In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on October 18 to noon today (October 21), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 351 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 94 022 samples of food imported from Japan (including 59 956 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 21 108 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on October 18 to noon today (October 21), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 351 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 94 022 samples of food imported from Japan (including 59 956 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 21 108 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene has ordered two restaurants in Yau Tsim district to suspend business for 14 days and 21 days respectively, as the operators repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation (FBR) by illegally extending the food business area.

     The restaurant, located on the ground floor of 210 Temple Street, was ordered to suspend business from today (October 21) to November 3, while the restaurant, Spicy Crabs, located on the ground floor of 105 Woosung Street, was ordered to suspend business from today to November 10.

     "Two convictions for the above-mentioned breach were recorded against the restaurant on Temple Street in February and August of this year. A total fine of $7,500 was levied by the court and 30 demerit points were registered against the licensee under the department's demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in the 14-day licence suspension. Meanwhile, from July of last year to June of this year, four convictions for the above-mentioned breach were recorded against the restaurant on Woosung Street. A total fine of $7,700 was levied by the court and 60 demerit points were registered against this licensee under the department's demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in seven-day and 14-day licence suspensions running consecutively," a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said.

     The licensee of the restaurant on Temple Street had a record of two convictions for the same offence in July and September of last year. A total fine of $6,400 was levied and 30 demerit points were also registered, leading to a seven-day licence suspension last December.

     The spokesman reminded licensees of food premises to comply with the FBR and other relevant regulations, or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.

     Licensed food premises are required to exhibit their licence and a sign at a conspicuous place of the premises, indicating that the premises have been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/licence-foodPremises-search.html).

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, at the JUMPSTARTER Ignition Gala by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund today (October 21):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
     Good afternoon.

     Welcome to the StartmeupHK Festival 2024. It is my pleasure to join you all this afternoon at this first and foremost opening event of the Festival – JUMPSTARTER Ignition Gala by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. The Gala marks the exciting launch of JUMPSTARTER, a global pitch competition organised by the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, alongside the kick-off of the StartmeupHK Festival 2024.

     As you all know, this Festival, which is in its ninth year now, has been receiving overwhelming support from the start-up ecosystem in Hong Kong, and serving as a powerful catalyst over time for Hong Kong's burgeoning start-up ecosystem. The Festival this year, curated by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) with the theme "A Future Unlimited", will bring together many start-ups, investors, industry leaders and tech enthusiasts from around the world, providing an international platform for knowledge exchange, networking and collaboration across various cutting-edge sectors. I can assure you about an exciting series of events in the coming full week of the StartmeupHK Festival.

     As for this opening Gala, it marks the start of this year's JUMPSTARTER, which is a global competition providing invaluable opportunities for entrepreneurs across the globe to gather in Hong Kong, pitch their ideas and business proposals, learn from mentors and investors, and most importantly, pursue their dreams in Hong Kong. I look forward to the enthusiastic participation by contestants from around the world, and wish the competition a great success.

     The JUMPSTARTER is just one of the many opportunities offered in Hong Kong as a launch pad for start-ups to be groomed locally and scale globally. Being the only economy in the world where the global advantage and the China advantage come together, Hong Kong continues to maintain our uniqueness as one of the most liberal and easiest places to do business in the world: Hong Kong is once again ranked by the Fraser Institute this year as the freest economy; and we are ranked the third globally as well as the first in the Asia-Pacific region in the recent Global Financial Centres Index report. In addition, Hong Kong remains as the world's fourth largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2023 as revealed in the World Investment Report 2024, and continues to attract businesses and investment from around the world.

     These impressive achievements are attributed to our institutional strengths, such as a robust common law legal system, an independent judiciary, a simple and low tax system, world-class professional services, start-up-and-business-friendly environment as well as other advantages guaranteed under "one country, two systems". All of these continue to be the pillars supporting Hong Kong's success as hubs for start-ups.

     In fact, many start-ups fully recognise Hong Kong's competitive edges. We are home to over 4 200 start-ups, which is a record high, representing a significant increase by 7 per cent year on year. In the first nine months this year, InvestHK has helped 470 overseas and Mainland enterprises to set foot or expand their business here, and over 10 per cent of them are start-ups and scale-ups from different sectors. The above encouraging results are testaments to Hong Kong's attractiveness.

     In the 2024 Policy Address announced last week, the Government has launched new initiatives to further drive economic development, which will benefit all businesses in Hong Kong, including start-ups. For instance, the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) has recently been updated to provide more flexibility and convenience for Hong Kong enterprises to invest and do business on the Mainland. As CEPA measures are nationality neutral, all companies based in Hong Kong can benefit from the latest enhancements. We would encourage more start-ups from around the world to set up their operations in Hong Kong to enjoy these advantages.

     On individuals' level, non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents have become eligible for the Mainland travel permit since July this year. This unprecedented measure facilitates their visits to the Mainland for business, leisure or family trips multiple times within a five-year validity period. I note that it has been well received by expatriates in Hong Kong, and encourage our overseas friends in the start-up community to all apply for the permit, if eligible, and enjoy the convenience brought by this initiative.

     To facilitate your understanding of the above initiatives and many others, InvestHK, including its global network of Dedicated Teams for Attracting Businesses and Talents based in overseas Economic and Trade Offices, as well as its consultant offices, will continue to render support to you, with a view to facilitating your start-ups to set up and scale up in our city.

     Looking forward, Hong Kong's economic prospects are promising, and the Government will continue to strive to maintain a favourable business environment for start-ups as we always do. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our start-up friends here today for your tremendous support to the Festival and confidence in Hong Kong. I hope you enjoy the Gala event and all the exciting events ahead, exploring collaboration opportunities and experiencing the innovative spirit that defines Hong Kong as a prime destination for start-ups.

     Thank you.

The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
 
     The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, which will be held at the Victoria Park Tennis Court from October 26 to November 3.
 
     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (October 21), "We are very pleased to award the 'M' Mark status to the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. This international event attracts numerous world-class players to compete in Hong Kong each year. It is a grand occasion for the tennis community and provides them with exciting matches and unforgettable experiences. It also serves as a good opportunity to promote tourism and the economy in Hong Kong, enhancing the city's established professional status in the international sports arena."
 
     The "M" Mark System aims to encourage and help local "national sports associations" and private or non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be granted "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.
 
     For details of "M" Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk.