The Government announced today (September 12) appointments to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) Board for a term of two years from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2026.
 
     The Financial Secretary, under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive pursuant to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council Ordinance (Cap. 588), has reappointed Mr Keith Lui Kei-kwong and newly appointed Mr Johnny Chan Kok-chung, Ms Deborah Leung Woon-kan and Professor Phyllis Mo Lai-lan as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) of the AFRC.
 
     Announcing the appointment, a spokesman for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said, "Since the launch of the new regulatory regime of the accounting profession in 2022, the AFRC Board has been steering the orderly discharge of its various regulatory powers over accounting professionals and practice units. As three new NEDs from diverse professional backgrounds are coming onboard, we are confident that the AFRC will continue to strive for the effective regulation and sustainable development of Hong Kong's accounting profession."
 
     Upon the commencement of the new regulatory regime of the accounting profession on October 1, 2022, the AFRC has become a full-fledged regulatory and oversight body of the accounting profession with expanded statutory functions of, inter alia, registration, inspection, investigation and discipline. It is also responsible for promoting and supporting the development of the accounting profession, as well as overseeing the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants' performance of various statutory professional functions.

     A new round of the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) will be launched in mid-September this year. The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) conducts an HES once every five years to collect up-to-date information on the expenditure patterns of households in Hong Kong. This information is an important input for updating the expenditure weights of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
 
     About 13 000 living quarters have been selected for participation in the survey under a scientifically designed sampling scheme. The one-year survey reference period starting from October 2024 will be divided into 26 bi-weekly cycles, and each sampled household will take part in only one cycle.
 
     About three weeks before the commencement of each survey cycle, notification letters will be sent to the sampled living quarters to invite the households therein to participate in the survey. The notification letters for the first survey cycle will be sent early next week. Census officers, whose names are shown on the notification letters, will then call on households in the sampled living quarters about one to two weeks after despatch of the letters to explain the purposes and data requirements of the survey. Each census officer will carry a Government Identity Card / Enumerator Identity Card and a Certificate of Identity issued by the C&SD authorising him/her to conduct the survey for inspection. Householders should check carefully the identity of the census officer before admitting him/her to their premises for interviews.
 
     The questionnaire used in the HES is designed mainly in the form of an expenditure diary. Each household member will need to record his/her daily expenditures in the diary, as well as providing information on regular payments and expenditures on infrequent purchases. In addition to paper questionnaire, they can follow the information provided in the notification letters to complete the questionnaires online through the "Online Questionnaire System" of the C&SD. They can also contact the C&SD to make appointments with census officers to visit and assist them in completing the questionnaires.
 
     The 2024/25 HES is conducted under Part IIIA of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 316). Information collected in the survey regarding individual persons and households will be kept strictly confidential and used solely for statistical purposes.
 
     The information collected from the HES is one of the major inputs for updating the expenditure weights of the CPI, which is an important economic indicator that measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services generally purchased by households.
 
     For enquiries about the 2024/25 HES, please contact the Household Expenditure Survey Section of the C&SD at telephone number 2551 6500 or email address hesurvey@censtatd.gov.hk.

     According to the provisional results of a survey released today (September 12) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the index of industrial production for manufacturing industries as a whole increased by 0.7% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with a year earlier, following a year-on-year increase of 1.8% in the first quarter of 2024. The corresponding producer price index increased by 3.0% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with a year earlier, following a year-on-year increase of 1.2% in the first quarter of 2024.

     The index of industrial production for sewerage, waste management and remediation activities increased by 1.5% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with a year earlier, as against a year-on-year decrease of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2024. The corresponding producer price index increased by 1.0% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with a year earlier, following a year-on-year increase of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2024.

     Indices of industrial production reflect changes in the volume of local industrial output after discounting the effect of price changes. The price changes are measured by the producer price indices compiled from data on producer prices of selected industrial goods/services collected in the same survey.

     Comparing the industrial production in respect of major manufacturing industries in the second quarter of 2024 with that a year earlier, increases in output volume were recorded mainly in the food, beverages and tobacco industry (+0.6%). On the other hand, decreases in output volume were recorded in the textiles and wearing apparel industry (-7.4%), the metal, computer, electronic and optical products, machinery and equipment industry (-3.6%), and the paper products, printing and reproduction of recorded media industry (-2.1%).

     On a seasonally adjusted basis, the index of industrial production for manufacturing industries as a whole decreased by 0.5% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with the first quarter of 2024.

     Producer price indices reflect changes in the prices of local output. They measure changes in the actual prices (net of any discounts or rebates allowed to buyers, plus any surcharges) received by producers for their output. Transportation and other incidental charges are not included.

