Tag Archives: China

     The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) approved the sixth project under the Subsidy Scheme for Using Hotels and Guesthouses as Youth Hostels to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs).

     To meet young people’s aspirations of having their own living space, apart from continuing to fully fund non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to construct youth hostels on under-utilised sites through the Youth Hostel Scheme (YHS), the current-term Government expanded the YHS in 2023 to subsidise NGOs to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for use as youth hostels. The current-term Government is committed to taking forward the youth hostel projects. The number of hostel places launched under the YHS, including this project by the TWGHs, has increased significantly from about 80 when the current-term Government took office to over 3 700.

     The sixth youth hostel project approved under the Subsidy Scheme is named the TN Residence, which will be launched by the TWGHs and the Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Company Limited. The project is located at 280 Tung Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, providing up to 676 hostel places. The TWGHs has introduced the concept of a “youth vertical community” for the project, and it is hoped that in addition to enjoying their own living space, youth tenants could also interact with other tenants in the common areas, thereby establishing a social network with mutual assistance and trust. Another feature of the project is the V-Mile programme, which encourages youth tenants to actively participate in value-added activities and community services recognised by the TWGHs or organise activities on their own. This aims to facilitate their personal development, cultivate their physical and mental well-being and foster proper values, so that they could achieve self-enrichment, widen their personal and social networks, and even contribute to society. For details about the project and the means of application, please visit the website of the TN Residence (tnresidence.tungwahcsd.org).

     A HYAB spokesperson said, “The TN Residence is the third project under the Subsidy Scheme located in Kowloon. It is in close proximity to railway stations, and situated within the cultural and creative industry hub with many specialty shops and restaurants nearby. This project provides young people who aspire to have their own living space an opportunity to realise their ideal way of life, and enables them to proactively equip themselves and formulate a better plan for the future during their stay. Furthermore, the HYAB will set up a physical platform for interaction for members of Youth Link in the adjacent Nam Cheong District Community Centre and Tung Chau Street Temporary Market. It is envisaged that the additional activity space for young people would create synergy with the youth hostel project. The TN Residence fully demonstrates the power of the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community. We are delighted that the Subsidy Scheme has gained support from society and we will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders who share our vision to take forward youth hostel projects.”

     Details about the Subsidy Scheme, including the guidelines for applications and the application forms, have been uploaded onto the HYAB website (www.hyab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/Social_Harmony_and_Civic_Education/youth_hostel_scheme.htm). Relevant organisations can submit their applications to the HYAB by post, email or other means. 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 is conducting 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.
 
     From noon on June 4 to noon today (June 5), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 145 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 141 294 samples of food imported from Japan (including 92 944 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 32 388 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 4) detected a case involving a local company that conducted multiple transactions of silver jewellery, with each transaction valued at over HK$120,000, without registration under the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime. The investigation is ongoing.

     According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), the Regime came into effect on April 1, 2023. Any person who is seeking to carry on a business of dealing in precious metals and stones in Hong Kong and engage in any transaction(s) (whether making or receiving a payment) with a total value at or above HK$120,000 in Hong Kong is required to register with the Commissioner of Customs and Excise. Any dealer, other than a registrant, who claims to be a registrant, claims to be authorised to carry out or carries out any cash or non-cash transaction(s) with a total value at or above HK$120,000 is liable to a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     Hong Kong Customs reminds all dealers that the transitional period for registration under the Regime has ended. Any dealers in precious metals and stones must obtain the relevant registration before they can carry out any cash or non-cash transaction(s) with a total value at or above HK$120,000.

     For the forms, procedures and guidelines to submit applications for registration, please visit the website for Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Registration System (www.drs.customs.gov.hk) or Hong Kong Customs’ webpage (www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/anti-money-laundering/supervision-of-dealers-in-precious-metals-and-ston/index.html).

     Members of the public may report any suspected transactions involving precious metals and stones with a total value at or above HK$120,000 conducted without the required registration to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). read more

     The Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) under the Health Bureau announced today (June 5) that the Women Wellness Satellite (WWS) (Hong Kong), located in Chai Wan, will commence operation next Thursday (June 12). It will be the first WWS designated to provide prevention-oriented and more personalised women’s health services to eligible women aged 64 or below.

