Police today (June 11) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tsuen Wan.
     Yeung Chor-shin, aged 86, went missing after she left her residence on Castle Peak Road – Ting Kau on June 10 morning. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.
      
     She is about 1.5 metres tall, 48 kilograms in weight and of thin build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short straight black and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue long sleeves jacket, dark trousers, black shoes, carrying a green umbrella and a black shoulder bag.
      
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1174 or 6674 84569 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Government announced today (June 11) that the boarding requirements for persons arriving from certain places will be tightened from June 18.
     
     In view of the persistent unstable epidemic situation in various overseas places, as well as the prevalent transmission of cases involving the more transmissible and potentially more serious mutant virus strains, the Government will specify Colombia and Korea from Group C specified places to Group B specified places with effect from June 18 upon close monitoring of the epidemic developments in the relevant places, the prevalence of mutant virus strains and the case importation risks that may be posed to Hong Kong.
     
     Persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in any Group B specified place(s) per the day of boarding for Hong Kong or during the 14 days before that day will have to present at boarding a negative result proof of a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 conducted within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of the aircraft, as well as the confirmation of a room reservation in a designated quarantine hotel in Hong Kong. Persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in Group B specified place(s) but are yet to be fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines will be subject to a 21-day compulsory quarantine at designated quarantine hotels, with four tests to be conducted during the period. Those who have been fully vaccinated will be subject to a 14-day compulsory quarantine at designated quarantine hotels, with three tests to be conducted during the period, followed by a seven-day self-monitoring period as well as compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th day of arrival at Hong Kong. Fully vaccinated means the suggested dosage has been administered in accordance with relevant guidelines of a COVID-19 vaccination course at least 14 days prior to arrival at Hong Kong. The relevant vaccines administered should be those included on the List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes.
    
     The Government will gazette the relevant updated specifications under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to effect the above measures on June 18.
     
     "The Government will continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation of various places, the prevalence of new virus variants, vaccination progress, and changes in the volume of cross-boundary passenger traffic, and will adjust the boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong from relevant places as the situation warrants," a Government spokesman said.
     
     Details on the grouping of specified places and their respective boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (June 11) addressed over 200 participants from the business community in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states during an online dialogue, in which he introduced Hong Kong's strong fundamentals and unique advantages under "one country, two systems".

     Mr Cheung reassured participants that despite the great global challenge and the trail of disruption brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong would rise again to the challenges and forge ahead confidently towards a bright future.

     Entitled "Reconnect: Hong Kong – ASEAN Partnership", the webinar sought to provide an update to participants on the latest social and economic developments in Hong Kong, and the opportunities and benefits presented to enterprises in ASEAN.

     Mr Cheung highlighted the close economic relations between Hong Kong and ASEAN over the years, noting that ASEAN has been Hong Kong's second largest trading partner for 10 years in a row since 2010. The Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Agreement between Hong Kong and ASEAN, which both came into full force in February this year, also reflect the significant economic connections between both sides.

     Mr Cheung expressed his strong confidence in Hong Kong's future development, pointing out that the two significant Decisions of the National People's Congress on national security legislation and improving Hong Kong's electoral system have put Hong Kong back on its right track and ensured its long-term stability and prosperity. With the full support of the Central People's Government as stated in the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, Mr Cheung emphasised that investors from ASEAN will be able to benefit from the unlimited development potential of Hong Kong. In particular, 14th Five-Year Plan marked the first time that Hong Kong was positioned to develop into an international innovation and technology hub, an international aviation hub, an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and a regional intellectual property trading hub. Under the "dual circulation" development strategy of the country, Hong Kong will take the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development as the entry point to better integrate into the overall national development, proactively becoming a participant in domestic circulation and a facilitator in international circulation.

     Mr Cheung invited the ASEAN business community to tap into these enormous opportunities and strengthen its business ties with Hong Kong.

     Mr Cheung also spoke with participants on Hong Kong's experience and strategy in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been sparing no effort in putting the local epidemic situation under control and promoting vaccination in the community so as to return Hong Kong to normality as soon as possible. In this connection, achieving popular vaccination is one of the key factors in resuming cross-border flows of people.

     Mr Cheung also addressed a wide range of questions from participants during the webinar. In response to a question on Hong Kong's position on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Mr Cheung said that Hong Kong has a keen interest in joining the RCEP at the earliest appropriate juncture. In view of Hong Kong’s unique advantages, Hong Kong's accession to RCEP will further deepen regional economic integration and co-operation for the prosperity of the region.

     The webinar was organised by the three Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in ASEAN, located in Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore, together with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Thai-Hong Kong Trade Association. Seven business associations in ASEAN also participated as supporting organisations, namely the Hong Kong Business Association of Cambodia, the Indonesia-Hong Kong Business Association, the Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association, the Myanmar Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc, the Hong Kong Singapore Business Association and the Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam. The event was part of the HKSAR Government's efforts in reaching out direct to overseas business communities and promoting Hong Kong.

    

     The Revenue (First Registration Tax and Licence Fees for Motor Vehicles) Ordinance 2021 had been passed by the Legislative Council previously and was published in the Gazette today (June 11).
 
     The Ordinance seeks to give effect to the increases of the first registration tax and vehicle licence fees for private cars as announced in the 2021-22 Budget, and to make relevant amendments. The adjusted vehicle licence fees for petrol and diesel private cars as well as electrically powered passenger vehicles have come into effect from 11am on February 24, 2021, and are tabulated below:
 
Petrol and diesel private cars

* Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund Levy included. The levy for one year is $114, and the levy for four months is $38.
# If private car uses fuel of light diesel oil as defined in section 69 of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), the additional fee required has been adjusted to $1,898.

Electrically powered passenger vehicles

^ Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund Levy not included. The levy for one year is $114, and the levy for four months is $38.
 
     Since February 24 this year, for the adjustment on vehicle licence fees, the Transport Department (TD) has implemented special arrangements for renewal of vehicle licences. Under the special arrangements, members of the public renewing their vehicle licences of private cars or electrically powered passenger vehicles which expire on or before June 23, 2021, as long as the renewal application is submitted on or before June 23, they can continue to pay the original vehicle licence fees before the adjustment (including annual licence fees and licence fees of four-month licences).
 
     The TD reminds the public that the special arrangements for renewal of vehicle licences will end on June 23. Members of the public who submit an application to renew the vehicle licences of their private cars or electrically powered passenger vehicles on or after June 24 must pay the adjusted vehicle licence fees irrespective of the expiry date of the relevant licences. For those submitting their renewal application by post, the postmark date of Hongkong Post will be taken as the submission date. For members of the public submitting their renewal application by drop-in box, the application must be put into the drop-in box on or before June 23 in order to pay the original vehicle licence fees before the adjustment.
 
     For enquiries, please call 1823 or 2804 2600.

     MTR Corporation Limited, Hop Yuen Construction Limited and the proprietor of a contractor were fined $30,000, $20,000 and $30,000 respectively at Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (June 11) for violation of the Occupational Safety and Health 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 May 13, 2020, in a plant room at a railway station in Central. When a worker stepped on a metal structure inside the plant room for clearing stagnant water, a metal board suddenly broke. He fell through an opening to the ground below and was injured. He was certified dead in hospital.