     Comparing the second quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, increases in producer prices were recorded for all major manufacturing industries. The metal, computer, electronic and optical products, machinery and equipment industry had the largest increase in producer price (+5.1%), followed by the food, beverages and tobacco industry (+1.7%), the textiles and wearing apparel industry (+1.5%), and the paper products, printing and reproduction of recorded media industry (+1.1%).

     Table 1 shows the year-on-year percentage changes in the indices of industrial production by selected industry grouping. Table 2 shows the year-on-year percentage changes in the producer price indices for the industrial sector by selected industry grouping.

     The revised figures on indices of industrial production and producer price indices for the industrial sector for the second quarter of 2024 will be released at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/page_8000.html) and relevant publications of the Department starting from October 18, 2024.

     Users can browse and download the reports "Quarterly Index of Industrial Production, 2nd Quarter 2024" (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1070002&scode=310) and "Quarterly Producer Price Index for Industrial Sector, 2nd Quarter 2024" (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1070003&scode=280) at the website of the C&SD.

     For enquiries about indices of industrial production and producer price indices, please contact the Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel.: 3903 7247; email: ind-production@censtatd.gov.hk).

     To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, members of the public may use most of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s fee-charging leisure facilities for free as individual users on October 1 (Tuesday) to share in the joy of the special occasion. Members of the public can submit balloting applications for free use of those fee-charging facilities starting from September 14 (Saturday).

     The sessions for free use of facilities on October 1 will be allocated through balloting via SmartPLAY. At any time between September 14 and 20, members of the public can submit a balloting application via SmartPLAY for booking sessions available for free use on October 1. Each user can submit a total of three balloting choices in one application. The computer balloting results will be announced by September 23. Successful applicants will be notified by the SmartPLAY system and no confirmation is required by the applicants. Members of the public, who have not been allocated with or applied for the balloted free sessions, can book the remaining free sessions, if any, via SmartPLAY on a first-come, first-served basis at a later stage. Each person can only book one free session for October 1, regardless of the type of leisure facilities, whether through balloting or first-come, first-served booking.

     Applications submitted can be altered before the closing of the application period at 11.59pm on September 20. If applicants wish to change their choices, they may click "Edit Balloting Choices" to make alterations. They are reminded to read and agree to the declaration and click "Submit Application" again to complete the application procedures.

     The leisure facilities to be available for free use on October 1 include:

• Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls*, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms*, activity rooms and dance rooms;
• Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls*, archery ranges* and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds as well as artificial and natural turf pitches);
• Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool (only for group training purposes)); the swimming pools temporarily closed for annual maintenance, namely the Island East Swimming Pool, Ho Man Tin Swimming Pool, Tsing Yi Southwest Swimming Pool, Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool and Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool; and Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool, which is temporarily closed for redevelopment); and
• Craft at water sports centres* (recreational kayaks, pedal-driven boats, sampans and colour boats at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre are available for free use by campers only).

* Citizens who book these types of facilities must hold the relevant qualification certificates. For details, please visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/conditions.html.

     No prior booking is required for public swimming pool facilities. Members of the public may line up at the entrances of swimming pools before the start of a session. Free admission is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

     The LCSD appeals to hirers to arrive on time and make the best use of the booked facilities. If a hirer fails to take up a booked session within 10 minutes of the starting time, the facilities will be immediately reallocated to walk-in participants on a first-come, first-served basis. The facilities shall be used for the same purpose for which they were originally booked. Users shall surrender the facilities to the original hirer immediately upon the latter's arrival.

     All users of the leisure facilities shall observe the Conditions of Use of LCSD Recreation and Sports Facilities (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/condition/index.html), including the no-show/not present during the use of the booked sessions ("not present") penalty. An individual hirer who is unable to take up a booked session should cancel the booked facility one day before the start of the booked session(s) through the SmartPLAY system. A no-show/"not present" record will be filed on the hirer when he or she fails to take up a session as booked without on-time completion of the cancellation procedure, or is not present during the use of the booked sessions. Any two such records within 60 consecutive days will result in suspension of booking rights for any of the LCSD's recreation and sports facilities for 90 days.

     Please call 2414 5555 for enquiry or visit the thematic website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/freeuseday/index.html.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Mong Kok this afternoon (September 12) in which a man died.

     At 12.05pm, a coach driven by a 50-year-old man was travelling along Hoi Ting Road eastbound. Upon approaching a pedestrian crossing outside the junction of Hoi Ting Road and Hoi Wang Road, it reportedly knocked down a 51-year-old man.

     The man sustaining multiple injuries was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 1.03pm.

     The driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, Kowloon West is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 9023.