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

     In response to Government's announcement that special work arrangements for government departments will be extended to reduce the risk of novel coronavirus in the community, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) announced today (February 1) that the following arrangements will be implemented until February 9 tentatively to provide basic and limited services to members of the public;
  

• All the Estate Management Offices (EMOs) of Public Housing Estates will be opened starting 10 am until 1 pm from Monday to Friday to provide limited general management services for public housing estates including the handling of cases which have made appointments. For enquiries outside the opening hours, residents may call the contact telephone number provided by respective EMOs, and staff will render assistance as far as practicable;

• All subsidised housing offices will be temporarily closed (including Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Sales Unit and White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) Unit in Lok Fu Customer Service Centre, Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Sales Unit in Kwun Tong as well as other offices of related services) until further notice. All flat selection sessions have been suspended until further notice. We have individually informed all concerned applicants;

• Moreover, the HOS Secondary Market Scheme (SMS) Unit in Wong Tai Sin will provide limited service during the period from 3 to 5 February in relation to the application for Letter of Nomination under the SMS and WSM;

• All public rental housing application offices including Lok Fu Customer Service Centre Office and Sham Shui Po Housing Information Centre will be closed until further notice. All detailed vetting interviews, as well as flat selection of Territory-wide Overcrowding Relief Exercise and Living Space Improvement Transfer Scheme will also be suspended until further notice;

• Clearance Housing office and Redevelopment Sub-section offices (Pak Tin & Mei Tung) as well as Public Housing Resources Management Sub-section will also be closed until further notice;

• Closing time for tenders received through the Tender Boxes on the G/F of the Housing Authority Headquarters Building at 33 Fat Kwong Street, Homantin and all other HA offices on or before February 7, 2020 will be extended until further notice;

• During the period, the Shroff Office on the Ground Floor of HA Headquarters will provide limited service. Except rental collection, other payment collection services (including premium payment by Subsidised Sale Flats Scheme owners to facilitate them to complete transactions of their flats) will remain in operation.

     In addition, due to the current work arrangements, HA may not be able to revert to public enquiries, requests or complaints in time.

     For enquiries, please call HA hotline 2712 2712.

     To align with the special work arrangement announced by the Government on January 31 to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Companies Registry announced today (February 1) that starting from next Monday (February 3), the Companies Registry will provide the following limited counter services to members of the public:

Limited public services at Queensway Government Offices
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     A limited number of shroff counters on the 14th Floor (14/F) of the Queensway Government Offices will be open to receive applications for incorporation of local companies delivered in hard copy form. Information counters on the 14/F will also be open for answering general enquiries.
      
     All other documents in hard copy form can continue to be delivered for registration:
 

1. by post to the Companies Registry on the 14/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong; or
2. by depositing in the Drop-in box located on the 14/F of the Queensway Government Offices or the Drop-in box near the Information Counter on the Deck Floor, High Block of the Queensway Government Offices.

 
Limited public services at One Kowloon, Kowloon Bay
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     The Registry for Trust and Company Service Providers at One Kowloon, Kowloon Bay, will be open for counter enquiry service and receiving applications for licences in hard copy form.
      
     The waiting time of the counter services provided at the two offices may be longer as the provision of services will be scaled down.
      
     The opening hours of the Registry will be adjusted as follows:
 
Queensway Government Offices – 14/F Public Service Hall and
One Kowloon, Kowloon Bay
 
Monday to Friday
9.30am-12.30pm
2pm-4pm
 
     To reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Registry appeals to all customers to use its electronic services as much as possible. The Registry's services on registration of documents and public search services will continue to be provided electronically through the "e-Registry" (www.eregistry.gov.hk), Cyber Search Centre (www.icris.cr.gov.hk) and the website of the Registry for Trust and Company Service Providers ( www.tcsp.cr.gov.hk).
      
     Please check the latest announcements on the Registry’s website (www.cr.gov.hk) for any updates. 
      
     For enquiries, please call 2867 2600.

     In light of the extended special work arrangements for government employees and the latest developments of the novel coronavirus infection, the offices of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA), including those at the Student Finance Office (SFO), the Working Family Allowance Office (WFAO) and its Caring and Sharing Scheme (CSS) Division, will provide limited services to the public starting from February 3 (Monday) until further notice.
 
     The service counters of the SFO at Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices as well as the Trade and Industry Tower will be open from 8.45am to 5.45pm (Monday to Friday) to receive applications for loans under student finance schemes from those who have made prior bookings through the online system of the SFO. Approved applicants for student loans who have been notified by the SFO may also collect their cheque payments at the service counter at the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices.
 
     As regards the Working Family Allowance Scheme and Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme, applicants can submit their applications by post, online or through the drop-in boxes at the WFAO and the SFO. The service counters of the WFAO in Kwun Tong and the CSS Division in Mong Kok will remain closed.
 
     Members of the public may contact the WFSFAA for enquiries through the following channels:

1.Student Finance Office: Email (wg_sfo@wfsfaa.gov.hk); hotline (2802 2345);
2.Working Family Allowance Office: Email (enquiry_wfao@wfsfaa.gov.hk); hotline (2558 3000); and
3.Caring and Sharing Scheme Division: Email (careandshare@wfsfaa.gov.hk); hotline (3897 1088).

     In light of the extension of special work arrangements for government departments until February 9 to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced today (February 1) that it will provide emergency and essential as well as basic and limited public services to members of the public. The arrangements for affected public services of the WSD commencing on February 3 are as follows:
 

• The Customer Enquiries Centre (CEC) in Wan Chai will be open as normal. However, the CECs in Tai Kok Tsui, Sha Tin, Tai Po and Tuen Mun will remain closed;

• The Document Management Centre located on the 43rd floor of the Immigration Tower, Wan Chai, will resume receiving submission of documents, including water supply applications, plumbing proposals, etc. Processing of these submissions will be prioritised according to their category, urgency, etc.;

• The 24-hour Customer Services Hotline (2824 5000) will handle emergency and general enquiries as normal. Enquiries on account matters will be diverted to voice mail and those of urgent nature will be replied to as soon as possible;

• The H2OPE Centre (Water Resources Public Education Centre) will remain closed;

• The "Excursion with Water Save Dave" Visiting Programme for individuals and groups will continue to be cancelled; and

• Routine meter readings will be suspended temporarily. The WSD will issue water bills with estimated water consumption to relevant consumers with the billing cycles of their accounts ending during the period.

     These arrangements above will continue to be effective until further notice.

     In view of the extension of the special work arrangement for government departments to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (February 1) that members of the public can place their applications for vehicle exhaust and noise emissions compliance/exemption with relevant documents into the drop-in box located at the EPD's office at 34/F, Revenue Tower, Wan Chai during office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) starting from next Monday (February 3). The applicants will be informed of the collection arrangement of the approved letters.

     For enquiries, please call the EPD at 2877 0448 during the above office hours.

     Other counter and licensing services of the EPD's regional offices will continue to be temporarily suspended until further notice. The EPD will continue to process licence applications submitted online or by post.