Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 29) 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-eight beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 11 as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:

Cafeteria New Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Pui O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Repulse Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay	South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Stanley Main Beach*
Kadoorie 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	Golden Beach*
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Lido Beach*
Butterfly Beach*	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach*	Ting Kau Beach
Castle Peak 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: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that 15 gazetted beaches (marked with an asterisk above) have reopened since May 23, while all the other beaches will remain temporarily closed until further notice.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:        The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the results of the residential mortgage survey for April 2020.        The number… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:        According to statistics published today (May 29) by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, total deposits with authorised institutions increased by 0.8 per c… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (May 29) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,096.0 billion as at April 30, 2020, HK$1.4 billion higher than that at the end of March 2020. Foreign currency assets increased by HK$67.3 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$65.9 billion.
      
     The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to the mark-to-market revaluation on foreign currency investments and purchase of US dollars under the Currency Board arrangements. The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to a decrease in Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued but not yet settled.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of April 2020 was HK$1,708.7 billion, increased by HK$28.7 billion, or 1.7 per cent, from the end of March 2020. The rise was mainly due to the sale of Hong Kong dollars under the Currency Board arrangements and the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness.
      
     The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$30.8 billion, or 1.6 per cent, to HK$1,912.2 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the purchase of US dollars under the Currency Board arrangements and the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness. The backing ratio decreased from 111.99 per cent at the end of March 2020 to 111.91 per cent at the end of April 2020.
 
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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 May 2020, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

May 7 (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
May 14 (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
May 29	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
May 29	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (May 29) the analytical data on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s foreign currency reserves and foreign currency liquidity as at the end of April 2020 (Annex). These data are published monthly in the Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard.

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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 May 2020, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

May 7 (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
May 14 (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
May 29	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
May 29	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

read more