In light of positive test results for the COVID-19 virus from some sewage samples collected in Islands District and Wong Tai Sin, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) said today (April 28) that the Islands District Office (IsDO) a… read more
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 Bank of Singapore Limited relating to fraudulent mobile applications (Apps), 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 Apps 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. read more
The Government today (April 28) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” (declaration) effective from 4.30pm under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Wong Tai Sin (i.e. Chi Mei House, Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin, excluding non-domestic units on G/F. See Annex) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at about 10am tomorrow (April 29). The operation may be extended depending on test results.
A Government spokesman said, “Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’. Having reviewed a basket of factors, including the viral load in sewage, the information of relevant positive cases, and other circumstantial factors, and conducted a risk assessment, the Government decided to make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’ for the relevant area.”
The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the “restricted area” and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 9pm today. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will make arrangement to facilitate specimen collection for people with impaired mobility. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past three months, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, are not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.
The Government spokesman said, “We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the ‘restricted area’ as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at about 10am tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees.”
If staying in the “restricted area” will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any persons other than those specified above who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from April 22 to April 28, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before April 30, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence’s sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
For the 2022 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) candidates who are within the “restricted area” and need to sit the HKDSE on the following day, or examination personnel who need to take up invigilation duties for HKDSE on the following day, the Government appeals to them to go to the temporary specimen collection stations setup within the “restricted area” before 8pm today and present to the prescribed officer the relevant documents (including the identification documents and HKDSE admission forms, or a certification letter issued by the school of the examination personnel) proving their identities. These HKDSE candidates and examination personnel will be given priority testing with a view to enabling them to obtain test results on the following day as early as possible. The priority testing arrangement also applies to the family members who live together with these HKDSE candidates and examination personnel, so as to identify those HKDSE candidates and examination personnel who have become close contacts of confirmed cases for making quarantine arrangement.
If any HKDSE candidate or examination personnel needs to leave the “restricted area” for the examination centre before the declaration is revoked, he/she can make a request to the prescribed officers within the “restricted area”. The prescribed officer may allow the candidate or the examination personnel to leave the “restricted area” after verifying his/her testing result(s) and recording the relevant information. For the safety of all candidates and examination personnel, only those candidates and examination personnel who have obtained negative test results will be allowed to enter the examination hall. For details, please read the relevant information issued by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority earlier www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/HKDSE/PPT_2022DSE_compulsory_testing_arrangements_eng.pdf.
The Housing Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2320 3066) which started operation at 4.30pm today for residents restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance. The Social Welfare Department will also provide assistance to the affected persons.
The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and “restriction-testing declaration”. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (April 28) the external merchandise trade statistics for March 2022. In March 2022, the values of Hong Kong’s total exports and imports of goods both recorded year-on-year decreases, at 8.9% and 6.0% respectively.
In March 2022, the value of total exports of goods decreased by 8.9% over a year earlier to $372.8 billion, after a year-on-year increase of 0.9% in February 2022. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods decreased by 6.0% over a year earlier to $410.0 billion in March 2022, after a year-on-year increase of 6.2% in February 2022. A visible trade deficit of $37.3 billion, equivalent to 9.1% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in March 2022.
For the first quarter of 2022 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods increased by 3.4% over the same period in 2021. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 2.9%. A visible trade deficit of $62.7 billion, equivalent to 5.2% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the first quarter of 2022.
Comparing the first quarter of 2022 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total exports of goods decreased by 2.9%. Meanwhile, the value of imports of goods decreased by 1.8%.
Analysis by country/territory
Comparing March 2022 with March 2021, total exports to Asia as a whole dropped by 8.6%. In this region, decreases were registered in the values of total exports to some major destinations, in particular the mainland of China (the Mainland) (-12.8%), Japan (-6.8%), Thailand (-2.6%) and Korea (-1.1%). On the other hand, increases were recorded in the values of total exports to Singapore (+24.8%) and Taiwan (+20.8%).
Apart from destinations in Asia, decreases were registered in the values of total exports to some major destinations in other regions, in particular the United Kingdom (-39.8%). However, the value of total exports to the USA increased by 7.0%.
