Attention TV and radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 28) that due to the sighting of a suspected red tide, the red flag has been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach until further notice.
The Government announced today (March 28) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee as the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene. At the same time, 11 serving members have been reappointed, and eight new members have been appointed to the Council. All appointments are for a term of two years from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027.
Brief descriptions of the new members are as follows:
Ms Elaine Chik Kit-ling is a member of the Eastern District Council.
Mr Chung Chak-fai is a member of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council.
Mr Chung Ling-fung is the Operations Director of Tao Heung Group.
Dr Fong Lai-ying is the Food Project Director of Hong Kong Food Innovation and Technology Hub.
Mr Carrel Kam Lin-wang is Director of Yung Kee Restaurant Group.
Professor Tommy Lam Tsan-yuk is Associate Professor of the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong.
Dr Gloria Tam Lai-fan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 3 Srs Company Ltd.
Mr Yeung Chun-nin is Executive Director of Fulum Group Holdings Limited.
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, welcomed the appointments.
Mr Tse also expressed gratitude to the seven outgoing members, Mr Chan Hak-kan, Mr Cheung Ki-tang, Dr Jill Chiu Man-ying, Mr Sam Chong Yan-kit, Mr Rayman Chui Man-wai, Miss Jennifer Liu Wai-fun and Professor Wong Man-sau, for their contributions to the work of the Council in the past years.
"We would like to thank all outgoing members for providing valuable advice to the Government on a wide range of important issues such as food safety, environmental hygiene and the food business licensing regime," Mr Tse said.
The Council is a non-statutory body established on April 1, 2000, to advise the Government on food safety and environmental hygiene issues.
The membership of the Council with effect from April 1, 2025, is as follows:
Chairman
Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee
Members
Miss Chan Kwan-yee
Professor Chen Sheng
Ms Chiang Lai-yuen
Ms Elaine Chik Kit-ling
Mr Chung Chak-fai
Mr Chung Ling-fung
Dr Crystal Fok Lo-ming
Dr Fong Lai-ying
Dr Vivian Hui Chi-ching
Mr Carrel Kam Lin-wang
Dr Kenneth Lam Ka-ho
Professor Tommy Lam Tsan-yuk
Dr Peter Lee Wai-man
Professor Clive Lo Sze-chung
Ms Ngai Oi-ling
Dr Stanley Tam Kui-fu
Dr Gloria Tam Lai-fan
Professor Wong Ka-hing
Mr Yeung Chun-nin
Ex-officio Members
Secretary for Environment and Ecology, with Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Food) as his alternate
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene
Director of Health
The Government announced today (March 28) the appointments of Ms Au Chor-kwan, Mr Quincy Lui Kwan-yiu and Mr Wilson Pong Wai-san as members to the Fight Crime Committee, and the reappointment of Ms Cecilia Ho Chung-chee. Their term of appointment commences on April 1, 2025.
The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Committee, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, thanked the outgoing members, Dr Eric Cheng Kam-chung, Mr Matthew Lam Kin-hong and Mr Victor Pang Wing-seng, for their contributions and dedications to the Committee. He also welcomed the three new members and looked forward to closely working with all members of the new term.
The Fight Crime Committee is responsible for drawing up plans to reduce crime, co-ordinating efforts in fighting crime and monitoring the results, and determining ways in which the public can be encouraged to contribute to the fight against crime.
Parents of Primary Six students participating in the current (2025) cycle of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System who have made applications at the discretionary places (DP) stage will receive notifications next Monday (March 31) from the secondary schools they have applied for if their children have been selected as successful applicants. Students who have not been notified as successful DP applicants can participate in the Central Allocation (CA), the Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (March 28).
Digitalisation of SSPA
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The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" as early as possible and activate their SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) (esspa.edb.gov.hk) account using "iAM Smart+" for more convenient and faster electronic services throughout the entire Secondary One application process. The SSPA e-Platform Parent's Guide is available on the EDB's homepage (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/sspa_eplatform_parents_guide.html) with a series of videos to introduce the procedures for submitting CA applications via the eSSPA.
Notification arrangements for successful DP applicants
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Under the notification arrangements for successful DP applicants, if students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for Discretionary Places, their parents will receive notifications from the secondary schools concerned on March 31. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+" may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they would accept the DP offers.
Parents of successful DP applicants who have also successfully applied for a school place in a non-participating Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary school should decide between the two options. If the parents decide to accept the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary school, they should disregard the notifications from the secondary schools which have selected their children at the DP stage. Their children will be allocated to the DSS secondary school concerned according to the established mechanism. If the parents decide to decline the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary school, they should notify the DSS secondary school concerned and retrieve the originals of the signed Parent's Undertaking and the Primary 6 Student Record Form on or before April 8 in order to retain the school place successfully applied for at the DP stage.
Distribution of school choice documents for CA
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Parents who have registered as eSSPA users and bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may browse choice-making information and documents, submit CA applications and view allocation results via the eSSPA.
Primary schools participating in the SSPA System have been informed to collect copies of choice-making documents on April 9. Parents of Primary Six students participating in the SSPA will each receive the following documents from his or her primary school:
To cater for the needs of different parents, the EDB will distribute paper Choice Forms through primary schools to parents who have not submitted DP applications on the eSSPA. If parents have submitted DP applications via the eSSPA, they are required to continue using the e-platform to submit their CA applications. Parents may ask for the Handbook for Unrestricted School Choices for reference from primary schools or obtain the latest version of the Handbook through the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk) and the fax service of the EDB's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system on 2891 0088.
Filling in CA Choice Form
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Both the electronic and paper Choice Forms are divided into two parts (Part A and Part B). Parents should refer to the Handbook with information of secondary schools in all districts when filling in Part A "Unrestricted School Choices" of the Choice Form and choose not more than three secondary schools from any school net, including the student's school net. As for Part B "Restricted School Choices", parents should refer to their children's SSL to choose secondary schools according to their preference, and fill up the 30 choices as far as possible. Parents must not enter any school choices which are not in the SSL of the school net of the child in Part B since invalid school choices will not be processed.
The EDB reminded parents that prior to making school choices for their children, they should read carefully the Notes for Parents to understand in detail the SSPA System. Parents should also consider the schools in all respects, such as their educational philosophy, tradition, religion, class structure, development and operation, and their children's characteristics, personalities, abilities and interests, so as to make a suitable school choice. Parents may refer to the Secondary School Profiles 2024/2025 (www.chsc.hk/secondary) or school websites for the relevant information.
Parents must return the completed electronic or paper Choice Form to their children's primary school for submission to the EDB on or before May 7. Parents should not submit duplicate applications via the eSSPA and in paper form to the attending primary school for the same child. Should individual parents have genuine difficulties in returning the duly completed Choice Form to their children's primary school in person or through an authorised representative, he or she should contact the primary school in advance for appropriate arrangement.
Announcement of allocation results for SSPA
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The results for SSPA 2025 for both the DP and CA stages will be announced on July 8. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+" may view the allocation results via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents wishing to receive the result of their children via SMS message on that day should provide a mobile phone number on the electronic or paper Choice Form to indicate their consent to receive the result at that phone number. Parents may refer to the Notes for Parents for more information.
Parents who have questions in completing the Choice Form are advised to consult their children's primary schools. Relevant information about the SSPA System and some frequently asked questions will be uploaded to the EDB's homepage on April 9 for parents' reference. Further enquiries may also be directed to the School Places Allocation Section (SSPA) of the EDB (Tel: 2832 7740 and 2832 7700).
​Hongkong Post announced today (March 28) that, as advised by the postal administration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to the events in the region, mail delivery services to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are subject to delay.