Tag Archives: China

     The Government announced today (June 1) the following senior appointments:

(a) Mr Ivan Lee Kwok-bun will take up the appointment as Commissioner for Innovation and Technology following an open-cum-in-service recruitment exercise on June 12, 2023, to succeed Ms Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, who has proceeded with pre-retirement leave;
 
(b) Miss Patricia So Pui-sai, Deputy Judiciary Administrator (Policy Support) cum Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice, will succeed Mr Ivan Lee Kwok-bun and take up the post of Commissioner for Efficiency on June 12, 2023; and
 
(c) Miss Shirley Yung Pui-man, Deputy Secretary for Security, will take up the post of Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union on June 6, 2023.
 
     Concerning Mr Lee’s appointment, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung said, “Mr Lee possesses proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that Mr Lee will take a proactive role in developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre to complement the development of our country into an innovative nation strong in science and technology. I also trust that colleagues of the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) will continue to give their best under Mr Lee’s leadership to meet the challenges ahead.”
 
     On the retirement of Ms Pun, who has proceeded with pre-retirement leave, Mrs Yeung said, “Ms Pun has rendered 36 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community of Hong Kong. During her tenure as Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, she made significant contributions to drive and roll out a number of major initiatives to promote innovation and technology in Hong Kong, particularly the promotion of an innovation and technology ecosystem and technology industry development. I wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement.”
 
     Commenting on the appointments of Miss So and Miss Yung, Mrs Yeung, said, “The two appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve with professionalism in their new posts.”
 
     Brief biographical notes of the four officers are set out below:
 
Ms Rebecca Pun Ting-ting
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     Ms Pun joined the Administrative Service in July 1987 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2021. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Civil Service Branch, the former Survey Office, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Recreation & Culture Branch, the former Central Policy Unit, the former Health and Welfare Branch, Home Affairs Department, the former Housing Bureau, the Judiciary and the former Education and Manpower Bureau. She was Executive Director of the Employees Retraining Board from April 2006 to July 2010, had served in two different posts at the Deputy Secretary level in the former Transport and Housing Bureau from October 2010 to July 2019, and was Commissioner for Innovation and Technology from July 2019 to April 2023.
 
Mr Ivan Lee Kwok-bun
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     Mr Lee joined the Civil Service in June 1990. He first served as an Executive Officer and then transferred to the Administrative Service. He rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2022. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Planning, Environment and Lands Branch, the Department of Health, the former Civil Service Branch, the former Industry Department, the former Education and Manpower Bureau, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Geneva, the former Constitutional Affairs Bureau, the Home Affairs Department and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin. He was Deputy Director of Housing from September 2014 to January 2018, Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Technology from January 2018 to December 2020, and has been serving as Commissioner for Efficiency since December 2020.
 
Miss Shirley Yung Pui-man
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     Miss Yung joined the Government in July 1988 as an Executive Officer. She later joined the Administrative Service in June 1989 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2022. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Planning, Environment and Lands Branch, Transport Department, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Political Adviser’s Office, the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former Trade and Industry Bureau (later renamed the former Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau), the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the former Education and Manpower Bureau and the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office. She was Deputy Secretary for Security (2) from April 2010 to March 2016, Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative, Tokyo from March 2016 to September 2020 and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Security (1) since September 2020.
 
Miss Patricia So Pui-sai
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     Miss So joined the Administrative Service in July 1994 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B in April 2016. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former Transport Branch, the former Regional Services Department and the former Financial Services Bureau (later renamed Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau). She was Assistant Commissioner for Tourism from March 2004 to July 2010, Principal Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development from July 2011 to February 2015, and has been serving as Deputy Judiciary Administrator cum Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice since March 2015.

        

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, June 1, 2023 is 103.8 (up 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Ministry of Finance announced today (June 1) its plan to issue Renminbi (RMB) sovereign bonds totalling RMB30 billion in four rounds in Hong Kong this year. The issuance size will be RMB12 billion, RMB6 billion, RMB6 billion and RMB6 billion respectively. The first round of sovereign bonds totalling RMB12 billion will be issued through tendering on June 14, comprising tranches of RMB6 billion two-year, RMB4 billion three-year and RMB2 billion 10-year bonds. Details will be announced later.
 
     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government greatly welcomes the Ministry of Finance’s issuance of RMB sovereign bonds in Hong Kong for the 15th consecutive year. This demonstrates clearly the sustained support from the Central People’s Government to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre and global offshore RMB business hub. It is conducive to promoting the development of the Hong Kong bond market and attracting more international capital.” read more

     The Education Bureau (EDB) reminded parents today (June 1) that the results of the Central Allocation for Primary One Admission (POA) 2023 will be mailed to parents from next Wednesday to Thursday (June 7 to 8).
 
