to be closed under anti-epidemic regulations and directions of the Government.
“The Financial Secretary announced in the 2021-22 Budget a new round of relief measures, and the HA’s extension of rent concession for non-domestic tenants is in line with that of the Government to further tide businesses and people over this difficult time,” a spokesman for the HA said.
He noted that the HA would continue to adopt a flexible approach in dealing with the tenancies concerned which expire before the end of the extended rent concession period as a transitional arrangement.
“To enable tenants to continue their use and occupation of the premises upon tenancy expiry, licences will be granted at the existing rent pending agreement to the new rent for the new tenancies,” he said.
“The same arrangements and coverage as endorsed by the CPC earlier will continue to apply during this round of the extended rent concession period.”
The CPC has earlier approved five rounds of rent concessions for the HA’s eligible retail, factory and non-domestic tenants, following the Government’s measures to support enterprises and relieve people’s financial burden.
It is estimated that a total of around 9 900 of the HA’s non-domestic tenants/licensees, including about 2 500 retail and 3 300 factory tenants/licensees, tenants/licensees of some 70 advertising signboards and some 40 tenancies of bus kiosks, as well as about 4 000 carpark users, will benefit from the extension of rent concessions.
The rent foregone for this extension of 75 per cent rent concession for six months is estimated to be around $657.3 million.
The total rent foregone for rent concessions granted by the HA to its eligible non-domestic tenants/licensees for the 24-month period from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, is estimated to be around $2,286.8 million. read more
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 5) released the latest grading of water quality for nine gazetted beaches (see Note).
Nine beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Big Wave Bay Beach | Repulse Bay Beach |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach | Silverstrand Beach |
| Deep Water Bay Beach | Silver Mine Bay Beach |
| Golden Beach | Stanley Main Beach |
| Middle Bay Beach |