The Central People's Government, on the recommendation and nomination of the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, has approved the appointment of Mr Au Ka-wang, Deputy Director of Immigration, as Director of Immigration with effect from today (July 2).

     Commenting on the appointment of Mr Au Ka-wang, Mrs Lam said, "Mr Au has served in the Immigration Department for over 30 years and has extensive experience in departmental operations. He possesses proven leadership and management skills. I am confident that he will lead the Immigration Department in meeting the challenges ahead."

     The following is the biographical note on Mr Au Ka-wang:

     Mr Au Ka-wang joined the Immigration Department as an Assistant Immigration Officer in November 1988. He was promoted to Immigration Officer in 1992, to Senior Immigration Officer in 2003, to Chief Immigration Officer in 2009, to Assistant Principal Immigration Officer in 2014 and to Principal Immigration Officer in 2015. He was promoted to Assistant Director of Immigration in 2018 and to Deputy Director of Immigration in 2019.

     Mr Au Ka-wang was awarded the Hong Kong Immigration Service Long Service Medal in 2007, with the first and second clasps in 2014 and 2019 respectively.

  

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (July 2) that the Legislative Council has approved the Air Pollution Control (Air Pollutant Emission) (Controlled Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2020.

     An EPD spokesman said that the Amendment Regulation, which aims to take forward a new incentive-cum-regulatory programme to progressively phase out by the end of 2027 some 40 000 existing Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles (DCVs) including diesel goods vehicles, non-franchised buses and light buses, with a view to further improving roadside air quality, will come into effect on September 1, 2020. These vehicles were first registered within the period specified in Annex A. Under the programme, the Government will offer eligible vehicle owners ex-gratia payment ranging from 31 to 37 per cent of the average taxable value of a comparable new vehicle, having regard to the age of the vehicles concerned, and an extra 15 per cent subsidy based on average vehicle body prices for goods vehicles assembled with vehicular additions. The Government is preparing for the implementation of the programme and aims to launch it in the second half of 2020. The timing to start dispatching the ex-gratia payment will be announced at a later stage. 

     "The Amendment Regulation clearly stipulates the retirement deadlines for Euro IV DCVs (see Annex B) with reference to their respective dates of first registration," the spokesman said.

     The Amendment Regulation requires the owners of the vehicles concerned to, on each application for a vehicle licence from the respective retirement deadlines as the case may be, comply with the emission standards applicable to the vehicles as if they were first registered on the date of the vehicle licence application. Failure to comply with the requirement may be grounds for the Commissioner for Transport to refuse to grant the vehicle licence. 

     "Some DCVs, which were originally designed as Euro V DCVs but were first registered on a date within the period as specified in Annex A and classified as Euro IV DCVs, will be categorised as Excluded Vehicles and will not be controlled under the Amendment Regulation. Despite that, their owners might choose to scrap and cancel the vehicle registration of their vehicles before December 31, 2027, and apply for the ex-gratia payment," the spokesman added. 

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 today (July 2) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Shek O Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

The following is issued on behalf of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council:
 
     The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council announced today (July 2) that applications for its Fellowships and Scholarships for Overseas Studies (including the award for students with disabilities) for the academic year 2021/22 are now open.
 
     The fellowships and scholarships aim at encouraging outstanding students to pursue further studies in reputable institutions overseas. Successful candidates for the awards are expected to have a strong sense of commitment to Hong Kong and be ready to contribute significantly to the community upon graduation.
 
     The fellowships are for studies leading to postgraduate degrees either by research or by coursework; the scholarships are for studies leading to undergraduate degrees.
 
     The applicants will be responsible for fulfilling all application procedures and admission requirements of the academic institutions of their choice.
 
     The maximum value of a fellowship is HK$300,000 per year, tenable for up to three years for a doctoral degree or two years for a master's degree. The maximum value of a scholarship is HK$280,000 per year, tenable for up to three years.
 
     Application forms and information notes can be downloaded from the website of the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency at www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/forms/form.htm.
 
     The documents are also available at the following offices:
 
(a)     Student Finance Office
         Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency
         Reception Hall, 11/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
         303 Cheung Sha Wan Road
         Kowloon
 
(b)     Trust Funds and Temples Joint Secretariat
         Reception Counter, 34/F, Wu Chung House
         213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
         Hong Kong
 
     For enquiries, please call (852) 2150 6097 or (852) 2150 6098.
 
     The closing date for all applications is September 18, 2020. For Fellowships and Scholarships for Overseas Studies, short-listed applicants will be invited to attend interviews in person in Hong Kong. The first round of interviews is scheduled for January 2021. If found suitable, applicants will be invited for a final interview to be held around February/March 2021. Applicants short-listed for the Overseas Fellowship/Scholarship for Disabled Students will be invited to attend one round of interview in person in Hong Kong around February/March 2021.

     The Government spokesman severely condemned the protestors who, in disregard of the notice of objection issued by the Police, continued to conduct unlawful assemblies, committed violent and illegal acts, and even seriously injured police officers in areas of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai on July 1. The Government spokesman emphasises that unlawful acts which breach public peace will not be tolerated, expressing the Government's full support to the Police for taking strict and resolute enforcement actions to bring the offenders to justice.
      
     Since around noon on July 1, some crowds had committed illegal and violent acts in areas of Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Tin Hau. They neglected the possible risk of spreading the virus by group gatherings, gathered on Hong Kong Island and chanted slogans, dug out bricks and damaged the roadside fences, committed arson, blocked the roads, and recklessly damaged the shops etc, seriously endangering public order and public safety.

     Some people possessed and waved flags and printed materials containing the words of "Hong Kong independence", and chanted slogans of "Hong Kong independence". These people are suspected of inciting or abetting others to commit secession and are suspected to have violated the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the National Security Law) which came into effect. The Government spokesman severely condemns such acts which publicly challenged the bottom line of the Central People's Government and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

     The Police have been acting with restraint and tolerance but some rioters deliberately injured police officers severely. A rioter rammed his motorcycle into a number of police officers who were executing their duties nearby, resulting in three officers suffering injuries. Separately, a police officer was surrounded and attacked by several rioters when subduing a suspect. The rioters tried to snatch the suspect, during which the rioters attacked the officer with a sharp object. However, an online news outlet completely distorted the facts when reporting the incident, claiming that the officer had pushed a protestor to the ground while nearby citizens jointly fended off the officer. The Government spokesman strongly condemns these blatantly riotous acts and the extremely irresponsible report.

     The Government spokesman highly commended the Police for holding fast to their duties and taking enforcement actions in accordance with the law, expressing the Government's full support to the Police in strictly enforcing the law in accordance with the National Security Law and the laws of Hong Kong to restore social order and peace, and protect the life and property of Hong Kong citizens as well as their fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed under the law.