Tag Archives: China

     The Task Force on Promotion of Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) submitted its review report to the Education Bureau (EDB) today (January 23).
      
     In its review, the Task Force considered various aspects pertaining to enhancing the promotion of VPET in Hong Kong, including its promotion in secondary and higher education, the development of vocational progression pathways and publicity strategy. The Task Force also made reference to the practices in other economies and stakeholders’ views collected through a two-month public consultation completed in July last year.
      
     The Chairman of the Task Force, Dr Roy Chung, said, “Under the theme of ‘VPET for the Future’, the review report reaffirms VPET’s integral role in Hong Kong’s education system to equip students with work skills for the future. The Task Force considers that the Government should strengthen and deepen collaboration with industries to provide more diversified and quality VPET programmes for young people, with a view to facilitating the parallel development of the VPET and academic education pathways.”
      
     The Task Force has put forward 18 recommendations in its report, including stepping up promotion of VPET in secondary education through existing platforms (such as Applied Learning and the Business-School Partnership Programme), reiterating the value and positioning of VPET in higher education (including the proposed applied degree and Higher Diploma), developing flexible vocational progression pathways for in-service practitioners under the Qualifications Framework and strengthening the future promotion of VPET with an innovative and coordinated approach. A leaflet highlighting the Task Force’s key recommendations and a full list of the recommendations are at Annexes 1 and 2 respectively.
      
     Having received the review report, the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, said, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Chairman, Dr Roy Chung, and all of the members of the Task Force for their hard work and contributions to the review. Since its establishment in April 2018, the Task Force has been dedicated to conducting a comprehensive review on the promotion of VPET in Hong Kong and offered their invaluable professional advice, while suitably making reference to practices outside Hong Kong and the views of major stakeholders.
      
     “The Government has all along been committed to providing multiple and flexible education pathways for young people with different aspirations and abilities through VPET. The recommendations of the Task Force help chart a clear way forward for the promotion of VPET as a preferred choice. The EDB will carefully study the report and actively follow up on its recommendations,” said Mr Yeung.
      
     The full review report can be viewed on the EDB’s website (edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/other-edu-training/vocational-other-edu-program/promotion-vet.html).

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The blood inventories are now reaching a critically low level. The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) appealed to the general public today (Januar… read more

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Chairman of the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC), Professor Joseph Sung, yesterday (January 22) visited the Green Lunar New Year (LNY) Fair at Fa Hui Park, Mong… read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, January 23, 2020 is 106 (up 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 70 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $12 million at Hong Kong International Airport on January 17. This is the largest cannabis trafficking case detected by Customs at Hong Kong International Airport in the past decade.

     Customs officers inspected an air consignment, with several cartons of goods declared as loudspeakers, arriving in Hong Kong from Canada on that day. The batch of suspected cannabis buds was found concealed inside 32 speakers and wrapped with tinfoil and vacuum bags, in an attempt to evade law enforcement officers’ detection.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers on the same day arrested a 50-year-old man suspected to be involved in the case.

     Investigation is ongoing. The arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Hong Kong Customs strives to combat dangerous drugs trafficking and takes rigorous enforcement action in accordance with Hong Kong’s laws. The recreational use of cannabis has been legalised in individual overseas jurisdictions where products containing cannabis or controlled cannabinoids (such as tetrahydro-cannabinol, or THC) in the form of food, drinks and topical products for applying to skin, hair or nails, as well as cannabis extracts, may be available for sale. Customs reminds the public that cannabis and THC are controlled dangerous drugs in Hong Kong. It is a criminal offence to bring such products into Hong Kong.

     Cannabis and THC (a major cannabinoid present in cannabis plants) are dangerous drugs controlled under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134). Any products that contain cannabis or THC are also controlled under Cap. 134.

     With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, members of the public should pay attention to the packaging labels of the products concerned to check whether they contain cannabis while making purchases in foreign places during travel. The public should also be aware of the relevant domestic legislation in relation to cannabis, so as to avoid breaching the law inadvertently.

     Under Cap. 134, trafficking in dangerous drugs, or illicitly importing to and exporting from Hong Kong, procuring, supplying, manufacturing or dealing in or with dangerous drugs, constitutes a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. Illicitly possessing or smoking, inhaling, ingesting or injecting dangerous drugs is subject to a maximum penalty of imprisonment for seven years and a fine of $1 million.

     Customs has all along been closely monitoring the trends concerning dangerous drugs in other places and implements appropriate strategies. Stringent law enforcement is imposed on passenger and cargo clearance, including air postal packets and express cargo, to effectively combat drug trafficking activities and interdict the flow of dangerous drugs into Hong Kong.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit drug-related activities through Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).