The Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Lam Sai-hung, led a Hong Kong delegation to Foshan, Guangdong, to participate in the "Nanhai of Foshan & Hong Kong – Innovation Forum-cum-Business Matching Meeting on Construction Engineering and Management Services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao High-end Services Demonstration Zone" today (August 20).
 
     The event, with the theme of deepening co-operation to facilitate high quality development of the construction industry, was jointly organised by the Development Bureau and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.  It aimed to explore how to fully leverage the innovative, professional and technical edges of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to facilitate collaboration and interaction of construction industry stakeholders in Guangdong and Hong Kong.
 
     At the opening ceremony, Mr Lam said that the Development Bureau and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development jointly signed the "Agreement on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction and Related Engineering Services" in November 2017.  One of the tasks was to actively encourage construction enterprises and professionals of both sides to liaise closely and join hands in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.   He also mentioned that the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area supports the promotion of co-operation in high-end services among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and builds a link to foster market connectivity and the flow of talent, information, technologies, etc., which are vital economic elements.
 
     In the forum, construction enterprises and professionals of both sides shared their valuable experience in a variety of areas, including project planning, design, construction management and dispute resolution.  The organisers also arranged for some Mainland enterprises to discuss collaboration opportunities with their Hong Kong counterparts on projects in Foshan.

    

     The Transport Department today (August 20) announced that the auction of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on September 8 (Sunday) in Meeting Room S221, L2, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

     "A total of 340 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public auction. The list of marks has been posted at the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.

     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
     
(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:

(1) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(2) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(3) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(4) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.

(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.

(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.

(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk.

     Police are highly concerned about a case reported by a political party this morning (August 20) in which police officers were suspected to have assaulted a patient in a ward at the North District Hospital at the end of June. The case has now been taken up by the Regional Crime Unit of New Territories South for criminal investigation.

     Police reiterate that police officers are never allowed to use abusive force for their own sake. Police will follow up on the case in a fair, just and impartial manner.

     Police also appeal to anyone who has any information on the case to contact the Police.

     London-based architecture and interior design firm, Design Haus Liberty (DH Liberty), announced today (August 20) that it has opened its global office in Hong Kong to realise opportunities in the growing Asia-Pacific and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area markets.
     
     Although the company was established only six years ago with its headquarters in London, it has quickly gained a reputation as a "young, up-and-coming" leader with an emphasis on maximising users' experiences in its design philosophy, according to Founder, Ms Dara Huang. She said that over the past two years, her company has been engaged in design projects in the Greater Bay Area, hence having a base in Hong Kong with its international recognition offers a lot of convenience and efficiency to their operation.
     
     Ms Huang said, "We have provided design work in the Greater Bay Area on several significant projects over the past two years. Our clients are based in Hong Kong, so we have been flying from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong every month. In order to provide better services to existing clients and reach out new ones in the region, we are moving to Hong Kong to build our local team, oversee current projects and maintain close relationships with local clients."
     
     She added, "Hong Kong's open-for-business attitude, financial flexibility with overseas banks, open-mindedness as well as the efficiency and speed at which the city operates make it an easy and efficient place to set up a company. The tax savings offered and its welcoming presence is also appealing for Western companies trying to establish themselves out East."
     
     Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said, "We are happy to see that DH Liberty has set up its global office in Hong Kong. While the Greater Bay Area will boost the overall business and economic integration of its cities, Hong Kong is already recognised as its international hub. The sooner companies decide to build a base in Hong Kong, the more first-mover advantages they will enjoy vis-à-vis their competitors as they secure a foothold in this massive lucrative market."
     
     
About Design Haus Liberty
     
     Founded in 2013, the award-winning London-headquartered Design Haus Liberty has been broadening the definition of architecture culture to include new build, interior design, lighting and branding. Design Haus Liberty manages interior and exterior projects that range from private to public. Its clients include hotel groups Four Seasons and Starwood Capital, and companies such as Emaar Properties, Knight Dragon, LVMH and Cartier. For more information, please visit www.dhliberty.hk.
     
About Invest Hong Kong
     
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
     
     For an event photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157710342475406.

  

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (August 20):
 
Reporter: Carrie Lam, one quarter of the population of Hong Kong came out in the rain and marched peacefully. How long are you going to continue to ignore the demands that are made of you? It’s been nearly three months now.
 
Chief Executive: I have just explained and elaborated on two important areas of work that we are doing. One is an important fact-finding study in addition to a very robust system to investigate and look at the complaints against police over this prolonged period of confrontation and violence. The other, a more rare arrangement, is for the IPCC, which is statutory and independent, to create a fact-finding study into the causes and the facts of these incidents. I hope that this is a very responsible response to the aspirations for better understanding of what has taken place in Hong Kong.  And most important of all, it is not just fact finding to provide the sequence of facts. It also will provide the Government with recommendations on how to move forward and also to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.
 
     The second area of work that I have announced, which will give us much better basis to address some anxieties and differences in society, is we will start immediately a platform for dialogue with people from all walks of life. This is something that we want to do in a very sincere and humble manner. I and my principal officials are committed to listen to what the people have to tell us, and we want to reach out to the community as soon as possible.
 
Reporter:  Mrs Lam, numerous Hong Kong companies, like Cathay, have been forced by Beijing and state media to act against employees and actively publish pro-government statements. Is Hong Kong still the world’s freest economy? How can businesses possibly invest with such risk of interference in their operations? And secondly, you’ve repeated it’s dead, you’ve said it won’t be brought back, please can you give a clear reason as to why the extradition bill cannot be simply withdrawn from the legislature? Precisely why not?
 
Chief Executive: On the second question I have repeatedly replied on various occasions and I can give you this very clear commitment at the political level that the bill is dead. There is no plan to revive this bill, especially in light of the public concerns.
 
     The first point in your two-pronged question, I cannot comment, as the Chief Executive, on the commercial decisions of individual companies. I hope you understand that. But I remain convinced that Hong Kong has her unique advantages. In attracting overseas companies to come to Hong Kong, one of the most important strengths is the rule of law. That’s why we have been doing so much to ensure that the rule of law is being upheld and respected in Hong Kong.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)