As the Police Headquarters was surrounded by protestors with roads obstructed in the vicinity, a total of 28 calls of 999 hotline in Wan Chai District could not be immediately handled as at 3.35pm today (June 21). Extra resources were deployed and Police service of Wan Chai District was delayed as a result. Police hereby appeal to all to leave the scene as soon as possible so that the normal operation of 999 service can be resumed.
The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (June 21) that a site, New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6607 at Shing Kai Road adjoining Kai Tak Sports Park, Kai Tak, Kowloon in the 2019-20 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender. The tender invitation for the lot will commence on June 28 and close on August 9.
New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6607 has a site area of about 11 276 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding residential, godown and petrol filling station but including hotel) purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 24 000 square metres and 32 000 square metres respectively.
Land sale documents including the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plan of the lot will be available for downloading from the LandsD's website (www.landsd.gov.hk), and the sale plan will be available for distribution and inspection by the public from June 28, when the particulars of the tender will also be gazetted.
The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (June 21) for people in need of the service.
The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.
For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
The 19 night heat shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Districts:
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Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
Kowloon Districts:
——————
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate
Sham Shui Po
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
New Territories Districts:
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Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
The temporary night heat shelters will resume their functions as either community centres or community halls in the daytime for hire by the local community and cannot continue to be open as heat shelters. People may choose to take refuge from the heat during the daytime in the common areas in any of the 20 designated community centres or community halls. Their opening hours are from 9am to 10pm. For addresses of the community centres or community halls, please browse the following webpage: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published today (June 21) statistics of payment cards issued in Hong Kong for the first quarter of 2019.
The payment card statistics (see Annex) include quarterly data on credit and debit cards issued in Hong Kong under the credit and/or debit card schemes of the eight payment card scheme operators (Note 1). The HKMA began to publish the payment card statistics on a quarterly basis in June 2010 to enhance transparency of the payment card industry in Hong Kong, in line with international practice.
According to the quarterly statistics, the total number of credit cards in circulation (Note 2) was 19.49 million by the end of Q1/2019. The figure represents a 0.2 per cent increase from the previous quarter and a 2.6 per cent increase from the previous year. The number and value of credit card transactions (including retail sales and cash advances) (Note 3) are susceptible to seasonal factors and the general economic environment, making the trends more prone to fluctuation. The total number of credit card transactions was 191.62 million for Q1/2019, representing a 2.5 per cent decrease from the previous quarter and a 15.4 per cent increase from the same period in 2018. The total value of credit card transactions was HK$193.2 billion for Q1/2019, representing a 1.9 per cent decrease from the previous quarter and a 5.6 per cent increase from the same period in 2018. Of the total transaction value, HK$152.2 billion (78.8 per cent) was related to retail spending in Hong Kong, HK$28.8 billion (14.9 per cent) in retail spending overseas and HK$12.2 billion (6.3 per cent) in cash advances.
The total number of debit cards in circulation is not available due to overlapping of debit card brands in a single card. Like the number and value of credit card transactions, the number and value of debit card transactions in relation to retail sales and bills payments (Note 4) are also affected by seasonal factors. On a quarterly basis, the total number of debit card transactions in relation to retail sales and bills payments decreased 0.7 per cent to 35.57 million while the total value increased by 4.6 per cent to HK$90.2 billion in Q1/2019. When compared to the same period in 2018, the total number increased by 2.6 per cent and the total value rose by 2.7 per cent in Q1/2019.
Notes:
Note 1. The payment card statistics are compiled from data on credit and debit cards issued in Hong Kong by both authorized institutions (AIs) and non-authorized institutions (non-AIs) under the credit and/or debit card schemes of the eight payment card scheme operators (the card operators). The card operators, in alphabetical order, are American Express International, Inc., Discover Financial Services (Hong Kong) Limited, EPS Company (Hong Kong) Limited (EPSCO), JCB International (Asia) Ltd, Joint Electronic Teller Services Ltd. (JETCO), MasterCard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd., UnionPay International Co. Ltd and Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited.
