A Government spokesman said today (August 1) that the Central Government's measure of increasing the duty-free allowance for luggage articles brought into the Mainland from Hong Kong by visitors who are Mainland residents from RMB5,000 to RMB12,000, while retaining the measure of allowing for additional duty-free goods at the value of RMB3,000 purchased at port entry duty-free stores, has been extended to all ports starting from today.
      
     The measure has been welcomed by visitors who are Mainland residents since its implementation on July 1 at six land ports, including Lo Wu, Futian (Lok Ma Chau Spur Line), Shenzhen Bay, West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and more. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) believes that the measure is conducive to enriching the shopping experience of Mainland residents during their visits to Hong Kong, boosting the development of diversified tourism and stimulating Hong Kong's retail business.
      
     The HKSARG has displayed promotional materials at various ports and sent short message service (SMS) to inbound Mainland visitors via mobile network operators on the Mainland to promote the implementation arrangements of the measure. In addition, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched a new summer promotional event, Summer Chill Hong Kong, on July 11 to distribute 500 000 sets of Summer Triple Rewards covering sightseeing and transport, dining and consumption discounts to inbound overnight visitors.
      
     The HKSARG will continue to fully promote the measure and support the travel and retail trades to organise various promotional events to attract more overnight visitors to Hong Kong and encourage them to increase their consumption.
 
     As of end-June, the HKTB recorded about 21 million visitors arriving in Hong Kong, representing a year-on-year increase of around 60 per cent. The arrival of Mainland visitors reached about 16 million for the same period, a year-on-year increase of around 60 per cent, while the arrival of non-Mainland visitors was about 5 million, a year-on-year increase of more than 80 per cent.

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     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 1) that the Environmental Protection Department has classified the water quality at Pui O Beach in Islands District as Grade 4, which means the beach is not suitable for swimming until further notice.

     The red flag has been hoisted earlier at the beach due to big waves.

     The Government published in the Gazette today (August 1) the specified forms of the relevant notices and certificates under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) (the Ordinance).
 
     The Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the Amendment Ordinance) comes into operation today, expanding the prohibition on feeding of wild animals to cover feral pigeons (feeding ban); increasing the maximum penalty for contravention of the feeding ban from a fine of $10,000 to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year; and introducing a fixed penalty system for the offence of illegal feeding at the amount of $5,000.
 
     Apart from introducing a fixed penalty system for the feeding ban on wild animals and feral pigeons, the Amendment Ordinance also empowers the Secretary for Environment and Ecology to specify, in accordance with section 22A of the Ordinance, the forms of relevant notices and certificates which shall be published in the Gazette, with a view to enabling necessary formatting revisions to be made in a more flexible and timely manner in future if needed. The relevant notices and certificates include:

(i) in accordance with section 5(2) of Schedule 9 to the Ordinance, the penalty notice that may be given by an authorized officer or specified officer to a person who is alleged to have committed an offence of feeding wild animals or feral pigeons;

(ii) in accordance with section 7(2) of Schedule 9 to the Ordinance, the demand notice that the authority may serve to a person who fails to pay the fixed penalty within the 21-day period, or refuses to accept the relevant penalty notice, for the purpose of demanding payment of the fixed penalty within the 10-day period, and informing him/her of the need to notify the authority in writing within the 10-day period if he/she wishes to dispute liability for the relevant offence;

(iii) in accordance with section 7(5) of Schedule 9 to the Ordinance, the certificate of posting of demand notice signed by the authority, which is admissible in evidence in proceedings relating to the fixed penalty; and

(iv) in accordance with section 11(1) of Schedule 9 to the Ordinance, the evidentiary certificate signed by the authority, which is admissible in evidence in proceedings relating to the fixed penalty.
 
     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will work closely with the relevant enforcement departments to strengthen combatting illegal feeding activities, and will continue promoting the new feeding ban requirements to the public, as well as the negative impacts of feeding feral pigeons and wild animals, in order to safeguard public hygiene and prevent the altering of animal normal behaviours. The Government urges the public to exercise self-discipline and not to defy the law.
 
     Information on the new feeding ban requirements and the other precautions is available on the AFCD webpage (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/con_fau/con_fau_wild_the.html).

     The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present a special programme, "Cine Memories of the War of National Resistance", at 3pm on September 1 and 8 (Sundays) with free screenings of "Roar of the People" (1941) for audience members to revisit the cinematic classic about the Chinese people's War of Resistance.
 
     The film will be screened at the HKFA Cinema. Admission is free with tickets to be distributed starting from August 4 (Sunday) at the information counter of the HKFA on Mondays and from Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Each person can receive up to two tickets on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last. Limited walk-in seats will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and members of the public are welcome to queue up at the 1/F Foyer of the HKFA 45 minutes before the screening begins. Each person can register for one ticket while stocks last.
 
     Starring renowned actors such as Cheung Ying, Fung Fung and Tso Tat-wah, "Roar of the People" revolves around the hardships endured by the grassroots during the war. It tells the story of an intellectual played by Cheung leading a group of workers to foil the plot of corrupted merchants, who take refuge in Hong Kong and collude with military officials to embezzle war supplies and sell them to the enemy. The film is intercut with real footage from the war and is a stellar example of Hong Kong films depicting the War of Resistance.
 
     For programme details, please visit www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2024/cmwnr/pe-event-2024-cmwnr.html or call 2739 2139.
 
     This screening programme is one of the activities of the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.

    

     The Northern Metropolis Estate Naming Competition, organised by the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office (NMCO) of the Development Bureau in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), is open for entries today (August 1). Members of the public are invited to propose Chinese names for two public housing estates to be completed later in Kwu Tung North/Fanling North New Development Areas (KTN/FLN NDA).
      
     The Director of the NMCO, Mr Vic Yau, said, "A number of public housing estates will be completed in the Northern Metropolis, among which the population intake of public housing estates in KTN/FLN NDA will commence progressively from 2026. Through this competition, we hope to raise public understanding of these new communities, promote public engagement and enhance the sense of belonging to the communities among members of the public."

     Located in Kwu Tung North Area 19 and Fanling North Area 15 East, the two estates to be named are scheduled for completion in phases from 2026 to 2027. Being the first batch of public housing estates to be completed in the new development areas, these two estates consist of 18 residential buildings in total, providing about 15 100 rental units and accommodating a population of about 38 000.

     A winner will be selected for each estate and will be awarded a cash prize of $3,000. The winning entries will serve as references for the future naming of the estates concerned by the HA.
 
     Submission of entries will close on September 15. For details, please visit the competition website (Chinese version only) at www.nm.gov.hk/tc/nmenc.