Tag Archives: China

The following press statement is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     In response to media enquiries on the drainage systems at the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) units, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) made the following statement today (February 13):

     The fixtures and fittings (including drainage systems) of those unsold public rental housing (PRH) flats under the HA in the TPS Estates are in accordance with the original design and in compliance with the prevailing relevant statutory requirements. When the HA’s sitting tenants opt to purchase their flats, they could report to the HA the items of the landlord’s fixtures and fittings in their flats that required repairs.The works staff of the property service company appointed by the HA will inspect landlord’s fixtures and fittings in the flat, so as to follow up items that required repairs. If defects are found, the property service company will arrange contractor to carry out necessary repair works. All completed repair works will be inspected and checked in order by works staff of the property service company.

     “If any unauthorised alteration is found in the flat, including those made to the drainage system, the HA will require the tenant to reinstate the unauthorised works back to the original design before accepting the application of purchase for the flat,”  the spokesman said.

     He stressed that tenants are also required to sign an undertaking to declare that there is no unauthorised alteration in their flats. 

     “In other words, the design, fixtures and fittings including the drainage system of the PRH flats at the time of sale, are in compliance with the HA’s original design and in compliance with prevailing statutory requirements.” read more

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

     Result of the tenders of the People’s Bank of China RMB Bills held on February 13, 2020:
 

Tender Result
*********************************************************************
Tender Date	:	February 13, 2020
Bills available for Tender	:	Three-month RMB Bills
Issuer	:	The People’s Bank of China
Issue Number	:	BCHKFP20002
Issue Date	:	February 17, 2020
Maturity Date	:	May 18, 2020 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Application Amount	:	RMB 52,020 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 20,000 million
Average accepted Coupon Rate	:	2.53%
Highest accepted Coupon Rate
(Bills’ Coupon)	:	2.55%
Lowest accepted Coupon Rate	:	2.20%
Allocation Ratio	:	Approximately 99.59%

 

Tender Result
*********************************************************************
Tender Date	:	February 13, 2020
Bills available for Tender	:	One-year RMB Bills
Issuer	:	The People’s Bank of China
Issue Number	:	BCHKFP20003
Issue Date	:	February 17, 2020
Maturity Date	:	February 17, 2021 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Application Amount	:	RMB 31,690 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 10,000 million
Average accepted Coupon Rate	:	2.52%
Highest accepted Coupon Rate
(Bills’ Coupon)	:	2.60%
Lowest accepted Coupon Rate	:	2.20%
Allocation Ratio	:	Approximately 70.62%

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     Following is the transcript of opening remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, at a media session at the Central Government Offices today (February 13):
 
     Now I would like to recap the key messages in English.
 
     In view of the latest situation of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Education Bureau decided today that schools will not resume classes before March 16. We will continue to take into account the professional advice from health experts, readiness of schools as well as the supply of epidemic preventive materials in the community in making further assessment and deciding on the exact date of class resumption. 
 
     Social distancing and avoiding mass movement of people are key strategies for preventing and controlling the epidemic. There is no urgency for students now staying in the Mainland or other countries to return to Hong Kong, but they are advised to strictly comply with the preventive measures suggested by the local authorities. Students currently in Hong Kong should avoid travelling abroad, so as to reduce the risk of being infected during the journey. Students should stay home as far as possible, and avoid crowded places and group activities.
 
     Schools are making use of different modes of learning, including e-learning, to achieve the goal of “suspending classes without suspending learning”. The arrangements are premised on the principle of maintaining students’ motivation and interest in learning, without exerting undue pressure on students and parents. I sincerely thank all school principals and teachers for their efforts and the Education Bureau will render full support to them by means of online resources and hotline services, etc.
 
     For kindergartens, we understand the financial difficulties encountered particularly by the sector, and will implement the following measures as soon as practicable: 
 

• First, for those under the kindergarten education scheme, the calculation of monthly subsidies to each kindergarten during the class suspension period will be based on the student headcount in January this year, ensuring that there will be no reduction of government subsidies due to withdrawal of individual students during the period.

 

• If individual kindergartens wish to adjust their tuition fees during the class suspension period or provide fee remission, the Education Bureau will expedite the processing of the applications to cater for the needs of the kindergartens and parents.

 

• Besides, the Education Bureau will provide a one-off subsidy to all kindergartens for stepping up cleansing work at schools. 

 
     We will continue to communicate with the sector on details of the measures and other issues of concern to the stakeholders.
 
     Amid the difficult time of the current epidemic, I sincerely hope that the Government, school personnel and parents could join hands to fight the disease together for the well-being of our students and get prepared for class resumption in due course. Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more

     The Department of Health (DH) today (February 13) announced further adjustments of its services following its earlier announcements on service adjustments in response to the latest developments of the novel coronavirus infection.
 

• Health assessments and allied health appointments of all Elderly Health Centres (EHCs) will be suspended and Yau Ma Tei EHC will be closed starting from February 17. Opening hours of the remaining 17 EHCs will also be adjusted, with nine EHCs opening on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and eight EHCs opening on every Tuesday and Thursday, details of which can be found on the following website: www.elderly.gov.hk/eindex.html.
• The directly observed treatment service on every Saturday morning of seven chest clinics will be suspended from February 15, namely Shaukeiwan Chest Clinic, Kowloon Chest Clinic, Sai Ying Pun Chest Clinic, Shek Kip Mei Chest Clinic, East Kowloon Chest Clinic, Tai Po Chest Clinic and Tung Chung Chest Clinic; while Cheung Chau Chest Clinic will be open on Fridays every four weeks starting from February 21.
• Five Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) will be closed starting from next Monday (February 17). They are East Kowloon MCHC, Wang Tau Hom MCHC, Wu York Yu MCHC, Yan Oi MCHC and Ma On Shan MCHC. Services of the remaining MCHCs will also be adjusted or suspended, details of which are available on the following website: www.fhs.gov.hk/english/news.

 
     The staff of the clinics will make separate arrangements for affected users with prior appointments.
 
     Apart from the above, some of the non-urgent services, including the Student Health Service Centres, School Dental Clinics, Woman Health Centres, Social Hygiene Clinics, Families Clinics and Education and Training Centre in Family Medicine, dental clinics as well as telephone and online bookings for HIV testing of the DH’s AIDS Counselling and Testing Service, have also been adjusted or suspended. For enquiries, please contact the relevant clinics and service units.
 
     In addition, in order to enhance infection control measures including minimising flows of people and social contacts, the DH advised that family members and friends should avoid accompanying clients to visit MCHCs or other clinics/facilities unless there are special reasons to do so. The DH also advised that:
 

• No more than two parents may accompany 1 month old or below newborn baby to MCHCs; and

• No more than one parent/relative/friend may accompany the service user to clinics/facilities.

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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 13) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly… read more