Note 2. A credit card issued in Hong Kong only carries one credit card brand. The total number of credit cards in circulation refers to the total number of credit cards (i.e. cards with a credit function) issued in Hong Kong under the credit card schemes of card operators (but excluding EPSCO and JETCO, which do not operate a credit card scheme). Some of these credit cards carry debit card functions, i.e. the credit card can be used for making purchases/payments or cash withdrawal at ATMs through directly debiting cardholders' bank accounts.
Note 3. The total number/value of credit card transactions refer to the total number/value of transactions made via credit card accounts of credit cards issued in Hong Kong under the credit card schemes of card operators (excluding EPSCO and JETCO). Starting from March 2015, a Hong Kong/overseas spending breakdown of credit card retail sales transactions is provided.
Note 4. The total number/value of debit card transactions in relation to retail sales/bill payments refers to the total number/value of those transactions made via debiting cardholders' bank accounts. Some of the eight card operators do not operate a debit card scheme. Care should be exercised in combining the credit card retail sales figures and the debit card retail sales/bills payment figures because of the possibility of double counting.
According to the figures released today (June 21) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total employment in the private sector surveyed increased by 0.2% or 6 900 persons in March 2019 compared with a year earlier. The total number of vacancies was 79 580, representing an increase of 4% or 2 700 over the preceding year.
Employment statistics
In March 2019, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 874 300 persons. The import and export trade engaged 460 100 persons, followed by the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 307 100 persons, the retail trade 272 600 persons, and the food and beverage services 251 800 persons.
Employment increased in many surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Increases in employment were mainly recorded in the industries of accommodation services (covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation) (6.6% or 2 600 persons), human health services (4.3% or 5 600 persons), information and communications (3.4% or 3 700 persons), and financing and insurance (3.2% or 7 200 persons). On the other hand, employment decreased mainly in the industries of construction sites (manual workers only) (-11.0% or -13 300 persons), and import and export trade (-3.7% or -17 900 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies statistics
Among the 79 580 private sector vacancies, 12 280 were from the industry of food and beverage services, 8 350 from retail trade, 8 160 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 6 470 from financing and insurance, and 5 570 from import and export trade.
Vacancies increased in many selected industries in March 2019 over a year earlier. Increases were mainly observed in the industries of transportation, storage, postal and courier services (740 or 18%); education (710 or 17%); residential care and social work services (630 or 17%); and professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (490 or 6%). On the other hand, vacancies decreased mainly in the industries of import and export trade (-720 or -11%), real estate (-190 or -5%), and information and communications (-170 or -5%). Job vacancies figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 2.
Analysed by major occupation category, private sector vacancies were observed mainly in the categories of service and sales workers (24 530 vacancies), associate professionals (15 180 vacancies), elementary occupations (14 930 vacancies), and clerical support workers (9 490 vacancies). Job vacancies figures by major occupation category are shown in Table 3.
Seasonally adjusted statistics
For discerning the latest trend in employment and vacancies in the private sector, it is useful to look at changes over a three-month period in the respective seasonally adjusted figures. Compared with December 2018, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries decreased by 0.1% and 0.8% respectively in March 2019. The changes over three-month periods in the seasonally adjusted series of employment and vacancies are shown in Table 4.
Other information
The above employment and vacancies statistics were obtained from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites conducted by the C&SD. In the former survey, some economic activities (e.g. those dominated by self-employment, including taxi operators and hawkers) are not covered. Therefore, the respective employment and vacancies figures relate only to those selected industries included in the survey. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancies figures relate to manual workers only.
A detailed breakdown of the above statistics is published in the following reports:
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics, March 2019"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp452.jsp?productCode=B1050003)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2019"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp452.jsp?productCode=B1050004)
Users can download these publications free of charge at the website of the C&SD.
Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancies statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section, C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076; fax: 2827 2296; email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).