The Home Affairs Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Lands Department (LandsD) today (June 19) launched a joint enforcement operation at the Permitted Burial Ground (PBG) of Tai Tau Chau (SK/52) in Sai Kung against illegal hillside burials. It is anticipated that nine illegal graves/urn houses/urns will be removed in about two days' time and the human remains therein will be reburied at the Sandy Ridge Cemetery.

     The FEHD and the LandsD posted notices on 22 unauthorised graves/urn houses/urns located within the PBG of Tai Tau Chau in Sai Kung on March 14 this year, requiring the related persons of the graves/urn houses/urns concerned to cease occupation of the government land and to contact relevant government departments before April 14 this year, or else the human remains therein would be reburied at the Sandy Ridge Cemetery. As nine graves/urn houses/urns remained unclaimed upon expiry of the deadline, the Government commenced the clearance operation today.

     The Government has been implementing a pilot scheme on the management of PBGs in individual PBGs since 2016. Taking into account the actual circumstances of each PBG, the Government has been implementing appropriate improvement measures, including erecting boundary pillars for the PBGs, conducting record surveys of existing graves/urn houses/urns, imposing restrictions on the size of burial sites and demarcating available spaces in PBGs for new applications of burial sites, in order to ensure that the places of burials are within PBGs. The pilot scheme has now been extended to 15 PBGs, covering all nine administrative districts in the New Territories. 

     Having examined the data obtained from the pilot scheme, the Government has commenced enforcement actions against illegal burials in the PBGs in phases from July 2021 onwards. Besides conducting enforcement actions in the PBG of Tai Tau Chau in Sai Kung, the Government will also commence follow-up actions in other PBGs under the pilot scheme, including posting notices on other unauthorised graves/urn houses/urns before the coming Chung Yeung Festival, with a view to removing unclaimed graves/urn houses/urns as soon as possible after the expiration of the notice period.

     A Government spokesman reiterated that, according to the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 28), it is an offence when any person occupying government land, otherwise than under permission from the Authority, does not cease the occupation as required by a notice prescribed by the Ordinance. Any property or structure on the occupied government land may be demolished and removed by the Government, and the occupier may be prosecuted. Furthermore, according to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), it is an offence to bury human remains without permission in writing of the Authority. Offenders are liable to prosecution, and the human remains inside the graves concerned will be removed.

     The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia, announced today (June 19) that it will host its inaugural PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong on December 7 and 8 this year. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomes the decision, and will provide support to hosting the Summit.
 
     The Summit will invite political and business leaders around the globe to engage in focused discussions on key issues cutting across different segments and areas of the society amid accelerated socio-economic changes and under the current geopolitical climate.
 
     Since 2017, the FII Institute has been organising its annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss major political and economic issues and trends that shape the world, as well as promote dialogues and exchanges among important stakeholders around the world. The Initiative has become an annual flagship event in the Middle East. In October last year, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the sixth edition of the Initiative upon invitation, and spoke at its plenary session, promoting Hong Kong's institutional advantages of "one country, two systems", and the status and development of Hong Kong as Asia's leading international financial centre under the new era. This will be the first time the Institute stages the PRIORITY Summit in Asia.
 
     Mr Chan said, "I very much welcome the FII Institute's decision to host the Summit in Hong Kong. This demonstrates Hong Kong's unique position and role in connecting our country, Asia and the world, and will further deepen our ties with partners and counterparts around the globe, especially with those in the Middle East. The Summit will be an important platform for gathering global political and business leaders, academics and experts to exchange views on world trends and topical issues. I trust this Summit will be a great success with fruitful outcomes."

Attention TV/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 (June 19) that the Environmental Protection Department has classified the water quality at Deep Water Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island as Grade 4, which means the beach is not suitable for swimming. The red flag has been hoisted. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach until further notice.

The following is issued on behalf of the Minimum Wage Commission:

     The Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) today (June 19) reminded the public that the second-stage consultation on enhancing the review mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage will end on June 25.

     The MWC launched the second-stage consultation on June 5. The public is welcome to give views by e-form on the MWC's website, email (mwc@labour.gov.hk), fax (2110 3518) or post (Minimum Wage Commission, 1/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central), on or before June 25. The consultation document can be downloaded from the MWC's website (www.mwc.org.hk/en/consultation/index.html).

     A spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said today (June 19) that with effect from July 1 (Saturday), the trade could import more categories of fresh food via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) during the designated period.

     Under the current arrangement, all goods vehicles carrying fresh food and livestock by land from the Mainland must enter Hong Kong via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point for inspection by CFS staff. Vehicles carrying fresh aquatic products and frozen and chilled poultry by land from the Mainland may also choose to enter Hong Kong via the HZMB between 9pm and 5am the next day since December 2019 and June 2022 respectively.

     In order to further facilitate the trade, having discussed with the Mainland authorities and the trade, the CFS decided to extend the scope of fresh produce imports via the HZMB to cover the same categories of food that are now imported via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point. Vehicles carrying frozen and chilled meat and game, egg, milk, vegetable and fruit may, with effect from 9pm on July 1, choose to enter Hong Kong via the HZMB during the designated period, i.e. 9pm to 5am the next day, for inspection by CFS staff.

     The inspection procedures by the CFS at the Hong Kong Port of the HZMB will be similar to those for vehicles importing fresh produce via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point, including examining details of import documents, conducting physical inspections and sampling of fresh food for testing.

     The spokesman stressed that the arrangement of goods vehicles carrying fresh produce and livestock entering Hong Kong via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point has not changed.