HKKS Company Service Limited (the Company) was prosecuted by the Companies Registry under sections 53F(1) and (2) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO) for carrying on company service business without a licence. The Company pleaded guilty at Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (October 30) and was fined a total of $50,000 for the charges. In addition, the court also disqualified the Company from holding a licence for a period of six months.

     The new licensing regime for trust or company service providers commenced on March 1, 2018. Under the AMLO, such providers are required to apply for a licence from the Registrar of Companies before they can provide trust or company services as a business in Hong Kong. Any person who carries on a trust or company service business in Hong Kong without a licence commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine up to $100,000 and imprisonment up to six months.

     "The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all that the Companies Registry will rigorously enforce the licensing regime for trust or company service providers," a spokesman for the Registry said.

     A local importer, Shun Xi Electronics Company Limited, illegally imported hazardous electronic waste (e-waste) from Chongqing and was fined $42,000 at Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (October 30) for contravening the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO). The company was also fined $36,000 for importing hazardous e-waste from Chongqing in September this year.
      
     With the assistance of the Customs and Excise Department, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) staff intercepted an imported container from Chongqing at the Kwai Chung Container Terminals in May this year. The container was claimed to contain computer parts, but upon inspection it was found to be loaded with hazardous e-waste comprising waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), waste batteries and waste flat panel displays (FPDs), with a total weight of about 1 tonne. The intercepted container was immediately returned to the place of origin. The EPD also notified the relevant department of the Mainland for follow-up and instigated prosecution against the importer in accordance with the WDO.  
      
     An EPD spokesman stressed that waste PCBs, waste batteries and waste FPDs are hazardous e-waste, containing various heavy metals and other toxic chemical substances. They are classified as chemical waste and are regulated under the existing laws on chemical waste disposal. To protect the environment, the EPD rigorously combats the illegal import and export activities of hazardous waste.
      
     The spokesman reminded importers of the waste recycling trade not to illegally import (including import into or transshipment through Hong Kong) or export hazardous waste. According to the WDO, it is an offence for anyone to import or export hazardous waste without obtaining a valid permit beforehand. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. For subsequent offences, offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and two years' imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may visit the EPD's website for more information about the control of chemical waste: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/guide_cwc.html.

    

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (October 30) the following arrangements for lifeguard services at its 38 gazetted beaches during the period between November 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019:

Golden Beach, Repulse Bay Beach and Silverstrand Beach
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November 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019
Lifeguard services available from 8am to 5pm daily

Silver Mine Bay Beach
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November 1 to 30, 2018, and March 1 to 31, 2019
Lifeguard services available from 8am to 5pm daily
(Lifeguard services suspended from December 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019)

Clear Water Bay Second Beach
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After reopening in December 2018 (tentative) to March 31, 2019
Lifeguard services available from 8am to 5pm daily

     Lifeguard services at the following 12 LCSD beaches will be suspended from November 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019 during winter. These beaches are Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Lo So Shing Beach and Pui O Beach in Islands District; Butterfly Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Castle Peak Beach and Kadoorie Beach in Tuen Mun District; and Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach in Tsuen Wan District.

     Meanwhile, other gazetted beaches in Southern, Tsuen Wan, Islands and Sai Kung Districts, including Deep Water Bay Beach which is normally open all year round, will remain closed until further notice as much longer time is needed for repairing beach facilities and damaged shark prevention nets or clearing debris due to the severe damage brought about by the typhoon earlier. Red flags have been hoisted at these beaches.

     The LCSD calls on members of the public to observe water safety while swimming. People should swim at the beaches only when lifeguard services are available. Please do not enter the water when the red flag is hoisted.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will provide heated swimming facilities in 25 swimming pools under its management throughout the territory for public use during winter (i.e. November 2018 to March 2019) to enable more people to continue to exercise. The department calls on swimmers to keep public swimming pools clean and hygienic and mind their safety while swimming.

     The list of swimming pools providing heated swimming facilities during winter can be found in the attachment. Of them, individual swimming pools will be temporarily closed during certain periods in winter for maintenance works. Details are as follows:
 

     In addition, Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool without heated swimming facilities will be opened from 6.30am to noon daily from November 1 to 30.
 
     For details of the opening arrangements and the schedule of the weekly cleaning operations of the public swimming pools, please visit the following websites: www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-hk.html (for swimming pools in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon) and www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/swim-intro/swim-location-nt.html (for swimming pools in the New Territories).

    Subsequent to the approval by the Chief Executive in Council today (October 30) of the application from the Hang Seng Management College (HSMC) to change its English and Chinese titles to "The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong" and "香港æ�’生大學" respectively, the Permanent Secretary for Education has approved the change of the English and Chinese titles in accordance with the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap 320) (the Ordinance).

    The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, congratulated the institution. He said that the development of private universities added diversity to Hong Kong's higher education system and provided a channel for all sectors of society to contribute resources and efforts for the benefit of students.

    The HSMC is the first self-financing post-secondary education institution to acquire a university title since the publication of the revised roadmap of criteria for acquiring university title for post-secondary colleges registered under the Ordinance in 2015. Factors considered included the breadth of programmes offered, research capability, size and scale, governance and management, financial sustainability, academic environment and quality assurance.

    To assess the readiness of the HSMC for becoming a private university, the college invited the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to undertake an Institutional Review in 2017. The HKCAAVQ concluded that the HSMC met the standards expected of a private university.

    The Hang Seng School of Commerce (HSSC) was founded in 1980 to provide mainly business diploma courses, however in later years it also began to offer matriculation courses and pre-associate and associate degree programmes. Established by the HSSC, the HSMC has been registered under the Ordinance since 2010. In the 2018/19 academic year, the HSMC operated 19 self-financing locally-accredited post-secondary programmes, including 17 bachelor's degree programmes and two master's degree programmes, with over 4 000 students in total.

    To date, the HSMC has attained Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status for the disciplines of business and management; languages and related studies; and mass media and communications, journalism and public relations. Despite HSMC acquiring the title of a university, the PAA status obtained will still be subject to Periodic Institutional Review by the HKCAAVQ. Moreover, the HSMC will be required to submit a progress report together with an audited financial report to the Education Bureau annually to ensure its teaching quality and financial sustainability. The Education Bureau has commissioned the HKCAAVQ to review the reports and provide independent expert advice to the Bureau.