HKTE visits UK, Malaysia and Singapore to attract global talent (with photos)

     A spokesman for Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) said today (October 10) that since its establishment last October, the HKTE proactively endeavours to promote Hong Kong's dual role as an international talent hub and the country's gateway for talent to seek worldwide people with expertise. Since September, the Director of HKTE, Mr Anthony Lau, has visited the United Kingdom (UK), Malaysia and Singapore to promote Hong Kong's enormous opportunities and the various talent-attraction initiatives of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to students and alumni of local renowned universities as well as professionals.
 
     At the end of September, Mr Lau led a delegation to the UK and held discussions with representatives from five UK universities within the world’s top 100, including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. HKTE also promoted Hong Kong's array of talent attraction initiatives with the Institution of Engineering and Technology by inviting two UK talents who have settled in Hong Kong to share their experiences of working and living in the city.
 
     The HKTE delegation visited Malaysia in early October during which they hosted themed seminars, inviting two local enterprises and three Malaysian talents who have settled in Hong Kong to introduce the current employment market, development opportunities, tax arrangements and settlement procedures in Hong Kong. The seminars attracted over 100 attendees, including students, alumni, job seekers and human resources consultants. Mr Lau also visited the University of Malaya Centre of Innovation and Enterprise, and met with representatives from local chambers of commerce to introduce the latest developments and relevant information of Hong Kong.
 
     While visiting Singapore in early October, the HKTE delegation participated in a career fair organised by the National University of Singapore, and introduced an overview of Hong Kong developments to over 1 500 students and alumni. The delegation also engaged with fresh graduates from the Asia campus of the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires.
 
     Mr Lau said, "Under the principle of 'one country, two systems', Hong Kong gives full play to the advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and close connections with the world, thereby offering boundless opportunities for talent in various fields. The HKTE will continue to step up overseas promotion efforts and attract talent on all fronts, as well as providing comprehensive one-stop support services to incoming talent to facilitate their long-term development in Hong Kong. Looking ahead, the HKTE will continue to visit key markets, including North America and Europe, to recruit global talent of different professions to come and settle in Hong Kong."

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Special traffic arrangements on Hong Kong Island

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements in Central and Wan Chai this weekend (October 12 and 13) to facilitate the holding of a triathlon.

A. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed:

(1) From 10am on October 12 to 6pm on October 13:

     Expo Drive between Legislative Council Road and Expo Drive Central.

(2) From 1am to 6pm on October 13:

– Yiu Sing Street;
– Eastbound Lung Wo Road between Man Yiu Street and Fleming Road;
– Westbound Lung Wo Road between Lung Tat Path and Tim Wa Avenue;
– Eastbound Lung Tat Path;
– Lung Hop Street;
– Legislative Council Road between Legislative Council Complex Car Park exit and Lung Wo Road;
– Part of the traffic lanes of westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to its exit to Central;
– Part of the traffic lanes of eastbound Man Po Street near Man Yiu Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of southbound Man Yiu Street between Man Kwong Street and Yiu Sing Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of southbound Man Yiu Street near Lung Wo Road;
– Part of the traffic lanes of westbound Lung Wo Road between Tim Wa Avenue and Man Yiu Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of eastbound Man Po Street near Finance Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of westbound Lung Wo Road near Fleming Road; and
– Part of the traffic lanes of westbound Convention Avenue near Fleming Road.

B. Traffic diversions

     In connection with the road closure as mentioned above, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:

(1) From 10am on October 12 to 6pm on October 13:

– Traffic along eastbound Expo Drive heading to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will be diverted via eastbound Lung Wo Road and northbound Expo Drive East; and
– Traffic along eastbound Expo Drive heading to Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel will be diverted via eastbound Lung Wo Road.

(2) From 1am to 6pm on October 13:

– Traffic along westbound Man Kwong Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road via southbound Man Yiu Street will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Po Street heading to Admiralty or Mid-levels via eastbound Lung Wo Road can be diverted via the slip road of eastbound Man Po Street heading to westbound Finance Street, westbound Finance Street, temporary exit connecting Finance Street and Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel, the slip road of westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to eastbound Man Kat Street, eastbound Man Kat Street, eastbound Connaught Road Central and eastbound Harcourt Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Po Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road via eastbound Yiu Sing Street will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Po Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along southbound Man Yiu Street cannot turn left to eastbound Lung Wo Road and eastbound Yiu Sing Street, vehicles will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Cheung Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road,  eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along westbound Lung Wo Road cannot turn right to northbound Yiu Sing Street, vehicles will be diverted via westbound Lung Wo Road and northbound Man Yiu Street;
– Traffic along eastbound Yiu Sing Street and southbound Yiu Sing Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along northbound Legislative Council Road cannot turn left to westbound Lung Wo Road, vehicles will be diverted via southbound Legislative Council Road, eastbound Lung Wui Road, eastbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Lung Wo Road heading to Chief Executive’s Office via southbound Tim Wa Avenue will be diverted via southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central westbound and make a u-turn to eastbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Tim Wa Avenue;
– Traffic along eastbound Lung Wui Road cannot turn left to northbound Lung Hop Street;
– Traffic along westbound Fenwick Pier Street cannot turn right to northbound Lung Hop Street, vehicles will be diverted via Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Convention Avenue heading to westbound Lung Wo Road via northbound Lung Tat Path will be diverted via Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along southbound Expo Drive East heading to westbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Hung Hing Road heading to westbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted to southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place; and
– Traffic along westbound Lung Wo Road heading to Central Pier or Finance Street via Yiu Sing Street will be diverted via westbound Lung Wo Road and northbound Man Yiu Street.

