The Government Property Agency is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy of Shop No. 18 on Podium Level 2 of Shun Lee Disciplined Services Quarters, 32 Lee On Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.

     The premises should only be used for (i) retail or provision of services (excluding TV or Internet game centre, off-course betting centre and mahjong school); or (ii) eating outlet; or (iii) the combination of both (i) and (ii).

     The tender notice was uploaded today (December 27) to the Agency's website: www.gpa.gov.hk. Tender documents are available for collection at the Government Property Agency, 9th Floor, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during office hours (8.30am to 5.45pm from Mondays to Fridays). The documents can also be downloaded from the Agency's website.

     Interested tenderers who wish to attend the site inspection should make prior appointment with the Government Property Agency by calling 3842 6777 on or before January 17, 2020.

     Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box situated on the Ground Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong before noon on February 10, 2020. Late tenders will not be accepted.

     The Financial Secretary, with the authority delegated by the Chief Executive, has appointed Mr Lawrence Chan Kam-man and Mr Peter Lo Chi-wai as members of the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board. The above appointments were gazetted today (December 27) under the Deposit Protection Scheme Ordinance, for a term of three years with effect from January 1, 2020.
 
     Announcing the appointments, a government spokesman said, "The appointees possess rich experience in public service and their respective professional fields. We look forward to having their expert advice on the Board."
 
     "We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the outgoing member, Professor Chan Ngai-hang, for his valuable contribution over the past years."
 
     The Board is a statutory body established in 2004 under the Deposit Protection Scheme Ordinance. Its primary function is to maintain and manage the effective and efficient operation of the deposit protection scheme, for protecting depositors and contributing to the stability of the banking system.

     â€‹The Government published the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Gazette today (December 27). 
      
     "The Bill seeks to increase the statutory maternity leave (ML) under the Employment Ordinance (EO) (Cap 57) from the current 10 weeks to 14 weeks, and to require employers to pay the maternity leave pay (MLP) in respect of the extension of ML (additional MLP) to their eligible employees on the normal pay day at the existing statutory rate of MLP (viz. four-fifths of the employees' average daily wages) subject to a cap of $36,822 per employee," a spokesman for the Labour Department said.
      
     "Certain technical amendments will also be introduced, including updating the definition of 'miscarriage' from 'before 28 weeks of pregnancy' to 'before 24 weeks of pregnancy' which will entitle a female employee whose child is incapable of survival after being born at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy to ML; and entitling employees who have attended medical examination in relation to pregnancy to sickness allowance if they are able to produce, other than a medical certificate, a certificate of attendance.
      
     "The other arrangements concerning maternity protection under EO shall continue to operate as they currently do," the spokesman added.
      
     The spokesman pointed out that the proposed additional MLP would be funded by the Government on a reimbursement basis by way of an administrative scheme.
      
     The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on January 8 next year.

     Firing practice will take place at two military sites, namely the San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range and the Tsing Shan Firing Range, next month (January).
 
     Red flags or red lamps will be hoisted at the firing areas before and during firing practice. For their safety, people are advised not to enter the firing area.
 
     Following are the dates and times for the firing practice sessions in January 2020:
 
San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range
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Tsing Shan Firing Range
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     Members of the public are invited to enrol for the plant exhibit competition, which is one of the major activities of the Hong Kong Flower Show 2020. Application is free of charge and will remain open until January 13, 2020. A quota is set for each section of the competition, and entrants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
     The flower show will be held in Victoria Park for 10 days from March 6 to 15, 2020, featuring "Bliss in Bloom" as the main theme and with the hydrangea as the theme flower.
 
     The competition is divided into 15 sections, namely orchid, Chinese cymbidium, potted plant, cactus and succulent, foliage and carnivorous plant, African violet, bonsai-type plant, floral arrangement in Western style and Oriental style, floral art by school children, primary and secondary school potted plant growing/nursing, and the school garden plot competition.
 
     Participants can use electronic enrolment through the flower show webpage at www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2020/exhibits.html or download the entry forms and submit the completed forms in person or by post to the Secretariat of the Show Committee of the Hong Kong Flower Show 2020 (11/F, Leisure and Cultural Services Headquarters, 1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin) or by fax (2691 7264) on or before January 13, 2020. For enquiries about the competition, please call 2601 8260 or visit the flower show webpage.
 
     The flower show is organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is supporting the flower show for the eighth consecutive year and has been the Major Sponsor of the flower show since 2014.