Mobile Libraries 2, 4, 6 and 7 will suspend services during designated periods in February and March for routine maintenance, a Leisure and Cultural Services Department spokesman announced today (February 1).

     Mobile Library 7 will suspend services from February 8 to 14. The affected service points are Chuk Yuen (South) Estate and Fung Tak Estate in Wong Tai Sin, Kai Yip Estate in Kowloon Bay, Hoi Fu Court in Mong Kok West and Sceneway Garden in Lam Tin. For enquiries about Mobile Library 7 services, please call 2926 3056.

     Mobile Library 6 will suspend services from February 11 to 16. The affected service points are Shau Kei Wan Market on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Lei Tung Estate and Ap Lei Chau Estate in Ap Lei Chau, the First Aid Station at Shek O Beach and Tsui Lam Estate in Tseung Kwan O. For enquiries about Mobile Library 6 services, please call 2505 4690.

     Mobile Library 4 will suspend services from February 20 to March 5. The affected service points are Yat Tung Estate in Tung Chung, Discovery Bay, Pui O, Shui Hau and Tong Fuk. For enquiries about Mobile Library 4 services, please call 2984 9417.

     Mobile Library 2 will suspend services from February 25 to March 2. The affected service points are Hau Tak Estate and Po Lam Estate in Tseung Kwan O, Mei Lam Estate and Saddle Ridge Garden in Sha Tin, Tsui Ping Estate in Kwun Tong and Maple Street in Sham Shui Po. For enquiries about Mobile Library 2 services, please call 2605 1071.

     Readers are welcome to use other public libraries during the service suspension periods. They may also renew library materials by telephoning 2698 0002 or 2827 2833, or via www.hkpl.gov.hk.

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

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) announced today (February 1) that over 40 000 applications were received for the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) Flats 2018 (GSH 2018), comprising around 28 000 from Green Form (GF) applicants under the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2018 (HOS 2018) and 12 000 new GF applications.
 
     The HA will be sending letters to applicants confirming receipt of their applications and notifying them of their application numbers.
 
     In accordance with the pilot streamlined application procedures, the HA had earlier issued a notification letter and several SMS messages to individual valid GF applicants of HOS 2018 informing them of the need to complete and return the reply slips and declaration forms before the close of applications to indicate whether they agree to carry over their HOS 2018 applications to GSH 2018.
 
     "Today, we have sent notification letters to those HOS 2018 applicants who have not replied on or before the closing date of application on January 10 that their HOS 2018 applications will not be carried over to GSH 2018," a spokesman for the HA said.
            
     A total of 2 545 flats located in Blocks 1 to 4 of Lai Tsui Court at Lai Chi Kok Road in Cheung Sha Wan are offered for pre-sale under GSH 2018. The saleable areas range from about 17.1 square metres to about 42 sq m. At a discount of 58 per cent from assessed market values, the average selling price is $67,200 per sq m, or $6,243 per square foot of saleable area. The selling prices range from $932,500 to $3,062,100.
 
     "Balloting is planned to be held at the end of February. Eligible applicants will be invited for flat selection starting from the end of March according to their priority order," the spokesman said.
 
     The HA will be launching e-submission of applications for the sale of subsidised sale flats in 2019-20. Applicants will be provided with an option of submitting their applications by using the e-submission forms on the HA/Housing Department website, and will be able to pay the relevant fees online. The HA will also consider how best to further streamline the application procedures for the benefit of the public.

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs mounted a joint operation with Mainland Customs on January 16 to combat cross-boundary endangered species smuggling activities. During the operation, Hong Kong Customs seized about 8 300 kilograms of suspected pangolin scales and 2 100 kilograms of suspected ivory tusks with an estimated market value of about $62 million from a container at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. This is the largest amount pangolin scales ever seized by Hong Kong Customs.

     Acting on information from Mainland Customs and through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Hong Kong Customs inspected a 40-foot container declared to contain frozen beef arriving from Nigeria. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of supsected pangolin scales and ivory tusks inside the container.

     Follow-up investigation resulted in the arrest of a male proprietor and a female staff member, aged 39 and 29 respectively, of a trading company in Mong Kok.

     Investigation is ongoing and all arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

     Ask Global Computer Limited, Mobile Computer Land Limited, Mr. Computer (H.K.) Limited and Hisense (Hong Kong) Company Limited were fined a total of $10,000 today (February 1) and in January at Eastern Magistrates' Courts and Fanling Magistrates' Courts for contravening the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance (PERO). These are the first four regulated electrical equipment (REE) sellers to be successfully prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for contravening the PERO after relevant clauses of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment came into effect on August 1 last year. In addition to the above cases, four other sellers suspected of violating the PERO are scheduled for hearing in March.

     An EPD spokesman said that enforcement officers conducted an inspection at the Hong Kong Computer and Communications Festival last August and received a report from a customer claiming that Mr. Computer (H.K.) Limited had failed to notify him in writing about the arrangement and terms of the free statutory removal service during his purchase of a printer. Separately, EPD enforcement officers monitored the operations of online sales platforms of REE. It was found that Ask Global Computer Limited, Mobile Computer Land Limited and Hisense (Hong Kong) Company Limited were suspected of charging customers for the statutory removal service and failed to provide information to the EPD for investigation before the deadline without reasonable explanation. The four sellers were prosecuted by the EPD for contravening the PERO.

     The spokesman reminded all REE sellers that they must proactively inform consumers about the provision of free statutory removal service by sellers. They should also display written statements and provide details of the removal terms to their consumers. They must also have a removal service plan endorsed by the EPD, arrange for consumers a free removal service to collect the same type of waste equipment, provide a recycling label and a receipt containing the prescribed wording on the recycling levies when distributing REE, and keep a record of each request for removal service for one year. They should also provide information to the EPD as requested to facilitate the department's investigation on suspected non-compliance cases.

     The EPD will continue to monitor the compliance situation of REE sellers, including physical shops and online sales platforms, and take stringent enforcement actions against sellers suspected of violating the PERO. Under the PERO, first-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 to $100,000. A maximum fine of $10,000 to $200,000 may be imposed on second or subsequent convictions. Any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a requirement properly made of him by an authorised officer under the PERO, for example to provide requested information for investigation before a deadline, also commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $25,000.

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

     The Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) – a group of 29 international organisations including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) – is inviting applications from firms wishing to test innovative financial products, services or business models across more than one jurisdiction.
      
     The GFIN is an international network of organisations committed to supporting financial innovation in the interests of consumers. The network was proposed in August 2018, building on the relevant organisations’ earlier proposal to create a global sandbox.
      
     The international regulators and bodies have now launched a pilot for firms that wish to test innovative products and services across international markets, and have agreed to announce the pilot in their respective jurisdictions. The pilot tests will provide a more efficient way for innovative firms to interact with regulators across the world, as they look to scale new ideas.
      
     Mr Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, said, "As one of the founding contributors of the GFIN, the HKMA is delighted to see the formal establishment of the initiative, which would foster closer collaboration between financial regulators. Our participation in the cross-border testing workstream demonstrates our commitment to facilitating cross-border regulatory collaboration on financial innovation. We look forward to working with other regulators and creating a conducive environment for firms to trial cross-border solutions."
      
     Firms interested in applying to take part in the pilot cross-border tests should review the list of participating regulators and submit an application before the deadline February 28, 2019.
      
     The GFIN has, in addition, finalised its terms of reference for governance and membership of the group. The GFIN welcomes formal expressions of interest from regulators and international organisations interested in joining. There is no deadline for these applications.
      
     Details of the GFIN, its member organisations and the list of regulators supporting the pilot test can be found in Annex.