Tag Archives: China

     The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident that happened in Yau Ma Tei this afternoon (September 12) in which a man died.        The LD immediately deployed staff to the scene u… read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, September 12, 2024 is 104.0 (up 0.2 against yesterday’s index). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
     Flat selections for the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) Flats 2023 (GSH 2023) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will commence on September 19. The HA will invite eligible applicants in batches to select flats for sale under GSH 2023 according to the priority under the respective application category at the designated time at the GSH Sales Office in Kwun Tong.
 
Flats for sale
 
     Flats for sale under GSH 2023 include:

1. a total of 2 359 flats from the new GSH development, Lai Yuet Court in Cheung Sha Wan with saleable areas of about 26 square metres (sq m) to about 60 sq m (about 280 square feet (sq ft) to about 646 sq ft);
2. about 300 unsold/rescinded flats from Kai Chuen Court in Diamond Hill sold under GSH 2020/21 as well as Ko Wang Court in Yau Tong and Kam Pak Court in Ma On Shan sold under GSH 2022; and
3. a new batch of about 350 recovered Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) flats.

 
Applications received
 
     During the application period, the HA received a total of around 56 000 applications for GSH 2023, comprising carry-over applications from the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2023 (HOS 2023) and new applications.
 
     “Having regard to the preferences of buyers as shown in previous sale exercises, type A flats of smaller sizes will no longer be provided. The oversubscription rate is about 23 times, indicating that there is a strong interest in the GSH flats to be sold in the exercise,” a spokesman for the HA said.
 
Flat prices
 
     Under the prevailing pricing mechanism, GSH flats will be sold at a discount of 10 per cent more than that of the preceding HOS sale exercise. Since the discount rate for HOS 2023 was set at 38 per cent, the discount rate for all GSH flats offered under this sale exercise will be set at a 48 per cent discount from the assessed market values. The selling prices of flats in Lai Yuet Court range from about $1.54 million to about $4.61 million with an average selling price of about $2.47 million.
 
     “Based on the average flat selling price of Lai Yuet Court at about $2.47 million (saleable area of about 35 sq m or about 380 sq ft), the mortgage payment for a Green-form Applicant is only $11,200 per month assuming that he/she takes out a mortgage at 95 per cent of the flat price at a term of 30 years and interest rate of 4 per cent,” the spokesman said.
 
Sales information

     Sales brochures (and sales pamphlets for recovered TPS flats) covering greater details and price lists will be made available for public collection at the GSH Sales Office in Kwun Tong and for viewing on the HA/Housing Department (HD)’s designated websites (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/gsh/2023) starting today (September 12). Project models and doll houses of typical flats of Lai Yuet Court, virtual videos and virtual reality tours of samples of GSH flats, virtual reality tours of the interior of samples of recovered TPS flats, exhibition panels/electronic panels and other information on GSH developments and TPS estates will also be available for public viewing at the GSH Sales Office in Kwun Tong and on the HA/HD’s designated websites starting today (September 12).
 
     From today (September 12), photos and video clips of the interiors of all recovered TPS flats for sale will be provided at the GSH Sales Office in Kwun Tong and on the HA/HD’s designated websites. Arrangements will be made with relevant stakeholders to facilitate the viewing of the recovered TPS flats put up for sale under GSH 2023 as far as practicable. read more

     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 September 11 to noon today (September 12), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 146 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. 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 50 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 83 530 samples of food imported from Japan (including 53 457 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 19 154 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 12) that, as advised by the postal administration of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, due to flooding, mail delivery services to Luang Namtha province with postcode 03000 are suspended. read more