Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations: Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals: At around 1pm today (July 1), a group of people were gathe… read more
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (July 1) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, more leisure facilities and venues will reopen from July 3 (Friday), and some restrictions on the r… read more
The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) today (July 1) announced that the FinTech Anti-epidemic Scheme for Talent Development (FAST Scheme) under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will be launched and open for application on July 2 to support the development of financial technology (fintech) in Hong Kong.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “The Government has earmarked $6 billion under the Anti-epidemic Fund to create around 30 000 time-limited jobs in both public and private sectors in the coming two years for people of different skill sets and academic qualifications. To support fintech development, the FSTB will launch the FAST Scheme for fintech companies and start-ups, and other enterprises with fintech-related businesses to create 1 000 new jobs to employ local people and enrich Hong Kong’s fintech talent pool.”
The Scheme will offer a quota of 1 000 openings for application on a first-come-first-served basis. Each fintech company can apply for one subsidy for a new full-time position. Successful applicants will receive $10,000 per month as a salary subsidy for a maximum of 12 months. The total funding involved may amount to $120 million.
The applicant (company) must be a Hong Kong registered company or a not-for-profit organisation. The company must have commenced business before January 1, 2020, and still be in operation at the time of application. It must also be conducting substantive fintech activities at a fixed physical office in Hong Kong.
The candidate must be a Hong Kong resident over 18 years old with a Hong Kong identity card and be a holder of accredited certificates, diplomas and degrees obtained in programmes of post-secondary and tertiary institutes in disciplines including information technology, digital media, accounting or business management; or be a person with relevant work experience.
The FSTB has appointed Cyberport to administer the Scheme, which will be open for online application via the Scheme’s dedicated website (fast.cyberport.hk) from July 2, 2020, to July 2, 2021. Details of the eligibility criteria, application procedures and supporting documents required are available at the website for preview. read more
The Innovation and Technology Commission today (July 1) announced that the Researcher Programme (RP) and the Postdoctoral Hub (PH) have been merged to become the Research Talent Hub. Eligible companies and organisations are welcome to apply for the scheme.
At present, the RP and the PH provide funding support for eligible companies and organisations to engage two researchers and two postdoctoral talents respectively to conduct research and development (R&D) work. The two programmes have been merged and collectively named as the Research Talent Hub, under which each eligible company or organisation can obtain funding support to engage up to four innovation and technology (I&T) talents with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree to conduct R&D work, thereby providing more flexibility for employers in engaging research talents.
The Research Talent Hub under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) aims to encourage university graduates to pursue careers in the I&T field and nurture more I&T talents. The maximum engagement period for each research talent is three years in general. The maximum monthly allowances for research talents with a local bachelor’s degree, a local master’s degree or a doctoral degree are $18,000, $21,000 and $32,000 respectively. All technology companies conducting R&D activities in Hong Kong, including incubatees and I&T tenants of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, as well as organisations and companies undertaking R&D projects funded by the ITF, are eligible to apply.
In the past three years, the RP has approved over 2 300 researcher positions with total funding of about $780 million. For the PH, over 1 030 postdoctoral talents have been supported with total funding of about $603 million since its launch in August 2018.
Details of the Research Talent Hub are available on the ITF website (www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/nurturing-talent/research-talent-hub/index.html). For enquiries, please contact the ITF Secretariat (Tel: 3655 5678; email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk). read more
The Home Affairs Department has opened 19 temporary heat shelters today (July 1) as the Very Hot Weather Warning (VHWW) is in force.
The shelters will be closed at 10pm if the VHWW is cancelled before 4.30pm. Otherwise, the shelters will be open until 8am tomorrow.
For further information, please call the department’s hotline on 2572 8427.
The 19 temporary heat shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Districts:
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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
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:
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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:
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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 –
North District Community Centre
4/F, 2 Lung Wan Street, Sheung Shui
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 –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue 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