     The Government announced earlier that women’s health services under the Department of Health (DH) would be integrated into the PHC Commission, with a phased establishment of three WWSs in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Territories to strengthen the multidisciplinary primary healthcare service network. The WWS (Hong Kong) will be the first to commence operation. It is located on 2/F, Chai Wan Health Centre, 1 Hong Man Street, Chai Wan (the original site of the Chai Wan Woman Health Centre (WHC) under the DH) with a total floor area of about 380 square metres. It is equipped with a health promotion and education room, doctor and nurse consultation rooms, and health assessment rooms, etc. The WWS (Hong Kong) will open six days a week with a minimum of eight hours of service per day, and will also operate until 8pm two days a week to provide greater flexibility for users. 

     As for the WWS (Kowloon) located in Lam Tin and the WWS (New Territories) in Tuen Mun, they are expected to commence operation in September. To facilitate public access to the relevant women’s health services, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the operator of the WWS, will establish two transitional service points in Yau Ma Tei and North Point before the WWS (Kowloon) and WWS (New Territories) commence operation. These two service points will also commence operation next Thursday (June 12). After the commencement of the WWS (Kowloon) and WWS (New Territories), the PHC Commission will assess service needs with the operator and phase out the two WWS service points at an appropriate time. The addresses of the three WWSs and the two WWS service points are listed in Annex 1.

WWS to provide more personalised primary healthcare services for women

     The WHCs and designated Maternal and Child Health Centres under the DH have ceased accepting new appointments for women’s health services starting from January 24 this year. Those who have already made appointments or have paid their annual fee and are still within the service period will continue to receive relevant services from the DH. Going forward, the specific health needs of women will be addressed by the WWSs, which will offer more personalised primary healthcare services for women. Healthcare professionals will provide basic women’s health services to eligible women, including health assessments, individual consultations, cervical and breast cancer screenings as well as dedicated nurse clinic services. When necessary, cases will be referred to family doctors for follow up. The WWSs will also provide health education and counselling services on topics such as menstrual health, sexual health, menopausal health counselling, breast health, incontinence prevention education and pelvic floor muscle training. In addition to the standard services, the WWSs are expected to introduce value-added services in phases starting from the third quarter of this year, with details to be announced later.

     WWS services will adopt a co-payment model, where eligible individuals will receive a partial subsidy from the Government. They will also be required to pay a designated co-payment fee to encourage citizens to take primary responsibility for managing their own health. The co-payment fees for standard services of WWS are set out in Annex 2.

     Registration for WWS services does not require a doctor’s referral. Women aged 64 or below who wish to use the services must first register as members of the District Health Centres/Expresses (DHCs/DHCEs). The DHCs/DHCEs will arrange health risk and basic women’s health assessments and also family doctor pairing, and arrange for them to receive services at WWSs as needed. As of June 1, over 680 women have received preliminary assessments through the DHCs/DHCEs, with more than 600 women having been arranged to receive services at the WWSs. For more information, members of the public can visit the WWS website (www.dhc.gov.hk/en/wws.html).

Expansion of preventive screening services in General Out-patient Clinics

     To address the preventive and screening needs of underprivileged groups, the DHCs/DHCEs will arrange for women who are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients or granted full or partial medical fee waivers by the Hospital Authority (HA) to receive the same preventive care and health promotion services for women at seven selected HA General Out-patient Clinics (see Annex 3).

PHC Commission promulgates Reference Framework for women to promote evidence-based preventive care 

     Apart from establishing the WWSs, the PHC Commission formulated and published the Hong Kong Reference Framework on Life Course Preventive Care for Women in Primary Healthcare in February this year to continuously enhance the quality of primary healthcare services. The Reference Framework provides clear guidelines for primary healthcare service providers, promoting evidence-based preventive care to help women identify and address potential health issues at different life stages as soon as possible, thereby improving their ability to manage their own health. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
     The ceremony for the admission of Ms Catrina Lam Ding-wan, Ms Priscilia Lam Tsz-ying and Mr Timothy Edward David Parker to the rank of Senior Counsel will be held in the Court of Final Appeal on Saturday morning (June 7).
      
     During the ceremony, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, will deliver a speech, followed by remarks from the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, Mr José-Antonio Maurellet, SC; and the President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Roden Tong.
      
     The public can view a live broadcast on the Court of Final Appeal’s website (www.hkcfa.hk) at 10am on Saturday. read more