Tag Archives: China

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 is 103.9 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Government today (August 28) announced that Nansha Division of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University in Nansha district in Guangzhou (FAH-NS) and Dongguan Tungwah Hospital in Dongguan (Tungwah Hospital) will implement the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme) from September 6. The number of service points where the Hong Kong Elderly Health Care Voucher (EHCV) can be used in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) will be expanded to nine, marking the full implementation of the Pilot Scheme as announced in the Policy Address last year. On the same day, the new functions of “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” in the eHealth mobile application (eHealth App) will also be extended to the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU) and Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (ZSCXH), which had already launched the EHCV services under the Pilot Scheme earlier on, to enhance the continuity of care for Hong Kong citizens through facilitating the secure use of cross-boundary electronic health records.
 
Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme
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     “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” put forward the Pilot Scheme initiative to extend the coverage of the EHCVs to suitable medical institutions in the GBA in 2024. Following the launch of relevant arrangements at the FAH-NS and Tungwah Hospital from September 6, together with the two service points operated by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen (HKU-SZ) Hospital at its hospital and the Huawei Li Zhi Yuan Community Health Service Center, eligible elderly persons can use the EHCVs at nine service points in the GBA, including the five GBA medical institutions which commenced the services under the Pilot Scheme in phases starting from late June, namely FAH-SYSU in Guangzhou, ZSCXH in Zhongshan, as well as Shenzhen New Frontier United Family Hospital, Shenzhen C.K.J Stomatological Hospital and Dental Bauhinia Specialty Service Center (Shenzhen)/Dental Bauhinia General Care Center (Shenzhen) in Shenzhen. The Pilot Scheme will offer more convenience and flexibility to eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to better use the EHCVs at the service points in the GBA.
      
     EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 14 designated departments at the FAH-NS, including the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat), Department of Stomatology (yet to commence operation), Department of Dermatology, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Neurology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Health Management Center and Department of Emergency Medicine. As regards Tungwah Hospital, EHCVs will be applicable to 14 designated outpatient departments, namely the Internal Medicine Department, Surgery Department, Orthopedics Department, Gynecology Department, Ophthalmology Department, Stomatology Department, Emergency Medicine Department, General Medicine Practice, Clinical Nutrition Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Physical Examination Department, Dermatology Department, Rehabilitation Department and Clinical Psychology Department. More details and the relevant treatment flow are set out in the Annex.
      
     The arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses and the EHCV Pilot Reward Scheme under the EHCV Scheme are equally applicable to the FAH-NS and Tungwah Hospital. Elderly persons receiving designated primary healthcare outpatient services for health checks, and preventive and follow-up/monitoring of long-term conditions provided by the designated departments at the two above-mentioned medical institutions, can accumulate EHCV spending and be allotted rewards.
      
     The fees for the healthcare services provided by the two above-mentioned medical institutions are denominated in Renminbi. They will make EHCV claims for elderly persons, and the EHCV amount deducted in Hong Kong dollars will be calculated according to a monthly updated voucher conversion factor under the EHCV Scheme. The monthly voucher conversion factor under the EHCV Scheme will be displayed at the cashier offices of the medical institutions for reference by the elderly.
      
     The spokesman issued a reminder that “Hong Kong elderly persons using EHCVs at any designated medical institution in the GBA should have registered with eHealth. After joining eHealth, elderly persons can use the mobile app to check their EHCV balance and usage record, as well as access at any time important information such as their medications, allergies and adverse drug reactions stored in the eHealth App. If elderly persons wish to use EHCVs at the GBA medical institutions but they have not yet registered with eHealth, the medical institutions will instantly register them for eHealth upon their consent so that they can use EHCVs right away.
      
     “Elderly persons cannot use EHCVs together with national medical insurance to pay for the fees of the same healthcare service encounter. The scope of using EHCVs on the Mainland is the same as that in Hong Kong, which does not include inpatient services, prepaid healthcare services and day surgery procedures. EHCVs cannot be used solely for the purchase of goods, medication, medical equipment or products, nor can they be redeemed for cash,” added the spokesman.
      
     If elderly persons suspect that the participating medical institutions have violated the EHCV Scheme rules, they can call the EHCV Scheme hotline (2838 2311) to provide relevant information and details to the Health Care Voucher Division of the Department of Health (DH). All suspected cases of violating the EHCV Scheme rules or making false declarations will be strictly dealt with by the DH. Furthermore, each GBA medical institution has set up an enquiry and complaint hotline. Elderly persons can also offer their views to the relevant medical institution, or file complaints against the medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme to the health authority at the provincial or city level if necessary. Members of the public can visit the following thematic website (https://www.hcv.gov.hk/en/hcv_gba_pilot_scheme/index.html) for more information.
      
     Launched in 2009, the EHCV Scheme currently subsidises eligible Hong Kong elderly persons aged 65 and above with an annual EHCV amount of $2,000 (with the accumulation limit set at $8,000) for them to choose private primary healthcare services that best suit their health needs. Members of the public may browse the EHCV Scheme website (www.hcv.gov.hk) or call the EHCV Scheme hotline (2838 2311) for information on the EHCV Scheme.
 
“Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” functions of the eHealth App
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     The Government launched the new functions of the eHealth App, namely “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder”, at the HKU-SZ Hospital on a trial basis in July this year to facilitate Hong Kong citizens to carry and use their electronic health records across the border when seeking medical consultation at the HKU-SZ Hospital. At the same time, it also facilitates citizens to store the medical records obtained after consultation in the eHealth personal account for reference by other healthcare professionals in future.
      
     These two new functions will be extended to the FAH-SYSU and ZSCXH from September 6. Elderly persons who use EHCVs at the two hospitals can apply for their electronic health records deposited in eHealth over the past three years through the “Cross-boundary Health Record” function in advance. Upon verification of elderly person’s authorisation, a “File QR Code” and “Password QR Code” will be sent to the elderly person via the eHealth App. Healthcare professionals can then access and browse the health records by scanning the two QR codes presented by the elderly persons at the time of consultation to help in formulating diagnoses and providing treatments. The “Personal Folder” function, which enables e-Health users to deposit medical-related records obtained during consultations received in medical institutions outside Hong Kong into their eHealth personal accounts, can store and allow browsing of medical-related records obtained in and outside Hong Kong.
      
     The Health Bureau earlier specifically set up a support station at the FAH-SYSU and ZSCXH to assist Hong Kong citizens to have a better grasp of the relevant functions. The Government is planning to extend the relevant functions to other medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme. Elderly persons can visit eHealth thematic website for more information. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) hosted today (August 28) the launch ceremony for Project Ensemble Sandbox (the Sandbox) and introduced four main themes of asset tokenisation use cases for the initial round of experimentation (see Annex), marking a significant step forward in the advancement of tokenisation in real-world application within the financial sector.
      
     The HKMA has completed the building and setup of the Sandbox (Note), which is designed to facilitate interbank settlement using experimental tokenised money, focusing on transactions involving tokenised assets. Participating banks from the Project Ensemble Architecture Community (the Community) have connected their tokenised deposit platforms to the Sandbox, paving the way to conduct experiments for both interbank payment-versus-payment and delivery-versus-payment settlement.
      
     After thorough consideration of industry interest, prevailing market trends and potential innovative impact, the initial round of experimentation will cover tokenisation of both traditional financial assets and real-world assets, focusing on four main themes: fixed income and investment funds, liquidity management, green and sustainable finance, and trade and supply chain finance. With a view to strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre with an innovative spirit to create new economic sectors, the HKMA will continue to actively engage with the industry to gauge interest in tokenisation, develop new themes and identify further use cases for tokenisation.
      
     To support the sustainable development of the tokenised asset market in Hong Kong, an appropriate regulatory framework is essential. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), a key member of the Community, plays a crucial role in helping to develop a regulatory framework that will support the sustainable growth of the tokenised asset market in Hong Kong. In addition, the SFC will be co-leading with the HKMA on tokenisation initiatives for the asset management industry to promote wider adoption and ultimately enhancing Hong Kong’s position as a premier asset and wealth management centre. 
      
     On the international front, the HKMA will also explore collaborating with the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub Hong Kong Centre across one or more themes, and engage the central bank digital currency (CBDC) Expert Group to leverage their subject matter expertise to further advance the Sandbox.
      
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “The introduction of the Project Ensemble Sandbox to test tokenisation use cases marks a significant step forward for the HKMA and the industry to explore the application of tokenisation in real-life business scenarios. Since the launch of Project Ensemble in March, we have been encouraged by the strong interest from the industry in pioneering innovative solutions to redefine the digital finance landscape. The HKMA looks forward to collaborating with the SFC, other central banking institutions, academia, and all relevant industry participants to further drive innovation and progress in the Hong Kong tokenisation market.”
      
     The Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung, said “The Sandbox launch today is a clear example of how innovation and regulation can go hand in hand to blaze a new path for our financial markets. As two major architects of Hong Kong’s financial markets, the SFC and the HKMA share the same vision and dedication to future-proofing the city’s financial system through innovative market infrastructure.”

Note: Project Ensemble seeks to explore innovative financial market infrastructure (FMI) to facilitate seamless interbank settlement of tokenised money through wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC). Through the Sandbox, the HKMA seeks to examine technical interoperability among tokenised assets, tokenised deposits and wCBDC, while enabling industry participants to conduct end-to-end testing of tokenised asset transactions in practical business scenarios. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 is 103.9 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Transport Department (TD) today (August 28) announced that the 15th batch of four projects has been approved by the Management Committee on Smart Traffic Fund, involving a total grant of around $21.4 million.

     The four approved projects in the latest batch cover localisation system for autonomous driving, privacy preserving sensing fusion system for traffic monitoring, driver support training recommendations to enhance cross-border driving safety during the northbound travel, and study on public transport re-routing. Details of the projects are available on the Fund’s website (www.stf.hkpc.org).

     The Fund accepts applications year-round to provide funding support to local organisations and enterprises for conducting research and application of innovation and technology with the objectives of enhancing commuting convenience, enhancing efficiency of the road network or road space, and improving driving safety. All applications are considered and assessed in batches by the Management Committee, which is chaired by the Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services) and comprises representatives from the Government, experts in the industry and relevant stakeholders.

     The TD appeals to interested organisations and enterprises for participation to help make the Fund a success, and to build Hong Kong into a more liveable and sustainable city by driving Hong Kong toward a new era of transportation.

     Application details are available on the Fund’s website. For enquiries, please contact the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Secretariat of the Fund, on 2788 5536 or stf_sec@hkpc.org. read more