Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (August 7) for people in need of the service.

     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.

     For further information, please call the department’s hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Districts:
———————

Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:
————————–

Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin –
Hin Keng Neighbourhood Community Centre
5 Hin Wo Lane, Sha Tin

Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan –
Shek Wai Kok Community Hall
Shek Wai Kok Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai read more

     In view of the extension of the special work arrangements for government departments to August 16, the Inland Revenue Department announced today (August 7) that from August 10 it will continue to suspend the provision of all of its public services, except for the following:
     

Offices	Opening hours
Central Enquiry Counter (only for enquiries relating to tax clearance for taxpayers leaving Hong Kong)	From 9am to noon and 1.30pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday
Central Telephone Enquiry	From 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday
Business Registration Office	From 9am to noon and 1.30pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday
Stamp Office	From 9am to noon and 1.30pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday

     The department appeals to members of the public for their understanding that the above services will only be provided at a much reduced scale and that services in all other areas will not be provided at the service counters. They should also 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 August 16 will be automatically extended to August 17.

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

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (August 7) that the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$450.0 billion as at the end of July 2020 (end-June 2020: US$445.9 billion) (Annex).
 
     Including unsettled foreign exchange contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of July 2020 amounted to US$449.9 billion (end-June 2020: US$444.8 billion).
 
     The total foreign currency reserve assets of US$450.0 billion represent over six times the currency in circulation or about 46 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 August 2020, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

August 7	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
August 14	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
August 31	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
August 31	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

  read more

     To align with the special work arrangements announced by the Government to stop COVID-19 from further spreading in the community, the Department of Justice announced today (August 7) that the following basic and essential services w… read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 7) 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-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Big Wave Bay Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach	South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay	St Stephen’s Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach	Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Pui O Beach
Casam Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Ting Kau Beach
Golden Beach

 
     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. read more