The Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO) announced today (August 28) the results of the second round of applications to the Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme in 2020-21.
 
     The PPR Funding Scheme aims to promote public policy research and provide evidence-based research to facilitate public policy discussion. Applications are accepted throughout the year. For the second round exercise in 2020-21, PICO received 24 applications. On the advice of an assessment panel, PICO has supported seven projects with a total funding of about $4.9 million.
    
     Applications to the PPR Funding Scheme are assessed by an independent assessment panel, chaired by and comprising experienced academics, who will take into account comments of reviewers who are academics and experts outside the panel in considering the applications. Each application is considered on its merits and relevance to public policy development in Hong Kong. A declaration of interests system is in place to ensure that the assessments are fair and impartial.
 
     Details of the funded projects have been uploaded to PICO's website (www.pico.gov.hk/en/PRFS).

     In line with the announcement earlier by the Government to gradually resume more public services in a safe and orderly manner, the Inland Revenue Department announced today (August 28) that the following offices will continue to provide basic public services from August 31:
 

     The department appeals to members of the public for their understanding that the above services will be provided at a reduced scale and they should be prepared to experience a longer waiting time before they can be served. The department encourages the public to use electronic services to handle tax affairs as much as possible. A list of such services can be found in the department's website at www.ird.gov.hk/eng/ese/index.htm.

     The department further announced that deadlines for tax payments (not applicable to Auto Tax Payment Service under the Tax Reserve Certificates Scheme), lodgement of objections and holdover applications and submission of tax returns and information that fall between July 20 and September 6 will be automatically extended to September 7.

     The department will review the situation and make further announcements as necessary. 

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, August 28, 2020 is 105 (down 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 28) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).

     Twenty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 14 as Fair (Grade 2).

Grade 1 beaches are:
 

Grade 2 beaches are:
 

     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.

     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

Note 1: In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced on July 13 that all beaches would be temporarily closed from July 15 until further notice.

Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 28) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low pathogenic H7N6 avian influenza in the Gannawarra Shire of state of Victoria in Australia, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 170 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 1.8 million poultry eggs from Australia in the first six months of this year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

     "The CFS has contacted the Australian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.