The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (August 16) gazetted a notice to invite tenders for the contract for Development of Lok Ma Chau Loop: Main Works Package 1 – Contract 4 – Fresh Water Service Reservoir (Contract No. YL/2024/01). The closing time for the tender is noon on October 4.
 
     The works mainly include:

• construction of a fresh water service reservoir with a capacity of 18 000 cubic metres;
• mainlaying works of fresh watermains and the necessary water main connection works between the proposed fresh water service reservoir and the existing fresh water distribution network; and
• ancillary works including associated civil, structural, drainage, building services systems and electrical and mechanical systems works.

 
     The works are scheduled to commence in December this year and will take about 29 months to complete.
      
     The CEDD has commissioned AECOM Asia Company Limited to design and supervise the works. Interested contractors can download the tender forms and other particulars from the e-Tendering System (e-TS). Tenderers must submit their tenders in electronic format via the e-TS.
      
     Details of the tender notice are available on the CEDD website (www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender-notices/index.html). For enquiries, please call AECOM Asia Company Limited at 3922 9000 during office hours.

     The Government today (August 16) announced the appointment of a new member, Ms Cheung Lai-wah, to the Lump Sum Grant Steering Committee (LSGSC) with effect from August 22, 2024, to April 21, 2026. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, welcomed the appointment.
    
     Chaired by the Director of Social Welfare, the LSGSC monitors the implementation of the Lump Sum Grant Subvention System (LSGSS) and identifies areas for improvement. It also facilitates the sharing of information and experience among the Social Welfare Department, non-governmental organisations, their staff and service users on the implementation of the LSGSS.
 
     The list of non-official members of the LSGSC in the new term is as follows:
 
Miss Vena Cheng Wei-yan
Ms Cheung Kwok-chun
Ms Cheung Lai-wah
Miss Chow Tsz-ki
Miss Chu Lai-ling
Mr Thomas Chu Sai-ming
Mr Joseph Hung Hin-ching
Mr Ip Chi-wai     
Mrs Patricia Lau
Mr Kirin Law Tsz-yeung
Mr Armstrong Lee Hon-cheung
Miss Yanmi Leung Ho-yan
Dr Pamela Leung Pui-yu
Ms Rachel Leung Wai-ling
Mr Webster Ng Kam-wah
Mr Sy Ching-tam
Mr Tse Wah-wan
Miss Alice Wan Ngai-teck
Mr Roland Wong Ka-yeung
Ms Wong May-kwan
Mr Addy Wong Wai-hung

     â€‹Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum 2024 today (August 16):
 
Simon (Chairman of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Mr Simon Chan), Rocky (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Dr Rocky Cheng), 張國來巡視員 (Second-level Inspector of Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Zhang Guolai), Lilian (Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong), distinguished speakers and guests, ladies and gentlemen, here at Cyberport and online,
 
​     Good morning. I feel excited to be here with you all at the opening ceremony of this year's Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum. Since 2014, this Forum has become a flagship event to foster the growth of digital entertainment – or "digitainment". It is a prominent platform for industry experts, entrepreneurs and investors to connect, engage, and explore together the cutting-edge trends and boundless possibilities in digitainment.
      
     This year, the Forum is drawing over 3 000 industry leaders and enthusiasts, along with more than 60 distinguished speakers. Its popularity and the diversity of its participants are compelling illustration of Hong Kong's status as a digitainment hub.
      
     The global entertainment and media industry has been growing steadily after the pandemic. New technologies, particularly AI (artificial intelligence) and Web 3.0, are deeply transforming the industry. They are redefining the interactions and applications across gaming, television and movies, and even arts and sports. For instance, generative AI is reshaping gaming development, reducing costs, and empowering artists and innovators to create more enriched, personalised, and immersive experiences for consumers. Technologies are enabling the industry to generate new values and revenue streams. 
      
     The theme of this Forum, "AI-powered Entertainment in the Web3.0 Era", is therefore all the more relevant. The event is gathering leading experts to discuss the latest trends and issues that are crucial to the future of the digitainment business. It also addresses a set of highly pertinent issues, such as driving sports and cultural tourism through digital experiences, enhancing arts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education with technology, and nurturing talent for the AI and Web 3.0 era. I look forward to your insights which I am sure will inspire policy makers to better understand what needs to be done in the fast-evolving age of digitalisation.
      
     I am also eager to see the exciting displays of products developed by our local innovators here in this Forum, ranging from metaverse applications to AI humanoid robots. They are splendid demonstration of a thriving digitainment ecosystem here in Hong Kong. Indeed, Cyberport is home to more than 160 digitainment companies, over 250 Web3 firms, and over 200 AI and big data-related start-ups. Among them is a gaming unicorn.
      
     The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government is actively supporting digitainment development, including supporting the Cyberport in building a vibrant Web 3.0 ecosystem. A proof-of-concept subsidy scheme was launched, which has enabled some 45 projects to commercially adopt Web 3.0. They span across arts, culture, telecommunications and other domains.
      