Over the same period of comparison, decreases were registered in the values of imports from some major suppliers, in particular the Mainland (-19.9%), Japan (-7.4%), Thailand (-5.4%) and Vietnam (-3.3%). Concurrently, increases were recorded in the values of imports from Taiwan (+34.1%) and the USA (+17.7%).
For the first quarter of 2022 as a whole, year-on-year increases were registered in the values of total exports to most major destinations, in particular India (+45.8%), Taiwan (+37.0%), Singapore (+30.9%) and the United Arab Emirates (+20.7%). However, the value of total exports to the Mainland decreased by 0.9%.
Over the same period of comparison, year-on-year increases were registered in the values of imports from most major suppliers, in particular Taiwan (+32.4%), the Philippines (+10.8%), the USA (+10.7%) and Thailand (+10.5%). However, decreases were recorded in the values of imports from Japan (-2.7%) and the Mainland (-2.5%).
Analysis by major commodity
Comparing March 2022 with March 2021, decreases were registered in the values of total exports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $21.2 billion or -37.1%), “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $4.2 billion or -9.8%), “non-ferrous metals” (by $3.8 billion or -41.2%) and “miscellaneous manufactured articles (mainly jewellery, goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ wares)” (by $1.3 billion or -7.2%). However, an increase was registered in the value of total exports of “professional, scientific and controlling instruments and apparatus” (by $3.0 billion or 34.2%).
Over the same period of comparison, decreases were registered in the values of imports of some principal commodity divisions, in particular “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $20.5 billion or -33.4%), “miscellaneous manufactured articles (mainly jewellery, goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ wares)” (by $3.6 billion or -14.5%) and “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $1.7 billion or -4.9%). However, an increase was registered in the value of imports of “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $7.1 billion or 3.7%).
For the first quarter of 2022 as a whole, year-on-year increases were registered in the values of total exports of some principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $61.7 billion or 12.4%), “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $19.4 billion or 17.1%), “professional, scientific and controlling instruments and apparatus” (by $13.5 billion or 56.1%) and “miscellaneous manufactured articles (mainly jewellery, goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ wares)” (by $4.7 billion or 9.3%). However, a year-on-year decrease was registered in the value of total exports of “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $47.8 billion or -26.7%).
Over the same period of comparison, year-on-year increases were registered in the values of imports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $50.3 billion or 9.8%), “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $17.5 billion or 19.8%), “professional, scientific and controlling instruments and apparatus” (by $10.2 billion or 42.3%) and “petroleum, petroleum products and related materials” (by $5.2 billion or 39.7%). However, a year-on-year decrease was registered in the value of imports of “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $38.4 billion or -22.1%).
Commentary
A Government spokesman said that the value of merchandise exports turned to a year-on-year decrease in March 2022 amid moderating external demand and epidemic-induced disruptions to cross-boundary cargo flows between the Mainland and Hong Kong. A high base of comparison was also relevant. Exports to the Mainland and the EU fell, and those to the US posted decelerated growth. Exports to other major Asian markets saw mixed performance.
Looking ahead, elevated global inflation and monetary policy tightening of major central banks, as well as heightened geopolitical tensions will continue to weigh on the global economic outlook, posing challenges to Hong Kong’s export performance. Nonetheless, the stabilised local epidemic of late should be conducive to the gradual alleviation of cross-boundary transportation disruptions and thus render some support. The Government will monitor the situation closely.
Further information
Table 1 presents the analysis of external merchandise trade statistics for March 2022. Table 2 presents the original monthly trade statistics from January 2019 to March 2022, and Table 3 gives the seasonally adjusted series for the same period.
The values of total exports of goods to 10 main destinations for March 2022 are shown in Table 4, whereas the values of imports of goods from 10 main suppliers are given in Table 5.
Tables 6 and 7 show the values of total exports and imports of 10 principal commodity divisions for March 2022.
All the merchandise trade statistics described here are measured at current prices and no account has been taken of changes in prices between the periods of comparison. A separate analysis of the volume and price movements of external merchandise trade for March 2022 will be released in mid-May 2022.
The March 2022 issue of “Hong Kong External Merchandise Trade” contains detailed analysis on the performance of Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade in March 2022 and will be available in mid-May 2022. Users can download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode230.html).
Enquiries on merchandise trade statistics may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section (2) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5042). read more
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 28) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H… read more