C. Suspension of parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas

     All parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas on the following roads will be suspended:

(1) From 10am on October 12 to 6pm on October 13:

     All metered parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas on Expo Drive.

(2) From 10pm on October 12 to 6pm on October 13:

– All metered parking spaces on Yiu Sing Street and Lung Hop Street; and
– Pick-up/drop-off areas on westbound Lung Wo Road near City Hall and near Edinburgh Place.

     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.  
     
     Actual implementation of traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.




ICAC to commence annual household survey next week to gauge public views on graft-fighting work

The following press release is issued on behalf of the Independent Commission Against Corruption:

     The ICAC will kick start a new round of annual opinion survey next Monday (October 14) to gauge public attitudes towards a probity society and their understanding about corruption.

     "The ICAC is committed to combating corruption and together with the community, the Commission strives to safeguard Hong Kong's status as a clean society. This year marks the golden jubilee of the ICAC and the Commission is taking the opportunity to appeal to members of the public for their continued support. Citizens who are participating in the annual opinion survey are encouraged to express their views which would help the Commission formulate effective and holistic anti-graft strategies," said an ICAC spokesman.

     Commencing on October 14 till December, the survey will be conducted independently by a professional research agency appointed by the ICAC. Around 1 500 Hong Kong residents, aged between 15 and 74, will be selected for interviews by random sampling.

     Selected households will receive notification letters issued by the ICAC. During the survey period, uniformed interviewers bearing authorisation letters issued by the ICAC and staff identity cards of the research agency will visit the households between 10am and 9.45pm. Each face-to-face interview will last about 10 to 15 minutes. Selected households are welcome to schedule the interview with the research agency or the ICAC.

     All personal information and opinion collected from the survey will not be disclosed to any other government departments or organisations. All data collected will be compiled in aggregate and the completed questionnaires will be destroyed after completion of the survey.

     Details of the survey are available on the ICAC corporate website (www.icac.org.hk). For enquiries, members of the public may call the ICAC survey enquiry hotline 2826 3267 between 10am and 10pm during the survey period.




Results of monthly survey on business situation of small and medium-sized enterprises for September 2024

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (October 10) the results of the Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for September 2024.
 
     The current diffusion index (DI) on business receipts amongst SMEs increased from 41.3 in August 2024 in the contractionary zone to 41.6 in September 2024, whereas the one-month's ahead (i.e. October 2024) outlook DI on business receipts was 47.0. Analysed by sector, the current DIs on business receipts, despite below the 50-mark, rose by varying degrees in September 2024 as compared with previous month for many surveyed sectors, particularly for the logistics (from 35.9 to 40.3) and restaurants (from 34.7 to 36.5).
       
     The current DI on new orders for the import and export trades increased from 43.4 in August 2024 to 44.5 in September 2024, whereas the outlook DI on new orders in one month's time (i.e. October 2024) was 46.1.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that overall business sentiment among SMEs stabilised in September, and their expectations on the business situation in one month's time turned better. The overall employment situation also improved further in September.
 
     The spokesman added that while various uncertainties in the external environment may have some negative impacts, US interest rate cut should bode well for business sentiment. The Central Government's latest policy measures for supporting the Mainland economy as well as its various measures benefitting Hong Kong will also provide support. The Government will monitor the situation closely.
 
Further information
 
     The Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises aims to provide a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for assessing the short-term business situation faced by SMEs. SMEs covered in this survey refer to establishments with fewer than 50 persons engaged. Respondents were asked to exclude seasonal fluctuations in reporting their views. Based on the views collected from the survey, a set of diffusion indices (including current and outlook diffusion indices) is compiled. A reading above 50 indicates that the business condition is generally favourable, whereas that below 50 indicates otherwise. As for statistics on the business prospects of prominent establishments in Hong Kong, users may refer to the publication entitled "Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey" released by the C&SD.
 
     The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. The survey solicits feedback from a panel sample of about 600 SMEs each month and the survey findings are thus subject to sample size constraint. Views collected from the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own establishments rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in. Besides, in this type of opinion survey on expected business situation, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents' perception of the business situation accords with the underlying trends. For this survey, main bulk of the data were collected around the last week of the reference month.
 
     More detailed statistics are given in the "Report on Monthly Survey on the Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises". Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080015&scode=300).
 
     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7246; email: sme-survey@censtatd.gov.hk).




Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected ketamine worth about $12 million (with photos)

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs effected two dangerous drug trafficking cases between October 7 and yesterday (October 9), and seized about 24.5 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $12 million. Three persons connected with the cases were arrested.
           
     In the first case, through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs on September 27 inspected a seaborne consignment, declared as carrying household goods and personal effects and arriving in Hong Kong from Germany, at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized a total of about 15.5kg of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $7.5 million inside three different boxes of goods, including toys, rice cookers and protein powder.

     Upon a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation on October 7 and arrested a 31-year-old male consignee, who claimed to be a driver, in Sham Shui Po.
           
     The investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.
      
     For the second case, through risk assessment, Customs officers on October 7 inspected an express air parcel, declared as carrying monosodium glutamate and arriving in Hong Kong from the Netherlands, at the airport. Upon examination, about 9kg of suspected ketamine, disguised by packaging of monosodium glutamate, was found in the parcel. The estimated market value of the drugs was about $4.4 million.

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday arrested a male youth and a man, aged 16 and 20, who were suspected to be connected with the case in Chai Wan and Tsz Wan Shan respectively.

     An investigation is ongoing.
          
     Customs will continue to enhance enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary returns. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
           
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour report hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

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