Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute co-organised a hybrid Conference entitled "GBA Global Conference 2021 – Seize the Opportunities brought about by the Qianhai and Hengqin Plans" in Shanghai today (November 8) to promote the business advantages and opportunities in the three places and encourage enterprises to seize the co-operation and development opportunities arising from the Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (Qianhai Plan) and the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Hengqin Plan).

     The event was first kicked off by the welcoming remarks from the Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department and Head of the Commercial Office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Liu Yajun, via video, followed by the welcoming remarks from the Director of Promotion Group, the Commercial Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Xu Hongri, on site.

     Mr Liu said, "Hong Kong enjoys distinctive advantages under 'one country two systems'. The city is the 'Pearl of the Orient' that shines in the world and it is an important engine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) development that plays an irreplaceable role in the course of the country's opening up. Apart from enjoying the traditional advantages as a centre for international finance, trade, logistics and transportation, Hong Kong is also developing itself into an international innovation and technology hub, a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, a regional intellectual property trading centre, as well as an East-meets-West centre for cultural and art exchange under the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035" (the 14th Five-Year Plan). In the future, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will continue to complement one another, encouraging in-depth cooperation and joining hands with cities in the GBA for further development."

     Mr Xu shared his thoughts with participants. He said, "First, the Central Government not only supports the economic development of Macao to improve local livelihoods, but also enhances close collaboration between the two places to achieve mutual benefit. These provide a strong safeguard for the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao. Second, Macao insists on upholding the principle of 'one country', and by leveraging the advantages of 'two systems', it proactively integrates into the national development and makes remarkable achievements since returning to the Motherland's sovereignty. The Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin will open a much more prosperous era of Macao's successful implementation of the 'one country, two systems'."

     Inspector at Level 2 of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, Mr Ye Hua; Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion (Business Development) at InvestHK, Dr Jimmy Chiang; and the Executive Director of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Vincent U, introduced the investment and business environment, and the advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao respectively at the Conference.

     Mr Ye indicated that the GBA is a huge regional economic hinterland with GDP reaching USD $1.67 trillion in 2020. He said, "Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have formed a tripartite industrial ecosystem with good synergy complementing one another to lead in advanced manufacturing and modern services. The three places offer an important base for global manufacturing, international finance, transportation and trade, as well as tourism and leisure. It has more than 300 industrial clusters, including seven trillion-yuan-level clusters covering electronic information, green petrochemical, smart home appliances, advanced materials industries etc." The three places have integrated their resources, complemented one another and strengthened co-operation in recent years. The continued improvement of the investment and trade liberalisation within the GBA is spurring the entire bay area towards higher quality development.

     Dr Chiang indicated that the opportunities arising from the development of the GBA is one of the key factors that attracts overseas and Mainland companies to set up or expand in Hong Kong. He said, "In the first nine months of this year, 58 per cent of our assisted companies said that the GBA was a factor when considering setting up or expanding a business in Hong Kong, increased from 45 per cent in 2020 and 46 per cent in 2019 in the same period. It showed that GBA development plays an increasingly important role in attracting overseas and Mainland companies to Hong Kong."

     Mr U said, "Innovation is one of the key factors of the GBA. In fact, under the six basic principles of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, the first principle is 'To be driven by innovation and led by reform'. The GBA comprises not only the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, but also the unique Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, in which the Management Committee is co-led by the Governor of Guangdong Province and Macao Chief Executive. Enterprises can seize the business opportunities by leveraging these innovation and uniqueness."

     Deputy Director-general of the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, Mr Yuan Fuyong, and the Acting Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Mr António Lei, introduced the details of Qianhai Plan and Hengqin Plan respectively to the participants at the Conference. The Executive Vice President of LF Logistics (China) Co, Ltd, Mr Jerramy Hu, and the President & Co-CEO of AkroStar Technology Co, Ltd, Mr Jack Zeng, also shared their practical experience in operating their businesses in the Qianhai and Henqin economic zones.

     For photos of the Conference, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157720171554255.

    

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 8) investigating an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) at a kindergarten in Yuen Long, and appeals to members of the public and staff of institutions to stay alert and maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene.

     The outbreak involves 20 pupils, comprising 11 boys and nine girls between 3 and 5 years old. They developed fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat since November 5. Thirteen of them sought medical attention and none required hospitalisation. All of them are in stable condition. 

     Officers of the CHP have advised the school to adopt necessary infection control measures against respiratory infections. The school has been put under medical surveillance. In addition, since the symptoms of URTI are similar to those of COVID-19, for prudence's sake, the school will be covered in the compulsory testing notice (CTN) today to exclude the possibility of COVID-19 infection. The school will suspend teaching activities for at least five days for cleaning and executing the CTN.

     The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses and note the following:
 

• Receive seasonal influenza vaccination for personal protection;
• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Avoid touching one's eyes, mouth and nose;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the nose and mouth with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

     Members of the public, particularly children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, should wear a face mask and consult a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of respiratory tract infection.

     Gammon Construction Limited was fined $181,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (November 8) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
 
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on July 21, 2020, at a tunnel under construction in Kowloon Bay. While a team of workers was working on a reinforcement bar structure on the site, the structure suddenly collapsed, causing the workers to fall together with the collapsing structure. As a result, one worker died and six workers sustained injuries.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited relating to fraudulent websites and phishing instant messages, which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or e-mails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites or instant messages concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     â€‹The male owner of a grocery store and his wife as well as a female shopkeeper were fined $10,000 to $35,000 today (November 8) at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts after being convicted of operating a money service without a valid licence.

     Acting on information, Customs officers disguised as customers and visited a grocery store in Mong Kok for remitting money to Indonesia on June 16 last year. The wife of the store owner followed the instruction and passed a sheet of paper with remittance information to the shopkeeper at the scene for processing. The shopkeeper subsequently collected the money involved from one of the officers and issued a remittance order for the transaction. 

     Since the money service operator licence of the store has expired on December 11, 2019, the two above-mentioned persons and the store owner were considered to be operating a money service without a licence.

     Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO), a person who wishes to operate a remittance and/or money changing service is required to apply for a licence from the Customs and Excise Department. Any person who operates a money service without a valid licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for six months. 

     Also, under the AMLO, any person who provides false information in an application for a Money Service Operator Licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     Members of the public may report any suspected unlicensed money service operation to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).