Release of Central Allocation results
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     “A total of 20 355 children took part in Primary One Central Allocation 2023. Among them, 16 688 children were allocated to schools of their first three choices,” a spokesman for the EDB said.
 
     “Taking into account discretionary places and the number of children allocated to schools of their first three choices in the Central Allocation, the overall satisfaction rate is 91.2 per cent.”

     The Central Allocation of POA is composed of two parts. Ten per cent of the places for the Central Allocation, which are not restricted by school nets, are under Part A and parents may choose up to three schools in any school net. The remaining 90 per cent of the places for the Central Allocation are under Part B and parents are required to select schools in the school net/Choice of Schools List in respect of the applicant child. Of the places allocated to children in the Central Allocation, 2 284 are under Part A and 18 071 are under Part B.

     Parents who completed the Choice of Schools Form for the Central Allocation on or before February 5 this year will receive the Primary One Registration Form delivered from June 7 to 8 through the Local CourierPost service provided by Hongkong Post. If door delivery by Hongkong Post fails, a Mail Collection Notification Card will be left for parents to collect it from the designated post office starting from the afternoon of the following working day. If parents have not received the Primary One Registration Form or the Mail Collection Notification Card issued by Hongkong Post by June 9, they could collect the Primary One Registration Form at the designated collection centre from June 10 to 11 (please refer to the EDB’s POA System webpage for details then). If parents have provided a mobile phone number on the Choice of Schools Form and indicated their consent to receive the Central Allocation results via the mobile phone number, they will also receive the results of their applicant children via SMS on June 7. In addition, parents who have already activated their POA e-Platform (ePOA) account via “iAM Smart” or “iAM Smart+” (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) could check the Central Allocation results through the ePOA from 10am on June 7. Please refer to the related videos and Parents’ Guide on the EDB homepage (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for activating and logging into an ePOA account and for checking allocation results via the e-Platform. 
 
Registration of pupils
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     The EDB will assign timeslots for parents to register with the allocated school on June 13 (Tuesday) or June 14 (Wednesday) according to the last digit of the applicant child’s POA application number. Parents are requested to complete the registration formalities within the specified date and time as listed on the Arrangements on Registration attached to the Primary One Registration Form. Parents who cannot proceed with the registration within the specified date and time may register on June 15 (Thursday), from 9am to noon or 2pm to 4pm.  
 
     The spokesman reminded that parents who cannot register their child with the school on the above dates due to matters of grave importance should notify the person in charge of registration of the school concerned in advance to make alternative arrangements. Otherwise, they would be deemed to have given up the school place allocated.
 
Special arrangements for applicant children on Mainland or overseas
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     The EDB has made special arrangements for parents of applicant children on the Mainland or overseas. These parents could authorise a representative to register with the school on their behalf on the specified registration dates. The EDB has already informed all parents of applicant children concerned about the special arrangements.
 
Arrangements for special circumstances
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     Should parents decide to give up the place allocated because of special circumstances, such as moving to another school net far from the school allocated, they should not register their child with the school allocated. Under such circumstances, they are advised to go to the EDB’s School Places Allocation Section, Office 2, 2/F, Manulife Financial Centre, 223 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, to make necessary arrangements for transfer. They should bring along the Primary One Registration Form, the original and copies of documents showing proof of the new address (such as a rental contract, rates demand notes, or water or electricity bills bearing the name of the parent or the guardian of the child).
 
     Any parent who finds it necessary to transfer his/her child to another school after registration is strongly advised to obtain an assurance of acceptance from that school before retrieving the Primary One Registration Form from the original school because retrieval of the registration form means cancellation of the allocated school place.
 
     In case of inclement weather or other special circumstances during the period for the announcement of results or on any day(s) designated for registration, parents should pay attention to announcements on radio and television for special arrangements for Central Allocation or registration.
 
Enquiries
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     Parents wishing to obtain general information regarding POA procedures can call the EDB’s 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088. Further enquiries can be made to the School Places Allocation Section at 2832 7610 (for Hong Kong Island and Islands), 2832 7620 (for Kowloon), 2832 7635 (for New Territories West), 2832 7659 (for New Territories East) and 2832 7700/2832 7740 (for general enquiries) during office hours, as well as from 9am to 4.30pm on June 10 (Saturday) and June 11 (Sunday). read more

     The fourth exhibition "Childhood Fun on Paper" of the second round of the "Art><Creativity" Exhibition Series in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is now open to the public until July 23 at Gensquare, Ji… read more