The Secretary for Home Affairs has reappointed nine incumbent members to the Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony (CPRH), a Government spokesman announced today (May 29). Their term of office will run from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022.

     The following is a list of the non-official members of the CPRH:

Reappointed members:

Ms Mimi Cheung Yee-may 
Mr Syed Ekram Elahi
Ms Rita Gurung
Mr Vijay Harilela
Mr Avinash Chandiram Hotchandani
Mr Derek Hung Chiu-wah 
Mr Akil Khan
Ms Rigam Rai
Dr Chura Bahadur Thapa

Other incumbent members:

Mr Mohamed Ibramsa Sikkander Batcha
Ms Ping Somporn Bevan 
Dr Theresa Cunanan
Ms Vivian Kong Man-wai 
Mrs Poonam Vijayprakash Mehta
Ms Lamia Sreya Rahman
Ms Yvonne Tsui Hang-on 
Mr Wong Ka-chun
Mr Matthew Wong Man-ho 

     The CPRH is a non-statutory advisory body set up to advise the Government on matters relating to fostering racial harmony in the community and to enhancing mutual understanding among people of different ethnic origins. Chaired by the Deputy Director of Home Affairs, the Committee includes representatives from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Labour Department and the Information Services Department. The Race Relations Unit of the Home Affairs Department provides secretariat support to the Committee.

     The "Quarterly Report on General Household Survey" for January to March 2020 is now available for download.
 
     The report contains statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment for the first quarter of 2020. It also contains detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of members of the labour force, including their age, sex, educational attainment, employment status, occupation, industry, hours worked per week and monthly employment earnings.　Information on reasons for leaving last job and duration of unemployment for the unemployed is also presented.
 
     Users can download the report free of charge from the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp200.jsp?productCode=B1050001).
 
     The summary of broad survey findings published in the report is shown in Table 1 attached. Enquiries about the contents of the report can be directed to the Household Statistics Analysis Section, Census and Statistics Department (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).

     The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (May 29) the establishment of the Arboriculture and Horticulture Industry Development Advisory Committee and the appointment of 12 non-official members for a term of two years from June 1, 2020.
      
     Appointed by the Secretary for Development, the Committee will advise on issues related to the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel, the Study Sponsorship Scheme and Trainee Programme under the Urban Forestry Support Fund, and the development and the manpower supply and demand of the arboriculture and horticulture industry.
      
     The Committee comprises a wide range of experienced academics, practitioners and vocational trainers from the trade associations, unions, professional groups and higher education and vocational training institutions in the industry. 
      
     A spokesman for the DEVB said, "This composition will offer broad perspective and pragmatic insight on a wide range of issues related to the industry's development."
      
     The membership of the Committee is set out below:
 
Chairperson
————-
Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 1
 
Non-official Members (Individuals)
————————————–
Professor Leslie Chen Hung-chi
Mr Kingsley Choi Lim-cho
Mr Ho For-hei
Mr Daniel Ho Tat-pui
Ms Iris Hoi
Mr Lai Ka-ming
Dr Allen Lim Miaw-shin
Mr Victor Man Kwok-hing
Mr Ken So Kwok-yin
Dr Peter Yau
 
Non-official Members (Institutions)
————————————–
Construction Industry Council
Vocational Training Council
 
Official Members
——————
Head of Greening, Landscape, and Tree Management Section, DEVB
Representative of Education Bureau
Representative of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
Representative of Highways Department
Representative of Housing Department
Representative of Leisure and Cultural Services Department

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a public hearing on "Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China" (Chapter 2) of the Director of Audit's Report No.74 next Monday (June 1) at 9am in Conference Room 3 of the LegCo Complex.
 
     Five witnesses have been invited to appear before the above hearing to respond to points raised in the Report and answer questions asked by the PAC members.
 
     The programme for the public hearing is as follows:
 
     Date: June 1  (Monday)
     Time: 9am
     Venue: Conference Room 3
   
     Subject:
     Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
      (Chapter 2 of the Director of Audit's Report No.74)
 
     Witnesses:
     Mr Caspar Tsui
     Secretary for Home Affairs

     Mr Yeung Tak-keung
     Commissioner for Sports

     Mr Paul Cheng
     Principal Assistant Secretary (Recreation and Sport)1,
     Home Affairs Bureau

     Mr Ronnie Wong
     Honorary Secretary General, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

     Mr Abraham Cheng
     Executive Director, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
    
     The PAC is chaired by Mr Abraham Shek, and its Deputy Chairman is Mr Kenneth Leung. Other members include Mr Paul Tse, Mr Steven Ho, Mr Lam Cheuk-ting, Mr Shiu Ka-fai and Ms Tanya Chan.

     The Government Gazette published today (May 29) contains a Legal Notice to the effect that the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has authorised a change in the rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates. From June 1, 2020, the new annual rate of interest will be 0.2 per cent against the current rate of 0.2333 per cent, i.e. the new rate will be $0.0167 per month per $100.
 
     Tax Reserve Certificates bear simple interest, and interest is calculated monthly (including part of a month) from the date of purchase to the date of payment of tax.
 
     Interest is only credited when certificates are used to pay tax and no interest is due where the principal value of a certificate is repaid to its holder.
 
     The rate of interest payable on Tax Reserve Certificates is periodically revised in line with the market trend. Currently, it is reviewed every month based on the average prevailing interest rate for the 12-month time deposit for $100,000 to $499,999 offered by the three note-issuing banks.
 
     The new rate will apply to all certificates purchased on or after June 1, 2020. Certificates purchased before June 1, 2020, will continue to earn interest at the rates prevailing on their respective purchase dates. Below is a summary of the interest rates for the past periods:
 
For certificates purchased on or after                               0.0433 per cent per annum
January 4, 2010, and before August 6, 2018:

For certificates purchased on or after                               0.0767 per cent per annum
August 6, 2018, and before November 5, 2018:

For certificates purchased on or after                               0.2500 per cent per annum
November 5, 2018, and before January 17, 2020:
 
For certificates purchased on or after                               0.3667 per cent per annum
January 17, 2020, and before February 3, 2020:

For certificates purchased on or after                               0.3167 per cent per annum
February 3, 2020, and before May 4, 2020:

For certificates purchased on or after                               0.2333 per cent per annum
May 4, 2020, and before June 1, 2020:

For certificates purchased on or after                               0.2000 per cent per annum
June 1, 2020, until further notice:

     This is always subject to the general rule that interest ceases to accrue after 36 complete months.