     We are also building an AI Supercomputing Centre, and our target is to commission its first-phase facilities later this year. In this year's Government Budget, we have announced a subsidy scheme to support local universities, research institutes and business enterprises to use the Centre's computing power. We will nurture more talent and attract more such enterprises and projects to Hong Kong.  
      
     For those of you coming from abroad or watching this event live, I wish to emphasise that Hong Kong is where you want to be for growing your business. Here, with a free, open, multicultural and international environment, innovative peers, supportive government policies, and a vibrant financial ecosystem, you can find business partners and funding to turn your ideas and ambitions into reality.
      
     Ladies and gentlemen, I wish this year's Forum a great success and your experience here truly rewarding. My gratitude goes to Cyberport for hosting this event and for their unwavering support to the development of digitainment sector. May I also wish all of you the best of health, business and innovation in the time to come. Thank you very much.

     The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) Task Force today (August 16) invited proposals from institutions/organisations that are interested in taking forward the Digital Inclusion Programme for the Elderlies.

     In order to help the elderly integrate into the digital era and enjoy the benefits brought about by digital technologies, the Government announced in the 2024-25 Budget that the SIE Fund would allocate $100 million to implement the Digital Inclusion Programme for the Elderlies in the coming three years for the elderly aged 60 or above. The programme aims at setting up community-based help desks at suitable locations (e.g. community centres) in various districts to provide regular and fixed-point training on digital technologies and technical support for the elderly, particularly singleton or doubleton elderly living in older districts and public housing. The programme covers topics on smartphone operation, the use of digital government services (e.g. "iAM Smart" and other common government mobile applications) and cyber security, etc, to enhance the elderly's capability in adopting digital technologies.

      In addition to providing basic support services, the institutions/organisations engaged for the programme are required to implement the project with innovative approaches, for example, engaging young people to, through employment or volunteer work, make good use of their digital knowledge to help the elderly enhance their knowledge and adoption of digital technologies, and establishing community help desks by creating environments familiar to the elderly (such as café, traditional Chinese restaurant) to help them adapt more easily.

     The SIE Fund has prepared the invitation brief setting out the scope of intermediary services, eligibility, assessment criteria and points to note for submitting proposals, as well as key engagement terms. Interested institutions/organisations can download the invitation brief and designated proforma at the SIE Fund website (www.sie.gov.hk/en/what-we-do/digital_inclusion_programme_for_the_elderlies.html). All submitted documents must be placed in a sealed envelope clearly marked with "The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund – Proposal for the Digital Inclusion Programme for the Elderlies", and must reach the Digital Policy Office at 14/F, Treasury Building, 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, at or before 6pm on September 13, 2024 (Friday). For further information and inquiries, please visit the SIE Fund website or contact the SIE Fund Task Force Secretariat at 2165 7261.

     The SIE Fund was inaugurated in 2013 and is overseen by the SIE Fund Task Force under the Commission on Poverty. The Task Force Secretariat is established in the Digital Policy Office under the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau. The SIE Fund acts as a catalyst for social innovation in Hong Kong. By facilitating social innovation and cultivating social entrepreneurship, the Fund aims to make an impact in alleviating poverty and social exclusion, promote social integration as well as enhance the well-being and cohesion of society.

     The Financial Secretary, in exercise of his authority under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485), has reappointed Mr Lam Chun-sing as the Chairman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Industry Schemes Committee (MPFISC). He has also appointed Mr Franki Chan Shut-ho, Mr Samme Cheng Pak-man, Mr Jacky Ho Yan-ching, Mr Daniel Shum Hau-tak and Mr Howard Tong Ho-wai, and reappointed Ms Cherrie Chong Wing-lum, Mr Lam Tsin-kwok, Mr Bob Lee Tak-luen and Mr Adrian Li Man-kiu, as members of the MPFISC. The appointments are for a term of two years, effective from August 25, 2024, until August 24, 2026, both dates inclusive.

     Announcing the above appointments today (August 16), a spokesperson for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said, "The MPFISC is tasked to oversee the effectiveness of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) industry schemes. We trust that, under the leadership of Mr Lam, the MPFISC will continue to tender valuable and pragmatic advice for the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) to improve the administration and operation of MPF industry schemes."

     The spokesperson also thanked the outgoing members, Mr Kenneth Cheung Tat-fai, Mr Rayman Chui Man-wai, Mr Eddie Lam Kin-wing, Mr Wong Ka-lung and Mr Yu Chak-ming, for their valuable contributions to the MPFISC during their tenure.

     The new membership of the MPFISC is as follows:

Chairman
———–
Mr Lam Chun-sing

Members
———-
Mr Franki Chan Shut-ho
Mr Samme Cheng Pak-man
Ms Cherrie Chong Wing-lum
Mr Jacky Ho Yan-ching
Mr Huang Yongquan
Mr Lam Tsin-kwok
Mr Bob Lee Tak-luen
Mr Adrian Li Man-kiu
Mr Daniel Shum Hau-tak
Mr Howard Tong Ho-wai

Representative of the MPFA
—————————————————————————
Mr Cheng Yan-chee, Managing Director