The Government announced today (April 30) its provisional financial results for the year ended March 31, 2024. Expenditure for the year ended March 31, 2024, amounted to HK$721.3 billion and re… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Minimum Wage Commission:
The Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) has unanimously put forth its recommendations on enhancing the review mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) after extensive consultations, detailed analyses and thorough deliberations. The recommendations are reviewing the SMW rate once a year (Annual Review), adopting a formula for implementing the Annual Review and reviewing the aforesaid new review mechanism five to 10 years after its implementation.
The Chairperson of the MWC, Ms Priscilla Wong, said today (April 30), “We are delighted to learn that after considering the MWC’s study report, the Chief Executive (CE) in Council has accepted our recommendations on enhancing the review mechanism of the SMW.”
Ms Wong added, “The recommendations on the new review mechanism represent the unanimous consensus of the MWC. The adoption of a formula for adjusting the SMW rate can reduce the contention of the community over the rate of each SMW adjustment, thereby helping foster harmonious labour relations. The MWC believes that the new review mechanism can enhance the efficiency of reviewing the SMW rate, while complying with the policy objectives of the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608).”
With the CE in Council’s acceptance of the MWC’s recommendations, the MWC has successfully concluded the aforesaid study. The MWC notes that the CE will require the MWC to submit the next recommendation report on the SMW rate to the CE in Council on or before October 31 this year in accordance with the requirements of the Minimum Wage Ordinance. The MWC will commence the relevant work in due course.
The “Study Report on Enhancing the Review Mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage” has been uploaded to the MWC’s website (www.mwc.org.hk). read more
Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced toda… read more
The Chief Executive (CE) in Council has accepted the recommendations of the Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) on enhancing the review mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW). The recommendations include reviewing the SMW rate once a year (Annual Review), adopting a formula for implementing the Annual Review and reviewing the aforesaid new review mechanism five to 10 years after its implementation.
After extensive consultations and making reference to experience in reviewing the SMW rate, the MWC recommended implementing the Annual Review, which would allow closer alignment of the SMW rate with socio-economic changes and safeguard the income of grassroots employees more effectively.
The formula proposed by the MWC comprises two indicators, namely inflation and the Economic Growth factor. The former ensures that the rate of adjustment in the SMW will not fall below the headline Consumer Price Index (A) inflation, so as to maintain the purchasing power of the SMW and safeguard the employment income of grassroots employees. The Economic Growth factor enables the rate of increase in the SMW to be suitably higher than inflation when the Hong Kong economy performs well (i.e. economic growth in the latest year is higher than the trend growth in the latest decade).
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said he is very pleased with the MWC’s accomplishment in the historic and challenging mission of studying enhancements to the review mechanism of the SMW. He paid warm tribute to the Chairperson of the MWC, Ms Priscilla Wong, for her exemplary leadership and all MWC members for their untiring efforts and sterling contributions.
Mr Sun said, “Having carefully considered the MWC’s study report, the Government is of the view that the MWC has ably discharged its function. The recommendations of the MWC have struck an appropriate balance between the objectives of forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs, while giving due regard to sustaining Hong Kong’s economic growth and competitiveness. The Government agrees that the adoption of a formula for adjusting the SMW rate will enhance predictability and transparency, thereby reducing the contention of the community over the rate of each SMW adjustment, and helping foster harmonious labour relations. The Government also believes that the new review mechanism is in line with the overall interests of Hong Kong.”
The first SMW rate derived under the new review mechanism will take effect on May 1, 2026. The Government will thrash out the arrangements for implementing the new review mechanism and announce them in due course. Moreover, in accordance with the requirements of the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608), the CE will require the MWC to submit the next recommendation report on the SMW rate on or before October 31 this year. The next SMW rate recommended by the MWC will take effect on May 1, 2025.
In January 2023, the CE tasked the MWC to study how to enhance the review mechanism of the SMW, including the review cycle, how to improve efficiency, and balancing a host of factors such as the minimum wage level and sustained economic development. The MWC submitted the Study Report on Enhancing the Review Mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage to the Government on October 31 the same year. The Report has been uploaded to the MWC website (www.mwc.org.hk). read more
The Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) will hold the “Exhibition on Dr. Louis CHA Collection” from tomorrow (May 1) to August 31 to display the book collection of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong) at the Rare Book Reading Room on 8/F of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) in remembrance of this master of martial arts novels. Admission is free. The exhibition is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024 and the Chinese Culture Promotion Series of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).
Dr Cha’s love for diverse forms of literature was apparent in his works, which showcase a one-of-a-kind writing style. The martial arts novel series created by him are highly popular and their readers are across the globe. His works cover various fields of knowledge, including ancient text, art, astronomy and geography. Through his delicate portrayal of the characters’ emotions and relationships, Dr Cha created a legendary world of martial arts.
In support of the Documents Collection Campaign of the HKPL, Dr Cha’s family generously donated to the HKCL books dearly kept by Dr Cha for years. Books on display at the exhibition will include rare books on the topic of classical Chinese prose and the collected works of a renowned poet in the Qing dynasty. There are also books of Buddhist classics and scriptures, Chinese literary titles published in the 1930s, as well as invaluable books on the board game of go. Through the reading resources of Dr Cha, visitors can gain insights about how Dr Cha conceived his martial arts stories.
In addition, a subject talk on “Multi-dimensional Reading of Jin Yong’s Martial Arts Novels” hosted by Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Chu Hai College and Appointed Researcher of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum Dr Clarence Yau will be held on July 5 at the Lecture Theatre on G/F of the HKCL to explore the martial arts world in Jin Yong’s novels from different perspectives. The talk will be conducted in Cantonese with free admission. For enquiries, please call 2921 0285.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Cha. The LCSD is organising programmes that are related to the martial arts novels of Dr Cha, which are “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe” exhibition and “Arts or Action, Why Not Both? Classic Martial Arts Drama Costumes and Props Exhibition”, as well as the “ART!ON POP” Concert to be held in July. A reading corner is also set up in the exhibition gallery of the “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for visitors to revisit the fascinating plots in Dr Cha’s novels through enjoying the collections or audiobooks of Dr Cha’s martial arts novels of the HKPL.
Various public libraries will also display and introduce to users the library collection and resources related to martial arts novels. For details, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024 (www.pcf.gov.hk/en/programmes/exhibitionondrlouischacollection).
The LCSD presented the first Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival last year to great acclaim. This year, the second edition features “Arts & Action” as its theme, taking audiences on a journey through time to explore the charm of Hong Kong’s pop culture. It encompasses both “Arts” (creative works) and “Action” (martial arts), an attempt to show the dynamic inheritance, diffusion, integration and breakthroughs within Hong Kong’s pop culture. The event lineup offers a diverse range of formats including thematic exhibitions, film screenings, stage performances and outreach activities, and its rich content spans across literature, various art forms and martial arts, clearly showcasing how Hong Kong’s vibrant and diverse pop culture stands out from the rest. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk/en.
The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html. read more